Why the caption sit on left seat on fixed wing and on right seat on helicopter?

Originally, most helicopters were flown from the left seat just as airplanes were. Most of the older models are left seat PIC. However, as more technology in the form of avionics were introduced, the need to have on hand off the controls meant that a right seat PIC position was safer and more practical. But not all newer helicopters are right seat PIC. It is the standard, but many are still left seat PIC to allow for an extra seat up front by having the collective on the far left. The MD 369 series is like this and many companies offer the option of right or left seat PIC. The AS350 has a left seat PIC option so that two passenger seats can be squeeze up front for a total of 6 passenger seats. This is popular with tour operations.





The Schweizer 269 series has a variety of options that allow left or right seat PIC. The 300C is often left seat PIC to allow the right seat controls to be removed and a center seat cushion insert to allow for a third seat. However, the 300CB model is only a 2 seat and I believe it can be made right or left seat PIC.Why the caption sit on left seat on fixed wing and on right seat on helicopter?
Actually the collective and throttle are on the left side of the pilot and the cyclic on the right or up from the floor between the legs. But the rest of the other answer is true. The collective and throttle can be set and the pilot can let go of that lever to run the radios, gps....Why the caption sit on left seat on fixed wing and on right seat on helicopter?
Also on helicopers, the stick is held with the right, the cyclic and throttle with the left.





The cyclic and throttle can be set, and the pilot has the left hand free. Thus his inboard hand can reach anthing else in the center. The copilot has his own throttle and cyclic on his left. He has to reach across to reach center controls.





Usually, if one of the pilots has to leave the flight station, it is the copilot, this leaves the captain in a better postion to handle the load.





If the pilot is flying, he can reach the center. If he makes the copilot fly, the pilot usually adjusts or sets the things in the middle, supporting the co-pilot.
why is the driver seat in india in left side of car and right in us???
As was stated, fixed wing captains are left seat because of the standard left traffic patterns. The helicopter is commanded from the right because typically the right front is the lowest point of the rotor disc, and being on that side gives the pilot the best visibility for clearance of the disc.
Most airplanes ( not all ) have the primary instruments on the left because standard traffic patterns have left turns ( helps you see the ground )


I have never seen a chopper with right side instruments, they are usually on the left also, or in the center,





there is no regulation that says you cant fly from whatever seat you want to as long as the controls are accessable. I fly right seat often.
I once heard that the pilot on a small helo sits on the right side for weight and balance reasons that would affect the tourqe of the chopper. Primarily small rotarys like R22's. Now I beleive in larger helicopters the pilot is in the left seat. I help maintain a fleet of about 12 Robbies (4 R44's) and we had a pilot that did not meet the minimum weight requirement to solo and had to put a 10lb. dumbell! Funny.
Truth to this is schetcy, but I saw a show on Discovery Wings a while a go, helo's P-I-C's are on the right side because when Igor Sikorsky designed his first helicopter, a one seater, he was right handed, so he used his right hand on the control stick for direction and his left to control the collective for lift. As helicopters evolved into two seaters he continued to stay on the right side to help train new flyers.