Why do yokes have dual handgrips?

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asicer

Touchdown! Greaser!
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asicer
So I saw a friend's Facebook post where his nephew took him flying. My first the thought was "Cool! The young'un is a pilot." Then I flipped to the next picture of him wearing the big green H10-13.4's and thought "Hmm. Student pilot." Then the next picture showed both hands on the 172SP-G1000 yoke and thought "Darn. Just a discovery flight."

So why do yokes have 2 handles if we only grip them with 1 hand?
 
asicer said:
So I saw a friend's Facebook post where his nephew took him flying. My first the thought was "Cool! The young'un is a pilot." Then I flipped to the next picture of him wearing the big green H10-13.4's and thought "Hmm. Student pilot." Then the next picture showed both hands on the 172SP-G1000 yoke and thought "Darn. Just a discovery flight."

So why do yokes have 2 handles if we only grip them with 1 hand?
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Somewhere out on the interwebz is a vid of @SixPapaCharlie with a two-handed death grip. That one video makes all the two-handle yokes worthwhile.
 
I doubt there is much practical reason for it other than as the “steering device” it was born from the steering wheel.

Also looking back at the really old adds for these planes it seems obvious that the marketing was aimed at convincing people they could own their own personal travel vehicle just like their car. Wouldn’t making the yoke resemble a steering wheel help with that marketing?

That’s just a guess.
 
When I sit in the left seat I use my left hand on the yoke. When I need to write something down I put my right hand on the yoke and write with my left hand.

On the plane I last flew the left side has the mic button. The right side has the auto pilot disconnect and transponder ID button and the electric trim.

I have flown a few C-207 that still had the flare release button on the yoke.
 
So that you can fly comfortably with either hand. A stick in the middle is comfortable for neither hand. A stick on the side doesn’t allow you to swap off.
 
I use my right hand to fly while my left reaches down to get my coffee thermos from the side pouch.
 
Salty said:
So that you can fly comfortably with either hand. A stick in the middle is comfortable for neither hand. A stick on the side doesn’t allow you to swap off.
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I don't think it's very comfortable flying with my right hand on the yoke if my left hand is on the center throttle.
 
Clark1961 said:
Somewhere out on the interwebz is a vid of @SixPapaCharlie with a two-handed death grip. That one video makes all the two-handle yokes worthwhile.
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And it's not on my channel. Someone stole it and published it under something like "Student almost crashes" or some crap like that.
 
When it's turbulent and the plane is bouncing around, especially in IMC, I put both hands lightly on the yoke. So having two hand grips is nice (sometimes).
 
There are lots of planes where people typically use both hands to rotate or during flare, especially birds with heavier controls.
 
Or to only have one part number because they put the same part number on each side. If they made them with only one side then they would have to make two different castings or molds or however they make them.
 
Pilawt said:
Way back when, my CFI-I suggested flying with both hands (lightly) on the wheel while in IMC. It felt comfortable then, so I've always done it that way since.
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Two hands on the yoke in IFR keeps you from an inadvertent left turn, with only your left hand on the yoke, gravity takes over, left turn when you are distracted setting a radio or reading the approach brief.
 
I thought it was just economy. Cheaper to manufacture one yoke for both sides rather than a left and a right yoke.
 
Redundancy. My hands slip after I armor all the tires.

And before anyone ask.

Yes of course I spray wd40 on my break rotors to keep them lubricated. Do you think I'm stupid?
 
Skycatcher-Panel.jpg
 
A CFI told me to use two hands to stabilize and smooth out steep turns and other menuevers where the controls get heavy. Might not mean much in a 172 or a PA28 but in a P32 some of those take a significant amount of muscle.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
From my instructing experience it's because when a student first begins they try to taxi by steering. This then allows the CFI to demonstrate their superior knowledge and correct the student. :popcorn::cornut:
 
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From some of the comments it seems some of you never heard of trim.
 
So that Fast Eddie can fly while he's recovering from his hand surgery.

Oh, wait - his Sky Arrow has a side stick. Never mind.
 
The chief CFI scolded me for two handing the yoke on my first progress check flight. I've never flown with the right hand after that, unless I was in the right seat. Or, my liquor bottle dropped on the left side of the floor.
 
BillTIZ said:
Two hands on the yoke in IFR keeps you from an inadvertent left turn, with only your left hand on the yoke, gravity takes over, left turn when you are distracted setting a radio or reading the approach brief.
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I like the “headset” answer for humor. But this answer coincides with my experience. I’ve had gravity take over so I turned slightly left without knowing why.
 
mtnflyr said:
Redundancy. My hands slip after I armor all the tires.

And before anyone ask.

Yes of course I spray wd40 on my break rotors to keep them lubricated. Do you think I'm stupid?
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Do you really want us to answer that question..?? :lol::lol:
 
Mimi of Purple board had to use both hands when her trim went full nose up (IIRC she had M20K). Even then she said that she was switching off with her (non-pilot) husband, who was in the passenger seat, about every 30 seconds. She almost brought it home, but unfortunately ended stalling it in the flare and the airplane was totaled. Fortunately they walked away.
 
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