Is it normal to feel better turning one way?
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Once again the forum comes to my rescue and makes me feel normal again. Thanks to all. I think my worry was that it's not just a preference but my left turns are not good at the moment and this makes me feel worse. I'll continue to work on it of course.
Thanks again all!
Thanks again all!
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It's entirely normal to have a 'preferred' side when turning. Yes, majority of right-handed people prefer to turn left. I put this down to the elbow acting as a pivot point and so it's mechanically easier to move the stick left than right. As a glider pilot you do need to overcome your inherent bias because there will be times (e.g. joining other gliders in thermals) when you will need to turn in the non-preferred direction.
When I'm teaching people I can quickly recognise their preferred direction (co-ordination and speed control are better) and so I intentionally force them to do turns in the opposite direction. By practicing in both directions you'll quickly overcome any major problems and will soon be able to comfortably turn in either direction safely...but you'll still have a tendency to want to turn one way rather than the other.
When you get to start flying cross-country and take a logger with you it's a good exercise to see how often you turn left vs right and what the associated climb rates are. You may find you actually achieve a better climb rate turning in the non-preferred direction. When you're at this point, drop a line and I'll explain the probable reason for this!
When I'm teaching people I can quickly recognise their preferred direction (co-ordination and speed control are better) and so I intentionally force them to do turns in the opposite direction. By practicing in both directions you'll quickly overcome any major problems and will soon be able to comfortably turn in either direction safely...but you'll still have a tendency to want to turn one way rather than the other.
When you get to start flying cross-country and take a logger with you it's a good exercise to see how often you turn left vs right and what the associated climb rates are. You may find you actually achieve a better climb rate turning in the non-preferred direction. When you're at this point, drop a line and I'll explain the probable reason for this!
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interesting this. I'm right handed and prefer turning to the left but can manage the right turns without significant problems. What is a BIG problem is side slipping to the right. No problem to the left but simply don't feel safe ina right side slip. Am told that this is because it is much easier to pull your arm across your body than to push it out and suppose the forces needed to slip to the right are greater than to turn. Practice doesn't help much as I just can't build a sense of security when reasonably close to the ground. Any ideas
josher
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Right-handed.
Gliding: prefer turns to the left high up as well as close to the ground, but the circuits flown are almost all LH, so.. When spin training, LH 'feels nicer'.
Helicopter: flown from right hand side (R22), most circuits RH during training, still prefer left turns.
Not that it bothers me to turn other way, but 'pushing' to initiate turn in glider may have something to do with it. It's not fear of height as some say, either. I did do turns either way depending on which way I judged the thermal better in my limited training so far.
Jury's out for side-by-side airplane flying, but it'd wait as I'm doing Cub flying next :-D So same as gliding, tandem.
Gliding: prefer turns to the left high up as well as close to the ground, but the circuits flown are almost all LH, so.. When spin training, LH 'feels nicer'.
Helicopter: flown from right hand side (R22), most circuits RH during training, still prefer left turns.
Not that it bothers me to turn other way, but 'pushing' to initiate turn in glider may have something to do with it. It's not fear of height as some say, either. I did do turns either way depending on which way I judged the thermal better in my limited training so far.
Jury's out for side-by-side airplane flying, but it'd wait as I'm doing Cub flying next :-D So same as gliding, tandem.
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Martin CH - Welcome to REAL aviation! Flying a Supercub in the summertime has got to be the most fun in a power plane (gliders, of course, are extra special).
First, make sure you are strapped in properly. And fly with the doors open, doing well banked turns to the right. I promise you will know that you are DEFINITELY airborne with nothing under your butt and wheels but nothing!
Have fun!
First, make sure you are strapped in properly. And fly with the doors open, doing well banked turns to the right. I promise you will know that you are DEFINITELY airborne with nothing under your butt and wheels but nothing!
Have fun!
Everyone has a "chocolate" side
Handing has always concerned me: Most especially doing a stall turn (avalanche in EU) in a prop, I always prefer going left which is silly in, say, a Chippy but not in a Jungmann.
This was looked at in the mil and pilots were told that most people would go left. The lesson was obvious.
Also, learning to fly was left hand on throttle, right hand on stick. Works very well in big jets too - until you get a command.
I hadn't looked at PF until the Wilga banner accident - very interesting and enthusiastic sub section
No, I'm not being patronising!
