By Vincent on Jan 8, 2010
Readers Poll – Yoke or stick ?
I learned to fly in the AS-202 Bravo, an aircraft fitted with a central stick. Then I flew a lot of Piper aircraft and a Bonanza, both fitted with yokes. When I started to fly the DA40 and then the DA42, I came back to central sticks, and I tested the side-stick once in the Cirrus SR-22. Personally, I prefer aircraft with yokes than sticks, for two reasons: the central stick makes hard to use a large size knee board and I never know where to put my right hand when flying with a stick. Yokes also offer the possibility to mount a chart clip on them, which is really good for IFR departure or approach charts.
So my questions for this month are simple: do you fly sitck or yoke aircraft, or both ? And what do you find good or bad in each ?
8 Comments, Comment or Ping
Brad
When flying a stick, your right hand belongs on the throttle. Simple!
Jan 8th, 2010
Vincent
Brad, even if I agree with you in principle, I’m not sure having my right hand on the throttle all time when flying with a stick is such a good idea. I use to leave it there during take-off and final approach, but not during the rest of the time, mostly because I don’t want to change power setting because of turbulence.
Jan 9th, 2010
Sylvia
Yoke. I’ve never even been in a plane with a stick! But now you’ve got me curious…
Jan 10th, 2010
MJG
I’ve never flown with a true stick, only yokes, include the “side yoke” on Cirrus aircraft.
These are truly side yokes as they mimic a standard yoke rather than pivoting around a point at their base like the center sticks in Diamonds or side sticks in Columbia (nee Cessna 350 and 400s) do.
I find a side yoke very comfortable and was surprised at how easy the transition was from a center yoke (C172s) to the side yoke.
MJG
Jan 10th, 2010
Grabstein
Central stick with the throttle on the left – it’s the most comfortable way to fly.
In cruise, rest your right arm on your leg, slide your hand down the stick.
Jan 10th, 2010
Patrick Flannigan
I always keep my right hand on the throttle or on my lap in light aircraft regardless of whether it’s got a yoke or stick.
I find the stick makes a good deal more sense – I am always frustrated with the tendency for yokes to block the instrument panel. I’ve never had that problem with a stick. The stick also feels better to me. The relationship between pitch and bank seems more automatic when you can move a stick diagonally, rather than separating the axes through individual rolling and pitching motions as you do when you pull back and turn the yoke.
Either way, an airplane’s an airplane – they all fly more or less the same!
Jan 10th, 2010
Vincent
@Patrick: When I take off with a yoke aircraft, I leave my hand on the throttle during the take-off roll until rotation, then I put it on the yoke to avoid banking to the left.
Jan 10th, 2010
Mark
I suspect there’s a strong correlation between this and ‘why you fly’. I also suspect you read pprune!
Stick right, throttle left – the ONLY true way to fly (unless you’re a leftie) :p
I’d argue a stick is more natural for a handling pilot – you won’t find many aerobatic aircraft with yokes.
As for the throttle, the hand is on / near, guarding at all times during take off and landing, but held in such a way as to not be able to take the power off accidentally. For instance in a PA28, the hand rests on the quadrant behind the lever, with the finger pushed up against the back of the lever to ensure it remains in the full noise position.
Actually, in one type I fly, the PTT is on the throttle, not the stick…
Jan 13th, 2010
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