Keep hand on the throttle during takeoff??

AirplanepilotJJ

AirplanepilotJJ

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Airplanepilot501
Greetings airmen,

during my last training flight, during takeoff my instructor told me to keep my hand on the throttle. Is there a reason for that? Thanks!
 
To add to the above post: Even with friction lock, vibration can slowly work the throttle out as you climb.
 
throttles can creep back at a time & in a way that can easily not be apparent..

when you want to be sure of continuous max power
 
Same is true for landing. Usually on base and final your hand should be right there to make SMALL adjustments as needed.

Are you flying with a quadrant or the push-pull style? With quadrant you can comfortably rest your right hand with thumb on one side and (usually) 4 fingers on the other. You'll feel the lever move, if it does so on it's own. With push/pulls I rest my right pointer finger on the throttle shaft. In neither case do I actually grip or hold the knob. I think my CFI referred to this as "covering" the throttle.

(not doing this in some fashion should result in a swift wack on the wrist with the plotter :))
 
All the above reasons are correct. In addition, when you get further in training it prevents the CFI from surreptitiously “failing” your engine. :)
 
Coincidentally, I had this one just the other day. Working with a pilot, he moved his right hand to his lap during takeoff. I pointed to the throttle and he immediately went to it, saying, "I know..." I told him, "it's a funny thing. When I was a student pilot, every time I did that, somehow, the throttle always creeped back."
 
FlySince9 said:
FTFY
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Now I'll have to make a phone call. Your expression seems more logical, but I could swear Mr. Stephens said covering. I started training in 2005. Fortunately the good habit persists.
 
What about in a twin when you are committed to the takeoff? I see many pilots take their hand off the throttles and put on yoke.
 
Yes to the creeping throttle suggestions above ^^^
Also if you need to pull power in a hurry, you will save a little time having your hand on it.
Removing your hand from the throttles as described above, at V1, takeoff decision speed, is because you are making a commitment to fly and do not want to abort the takeoff.
 
Proper technique is to keep one hand on the yoke or stick and use the other one for throttle, flaps, prop, or whatever else might require it.
 
Once you're not in danger of hitting the ground, you can take it away in my opinion. I had been taught to leave it there as well but one of my instructors smacked me later and told me I could get to it fast enough if I needed to. You need that hand for things like frequency changes, etc.. anyhow.
 
mirage00 said:
What about in a twin when you are committed to the takeoff? I see many pilots take their hand off the throttles and put on yoke.
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The technique I used when flying light twins was to keep my hand on the throttles until I committed to continuing the takeoff if an engine failed. In a light twin this would be after liftoff when there wasn't enough runway remaining to pull the power back and land. At that point I raised the gear and put my hand at the base of the throttles, to ensure that they didn't creep back, and reinforce that I would continue if one failed.

In jets the Captain's hand is on the thrust levers until V1. After liftoff, the flying-pilot's hand is on the thrust levers by 400' though 2,500'. I've never see a jet where lever creep was an issue.
 
In my Cessna 172 the throttle and mixture are close enough to each other that I keep my hand on both of them through takeoff and initial climb. That guards against (a) either one creeping out due to vibration, and (b) accidentally taking off with lean-taxi mixture when full rich is required at low elevations.
 
Larry in TN said:
The technique I used when flying light twins was to keep my hand on the throttles until I committed to continuing the takeoff if an engine failed. In a light twin this would be after liftoff when there wasn't enough runway remaining to pull the power back and land. At that point I raised the gear and put my hand at the base of the throttles, to ensure that they didn't creep back, and reinforce that I would continue if one failed.

In jets the Captain's hand is on the thrust levers until V1. After liftoff, the flying-pilot's hand is on the thrust levers by 400' though 2,500'. I've never see a jet where lever creep was an issue.
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Ya beat me to it. However, if yer flying with a lever creep, I'd keepa hand on the them there thrust levers. Durned micro managing 5 striper.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk
 
AirplanepilotJJ said:
Greetings airmen,

during my last training flight, during takeoff my instructor told me to keep my hand on the throttle. Is there a reason for that? Thanks!
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I do know of a case where the pilot pulled the mixture on final instead of power, and landed short of the runway, luckily still inside the airport fence.
 
I've had the friction lock on full juice on the Warrior I got my PPL on and it would still slide back, pretty much got used to always keeping my right hand on the throttle unless it had something else to do (flaps, radios, etc.) but the throttle quadrant made a good resting spot for it.. when I was relegated to Skyhawk flying for about 80 hrs I never quite got used to the ergonomics of where to rest my hand
 
Ravioli said:
With push/pulls I rest my right pointer finger on the throttle shaft.
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Exactly. That or just touching the face of the throttle to hold it in place (if that's not what you were describing).
 
assures max power @ critical phase of flight :D

 
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I have had a rejected take off recently. As soon as I felt it wasnt right, I was already in position to pull power. Seconds matter.
 
Especially as a student having your hand on the throttle means you don’t have to find the right knob if something happens and you need it in a hurry.
 
Pilawt said:
In my Cessna 172 the throttle and mixture are close enough to each other that I keep my hand on both of them through takeoff and initial climb. That guards against (a) either one creeping out due to vibration, and (b) accidentally taking off with lean-taxi mixture when full rich is required at low elevations.
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I will hold both throttle and mixture in with two fingers sort of like a peace sign (depending on the aircraft of course)...until about 5-700 feet above the runway, then I'll take out flaps etc. if needed.

Anytime I took my hand off the throttle during takeoff, my CFI would reach over and pull the throttle.
As a brand new student, those almost left skid marks. Didn't take long to learn.
 
The Maule had a vernier throttle, other than during take off roll and landing with thumb on the button I pretty much never left my hand on it.
 
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k9medic said:
I have always taught keep a thumb on the throttle. This is a hold over from the seat track AD.
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Was taught similar...hand over throttle but I am gripping behind the friction lock between the index and middle finger, not holding onto the throttle. CFI's story of the seat track that slipped, pilot while holding onto throttle slides back on climb out simultaneously pulling back on yoke AND pulling back on throttle killing power stalling and crashing plane left an impression.
 
Not sure if anyone said it yet, but you need keep your hand on the throttle so it won't creep back and to make it difficult for your instructor to fail the engine, got to get your shots in at those instructors when you can.
 
I was taught that you remove your hand when you turn the electric fuel pump off which is 1,000 AGL.
 
Of course I do. Gotta be Johnny on the spot if the tail rotor fails. ;)
 
Great answers here.

To back them up with a story:
I let a freshly minted private pilot fly with me once as the PF. On climbout, I noticed we weren't doing so well, something was off.
I noticed the throttle had backed out some. I said "full power, dude, full power, NOW ... and keep your hand on the throttle, ALWAYS". He learned a new habit that day. (though it should have happened in his first few lessons)
 
i ended up taking off one time with carb heat on & it was the first time ever i heard the stall horn chirping on rotation,

at the time i remember thinking wtf?! was that about..
 
Something simililar, I learned early in training in a 172 to hold the throttle with my thumb sticking out over the carb heat. Can't be full throttle without the carb heat in. Handy for two reasons, you don't try and take off with the carb heat on, and on a go around you push the carb heat in at the same time as advancing the throttle.

Pilawt said:
In my Cessna 172 the throttle and mixture are close enough to each other that I keep my hand on both of them through takeoff and initial climb. That guards against (a) either one creeping out due to vibration, and (b) accidentally taking off with lean-taxi mixture when full rich is required at low elevations.
Click to expand...
 
vman said:
i ended up taking off one time with carb heat on & it was the first time ever i heard the stall horn chirping on rotation,

at the time i remember thinking wtf?! was that about..
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I had a BFR the other day and didn't catch the carb heat on the go around of a simulated forced landing... The sign that I'm an idiot tends to be slower than expected climb performance ;-)
 
Old 150's I used to fly, I almost had to keep my hand on the carb heat. I'd glance over after a few minutes and it would be 2/3's the way out. And here I was, wondering why I was climbing more sluggishly than usual.
 
I asked my CFI whether she'd prefer I rest my hand on the throttle or her knee. That's why I now keep my broken, mangled, crippled hand on the throttle.

In the Tecnam, I can have my hand on the throttle and reach the flaps control with a finger. On takeoff and landing, I have contact with stick, throttle, and flaps without having to reach for anything or look for a control. For a low-altitude go-around, that's a good thing.
 
Be sure to ask you cfi questions like these. Mine was pretty quiet but if I asked him something he would elaborate quite well.
 
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