Why are helicopter pilots on the right side of aircraft?

Answer 1

In the very early days of flying, pilots would fly between locations following the road system. By sitting on the left, they would keep the road in sight through their front and left side window. The pilot flying in the opposite direction would do likewise, there by ensuring that they did not have a head on crash

Dominic Crawley

Answer 2

Due to the rotation of the main rotor, when flying forward at any speed, the helicopter generates lift unevenly. The side of rotor that is advancing through the airstream produces more lift than the side of the rotor which is retreating through the airstream.

On most (nearly all) helicopters the rotor spins such that more lift is produced on the right side. Since the pilot is sometimes the only one on the helicopter, it is natural to put his weight on that side.

Additionally, helicopters have 2 levers for controlling the aircraft. The cyclic, like your standard joystick controls the pitch and roll, and the collective controls the lift of the helicopter as well as engine throttle. Since the collective goes on the floor between the seats, it is generally preferred for the pilot to sit on the right, allowing him to control the cyclic with his right hand and the collective with his left.

Airplanes on the other hand only have one primary control for the hands, the yoke or flightstick. All the rest of the controls consist of the various switches and levers on the instrument panel. It is best in this case to have the yoke in the left hand and have the right hand free to fiddle with all the instruments.

Answer 3

Tradition more than anything else. I imagine it originally had something to do with the direction the rotor turned, making it easier to turn the aircraft in that direction rather than against the torque of the rotor blades, and the pilot sat on the side that gave him the best visibility for making turns. Over the years, newer aircraft were developed with the pilot sitting on the right side because that's the way that previous pilots had learned to fly the aircraft, and so continued the tradition into the modern day.

There's no real reason why the aircraft can't be flown from the left side, but over the years, helicopters have been developed and built to favor the pilot in the right seat.

Answer 4

cause they like the right seat. It is right, sitting on the left is wrong.