My control setup is a combat HOTAS, with a button box on the left near the throttle and my stick is only usable by the right hand. This has been fine in all my other sims because they are mostly combat related.
However in MSFS it feels a bit off when the cockpit has the throttle and button panels on the right hand side of the pilot. It’s a small thing but if I can increase the immersion it’s worth a change, and I’d rather have a generic control setup for all sims than have to buy something special for only 1 sim… also swapping things around would be a pain.
I was thinking to change all the default views so that I sit in the right seat for all planes to match my control setup. While technically it’s the FO not the pilot, it does not feel strange because in my country the driver sits on the right side of the car and I haven’t flown a real plane for over 10 years (that was only GA anyway).
Are there any controls missing from the right seat i.e. are all the planes fully implemented to function from either side? I understand it’s not totally symmetrical but it’s been about 5 years since I flew any study level aircraft in P3D or FSX and I never actually tried the right side of the cockpit - can anyone let me know if it’s a dumb idea or if it should work.
I am not sure, but I think all knobs are working from the right side aswell.
Switching between the CPT and FO side can be a really exciting experience, because you have another POV. Even if it’s 5 years you flown an airliner and that only from the CPTs side, I think you can manage that, because the instruments are nearly at the same place for the FO aswell.
I tried to change to the FOs side for a couple of times, but I came back only flying on the CPTs side. Can’t tell why, just an involuntary action I guess
I had the joystick issue aswell, I had a Hotas so the right hand was always my way to go. But, a week ago I bought that new Thrustmaster Airbus Sidestick and I am using it in left hand configuration. It’s a really nice and refreshing experience to fly the Airbus with the left hand.
It is a little bit tricky sometimes, but I can recommend this hardware!
In jetliners, pretty well everything is accessible from the right.
In terms of names, it’s not referred to as pilot and copilot anymore.
It is pilot flying and pilot monitoring, depending on which person is actually flying at the time.
As such, both seats need to be able to reach everything.
Smaller planes tend to have some switches under the left yoke and to the left of it
that would be hard to get at to use IRL, but that’s what the person sitting there does.
Also remember, the joy of sims is you can make it what you want it to be.
Thanks, I just did a quick step through the cockpits in Developer mode and found it interesting to categorise their controls:
HOTAS/Centre-stick with left throttle -
-Aermacchi MB-339Extra, Pitts, the 3xCubs, and the 2xRobins. These would feel the most immersive though it’s limited to very small planes.
Then there’s a bunch of center stick planes, that have a shared throttle in between the pilots - Pipistrel, VL3, DA40, DA62, DV20, FlightDesign CT, and the Icon A5. These are immersive enough if I ignore the throttle. I like the DA62 alot actually.
The Airliners, King Air, TBM 930, CJ4 and Longitude can all be flown from the right seat with almost identical symmetrical controls. The Airbus would be the most immersive airliner feeling being a stick control so these should be no problem.
The only planes that would be a bit of an immersion killer are those with a Yoke on the left and throttle on the right because the main controller is different, and both controls are reversed. In these cases there is only one EFIS or set of Flight Gauges (on the left) - the Baron, Bonanza, C152, C172 and SR22. A bit unfortunate because the Bonanza and C152 have nice mods.
Now I just have to keep this note somewhere so I don’t get tempted whenever I see a Yoke for sale
hi Guys , I wonder if anyone can help me . until I think the last update, I could sit in the left seat and by simply pressing the side arrow (right )move across to the right seat, and then return by pressing the side arrow (left). Also I was able to use the up arrow to raise my seat height. All very simple, trouble is the keys no longer function. Have I screwed somethging up or has this function been deleted>
thanks.
If aircraft were designed to be flown from the right seat. They would have been developed in countries that drive their cars on the lefthand side of the road!
Metric verse Imperial big hate of mine. Bit like the US date system. People read from left to right. Which comes first the day the week the month or the year?
IRL the guy/gall in the left seat smiles harder each month while checking his/her pay check but that is not the nature of your question
To me personally there’s no difference in handling.
It’s all about muscle memory.
My brother flew many planes and never had problems with position in the cockpit.
NF-5 ( stick between legs, throttle left) F-16 ( stick right, throttle left) Boeing 747/777/787 ( yoke between legs, throttle quadrant depentend on seat position) and many GA planes as a flightschool owner/CFI.
Compare it with cars… In most countries the steeringwheel is left hand side, driving is on the right side of the road.
In the UK , Australia, South Africa , Japan and several other countries it’s the
opposite.
Accelarator, break-, and clutchpedals are always in the same order and so is the gearshifter patern.
Never had problems with the differences but that’s my personal experience
Muscle memory is what most conform to, as that is what is forced upon them!
Personally I think there is a definite change in handling… but it’s not a mechanical thing it is an Individual based thing and where you learned. Guy,His/Gal,Her or Right/Left It’s all interpreted by what is put out there.
Probably no real issues here but if you’re keen on realism and want to learn how real pilots do, you should at least be able to fly an approach with the yoke/stick in either hand. That’s why I changed my quadrant from left to the right of my yoke and eventually got used to it.
Although not directly relevant for this discussion, but as a point of interest, most helicopters I’ve flown or know about are designed for the pilot in command to fly from the right seat.
You’re very right about the imperial/metric thing.
AFAIK most planes use knots on the speed gauge.
The French however… ( take Robin as an example) use KM/hr.
Also fuel is calculated in gallons and/or Lbs instead of liters and or Kgs.
Several episodes regarding this on ‘air crash investigation’
I also saw an episode about a crash with a ( I think) airbus, flown by Russian pilots who had just converted from a Tupolev.( not sure of that)
They grew up with an artificial horizon that acted exactly he opposit from what ‘we’ use.
Long story short: they got stuck in clouds/ at night and lost situational awareness, lost control and crashed…
or if it should work.