Why Does the Pilot in Command Sit on the Left Side of the Cockpit?

When side-by-side seating became more common, the PIC took the left seat. Theories abound as to why this is.

Wednesday, November 23, 2022 at 02:50 PM ET

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Sitting on the left side of the cockpit, the PIC has a better view of the runway during traffic patterns to the left. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Question: Why does the pilot in command sit on the left side of the cockpit in an airplane?

Answer:

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.