Any Lefties with learning difficulties.

[Geoff13]

I am left handed. I do everything left handed except for the odd thing that was either forced on me or I trained myself to do for one reason or another.

 

When learning to fly I struggled with the landing the flare and the float. Even now I do not feel totally comfortable with it. I always thought it was just me.

 

Since I bought my own plane "stick between the knees" and have been able to fly with my left hand even though I have had to use the passengers throttle to do so, I have found that my fine control, the flare, the control keeping the nose up to landing all to be a much simpler task. Even the drifter with the centre stick still requires my left hand on the throttle during the landing/critical phases and I struggle with it. I never considered that it could be my lefthandedness causing the problem.

 

In the last month I have spoken to 3 other Lefties and they have all said they can/will only fly an aircraft with the stick between the knees, ie. a plane suited to Lefties. So my question is did I make it harder on myself by learning in an aircraft that required me to go outside my own natural comfort zone and control it with my weak hand.

 

I vividly remember when I joined the Army they have SLR's and I had to learn to shoot right handed. I had grown up on a farm where we learned to shoot from a young age to control vermin and sometimes just to eat. I classed myself as a very good shot but with the Right Handed SLR it took me 2 years before I felt competent or any where near the level I was with the left hand. There are a couple of other examples but was the one that really sticks in my mind.

 

I guess I will never really know but I certainly feel that the two aircraft that I have flown Left Handed have fitted me better.

 

Thoughts please?

 

Just to be on the safe side, in my rebuild/engine change I have fitted a centre dash mounted throttle so I don't have to keep playing with the passengers leg. I think now she will fit me even better.

 

 

[Aldo]

I vividly remember when I joined the Army they have SLR's and I had to learn to shoot right handed

Geoff

 

Nothing like hot spent shells to get you to change sides. Interesting I'm right handed with one handed things (eg writing) and left handed with all things two handed (eg cricket) I learned to fly GA so left hand on the control column and own a Jab (centre stick) so right handed control I found it a little difficult initially when changing to the Jab but now it comes as second nature and I swap from the Jab to GA on a regular basis and it just happens as with all things keep doing it and it will become second nature.

 

Aldo

 

 

[kaz3g]

An interesting discussion for me.

 

I am generally left handed but now do many things right-handed and am ambidextrous in others through necessity....my parents and teachers actually forced me to write with my right.

 

So I serve tennis with my left but play an offside shot with my right rather than backhand. I use a hammer and most other tools left-handed including a chainsaw but I swing an axe on the right. I play baseball and golf with my right. I shoot pistol and rifle on the right and a bow on the left. I write with my right and draw with my left.

 

I fly the Auster from the left seat and hold the stick in my left hand because the throttle is central. But it took a while to get used to it because when I flew a Decathlon and various gliders I used my right on the stick since the throttle or dive brake respectively was on the left.

 

It's all a bit confusing, really....but then I always was.

 

Kaz

 

 

[Scotty 1]

Right handed but I thought I had similar problems to you at one stage when learning. Started with centre sticks and left hand throttle so all good. Latter on went to do the tail wheel endo in the Hornet with centre throttle and left hand on the stick. I thought I had totally lost the feel and went looking for reasons. Changing hands seemed logical so to prove it I drove home(2 hours) with only my left hand on the steering wheel. Didn't crash so I was pleased one side of my brain had not gone missing so I just pushed on through and it all seems natural now. Another problem was learning in the trike. Bar left to bank right. So same trick to just steer the car from the bottom of the steering wheel, bottom of the wheel to the left to steer right. Right handed but most of the time now when driving I steer with my left hand on the bottom of the wheel. Go figure.

 

 

[red750]

Learnt on GA aircraft with a yoke. Left hand on the yoke. Right hand was for throttle, flaps, radio, etc. My instructor would slap my right hand if I put it on the yoke. Therefore I found it a little difficult switching to the Victa with centre stick and throttle on the left. I'm naturally right-handed.

 

 

[dazza 38]

Interesting thread, I never felt it difficult either way, I fly both left handed and sometimes right handed on the stick. Depending on what aircraft I am flying. Never given it much thought either hand feels natural.

 

Although I can bat left or right handed in cricket but right handed is more natural as I am right handed.

 

 

[Jabiru7252]

I can use either hands (with the stick between the legs) but I do have a problem if I'm flying in the right hand seat. It just doesn't feel right.

 

 

[Aldo]

What are you saying there J7252?

 

 

[Jabiru7252]

What are you saying there J7252?

If I'm flying an aircraft with the stick between the legs (unlike a Jabiru or Savannah with a centre stick) then I can use either hand on the stick. However, if I sit on the right hand side and fly then it seems weird to me. Kind of like driving a car in the States I guess. felt weird for the first few days.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Best to train yourself to be ambidextrous. As you go up in size you'll go over to a Yoke with left hand control.

 

 

[shafs64]

As I also learnt in GA I had the same thing yoke in the left hand and right hand always on the throttle of you get smashed. but being a lefty. it wasn't a issue but aircraft with the stick in the would be an issue. I would have to change seats or relearn. and the same with guns. I am not able to shot right handed because I cant shut my left eye and keep the right open.

 

 

[red750]

OK! I'll go first - I'd give my right hand to be ambidextrous.

 

 

[Jabiru7252]

Best to train yourself to be ambidextrous. As you go up in size you'll go over to a Yoke with left hand control.

I have 200+ hours in Tomahawks, Warriors and Tobagos. It's not about left/right hand with me. I'm just saying it feels weird to fly in the right hand seat.

 

 

[shafs64]

since I learnt to fly. I have never flown in the right seat. I did the back seat but not right.

 

 

[turboplanner]

As I also learnt in GA I had the same thing yoke in the left hand and right hand always on the throttle of you get smashed. but being a lefty. it wasn't a issue but aircraft with the stick in the would be an issue. I would have to change seats or relearn. and the same with guns. I am not able to shot right handed because I cant shut my left eye and keep the right open.

I'm a little bit the same as you, I can't shoot left handed.

I started on a Victa with central column and left throttle, then went to Cherokee with the reverse.

 

I didn't find the Jab nearly so controllable, so Geoff it could be that your own plane flies a little better.

 

It could also be that, like hitting a golf ball, you haven't got to that "click" yet.

 

 

[Steve L]

All my life I used my right hand, thought my left hand was pretty useless with anything needing finesse. Trained in a Jab and always flew a Jab

 

until I flew an aircraft with its stick between the legs and center quadrant, thought I was in for a big learning curve. First landing was just

 

acceptable, after an hour of circuits I felt at home. Now comfortable with either configuration, haven't flown from the right hand seat yet though.

 

 

[Soleair]

I'm left handed & much prefer stick between the legs & throttle on the right (i.e. centre in a 2-seater side by side format).

 

Now I'm building my own aircraft I have the luxury of putting controls where I like. So I've put the throttle on the right, with flaps & elevator trim on the left. Sorted!

 

Bruce

 

 

[Steve L]

I'm building also Bruce so stick between my legs and center quadrant if I have room, either way throttle will be right handed.

 

Steve

 

 

[nickduncs84]

I'm right handed. Started in a Jab then went to a cub which are both right hand stick. When I bought into the mooney syndicate I thought it was going to be really tough to fly with the other hand but surprisingly it wasn't the case. I'm not sure if it's because I'm not as bad as I thought I was with my left hand or because the mooney is quite heavy and stable and doesn't need as much finesse as the cub and jab. Probably a bit of both. I still would hate to fly a cub with my left hand

 

 

[robinsm]

same here, fly left hand on the stick, right hand throttle. but I am right handed.

 

 

[rgmwa]

I'm right handed, but was trained with left hand on yoke and right for throttle, flaps etc. It seemed natural enough from the start, even though I was using the `wrong' hand on the controls. Wouldn't even be able to sign my name with a pen in my left hand, so I think it's just what you get used to when you don't know any better. I'd have a lot of trouble firing a rifle left handed because I've never done it that way. Have flown right seat with a stick a couple of times. Used my right hand then but was conscious of having switched hands, although either felt OK. Sitting on the right seemed a bit strange though.

 

rgmwa

 

 

[dazza 38]

I think people are analysing this too much. Pilots should be able to control the stick or yoke with either left hand or right hand and not have it worry them even switching hands during flight if they want to.

 

As per shooting and unless they are using a scope. The proper technique using open sights is shoot with both eyes open. I am right handed but left eye dominant which worked fine in my 15 year and 65 000 round pistol shooting career. I always shot both eyes open lining up the sights with my left eye.

 

When shooting rifles with open sights I still shoot with both eyes open but being right handed I have learn to aim using my right non dominant eye.

 

 

[ayavner]

I'm right handed, but play guitar so have a reasonable amount of dexterity with my left. No issues with yoke or stick or throttle on either side.

 

Or so I thought... broke my right thumb once. If you *think* you are ambidextrous, try wiping your bum with your 'off' hand...

 

 

[Guernsey]

I'm right handed, but play guitar so have a reasonable amount of dexterity with my left. No issues with yoke or stick or throttle on either side.try wiping your bum with your 'off' hand...

I've never wiped my bum with either hand......I prefer to wipe it with paper..

 

Alan.

 

 

[Guernsey]

I am right handed but never had the problems that others mention here, in my case I always keep each hand occupied.

 

e.g. If you are right handed and need to eat with a knife and fork, you will probably have your fork in your left hand however,

 

if you only need to use your fork (don't need to cut anything) it will probably be in your right hand. Keep both hands busy, it seems to work for me.

 

Alan.