Why is the pilot always on the left?

[drummer_tom]

So guys, why is the pilot always sat on the left? Anyone know?

[C]

Seeing as there are almost always two pilots on commercial passenger flights, it's probably more accurate to state the captain sits on the left. This isn't always the case though, for example training captains (basically an airline's flying instructors) will probably be qaulified to fly in either the left or right hand seat, and depending on whether they are flying with a Captain or a Co-pilot who is undergoing training, they will sit in the respective seat.

As for why the Captain's seat is the left one, I believe its origins are within the rules of the air - in the days before flight being controlled by ATC and radar, when VFR was the primary mode of flight.

[RitterKreuz]

there is no law requiring the pilot to sit on any particular side...

i delivered a small GA aircraft the other day for maintenance from one airport to another and i elected to sit in the right seat as opposed to the left seat... in short fly it from any seat where you can access all of the controls.

Most airlines have a company policy requiring the captain to sit in the left seat* and most aircraft are constructed with more controls in that side of the cockpit.

[TSC.]

The instruments are set up mainly for the right seat in the SIAI-Marchetti SF-260. So the PIC would spend most of the time in the right seat in this little number.  ;)

TSC.

[C]

The instruments are set up mainly for the right seat in the SIAI-Marchetti SF-260. So the PIC would spend most of the time in the right seat in this little number.  ;)

TSC.

Just like the RAF's Tutor. This is flown with the PIC in the right hand seat if flying solo or with ATC cadets, or with the PIC in the left hand seat when teaching (opposite to your Cessna's and the like). That however, is purely to get the RAF's potential pilots used to right hand on stick, left hand on throttle, operations.

What about a tandem cockpit. You can't sit on the right or left in one of them?!

[Chris_F]

My guess: because of history and the way cars were driven in the area where the most airplane development has occured, which I guess would be the USA.

[Hagar]

My guess: because of history and the way cars were driven in the area where the most airplane development has occured, which I guess would be the USA.

More like Europe I would think. The biggest advance in aircraft development took place during WWI between 1914-18. They drive on the right in France & Germany.

It would be interesting to know which were the first aircraft with side-by-side cockpits. I'm not absolutely certain but I believe that early British-built multi-engined bombers like the Handley Page 0/400 & Vickers Vimy had the pilot's control wheel on the right-hand side. This would probably have been standardised when international air travel became possible.

Another interesting fact is that the throttle control on French aircraft worked in the reverse direction to those from other countries right up until WWII. I'm not sure when they conformed.

[Sean_TK]

And remember, most helicopters have the pilot sitting on the right, co-pilot on the left!  :)
(There are of course exceptions with every aircraft type...)

[Slotback]

Airports usually have left traffic so I guess the pilot can have better visibility if he or she sits on the left side. I'm not sure how it originally came about through.

[C]

Airports usually have left traffic so I guess the pilot can have better visibility if he or she sits on the left side. I'm not sure how it originally came about through.

I think it came about because the pilot was sat on the left...

[Vuikag]

commoners always sit on the left, why'll superior helicopter piltos sit on the right.

[Flying Trucker]

Good afternoon all...
I do believe it goes back to history.

During the First World War or World War One (1914-1918) the German machine gun made most cavalry charges obsolete and many of those folks were taken off horses and placed into the Royal Flying Corps.