Yoke to Stick?

[AA34]

Quick, stupid question. Is it a very hard transition from a yoke to a stick? The reason I am asking is that I did all of my training in a 172, and am looking to get checked out in a Diamond.

[Champcar]

Originally Posted by AA34

Quick, stupid question. Is it a very hard transition from a yoke to a stick? The reason I am asking is that I did all of my training in a 172, and am looking to get checked out in a Diamond.

It will take you 5..ok maybe 10 seconds to get used to it.

[SeanD]

Originally Posted by Champcar

It will take you 5..ok maybe 10 seconds to get used to it.

I still prefer the yoke over the stick.

[Wolfy]

"A real airplane has three wheels: two in the front, one in the back and none in the cockpit."


And to actually answer your question, it will be very easy.

[Wittmandriver]

172 to Citabria-not a problem and no time to get used to it (flight forces, anyway).

The worst though, is if you are used to the Cessna-like flight control forces and you go to something with really light controls. It takes a bit because you want to over-control. I now have 90 hours on my experimental and still have to land with the elevator trim friction locked, or, if in the case that I bounce, I get into PIO because of the extremely light flight controls. I have the same rule, however, that I adopted with the Citabria-2 bounces is an automatic go-around, period.

Yokes are much better for x-country, unless like on my Tailwind, you have a bungee-type trim system. It is really a nice set-up. I can trim it up hands-off and rudder fly the thing all day long. When my hand is on the stick, I just have to think about where I am going and it does it.

Isn't the Diamond a side-stick? That would be a lot easier if controls are light as you have a place to rest your arm.

Wittmandriver

[Berkut]

Originally Posted by Wittmandriver

Isn't the Diamond a side-stick? That would be a lot easier if controls are light as you have a place to rest your arm.

Nah, it's the standard between-the-knees type.

Like other have said, transition is no problem. I used to switch between a Super Cub (stick in right hand, throttle in left) to a DA-20/40 (stick in left hand, throttle in right) to a 172 with a yoke, sometimes all in the same day. It's not something you have to think about. Like changing from a manual to an automatic in a car.

[ctab5060X]

Originally Posted by Wolfy

"A real airplane has three wheels: two in the front, one in the back and none in the cockpit."

You sure about that?

Originally Posted by Wolfy

And to actually answer your question, it will be very easy.

After the first flight, you won't even notice the difference.

[MidlifeFlyer]

I agree with the "it's easy" crowd, with one limitation. The first transition is usually the hardest. If you've been flying one type of airplane all along, you get used to the way it handles and performs. Sometimes even the smallest change is enough to throw you off.

That said, if this is your first transition, there are enough things about the Diamonds (whether DA-20 or DA-40) that are different from a 172 that the stick will probably be the easiest to get used to.

[wildwezul1]

I find the people who have only flow stick, have a hard time going over to yoke. But it seems pretty easy to go from yoke to stick.

[WacoFan]

I thought it was a very easy transition to go from a yoke to a stick. I also think the stick in the right, throttle in the left is more intuitive - just feels right for some reason.

[Velocipede]

Not a problem. In fact, you'll find its a more natural way to control an airplane that a yoke. Maybe that's just my military background talking, but you won't find a yoke in an airplane with an entirely military application for a reason.

[phoenix 23684]

I personally think that the stick is far easier to use than the yoke, very intuitive. I second that a real airplane has a stick and a little wheel at the tail.

[jet-dreams]

I too prefer the stick when I can get it.