Changing hands

[Randy Ryan]

Well, after thinking about it allot and the possibility of having to give up stunt, I've decided to try learning to fly left handed. I tried it Monday night and it wasn't hard, but then I only did some shallow climbs and dives. I have nerve impingements in my neck, shoulder, elbow and wrist and precise motor control of my right hand is becoming more and more difficult. I will be seeing a surgeon but have no idea what can and can't be fixed at this time. Had the wrist surgery done 10-12 years ago and it was a revelation but now those symptoms are back and worse.

So, has anyone successfully make this changeover?

[pipemakermike]

Hi Randy
Sorry to hear about this problem but changing hands is not too hard.  You will need some patience and I would recommend taking a couple of 15 size combat models and putting in some left handed time.  When I started to fly combat competitively back in the 60's I quickly found that I needed to be as competitent with my left hand as my right hand so I just put in a lot of time flying with that hand and after a couple of hours I felt comfortable and it really made a difference to my placings.
I also had to learn to get slick with using a mouse left handed in my day job on the CAD when I got RSI in my right hand.  It feels horrible at first but the brain is a wonderful thing and rapidly reprograms itself.

[Howard Rush]

Ron Colombo injured his right hand in 1983.  He used the time off work to learn to fly left-handed and made the 1984 US F2D team.  It can be done, but I sure hope you can get your problem fixed. 

[John Stiles]

Well, after thinks about it allot and the possibility of having to give up stunt, I've decided to try learning to fly left handed.... ...............So, has anyone successfully make this changeover?

I am in the process of doing the same thing. I've always flown my planes right handed, but circumstances beyond my control/and some in my control, LOL; have dictated the switch. I have had a couple of mishaps, and one hard lawn dart so far, but I will keep going till I get it figured out. I even thought about building a clockwise flying plane to help with the transition. Let us know if you discover anything helpful! Good luck!

[Tim Wescott]

It depends on how much dexterity you have in your left hand to start with, but if you're not hopelessly one-handed you should be able to learn to do just about anything left-handed that you can do right-handed now.

In my misspent youth I taught myself to play pool as well left handed as I could right handed.  It didn't particularly make me a better pool player, but it certainly impressed the hell out of me.

Good for you for not giving up.  Go for it, and give us progress reports so we can cheer you on!

[John Leidle]

   I don't think it will be that hard to do Randy, I did it in Tennis, and a few other things,, being a lefty I had to use a Skill Saw in my Right hand or chop myself up.  In 1970 I went from a Yamaha 350 with the shift on the Left & brake on the Right to a Royal Enfield with it reversed   took about 2 days.
  Good luck,  John L.

[Jim Kraft]

I am a lefty but do many things with my right had including flying control line. I have often wondered if I switched what it would be like. To me, I think it would come a lot more natural if I flew clockwise when making the transistion, but it might not make any difference. I seem to have a lot more arthritis in my right hand and may have to learn to fly with my left in the future. I think that is why we all have some old beaters around. LOL

[john e. holliday]

I can take off, fly level, do some wing overs and land.   Have chickened out on the loops every time I try.

[Randy Powell]

I hope that this can be fixed. I've know people this problem that have had successful surgery so I'll be hoping for that then you don't have to worry about learning to fly left handed. On the other hand (as it were). I originally learned to fly clockwise. Did so all the way till I was 17. Went off to college and when I can back, got back into flying with Pat Johnston. He flew the other way so I learned to do that and still fly that way. Changing can be done.

[dennis lipsett]

Well, after thinking about it allot and the possibility of having to give up stunt, I've decided to try learning to fly left handed. I tried it Monday night and it wasn't hard, but then I only did some shallow climbs and dives. I have nerve impingements in my neck, shoulder, elbow and wrist and precise motor control of my right hand is becoming more and more difficult. I will be seeing a surgeon but have no idea what can and can't be fixed at this time. Had the wrist surgery done 10-12 years ago and it was a revelation but now those symptoms are back and worse.

So, has anyone successfully make this changeover?

Randy, I also have nerve impingements from an industrial accident over 20 years ago. It cost me a year of decent flying in 2012 while I retrained myself to fly with my right hand. Like you I also don't have the greatest mobility in my arm and my arm strength is limited. The continuous tingling is nerve wracking at times. I can do some of the basic maneuvers left handed as I used to be able to fly 2 models at one when I was a lot younger. my surgeon tells me to prolong surgery as long as possible simply because you get about 2 years of relief and then scar tissue causes you more problems. Arthritis isn't doing me great things either. At least I can still build a model. It seems unfair that most of the time it is manageable until I pick up a handle and have my hand tingle and sting through the flight and a weak wrist that doesn't give me a great deal of control on the downside maneuvers. But I have learned to compensate for a lot of this and approaching 70 it may not matter in too many more years.

[Duke.Johnson]

Ron Colombo injured his right hand in 1983.  He used the time off work to learn to fly left-handed and made the 1984 US F2D team.  It can be done, but I sure hope you can get your problem fixed. 

And Ron won the Bladder Grabber left handed a couple weeks ago.

[Randy Ryan]

Randy, I also have nerve impingements from an industrial accident over 20 years ago. It cost me a year of decent flying in 2012 while I retrained myself to fly with my right hand. Like you I also don't have the greatest mobility in my arm and my arm strength is limited. The continuous tingling is nerve wracking at times. I can do some of the basic maneuvers left handed as I used to be able to fly 2 models at one when I was a lot younger. my surgeon tells me to prolong surgery as long as possible simply because you get about 2 years of relief and then scar tissue causes you more problems. Arthritis isn't doing me great things either. At least I can still build a model. It seems unfair that most of the time it is manageable until I pick up a handle and have my hand tingle and sting through the flight and a weak wrist that doesn't give me a great deal of control on the downside maneuvers. But I have learned to compensate for a lot of this and approaching 70 it may not matter in too many more years.

Thanks all for your input. I am fairly dexterous with my left hand having for some reason learned and prefer to shot, arch and shoot pool left handed. There may even be some flying advantages to be had. I have worked the pattern in my head left handed and everything is doable except the reverse wingover, I cannot visualize how to do it without getting crossed up. How would I enter the first and third corner, with my left arm across my chest?

[Tim Wescott]

Thanks all for your input. I am fairly dexterous with my left hand having for some reason learned and prefer to shot, arch and shoot pool left handed. There may even be some flying advantages to be had. I have worked the pattern in my head left handed and everything is doable except the reverse wingover, I cannot visualize how to do it without getting crossed up. How would I enter the first and third corner, with my left arm across my chest?

It must be possible, because there are lefties who fly counterclockwise, and righties who fly clockwise.  Locally we have Alan Resinger, who flies clockwise and is regularly in close company with Paul Walker on the scoreboard.  You can't do that and flub the wingover!

[Randy Ryan]

It must be possible, because there are lefties who fly counterclockwise, and righties who fly clockwise.  Locally we have Alan Resinger, who flies clockwise and is regularly in close company with Paul Walker on the scoreboard.  You can't do that and flub the wingover!

Well that's for sure, I'd just like to know how they do it. Gonna fly tonight and experiment a little and see what I can do......................way up high.

[WLGeorge]

I was left handed as a child but the Nuns beat that out of me in first grade.  (They used to do that when we was kids).   I learned to fly right handed but one day at around age 45 , I don't know why but I picked up the handle with my left and flew fine until it dawned on me what I was doing.  I promptly crashed a perfectly good profile job (thank you Sister Mary Elizabeth) because I got nervous and confused which is a really bad thing in this hobby.. I have since switched over almost completely to the left side.    When I decided to switch I made several flights of just level flight with a few loops or wing overs until it felt "right".   Maybe because I was  a lefty all along it was easier for me, I don't really know.  Good luck.  Hope all goes well with the right side.

[Randy Cuberly]

Well that's for sure, I'd just like to know how they do it. Gonna fly tonight and experiment a little and see what I can do......................way up high.

Randy,
I know two guys who fly stunt left handed and one starts the wingover with his hand across his chest, and the other with his left arm stretched out to his left side and then crosses it across his chest for the inverted pullout.  He's actually the better flier (not that means anything).  I would say whatever feels best.

I have actually flown the pattern left handed and did it successfully.  Although it wasn't exactly a 500+ pattern.  I actually have a stupid left hand but the transition (actually just practice for a lark) wasn't very difficult.  I think getting where I could fly as good with my left hand as with my right would take a long, long time!  I think we actually fly with our brain more than we give credit for!

Randy Cuberly

Randy Cuberly

[Scott Richlen]

I've thought about continuing to fly PA with my right hand and teaching myself to fly the Old-Time pattern with my left.

Hmmm?