Are You Struggling to Find the Right Seat Position in the Cockpit?

Here’s some advice for new pilots on achieving the perfect sight picture setup.

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, April 22, 2026 at 11:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A student pilot is having trouble seeing over the nose of the aircraft, so an aviation seat cushion like this one might help the situation. [Credit: FLYING Archive]

Key Takeaways:

For optimal visibility and comfort, pilots should use aviation-specific seat cushions and experiment with seat and cushion placement on the ground in various aircraft to find their ideal "sight picture" setup.
To develop a proper "sight picture" for maneuvers and landings, new pilots should observe their CFI demonstrating them correctly, focusing on the horizon's relationship to the aircraft's nose to learn and replicate the correct visual cues.

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Question: How do you develop your “sight picture” in the airplane? I just started flight training. I am on the short side, and I have to crank the adjustable seat all the way up and move it forward, and use all sorts of cushions to see over the nose of the Cessna 172. I swear I spend half the flight trying to get situated in the cockpit. Is there a better way to do this?

Answer: I relate to what you are describing. I am afraid it comes down to trial and error to find the right combination of cushions—not pillows—and seat placement that works for you. I suggest you invest in an aviation seat cushion rather than using pillows, as it provides more support and doesn’t compress as much as pillows do.