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 federal aviation regulation (FAR) that dictates which seat a solo pilot must occupy in a side-by-side airplane.
Despite the lack of a federal rule, flying solo from the left seat is generally recommended and practical due to standard instrument layouts and control placements typically favoring that position.
Flight school stipulations like "solo flight from left seat only" are local safety rules, likely implemented to prevent incidents from pilots unfamiliar with the different sight picture and control access from the right seat.
Pilots require specific training and familiarity to safely operate solo from the right seat, as it involves a different sight picture and reaching for controls.

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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.