Which Cockpit Seat Should Be Used for Solo Flight?

There’s a pretty good reason why it’s better to fly from the left in a side-by-side aircraft.

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, July 09, 2025 at 09:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

An example of a tandem two-seat cockpit [FLYING Archive]

Key Takeaways:

There is no specific FAR/AIM regulation dictating which seat a solo pilot must occupy in a side-by-side airplane.
Practical design, such as instrument layout and control placement (ignition, master switch), often favors operating from the left seat, making it a safer and more sensible option.
Flight schools often implement their own "solo from left seat only" rules as a safety precaution, likely due to past incidents involving pilots unfamiliar with the different sight picture and control access from the right seat.

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Question: I know there are some aircraft that are to be soloed from the rear seat only, but is there a rule about which seat a solo pilot occupies in a side-by-side airplane? The flight school I am renting from has a line in the rental agreement that stipulates “solo flight from left seat only,” but I can’t find it in the FAR/AIM.

Answer: There is no FAR that stipulates which seat a pilot should or must occupy when flying solo in a side-by-side airplane.