Did you know in Australia we perform circuits to the left?I believe in the USA they are right hand circuits?Just something of interest.Daniel

no.. in the USA they are left hand circuits is standard unless otherwise noted. due to terrain and/or noise abatement procedures.

no.. in the USA they are left hand circuits is standard unless otherwise noted. due to terrain and/or noise abatement procedures.

Oh I always thought it was to the right for the US.Your locomotives are left hand drive-here is right hand drive, and cars the opposite.Daniel

in the USA the pilot always sits in the left seat. whether it be a C172 or 747.so it is easier to look out the window you are sitting by to see the airfield when you enter the pattern hence the default left hand pattern.ha.. now that I say, that,,. the pilot sits in the right side if in a helicopter

in the USA the pilot always sits in the left seat. whether it be a C172 or 747.so it is easier to look out the window you are sitting by to see the airfield when you enter the pattern hence the default left hand pattern.ha.. now that I say, that,,. the pilot sits in the right side if in a helicopter

Pilots sit in the right hand side all over the world as far as I know Brian, apart from choppers.Thanks for the intel. For some reason I got confused! Never done circuits over there!!Daniel

in the USA the pilot always sits in the left seat. whether it be a C172 or 747.so it is easier to look out the window you are sitting by to see the airfield when you enter the pattern hence the default left hand pattern.ha.. now that I say, that,,. the pilot sits in the right side if in a helicopter

Helicopter pilots perform right turns in the pattern as standard. That and they also fly lower in the pattern than fixed wing to "stay out of the way" per FARs.

Edited February 21, 201214 yr by ZachLW

Pilots sit in the right hand side all over the world as far as I know Brian, apart from choppers.Thanks for the intel. For some reason I got confused! Never done circuits over there!!Daniel

We got it right from the beginning,the rest of the world might catch up eventually!!...LOL

Aviation is mostly a universal standard. Automobiles are not universal. Airplanes and cars have nothing to do with each other.With cars the reason why some countries drive on the right or the left go back to military standards when riding on horseback on a trail. The French and Europeans were on the right hand side and the English were on the left......If you were French and riding on a trail and someone coming at you went to pass you on the right, you would know it was an alley. If they tried to pass you on the left then you would know that they were English so you would reach for your musket and shoot them. Same would go for the Americans going back to the American Revolution.The USA followed the French Rules because they were fighting the English in the American Revolution and France was their biggest alley and trading partner at that time. When Cars were finally produced we used the same rules as horses as there were still mostly horses being used when the first cars hit the market. Cars followed the rules of the horses and really just evolved from there, but with some new regulations added as time went on.The British Empire followed the left hand rule and that is what is mostly used in the Commonwealth today, with the exception of Canada that follows the same rule from France, like the USA did as Canada and USA share a common infrastructure with things like Road networks and Electricity generation. The rest of the world is on the right, which is the proper way to drive a car.I hate seeing a Ferrari or a Porsche here in New Zealand that is right hand drive as that is not the side on the car that is was originally designed for. A driver is supposed to sit in the on the left side of the car and have the shifter on his right hand, Turn indicator on his left hand and steer mostly with his left hand.Airplanes are similar as the pilot sits in the left seat, throttle in the right hand and yoke in the left. I can't stand why the English had to do everything different and force their colonies to do the same. Good thing Canada told them off and went the same way as the French. Cars are supposed to be Left Hand Drive and the English have this one wrong.Cheers

Edited February 21, 201214 yr by ytzpilot

Aviation is mostly a universal standard. Automobiles are not universal. Airplanes and cars have nothing to do with each other.With cars the reason why some countries drive on the right or the left go back to military standards when riding on horseback on a trail. The French and Europeans were on the right hand side and the English were on the left......If you were French and riding on a trail and someone coming at you went to pass you on the right, you would know it was an alley. If they tried to pass you on the left then you would know that they were English so you would reach for your musket and shoot them. Same would go for the Americans going back to the American Revolution.The USA followed the French Rules because they were fighting the English in the American Revolution and France was their biggest alley and trading partner at that time. When Cars were finally produced we used the same rules as horses as there were still mostly horses being used when the first cars hit the market. Cars followed the rules of the horses and really just evolved from there, but with some new regulations added as time went on.The British Empire followed the left hand rule and that is what is mostly used in the Commonwealth today, with the exception of Canada that follows the same rule from France, like the USA did as Canada and USA share a common infrastructure with things like Road networks and Electricity generation. The rest of the world is on the right, which is the proper way to drive a car.I hate seeing a Ferrari or a Porsche here in New Zealand that is right hand drive as that is not the side on the car that is was originally designed for. A driver is supposed to sit in the on the left side of the car and have the shifter on his right hand, Turn indicator on his left hand and steer mostly with his left hand.Airplanes are similar as the pilot sits in the left seat, throttle in the right hand and yoke in the left. I can't stand why the English had to do everything different and force their colonies to do the same. Good thing Canada told them off and went the same way as the French. Cars are supposed to be Left Hand Drive and the English have this one wrong.Cheers

Hey Matthew I been in a Mercedes in Japan (100 Series I think?) which my friend had a left hand drive. I was in the passenger seat!Nice history lesson by the way, this is an interesting topic suddenly!!Daniel

Edited February 21, 201214 yr by IAF747

Your locomotives are left hand drive-here is right hand drive, and cars the opposite.

No US railroad Engineers sit on the right side. I are one! :smile:Todd

What is interesting is that in US Virgin Islands the cars are on the left, but they are US cars. Makes passing sort of dicey. I'm kind of a skeptic of the military idea, as I think in most cases military would occupy the entire road to avoid extending the length of a column any more than necessary. In event of a meeting situation I suspect one unit would leave the road and wait for it to clear. I also note that the US Continental Army to the extent it had military experience would have been with the British frontier armies, and its drill manual was written by the Prussian von Steuben, so I don't know about the French infuence at this time. Certainly later on the US Army looked to France for its military doctrine.Note that aviation and maritime vessels keep the same rules of the road: in a meeting (head-to-head) situaiton both vessels keep to the right. Meeting situation generally defined as being able to see both port and stbd nav lights.scott s..

Edited February 21, 201214 yr by scott967

I always thought the reason you should drive on the left was because when you mount a horse, you mount it from the left hand side. If you are by the side of the road and you mount your horse on the left and then set off you will naturally be on the left hand side of the road. Americans do it differently because Americans like to be contrary.BTW, Pilots fly from the left side, helicopters from the right and in fighter jets (and helicopters) you use the left hand to control the throttle and your stronger right hand to control the stick. Why would you want to use your weaker hand to control the heavier more important control? Did I mention that Americans like to be contrary.

Hey Matthew I been in a Mercedes in Japan (100 Series I think?) which my friend had a left hand drive. I was in the passenger seat!Nice history lesson by the way, this is an interesting topic suddenly!!Daniel

Next time take the chance to drive one. I would really like to import a car from the USA to Wellington here that is a left hand drive. Much more fun to drive on the left hand side...CheersMatthew

Edited February 21, 201214 yr by ytzpilot

Members155 posts0 reviews7 topicsJoined 08-March 11Gender:MaleLocation:AustraliaPosted Yesterday, 11:46 PMI always thought the reason you should drive on the left was because when you mount a horse, you mount it from the left hand side.

You mounted horses from the left because, if you were wearing a sword it was was easier - you only had to get your right leg over. The other way round you'd have had to get your left leg and your sword over.Also, aircraft switches are generally up for on - as opposed to most other applications

Edited February 22, 201214 yr by mgh

Also, aircraft switches are generally up for on - as opposed to most other applications

That is true....Another thing the English got wrong. 'On' is supposed to be up and 'Off' is supposed to be down. That is the way it is done everywhere except for UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.I call Australia and New Zealand Backward Land as they drive on the wrong side, the light switches go the wrong direction, Escalators run on the wrong side, Toilets flush the other way, I am missing a few more things but you get the idea.Cheers

Edited February 22, 201214 yr by ytzpilot