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Switch position (Up or down?)

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RedTailSwinger

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 24, 2006
Posts
55
I am working on a project regarding switch positions on different aircraft. It would help me out if anyone could let me know the airplane they fly and if your aircraft requires up or down for the ON position.

I have noticed there doesn't appear to be any standardization in switch positions. On some airplanes down equals ON and on other aircraft it equeals OFF. Some manufactures even produce different switch positions (up vs. down) for different airlines. For example, a Northwest Airlines' A320 landing light switch is opposite of most other airlines (down equals ON).
 
I think that Boeings and DeHaviland has a "forward" is on and "back" is off mentality. In other words, to activate a switch, move it towards the front of the airplane. This would mean that overhead switches are down for an and center panel switches are up for on.

The Embraer was all one direction and the Canadair was all one (opposite) direction...I think (funny how you forget)

HTH

ZP
 
One of my friends told me on the CRJ everything above the glareshild is down for ON, and everything below the glareshield is down for OFF.
 
Up is On
Down is OFF
Press to Test
Twist to Dim
Jerk to Inflate

Ahh the good ol Boeing philosophy!

73
 
On the DC-10 switch position will depend on whether it is a KSSU airframe or an ATLAS airframe. As with many aircraft Douglas built they had achieved fleet standardization right up until they built the second airframe.
 
The CRJ has the Dassault philosophy, toward the nose is on. That means below the glareshield up is on, above it down is one. I don't remember what the ERJ was.
 
aa73 said:
Up is On
Down is OFF
Press to Test
Twist to Dim
Jerk to Inflate

Ahh the good ol Boeing philosophy!

73
Click to expand...
Unless it's a European deal. We acquired two 73-200 cargo birds from Lufthansa and they were opposite.
Down on
Up off.

Weird
 
America West's 320s utilize the up=on philosophy. Evidently, the East side had to special order the "forward=on" and to avoid certain landing light induced disaster by pilots transitioning from the Boeings. As such, the West's Airbus aircraft will be reconfigured for standardization.

I can see why it must be so hard to except anything but complete fleet-wide standardization. Makes you wonder why they didn't insist Airbus remove the Joystick and add a yoke. Evidently, in an emergency the pilot could just let go of the stick and grope around for the missing yoke. At least the got the overhead switches reconfigured but how are those damn planes not just falling out of the sky?

Ok, I admit....that was pretty much flame bait.

"Up" should equal "on" no matter where it is. Why over-complicate it?
 
Here's one

This one has always made me nuts:
On the CRJ

-The yoke R/T is down, I/C is up
-Console R/T is up, I/C is down

-WTF-
-Did these people never talk to one another about this?

-Just damn!
 
Don't forget "in=on" and "out=off" for switch positions. Gulfstream changed its overhead switches to in/out when it went to the GIV. Simple enough, except that lights in switches don't always correspond to switch positions.

My favorite switch is the Cabin Window Heat in the GV/550...

"OFF" - switch out, blue OFF light illuminated
"ON" - switch in, blue OFF light illuminated
 
BlueandWhite said:
Don't forget "in=on" and "out=off" for switch positions. Gulfstream changed its overhead switches to in/out when it went to the GIV. Simple enough, except that lights in switches don't always correspond to switch positions.

My favorite switch is the Cabin Window Heat in the GV/550...

"OFF" - switch out, blue OFF light illuminated
"ON" - switch in, blue OFF light illuminated
Click to expand...

Doesn't Gulfstream also use a backwards speed tape? In other words high speed is at the bottom of the tape?
 
Jmoney said:
This one has always made me nuts:
On the CRJ

-The yoke R/T is down, I/C is up
-Console R/T is up, I/C is down

-WTF-
-Did these people never talk to one another about this?

-Just damn!
Click to expand...


That's kind of funny. I fly the airplane and never even realized the difference (I guess that's why I can never raze anyone to give my out/off times). Seriously, I don't know if it's a good design or not but I always put my thumb on the knob right above the console PTT and use my index finger to activate it. Maybe it's a crappy design but I've gotten used to it?
 
Back or forward, up or down, just don't touch it if it's got dust on it.
 
European aircraft designers use a light switch ( the one on the wall at your home ) mentality.

Down - off
Up - on
 
The change over on an MD80 is below the glare shield. down is on and up is off on the glare shield and overhead panel...below it is off is down and up is on.

My favorite switch on the MD80 is the yaw-damp..."on" is on, :"off" is maybe on or off, and "overide" is off.

Engineers don't fly airplanes...it is only recenly that they have even attempted to ask the pilots how a flight deck should be designed. Unfortunatelly when they do ask the airlines it is usually the management/school-house types that get sent which is an improvement but you still end up with a flight-deck with not enough cup holders. I wonder how many generations of aircraft it will take for Boeing to figure out that they need to put a trash can where the PA handset is-In reach of both pilots during flight and the cabin cleaners on the ground.

Later
 
Last edited:
DrewBlows said:
Doesn't Gulfstream also use a backwards speed tape? In other words high speed is at the bottom of the tape?
Click to expand...
Now why is that backwards? With the altimeter tape, the numbers that would equate to pulling the nose up are at the top. So, wouldn't it make sense to do the same with the speed tape, e.g. pull the nose up, speed goes lower?
 
Huggyu2 said:
Now why is that backwards? With the altimeter tape, the numbers that would equate to pulling the nose up are at the top. So, wouldn't it make sense to do the same with the speed tape, e.g. pull the nose up, speed goes lower?
Click to expand...


Uh, no that would be counter-intuitive. Some of the Asian birds we have, have the overhead switches backwards. Gets a little confusing trying to turn the landgings lights on/off. I will for one be glad when Boeing stops letting the customer custom order such things as switchology.
Back to MS Flight sim for you.
 
Thedude said:
Uh, no that would be counter-intuitive. Some of the Asian birds we have, have the overhead switches backwards. Gets a little confusing trying to turn the landgings lights on/off. I will for one be glad when Boeing stops letting the customer custom order such things as switchology.
Back to MS Flight sim for you.
Click to expand...

Not quite. There are hundreds of options for say a new B777/747 and it unlikely that any two airlines have the exact same configuration. Drives me nuts some times.
 
Thedude said:
Uh, no that would be counter-intuitive.
Click to expand...
Unless I'm missing your tongue-in-cheek, I'd say "Uh, yes, it's very intuitive". Explain how that is counter intuitive. I've flown with both, and my current ride has it set up this way.
 
Last edited:
Huggyu2 said:
Now why is that backwards? With the altimeter tape, the numbers that would equate to pulling the nose up are at the top. So, wouldn't it make sense to do the same with the speed tape, e.g. pull the nose up, speed goes lower?
Click to expand...


Actually - I think with the altimeter it has nothing to do with where you are pulling the nose it has everything to do with the altitudes above you are on the top and the altitudes below you are on the bottom. You should have higher altitudes on top, you should have higher speeds on top - just like you have higher RPMs on top and higher PSI's on top.
 
RedTailSwinger said:
I am working on a project regarding switch positions on different aircraft. It would help me out if anyone could let me know the airplane they fly and if your aircraft requires up or down for the ON position.

I have noticed there doesn't appear to be any standardization in switch positions. On some airplanes down equals ON and on other aircraft it equeals OFF. Some manufactures even produce different switch positions (up vs. down) for different airlines. For example, a Northwest Airlines' A320 landing light switch is opposite of most other airlines (down equals ON).
Click to expand...

In the F-22 we just think the position we want and the jet mind melds with us. :D
 
Jmoney said:
This one has always made me nuts:
On the CRJ

-The yoke R/T is down, I/C is up
-Console R/T is up, I/C is down

-WTF-
-Did these people never talk to one another about this?

-Just damn!
Click to expand...

Jmoney - the root cause of your problem is you took a job where you had to fly an RJ in the first place.
 

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