Helicopter question

[cougar6903]

Sorry to ask if the question has been asked before but I couldn't find the answer through searching. Why does the PIC sit on the right in helicopters?

 

[ThomasR]

Sorry to ask if the question has been asked before but I couldn't find the answer through searching. Why does the PIC sit on the right in helicopters?

Thats where the instrument panel is centered.

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[VNugget]

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/helicopters/q0072.shtml

 

[Birdstrike]

I Like Right

VNugget's link is news to me but it makes sense.

Lot's of PICs still choose the left seat. But Army helo rotor systems rotate counter-clockwise so the nose of fuselage wants to rotate to the right during hover (every action has an equal and opposite reaction - Fig Newtons law). Left pedal counter-acts that in a hover. With no pedal input at hover, and the nose wanting to gravitate to the right, I wanted to be in the right seat so all I had to do was look over my right shoulder to clear the turn and start my climb with minimal power. More power is needed for a left pedal turn and climb. User preference.

 

[weekendwarrior]

Funny you asked that. I'ved asked every military IP I've flown with, and no one has been able to answer it. I can't think of a real logical reason, aerodynamically. Funny thing, I flew fixed wing before rotor wing. Right seat was weird at first, but I got used to it soon. Then, we had a LEFT seat checkout before we had our solo flight, and it was weird! So, I go from left, to right, and now centerline. Then on free time I fly left seat in airplanes. Go figure.

 

[mattpilot]

this is what i've been told and it seems most logical to me:

Because of the way the rotor turns, it is easier for the helicopter to make a right turn (for reasons birdstrike explained), instead of a left turn. So they put the pilot seat on the side which the pilot will most often/likely bank into. And in a helo, you want to always try to turn into the direction you have the best visibility (doesn't matter if you fly left or right), especially if your low to the ground.

So to me, it seems logical why the pilot is on the right.

 

[ThomasR]

Left or Right?

I have been out of the military for some time, however, when this Comman Pilot stuff came out in the early 80's we were mandatory training instrument and NOE. At the time, the main instruments were on the right side of the cockpit leaving the left side with more visibility. So, if you were instruments that day it was right side and if you were NOE it was left side. Then we got into low level instrument navigation which confused everyone.

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[mudkow60]

Just my two cents worth... think I remember something about right hand pattern being stardard in a helicopter (that is, if you actually have to fly a "pattern").

 

[ThomasR]

Just my two cents worth... think I remember something about right hand pattern being stardard in a helicopter (that is, if you actually have to fly a "pattern").

Opposite of fix wing traffic.

 

[mudkow60]

Yeah... that is right hand, right?

 

[skiddriver]

The collective lever on early helicopters was just that - a real long lever that ran up the center of the cockpit. The cyclic was positioned in the right part of the cockpit so that the generally right-handed pilots could control the cyclic with their right hand and the collective (in the center of the cockpit) with their left. The practice hung on after dual collectives and cyclics were introduced.

 

[FracCapt]

I've always figured one of the big reasons is that if you need to do something on the instrument panel....such as dial in a new freq or set an OBS...it's safer to set the friction on the collective and take your hand off of it than it is to take your hand off the cyclic. In all the helos I've flown, you don't want to set the friction on the cyclic flight. I've flown from both seats, and I find it easier to fly from the right seat. Of course, when flying from the left seat....I just pin the cyclic in position with my knees and reach over to do whatever I need to do.

 

[SkyWestCRJPilot]

The previous link is correct.

 

[Typhoon1244]

I've always figured one of the big reasons is that if you need to do something on the instrument panel....such as dial in a new freq or set an OBS...it's safer to set the friction on the collective and take your hand off of it than it is to take your hand off the cyclic.

Every Army Huey or '60 driver I asked this question gave the same answer.

 

[Tim47SIP]

My favorite subject!

Well Skid dood has most of the correct answer. I am kind of shocked at the number of Helo guys here that really did not know the "actual reason". Most Army guys are taught this, but maybe times have changed since I went to flight school. I didn't think it was that long ago!

The real reason is a combination of some of the above posts. This in fact came from the early rotor configurations. The instruments were put on the right side for a specific reason. One was the cyclic. You needed to be able to fly the aircraft while doing other things, like radio tuning, etc. Keep your right hand on the cyclic and left hand somewhat free for other things. As stated in earlier posts, at the time the original helos were being built, the engineers decided that the majority of pilots were right handed, which was true. But it would not be in the best interest to safety to have left and right seat helos. The other reason for the right seat being set up for the PIC is that most helicopters are single pilot, and if you had to egress in a hurry, there is not a collective in your way to move out! It was a combination of engineering and egress. Most "two pilot" helicopters are not "structually" built for this historical design, so their instrument clusters are on both sides. Left or right does not matter, although the cyclic is still in the same place. Just got recalled again,so I'll let you know if anything has changed.

 

[weekendwarrior]

Another perfect example why I fly the Apache. I don't have to cloud my little brain with these details anymore. It becomes a front seat/back seat debate about which on is better!

Personally, I like flying from the back seat. Feels more natural, but the visibility in the front seat is better on approach. Anyone want to chime in on this one?

 

[Birdstrike]

WW, does your glass panel incorporate an HSI? Somebody told me that the 64 still didn't have a glideslope receiver installed but I found it hard to believe ??

 

[46Driver]

Another thing to think about are approaches to the ship. On a fixed wing carrier, the jets hit the angled deck on a starboard to port approach. On a LHA or LHD (helicopter carriers) helicopters come in port to starboard to a set spot. In the big birds (46's and 53's), the aircraft commander sits on the right and has a better view for landing. However, it is certainly not set in stone which side the HAC sits on, many Phrog HAC's choose the left side because it has more room.

 

[weekendwarrior]

You are right, no GS receiver. No VOR either. The HSI is for the NDB! We also have GPS, though.

You would think they could have spent a few grand more on a $26 Million helicopter and put a VOR/LOC/GS!

 

[Birdstrike]

Another thing to think about are approaches to the ship.

Just curious 46D, do you fly right traffic patterns on ship approaches (which would seem to favor the right seat)? Also, what is meant by a "starboard to port approach?"