Left Handed?

I’m a lefty and wonder how I would write stuff down while using the side stick. Any lefty pilots with insite here?

Jeff

In reply to:


I’m a lefty and wonder how I would write stuff down while using the side stick. Any lefty pilots with insite here?
Jeff


Jeff,

I’m a lefty pilot with about 1300 hours in Cirrus airplanes. The left-side stick was a minor issue exactly once.

Points to ponder:

  1. You probably normally fly with your left hand, even with a normal yoke… you use your right hand for the throttle. Admittedly, it’s easier to hold a “normal” yoke with one’s right hand, though, when one has to write.

  2. Most Cirrus pilots use the autopilot a lot - even when we choose to hand fly, it makes good sense to engage the autopilot when you have something to write down. I always do so. For the most part, I ‘write’ frequencies, headings and altitudes with my right index finger and thumb - by pushing buttons and twisting knobs on the panel; although I also write them on a knee pad the old-fashioned way.

  3. Obviously, we need to hand fly for takeoffs and landings - but I’ve never needed to write anything down during those times.

The one time it was a minor issue was when I found myself circling over a downed Cessna, and was copying information being transmitted to me by the pilot on the ground. I needed to hand-fly AND write. I simply crossed my hands - held the stick with my right hand and wrote with my left. It was a little weird, but no big deal. For the other 1299.9 hours, it simply hasn’t come up.

Hope this helps…

Mike.

When I was doing my instrument training in my SR 22 my instructor would not let me let go of the side yoke and being left handed I had a hard time with making notes. My solution was to make my own forms for the different information of an approach and clearance. I made the boxes big enough to scribble right handed and still read the note. It worked although the examiner was satisfied with using all the back up radios and equipment in the airplane except for altitude.

Dick Grothen

Fly from the right seat!

Brock Lorber
SouthwestCirrus.com

In reply to:


I’m a lefty and wonder how I would write stuff down while using the side stick. Any lefty pilots with insite here?


Jeff,

I’m a lefty, as well, and have never had any problems (with flying the Cirrus anyway [;)]). If I need to write a lot down at an inopportune time, I just activate the autopilot. More likely, I am already on autopilot anyway, so I just pick up my pen and write. [:)]

In reply to:


Jeff,
I’m a lefty pilot with about 1300 hours in Cirrus airplanes. The left-side stick was a minor issue exactly once.
Points to ponder:

  1. You probably normally fly with your left hand, even with a normal yoke… you use your right hand for the throttle. Admittedly, it’s easier to hold a “normal” yoke with one’s right hand, though, when one has to write.
  2. Most Cirrus pilots use the autopilot a lot - even when we choose to hand fly, it makes good sense to engage the autopilot when you have something to write down. I always do so. For the most part, I ‘write’ frequencies, headings and altitudes with my right index finger and thumb - by pushing buttons and twisting knobs on the panel; although I also write them on a knee pad the old-fashioned way.
  3. Obviously, we need to hand fly for takeoffs and landings - but I’ve never needed to write anything down during those times.
    The one time it was a minor issue was when I found myself circling over a downed Cessna, and was copying information being transmitted to me by the pilot on the ground. I needed to hand-fly AND write. I simply crossed my hands - held the stick with my right hand and wrote with my left. It was a little weird, but no big deal. For the other 1299.9 hours, it simply hasn’t come up.
    Hope this helps…
    Mike.

Jeff: Mike’s 100% correct. I too am a lefty, and have had less issues than Mike. even when you need to write something down, it is so easy to hit the Heading (HDG) and the Altitude (ALT) buttons on the auto-pilot as ATC begins the call-up. Perhaps a handful of times I have had to say, “Stand-by one,” to ATC, but this was hardly a bother.

The key point is most pilots fly with their left hands and use the right for playing with the instruments, throttles, and other controls anyway.

Thanks for the info guys. I’ll cross this one off my things to wonder about list.

My only problem was instrument training; wasn’t allowed to use the autopilot and instructor said all instructions should be written down…frequencies, headings, alt…

In reply to:


My only problem was instrument training; wasn’t allowed to use the autopilot and instructor said all instructions should be written down…frequencies, headings, alt…


Looks like a possible ADA claim! Dennis, where are you?

I can see it now: SOUTHPAW PILOT SUES FAA CLAIMS DISABILITY

In reply to:


My only problem was instrument training; wasn’t allowed to use the autopilot and instructor said all instructions should be written down…frequencies, headings, alt…


That’s bad. If, in a real approach, you don’t have a working autopilot, and the airplane isn’t trimmed enough to let go of the stick for a few seconds, you can always ask the controller to say again and make a mental note of heading and altitude. I’d go for the lawsuit. [;)]

In reply to:


Looks like a possible ADA claim! Dennis, where are you?
I can see it now: SOUTHPAW PILOT SUES FAA CLAIMS DISABILITY


No problem.
Just fly in England and use their right hand drive models.

Of course, if you were Reed Richards (“Mr. Fantastic”) of Marvel Comics’ Fantastic Four, you could just stretch your right arm and use the yoke on the right-hand side of the cockpit…

Cheers,
Roger