Things on the Yoke

[luvflyin]

So I’m up with a CFI getting a rental checkout. I gots my trusty IPad mini in the thing that clamps to the yoke tube. He has his trusty whatever it was clamped to his yoke tube. The clamp thingy was bigger than any I’ve seen before. Not long after departing he says he needs to adjust it. No biggie, I just make sure I keep my fingers on the yoke. Later we’re doing something that needs me to get the nose down and it ain’t doing what I need. Yup, he had moved his clamp forward enough to interfere. Moral of the story is ‘controls free and correct’ is on the pre departure checklist for a reason and don’t be f’ing around with things that change that after you do the check. Another thing that was happening is I seemed to be having to fight the trim. It was a C177RG. I’ve flown them and fixed gear Cardinals before and they are very stable in pitch. I noticed he was doing a lot of stuff on his pad and doing it with heavy enough fingers that I think it was messing up my trim.

 

[JScarry]

Good point.

If I put one style of clamp on the passenger side of the T210 the controls are free and correct until I pull out the cabin air knob. Then the yoke won’t turn all the way.

 

[RyanB]

It’s not only gadgets mounted onto the yoke, but also other things like kneeboards. All of that stuff drives me crazy, especially when I see the person readjusting themselves because it gets in the way.

 

[Dan Thomas]

Too many gadgets. When I was your age we used a paper map, a pencil, and a watch. That map was cumbersome enough in a small cockpit.

 

[WannFly]

forget gadgets, my passengers cant seem to understand and follow the command - that pedal looking thingy is NOT YOUR FOOTREST

 

[RyanB]

forget gadgets, my passengers cant seem to understand and follow the command - that pedal looking thingy is NOT YOUR FOOTREST

Might not be able to do it as easy in your Piper, but whenever I take a new passenger in the 172, I always push their seat back enough so that they can’t reach the pedals.

 

[Half Fast]

Similar problems here, but stick instead of yoke.

I'm flying a Tecnam Echo LSA, the cockpit is very small to begin with and has center sticks, and I have to have my seat all the way forward and use a cushion to get full travel on the pedals. Consequently my knees are against the panel and my kneeboard/iPad bumps into the throttle when I move my leg out of the way of the stick. I usually take the kneeboard off when I have my destination airport in sight, just so it can't get in the way during landing.

A passenger just exacerbates the situation. My wife is shorter than I am (I'm 5'3" and she's 4'11") so she doesn't like having the seat all the way back since then she can't see out the front. We try to find a compromise position that keeps her out of the way of the controls.

I'm really looking forward to having a plane that has a yoke or a side stick instead of this #%^@ thing between my knees.

 

[GRG55]

Too many gadgets. When I was your age we used a paper map, a pencil, and a watch. That map was cumbersome enough in a small cockpit.

I think the old adage was "Nothing fills a cockpit faster than a sectional."

 

[Ravioli]

One hand on the yoke is almost too much. More like thumb and forefinger. <- he said forefinger, not foreflight.

 

[eman1200]

if your trim wheel is between the seats, make sure to prep your right seat pax about staying out of the way or that at least warn them that you might be bumping them out of the way on a regular basis.

 

[texasclouds]

Tell him to put that crap in the back or GTFO!

 

[Kenny Phillips]

I'll take "Things on the Yoke" for $100, Alex ...
I had my Lowrance GPS on the yoke more than two decades ago, and it was the heck in the way. I'd find some way to mount my iPad elsewhere. Perhaps on top of the glare shield, with the display reversed, as a HUD.

 

[CC268]

I can understand that frustration...I wouldn't want bulky things on the yoke either. That said, I've always used a yoke mounted iPad mini 4 and I try to use a yoke mount whenever possible. I've found it makes a huge difference (for me personally) to have it yoke mounted instead of on my knee. I prefer to not have it on my knee as it requires me to have my head down more than I'd like. If it is on the yoke I can implement it in my scan very easily.

 

[Rushie]

So I’m up with a CFI getting a rental checkout. I gots my trusty IPad mini in the thing that clamps to the yoke tube. He has his trusty whatever it was clamped to his yoke tube. The clamp thingy was bigger than any I’ve seen before. Not long after departing he says he needs to adjust it. No biggie, I just make sure I keep my fingers on the yoke. Later we’re doing something that needs me to get the nose down and it ain’t doing what I need. Yup, he had moved his clamp forward enough to interfere. Moral of the story is ‘controls free and correct’ is on the pre departure checklist for a reason and don’t be f’ing around with things that change that after you do the check. Another thing that was happening is I seemed to be having to fight the trim. It was a C177RG. I’ve flown them and fixed gear Cardinals before and they are very stable in pitch. I noticed he was doing a lot of stuff on his pad and doing it with heavy enough fingers that I think it was messing up my trim.

Maybe he was purposely messing with your actual trim while you were looking the other way. I've had people do that to me.

 

[Kenny Phillips]

Maybe he was purposely messing with your actual trim while you were looking the other way. I've had people do that to me.

That's cruel. Though I like to turn on the seat heater for my passenger when driving on a hot day.

 

[flyingron]

I've never been able to tolerate ANYTHING clipped to the yoke. The chart/GPS/iPAD goes in the right seat or if that is occupied gets held by the person sitting in the right seat.

 

[texasclouds]

I've never been able to tolerate ANYTHING clipped to the yoke. The chart/GPS/iPAD goes in the right seat or if that is occupied gets held by the person sitting in the right seat.

Right on brother, put them to work.

 

[BigBadLou]

I've never been able to tolerate ANYTHING clipped to the yoke. The chart/GPS/iPAD goes in the right seat or if that is occupied gets held by the person sitting in the right seat.

Tru dat!
Why clip it to the yoke when they can mount their maxiPad right up on top of the panel? Right in front of their face is the best for perfect picture. They're not looking outside anyway, staring only at their toys so what's the harm?

(while facetious, I am still partially serious)

 

[James331]

Never been a fan of strapping things to the yoke

 

[midwestpa24]

I agree with nothing on the yoke. When I was younger I was all about kneeboards and yoke mounts, but as I gain more and more experience I prefer a less cluttered cockpit. Ipad for plates and charts, and I look at it when I need to, then put it away. No reason for all that stuff in a cockpit.

 

[Shawn]

forget gadgets, my passengers cant seem to understand and follow the command - that pedal looking thingy is NOT YOUR FOOTREST

Meh, that just need to be addressed with a more solid preflight briefing:

"See those pedals?...don't hit them or we will die, got it?"

 

[LongRoadBob]

Maybe he was purposely messing with your actual trim while you were looking the other way. I've had people do that to me.

I don't know where, but read of a fellow pilot that sat in the back seat and would just lean forward or back whenever the pilot had just retrimmed.

 

[Skyrys62]

would just lean forward or back whenever the pilot had just retrimmed.

hmm, so it's the leaning.... always thought it was the actual passing of the gallon of whiskey back and forth. Good to know!

 

[Tantalum]

I had a yoke mount for the iPad for a little bit and hated it..

 

[jsstevens]

hmm, so it's the leaning.... always thought it was the actual passing of the gallon of whiskey back and forth. Good to know!

And remember to compensate for the whiskey getting lighter as you go along...

 

[Huckster79]

In an already cramped cockpit the last thing I want is an iPad of any size. I find ForeFlight on my iPhone for basic vfr flying more than adequate and nothing’s ever going on my yoke. I just don’t like the idea. My iPhone though positions in far corner of dash really restricts vision very little if any..worked more than adequate to get us home in her from Nebraska

 

[IK04]

I remember using a banker's clip to attach an approach chart to the yoke for instrument flying. It didn't interfere with anything.

Does anyone still use approach charts any more? I wonder where that clip thingy is nowadaays.... Hmmmmm...

 

[Spring Ford]

"The camera became wedged behind the control stick and sent the militarised airliner plummeting"

The co-pilot ended up paralysed after this one. Fleet grounded (only exact sub-type) for a while pending investigation. Nearly a two hundred person disaster. The fly by wire system automatically recovered the aircraft to level flight.

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/03/03/raf_voyager_pilot_andrew_townshend_dismissed_plummet/

https://www.isasi.org/Documents/library/technical-papers/2015/orr-voyager_pitch_down.pdf
https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...nt-involving-voyager-zz333-on-9-february-2014

 

[midlifeflyer]

I think the old adage was "Nothing fills a cockpit faster than a sectional."

Funny, but IFR enroute charts fill them more. Seen it twice. After one of them, my wife commented, "I see why you love your iPad."

The point of the thread is well-taken and it doesn't matter if we are talking about yoke or lap or tablets or paper. I once managed to block the yoke with something in my lap. Our cockpits should be set up and freedom of control movement and view of essential instruments and gauges needs to be confirmed and, if a change is made, reconfirmed.

 

[sarangan]

I have tried different yoke mounts, and found all of them far too bulky for their function. What I did in the end is to 3D print something customized for my yoke. It is very small and fits over the yoke, and I've been happy with it so far.

 

[Juliet Hotel]

So I’m up with a CFI getting a rental checkout. I gots my trusty IPad mini in the thing that clamps to the yoke tube. He has his trusty whatever it was clamped to his yoke tube.

What exactly was his trusty whatever being used for that made it a necessary item for a rental checkout flight?

 

[luvflyin]

What exactly was his trusty whatever being used for that made it a necessary item for a rental checkout flight?

Absolutely nothing. Anymore than necessary for any flight

 

[midlifeflyer]

What exactly was his trusty whatever being used for that made it a necessary item for a rental checkout flight?

Interesting question and I get the point. I use a yoke mount for my own flights and sometimes when giving instrument instruction, but not for basic checkouts and VFR instruction.

 

[Juliet Hotel]

Absolutely nothing.

Time for a policy change then IMO. I'm paying the CFI to be a CFI, he can use his ipad to update his twitter feed on his own time. The gizmo stays in the flight bag or I ain't going.

 

[Stewartb]

I have a RAM yoke mount for my Mini. Many of my flights aren't planned so no Mini with me. I removed the yoke mount. Modified the Otter Box belt clip that comes with the Defender case. Put a patch of self-stick velcro on the yoke and another on the belt clip. I usually leave the clip in place. iPhone goes in and out easily. Plus size phone is plenty good to replace the Mini for 95% of my needs. It would be easy enough to use the belt clip with a stretch rubber belt to hold it to the yoke in a rental.

 

[Mtns2Skies]

Nothing "temporary" mounted in the cockpit for me. Too cluttered, too easy to lose a sterile cockpit. First thing I did when I get my plane was panel mount my Aera 660. Having it on the yoke just wasn't doing it for me.

 

[weilke]

The elegance of the bonanza cockpit is that your right seat passenger neither has a yoke nor rudder pedals to eff with.

 

[Timbeck2]

Would depend on the bonanza wouldn't it?

 

[luvflyin]

Interesting question and I get the point. I use a yoke mount for my own flights and sometimes when giving instrument instruction, but not for basic checkouts and VFR instruction.

I have no problem with a CFI using a yoke mount. Or a fellow pilot as a passenger either. My post #32, replying to @Juliet Hotel ’s post #31 made it sound like that. Yeah, neither one of us ‘needed’ one. The problem was moving it’s position while in the air, after the ‘controls are free’ check. In this case it made them not free enough for me to get the amount of down pitch I wanted.

 

[Juliet Hotel]

I comment wasn't meaning to imply how I thought you felt about it. It was really just stating how I feel. Not allowing any re-positioning after take off is a good rule to have. My attitude, is the need to re-position is eliminated if its not installed in the first place. But then again, my experience with an early GPS that was about the size and weight of an MRI machine kind of broke me of the desire to ever have anything on the yoke.