Left-handed fighter pilots

[fredleander]

I'm left handed and it's a right handed world, so we leftys are very ambidextrous to begin with. We can and do learn anything put in front of us.

I was "born" left-handed but broke my left wrist when about 10 for which I had to carry a plaster wrapping for some weeks. In that time I learnt to write with the right hand. Later, and still today, I continued to write with my right hand but can write better "mirrored" with the left. However, to use a hammer, saw or axe, or when drawing, I still have to use the left for the best results.

Having learnt to fly on the Cherokee, checking out on the Tiger Moth and the Super Cub was something else. Flying the Belgian jet-trainer to be, "Jet Squalus", on a couple of occasions, the company pilot had to smack my hand on several occasions as my right hand sought the mid-positioned throttle. The student's throttle was on on the left.

Fred

 

[special ed]

In 1956 I broke a bone in my right hand requiring a cast from below elbow and most of the fingers. Being right handed, I enjoyed no writing at school (7th grade) until the history teacher ( a WW2 P-40 pilot) figured I was "gold bricking." He also was the first person to explain about siting convergence of the guns.

 

[Seppo]

The Grob G109 motorglider has throttle in the middle. In the middle of the final you change your right hand on the stick and use air brakes with your left hand.

 

[Barrett]

IIRC about 11% of human persons are left handed. But IMO where a pilot puts his hands is largely irrelevant. I'm somewhat ambidextrous but grew up with my left hand on the N3N/Stearman/etc throttle and right on the stick-wheel unless I was in the left seat of a Piper-Cessna, in which case it still didn't matter.

I was however a bit concerned during my first flight in an F-16 simulator with the throttle on the left and "stick" on the right rather than in the middle. (The stick doesn't move perceptibly, it responds to small pressure inputs) I asked the IP how long it takes to get used to the setup. He said "Oh, about 5 minutes."

He was right.

Sidebar: At least to WW II French aircraft and JAAF (influenced by France) had backwards throttles: "pull to go" instead of "push to go." It made for some interesting evolutions when We flew Their machinery.

 

[nuuumannn]

Then there's India where you drive on the left, the right, the middle and only the cows have right of way.

More often than not, all at the same time!

 

[Zipper730]

For writing purposes I'm left-handed, for most sports, I'm functionally ambidextrous, which is to say I'm bad with either hand. Playing flight-sim games was do-able with stick, though my landing skills in Fleet Defender were awful. By FS9, things got a bit better, but that's a runway, and far from a real aircraft (something I could imagine a lot of people -- including me -- being quite relieved)

 

[BiffF15]

IIRC about 11% of human persons are left handed. But IMO where a pilot puts his hands is largely irrelevant. I'm somewhat ambidextrous but grew up with my left hand on the N3N/Stearman/etc throttle and right on the stick-wheel unless I was in the left seat of a Piper-Cessna, in which case it still didn't matter.

I was however a bit concerned during my first flight in an F-16 simulator with the throttle on the left and "stick" on the right rather than in the middle. (The stick doesn't move perceptibly, it responds to small pressure inputs) I asked the IP how long it takes to get used to the setup. He said "Oh, about 5 minutes."

He was right.

Sidebar: At least to WW II French aircraft and JAAF (influenced by France) had backwards throttles: "pull to go" instead of "push to go." It made for some interesting evolutions when We flew Their machinery.

Barrett,

When / where did you go through the Viper RTU?

Cheers,
Biff

 

[Admiral Beez]

I'm left handed and it's a right handed world, so we leftys are very ambidextrous to begin with. We can and do learn anything put in front of us.

My wife and I are left handed, as are our two teenagers. When we renovated the house we made it a "death trap" for righties. We reversed hot and cold directions on the faucets, the fridge and all the exterior and interior doors are also reversed (hinges on the right-hand side) for lefties.