Lefty pilots

[Dave_Trible]

I am teaching a couple of my grandkids to fly.  The girl,  Zoey,  is almost at solo- going 8-10 laps before she goes in.  She is a lefty.  I’m wondering if it would be better to build her new planes to fly clockwise rather than counter clockwise.  I’ve seen lefties go either way.  I’d like opinions from any lefty pilots out there. 

Dave

[pmackenzie]

Not a lefty (my brother is), but I suggest that you stick with normal rotation.
Makes it easier to share/buy/borrow models.

[gene poremba]

 I fly with several guys that are leftys and they fly counter clockwise. Sometimes i think they have an advantage!!!....Gene

[Tom McClain]

Leftys have the definite advantage of being able to tow the plane through the pattern. To quote George Aldrich.

[jerry v]

I’m ambidextrous. In the school we been forced to write with right hand. In the service all equipment is for right handed. Bulpaps except AUG are horrible)) I learn to row Olympic  canoe right handed. In the restaurants I ruined the day of a lot of people by holding knife in the left hand and fork in the right hand. List can go on, most of people don’t even think about lefties, only when they see them write.
 I learn to fly CL right handed. It’s a common way in appearance at least. My experience flying combat in early days without safety strap was dramatic. I was able to switch hands during the flight, and in practice we switched models during the flight with opponent, if one model was too slow. Starting engine left handed - I do all my life. It newer work for me to be mechanic in the F2C races. I have a scar on the left forearm from running prop. I started engine on the combat model, holding engine mount by right hand, switched hands, and stepped over lines. I do that if no helper around to hold the model. In the time of stepping over the lines the heel of my shoe caught the line, and prop bit my arm.
My opinion on the training of grandchildren - do anything to make them happy and encourage them to fly. But don’t build clockwise models. The granddaughter may like to be one of the famous CL girls, and will participate in the competition, with rules for counterclockwise models.

Jerry

[Shorts,David]

I believe Steve Moon is the highest placing left handed US pilot currently. He flies counter clockwise. I'm a lefty. I fly counter clockwise because my first several planes were hand me downs. There is a small disadvantage in higher levels of competition because Dave Fitzgerald (for example) stops his feet moving for over a second or so before he flies the maneuver, so he is settled.
I stop my feet moving for half that time before flying the maneuver. Am I less settled? I suppose so. Significantly? Maybe not. I think that half second is still adequate to theoretically win. But maybe not. No lefty has won flying counter clockwise...yet.
Of course let's not overlook the major advantage of being left handed. Good looks.

[john e. holliday]

Dave don't worry which hand the youngsters or even older ones learn to fly with.  This the time to let them have fun.  When they get serious then they try the other hand.  Remember the guys from Wichita could fly with either hand until safety thongs were put in the rules.  Also I don't make them use safty thongs to learn in the begining.

[Trostle]

Bart Klapinski flies with his left hand going counter clockwise.  He makes it look like it is a natural thing to do.  He is one of the top stunt fliers in the country for the past 50+ years.  He was the National Stunt Champion in 1967.  For a number of years, I thought he was the best I had seen until Les McDonald showed up on the National stage.

Keith

[Jim Hoffman]

I’m left handed and find it to be a slight advantage in traditional counter clockwise flight . I gives me the option to fly the AMA overhead 8 without moving my feet. 

Lefty is a slight advantage in the OTS overhead 8.  Again it’s easier for a lefty to lock in your footing for the entire maneuver

The benefits are minutiae in my opinion

[FLOYD CARTER]

I am left-handed and fly CCW like everyone else.  It hasn't helped me;  I usually end up near the bottom of the heap when they hand out trophies.

[Matt Colan]

I’m a lefty, and I think it holds an advantage learning the pattern with a right handed person. The advantage being that the left handed person can have their hand more in front of them and the right handed instructor can walk around them. Also it’s easier for a left handed person to slide in front of the instructor  while the plane is flying and get a hold of the handle.

Flying left handed the only disadvantage I see is the wingover. I can’t lead my body like right handed people can for the first turn. I have to do a step and turn to get my body perpendicular to the flight path. Other than that, flying left handed is easy flying the standard way!

[Ken Culbertson]

Not a lefty (my brother is), but I suggest that you stick with normal rotation.
Makes it easier to share/buy/borrow models.

And Judge!

Ken

PS: I would think that turning against your given natural rotation would be tough.  Once positioned I don't see an advantage either way.  We have at least three lefties on our flying circle and they don't seem to be very handicapped.  My oldest daughter was an Ice Skater.  When she began having trouble with triple jumps they had her tested and found out that she was ambidextrous but had a slight left dominance.  She was jumping the wrong direction.

[Dave_Trible]

Well honestly thanks for all your input.  I hadn't given it much thought until we were all sitting at a family dinner the other night and suddenly BOTH the daughters thought maybe I should get Zoey set up to go the other way.   Interesting since I don't remember either of them ever seeing anyone flying that way.  Their mother is a lefty and I taught her to fly while pregnant with the elder daughter-CCW.  I'd rather keep Zoey going CCW.  I have and will have far too many 'family' airplanes and trainers around that are only set to go that way.  If she ends up being more a flyer than builder then she will limit her ability to fly what we have if she learns CW.

Dave

[Jim Kraft]

I am left handed but fly right handed counter clockwise. I can pretty much do anything with either hand. I can write with my right hand but not near as fast. I was one of those back in the 40's when they believed they should teach us lefty's to write with our right hand. When the teacher was not looking we switched to the left.

They say that the left side of your brain controls the right side of your body, and the right side of your brain controls the left side of your body. So left handed people are the only ones in our right mind. My wife says that is debatable.

[jerry v]

Well honestly thanks for all your input.  I hadn't given it much thought until we were all sitting at a family dinner the other night and suddenly BOTH the daughters thought maybe I should get Zoey set up to go the other way.   Interesting since I don't remember either of them ever seeing anyone flying that way.  Their mother is a lefty and I taught her to fly while pregnant with the elder daughter-CCW.  I'd rather keep Zoey going CCW.  I have and will have far too many 'family' airplanes and trainers around that are only set to go that way.  If she ends up being more a flyer than builder then she will limit her ability to fly what we have if she learns CW.

Dave

Dave,
Just for the experiment of science you can take some CCW profile model, add one more set of landing gear on top - opposite of normal landing gear, add another canopy and a vertical fin and rudder. Add the tail wheel on the top of each fin, and with least amount of labor you will have a symmetrical model to fly either  way. And remember to switch “up “ and “down” lines. All of your girls will be happy.

Jerry