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Left-handed Pilots


r22butters

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Recently on a trip to Vegas, I came across a brochure from one of the tour operators out there. There was a picture in it of a Eurocopter that had the collective mounted on the right? :o Since this was a French helicopter, I just thought, maybe that's how they fly? :huh:

 

I then tried to imagine what it would be like to hold the cyclic in my left, and the collective in my right. To be honest, I don't think it would be a pretty picture, especially trying to hover with my non-dominant hand.

 

Eventually I came to the conclusion that the photographer must have just reversed the negative, however, it did raise the question; How do you left-handed pilots deal with flying with your non-dominant hand? :huh: I tried swinging a golf club left-handed once, and I could barely hold it properly. <_<

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it shouldn't even be a concern... if you learned to fly fixed wing old school (stick and rudder style) you held the stick with your right hand... but now nearly every airplane is left hand on yoke and right hand on throttle.

It is only thought about in the first hours of experience... after that, it is the ONLY way to fly so you just do it.

I thought about it in the first 200 hours if I was switching airframes... now it is a non-issue

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it shouldn't even be a concern... if you learned to fly fixed wing old school (stick and rudder style) you held the stick with your right hand... but now nearly every airplane is left hand on yoke and right hand on throttle.

It is only thought about in the first hours of experience... after that, it is the ONLY way to fly so you just do it.

I thought about it in the first 200 hours if I was switching airframes... now it is a non-issue

 

There was an old Piasecki that I sat in with a cycle collective between the seats and dual overhead cyclic. This lead to an idea I had with an instructor buddy of mine in an R22. I flew left handed on the cyclic, and right handed on the collective. It was a little weird, but can be done with a little practice. I think setting down would be the hard part. I bet 10 hours would make it a non-issue for most.

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It's all what you get used to. I am left handed and thought "I'd like to hold the cyclic in my left hand."

 

But now, the right-hand cyclic and left-hand collective has become natural.

 

It is also very handy for using the radio. I keep my right hand on the cyclic and use my left (dominant) hand to change frequencies.

Edited by MileHiR44
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Never even thought about it. I'm left handed and fixed wing rated. Some days I would fly the airplane and some days the helicopter. Some days I flew an Astar and in the same day an R-22.

 

It's all realitive and I never thought about it. Just eyes outside and move the control I wanted in reference to that.

 

Should point out there were times I would have to hold cyclic with left hand to use my right hand to change a radio or squwak. This being in the EC130 (left side drive).

 

JD

Edited by JDHelicopterPilot
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