The left seat in the cockpit

Cockpit

A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which a pilot controls the aircraft. Most modern cockpits are enclosed, except on some small aircraft, and cockpits on large airliners are also physically separated from the cabin...

 of an aircraft

Aircraft

An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...

 is the seat normally used by the captain or pilot

Aviator

An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...

 in command. The co-pilot then sits in the right seat. This is not a formal rule or law, however, only a tradition. In helicopters, the pilot in command often occupies the starboard seat.

In some early aircraft, left turns were easier than right turns best of the direction of spin of the engine and propeller. Hence it was advantageous to sit on the left hand side. The tradition has been maintained to this day, and aligns with some formal rules, such as a standard circuit

Airfield traffic pattern

An airfield traffic pattern is a standard path followed by aircraft when taking off or landing, while maintaining visual contact with the airfield....

being flown with left-hand turns.

External links

• J. Mac McClellan Left Seat blog
• Left Seat flying blog
• Views from the Left Seat blog
• The Left Seat novel