172 Pilots: How do you sit?

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manlymatt83

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Matt
One thing I've noticed as I've progressed in my flight training is that I've never really figured out the proper seat height/distance from rudder pedals, and whether or not to keep my back flush against the seat back or not.

I'm about 5' 9". I usually just crank the seat height all the way up to the top as I feel better sitting high, but I'm not sure if that's correct. As for distance from rudder pedals, I tend to switch between about average for car pedals and one notch closer, though sometimes I then find that the yoke is hitting my kneeboard when I'm attempting to apply right/left aileron inputs. Too far back, though, and I find it hard to apply full rudder input without almost straightening my leg fully.

As for back, especially during takeoff climb I find myself leaning forward. Other times, I feel pretty comfortable leaning back in the seat. Not quite sure how to best adjust that, or whether it even matters.

Is there a formula/rule for this? Anyone else take a while to figure out their proper settings?
 
I’m not much help on where to position the seat (up/down for eye height or back/forth for rudder reach) or seatback tilt based on actual sight goals or what not, but just yesterday I asked the owner of the 172 that I rent a similar question. As to the up/down height, he told me that when he flies the plane himself, he always cranks it full up and then rotates it 3 turns down. In other words, that’s the position he likes and he makes it repeatable by racking it to one side and then moving it X turns away. Same spot every time even though dozens of students rent it between his flights.

Should work for us renters too. I’m trying to figure out the number of turns that I prefer. I’m 6-1 with a smidge more height in my torso versus my legs, and, yesterday, 5 turns down seemed to work well.
 
I try and fly with different up/down levels. As far as front to back, I usually sit pretty close during takeoff/landing and maneuvering. During cruise flight I slide it all the way to the rear for speed purposes. Whatever works, works.

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I sit as high as I can to see better, consistent with flight controls being free. I adjust the seat fore/aft such that I have full rudder authority but far back.seat back is however it hits my back and I feel comfortable.
 
Way over thinking it... just sit so you can use the rudders without riding the brakes and that you can touch all the controls without having to lean forward.
 
I'm 6'1" and fly with the seat full down and just far enough forward for full brake.
 
Whatever comfortable for you. There is no right or wrong unless you're wearing a parachute in a jet fighter.

One reason I don't like a kneeboard is exactly your reason - yoke keeps hitting the kneeboard.

You might try a small cushion in the small of the back.
 
I'm 6'2" and I sit 8 cranks down from the top.

I sit high, I know, but it's where I set my sight picture.
 
Earlier on, I used to fly close and high; but after a while, it just got comfortable in a lower position.
Being higher didn't really help on the sight picture. Turns out, what is IS.
And sitting lower might be beneficial for later upgrade ----> the lowest position in a 172 is about the best/highest you will find in a 182, for instance.

As far as position wrt rudders: I sit far enough forward to ensure being able to get full rudder deflection without straining my leg. It's a bit forward, but not too far forward. I'm 5'6" (for reference)

I've found all Cessna seatbacks to be at a comfortable rake. If you want that F-16 feeling of reclining during flight, get yourself into a Piper Cherokee (of any model) --- their most upright positions are reclining and you get used to sitting upright with no help of the back cushion.
 
I crank it all the way up. I'm about 5 feet 9 too so that works well for me. I move up close enough where I can push full right and left on the pedals without having to stretch too far but not too close so that my knees block the control yoke. I've sat that way ever since I started training and it works great for me.
 
manlymatt83 said:
One thing I've noticed as I've progressed in my flight training is that I've never really figured out the proper seat height/distance from rudder pedals, and whether or not to keep my back flush against the seat back or not.

I'm about 5' 9". I usually just crank the seat height all the way up to the top as I feel better sitting high, but I'm not sure if that's correct. As for distance from rudder pedals, I tend to switch between about average for car pedals and one notch closer, though sometimes I then find that the yoke is hitting my kneeboard when I'm attempting to apply right/left aileron inputs. Too far back, though, and I find it hard to apply full rudder input without almost straightening my leg fully.

As for back, especially during takeoff climb I find myself leaning forward. Other times, I feel pretty comfortable leaning back in the seat. Not quite sure how to best adjust that, or whether it even matters.

Is there a formula/rule for this? Anyone else take a while to figure out their proper settings?
Click to expand...

Do what feels good. there is no such thing as "Proper"
 
It's all about the sight picture...:yes: If you can reach the controls, the sight picture is good and you are comfortable then you have it...:yes: I was told long ago that a good sight picture equals a good landing...:dunno:
 
a pillow behind my back, a pillow beneath my butt. That's what I had to do in the 172.
But then, I'm 5'3"
 
You want to sit close enough so that with a pedal at full deflection you still have at least a slight bend in the knee, and far enough away that you are not cramped.

As for height, during my lessons my instructor advised the using the same height every flight so the sight picture is always the same. Someone else suggested eye level with the bottom of the wing and I found that worked well.
 
mkosmo said:
I'm 6'1" and fly with the seat full down and just far enough forward for full brake.
Click to expand...

1" taller and do the exact same. During flight training I found myself hunching forward for the engine controls. You'll realize that you only need to have a finger on the throttle and that helped relax me back in the seat a bit.
 
I'm 6'2" and I have the seat jacked up as high as it goes until my head hits the headliner and forward til the seat cushion jams against the forward door post. I like full pedal control with some knee flex to spare, the yoke close so I don't need to reach, and the taller I sit the better I can see, but all I fly is taildraggers.
 
Full rudder without having to twist hips. Full back rudder without catching knee board.
 
Sometimes I wish Cessna installed the three sight balls in their aircraft, makes positioning easy :yes:


turbine0802.jpg
 
I used a comfortable 4 inch cushion ,under my butt,hated sitting on the rails. Then adjusted for height by comfort on the pedals.
 
I'm 5'7 when I used to instruct in 172's would sit all the way up, and either two or 3 clicks back depending on the plane, I noticed each one is slightly different! Full upright setback of course for takeoff and landing as the book says. In cruise, just whatever felt comfortable, slide it back a little/recline a little, but always all the way up on the crank
 
For legs, I position just like a bike - full rudder/brake displacement still leaves a slight bend in my knees. Vertical, I can turn my head and see the underside of the wing without ducking. I'm 6', long arms and legs. . .
 
James331 said:
Sometimes I wish Cessna installed the three sight balls in their aircraft, makes positioning easy :yes:
Click to expand...

They did, sort of.

Put a closed fist on the glare shield, thumb up and elbow straight. Sight the nose and see which fingers it lies between. I find two fingers to be a comfy sight picture in every airplane I've flown, though it does require 182 seats to be pretty high.
 
oldShar said:
Earlier on, I used to fly close and high; but after a while, it just got comfortable in a lower position.
Being higher didn't really help on the sight picture. Turns out, what is IS.
Click to expand...

That has been my progression as well. Honestly, it has been a long time since I've been in anything that actually has a vertical height adjustment.

Cranking the seat up did help me learn to land and get that sight picture burned in my brain though. I'd suggest finding whatever seat height you feel comfortable with and put it back in that spot every time for consistency reasons, if that is a concern.
 
Stewartb said:
I'm 6'2" and I have the seat jacked up as high as it goes until my head hits the headliner and forward til the seat cushion jams against the forward door post. I like full pedal control with some knee flex to spare, the yoke close so I don't need to reach, and the taller I sit the better I can see, but all I fly is taildraggers.
Click to expand...

6'4", and I have the seat towards the bottom, but forward like this. I want to make sure I can mash through the brakes if I ever needed to, and not be at the end of extension of my legs. With that position, my elbow is on the armrest and hand on the yoke easily. I also have the seatback mostly upright. Helps support the lower back as I scan out the windshield for traffic.
 
I adjust seat height so that I can see out under the top of the pilot's side window but over the glare shield. For me (6'2") if I go too high I can't see as well out the pilot's window to scan for traffic. If I go too low I sometimes can't see enough over the nose. There's a sweet spot in there though.

For rudders I usually scoot back a few clicks in cruise but on approach and departure I just want to be able to maneuver and get on the toe brakes as needed.

For seat back, I have it relatively vertical for approach and departure but I will recline a little in cruise but not so much that it hurts visibility out the windows.
 
There's a sweetspot between bumping the belly and reaching the pedals... Riiiight-daaar... // Height-wise... midway, I guess
 
<hijack>

I know the OP asked about the 172, but the first time I flew a DA-20 (with fixed seat and moveable pedals) I (5'11" CFI - right seat) moved them to full forward. It wasn't until we did the brake check that I found out that although I had full rudder authority, the brake hit the firewall without engaging. I had to back them up a notch to have effective brakes.

Beware!!!!

</hijack>
 
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