What’s the deal?
here’samethodtothismadness,
it turns out. First of all, doing so
directsfoottraicawayfromthe
groundcrewontheright-handside,
whoarefuellinguptheplaneand
loading luggage.
What’smore,thepilotusuallysits
intheleft-handseat.So,backinthe
day,“itwasusefulforthepilottobe
able to judge wing clearance from
theterminalbuildingandtoputthe
aircraft door in front of the terminal
doors” if it was on the left side, notes
a former Air Force pilot.
Yetanotherexplanationhasits
rootsinnauticaltradition.hanksto
the placement of the ‘steerboard’
–therudder-likepartontheright-
hand side of a boat – passengers had
toboardfromtheboat’sleftside,also
called the port. Aircraft designers
followedthesameconvention,says
Andrew Stagg, a commercial pilot.
he only time you won’t embark
ordisembarkfromtheleft-hand
side?Whenyou’relyinginsmall,
two-seaterplanes.Butforthemost
part, commercial lyers will get the
left-side treatment.Ever been into a
cockpit? There was
atimewhenchildren
and enthusiasts
wereinvitedtoget
aglimpseofwhat
itwaslikeinthe
business end of the
aeroplane.
Still, much of it
remained a mystery.
So what do all those
buttons do?
Accordingtothe
bookHow to LandAPlane,writtenby
Mark Vanhoenacker,
ahugeefortgoes
into making it all
very simple.
In a piece
published by
telegraph.co.uk, he
says the External
Power Control switch
usually gets the most
attention. It’s the
button that keeps
the aircraft powered
while it is parked.“You may hear
a click or notice a
brief flicker of the
lights just before
departure. That’s the
pilots turning on the
APU (Auxiliary Power
Unit) and deselecting
the external power –
an auspicious signal
thatyourjetisat
last unplugged from
the world, and your
journey is about to
begin.”WHAT’S
THIS
BUTTON
FOR?June• 2018 | 25