Why Do's?

[david63]

Why do you always board a plane from the left?

[JoanneB]

Because that's where they put the steps?

[oldbluefox]

Not if you look at the aeroplane from the front.

[Boris+]

Comet aircraft were usually boarded on the right hand side.

As far as boarding 'usually' taking place nowadays on the left hand side - can this be because all airbridges are designed to service the lefthand side of an aircraft, and therefore this is the side usually used even when an airbridge is not in operation.

Em

[Kendhni]

I remember asking a similar question many moons ago and some of the answers were
- the cargo doors are usually on the right hand side so refuelling, catering and cargo loading sort of take up that side of the plane
- the pilot sits on the left hand side allowing him to watch over passengers while the co pilot watches over the luggae etc.
- the land bridges all operate to connect to the port side of a plane
- and others which I can't remember

Any noe or all could be true.

My own personal preference though is that the right hand doors are stuck but you only actually find this out in an emergency

[Kendhni]

Also ... why do women need 20 bottles and assorted implements when they enter the bathroom whereas us menfolk just need one bottle that does all?

[Dancing Queen]

It's called choice Ken just like the number of shoes/bags/clothes we need

[Silver_Shiney]

they answered this question on that live documentary on Heathrow the other week.

Pity I can't remember the answer.....

[Keechy]

Still on an aircraft theme, why do the captains of fixed wing aircraft sit on the left while helicopter captains sit on the right?

[Kendhni]

I have vague memories of reading something about captains sitting on the left because they are mainly right handed therefore the controls sit on the right .. also it is the normal position of a car driver for most countries. That however could be an old wives tale.

Helicopter pilots on the other hand only really need to pull on the joystick between their legs ... whistles innocently.

[Keechy]

I have vague memories of reading something about captains sitting on the left because they are mainly right handed therefore the controls sit on the right .. also it is the normal position of a car driver for most countries. That however could be an old wives tale.

Helicopter pilots on the other hand only really need to pull on the joystick between their legs ... whistles innocently.

On an Airbus, the uppy-down stick is on the left of the captain. As for other controls, there are knobs and buttons all over the place.

As for helicopter pilots, they just enjoy flying!

[Quizzical Bob]

Still on an aircraft theme, why do the captains of fixed wing aircraft sit on the left while helicopter captains sit on the right?

I asked a flying friend of mine why he sat on the left. He said it was because landing circuits are anti-clockwise and you could keep the runway in sight at all times. Helicopters fly straight in, I presume.

[Silver_Shiney]

That's interesting, when I did my glider pilot training, we flew right-hand circuits...

[Mervyn and Trish]

Probably just lucky you didn't meet any 747s going round the other way then!!!

[Silver_Shiney]

They'd have had fun getting into that grass field!!