Switch position (Up or down?)

[RedTailSwinger]

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).

 

[Z_Pilot]

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

 

[RedTailSwinger]

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.

 

[aa73]

Up is On
Down is OFF
Press to Test
Twist to Dim
Jerk to Inflate

Ahh the good ol Boeing philosophy!

73

 

[Hugh Johnson]

Dassault it Forward (towards the nose) is off.

 

[Vne]

Where is Gordy Granger when you need him...........

 

[MD11Drvr]

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.

 

[purduej]

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.

 

[ultrarunner]

Up is On
Down is OFF
Press to Test
Twist to Dim
Jerk to Inflate

Ahh the good ol Boeing philosophy!

73

"...Boeing Builds Simplicity..."

 

[StandBy1]

Up is On
Down is OFF
Press to Test
Twist to Dim
Jerk to Inflate

Ahh the good ol Boeing philosophy!

73

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

Weird

 

[get2flyin]

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?

 

[Jmoney]

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!

 

[BlueandWhite]

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

 

[DrewBlows]

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

Doesn't Gulfstream also use a backwards speed tape? In other words high speed is at the bottom of the tape?

 

[DrewBlows]

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!

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?