Pilot With No Arms

This seems like a very appropriate application for Google Glass type eye directed interface for many of the digital controls in a flying machine. The learning curve for fast and decisive action in an emergency would be difficult, at best.

It seems to me that an upper body tactile sensor array could be deployed that would decouple aircraft movement using gyros, inertial sensors or something like that, and would be intuitive for people who were trained for airplane flight with arms.

Certainly not an out of the box solution, and not intuitive for someone who never had arms, but it could speed development and perhaps have applications for pilots who lost the ability to use arms and hands.

Certainly a worthy undertaking, with possible aircraft safety implications for all pilots. Undoubtedly, the military has deep experience with these sorts of control environments.

This seems like a very appropriate application for Google Glass type eye directed interface for many of the digital controls in a flying machine. The learning curve for fast and decisive action in an emergency would be difficult, at best.

It seems to me that an upper body tactile sensor array could be deployed that would decouple aircraft movement using gyros, inertial sensors or something like that, and would be intuitive for people who were trained for airplane flight with arms.

Certainly not an out of the box solution, and not intuitive for someone who never had arms, but it could speed development and perhaps have applications for pilots who lost the ability to use arms and hands.

Certainly a worthy undertaking, with possible aircraft safety implications for all pilots. Undoubtedly, the military has deep experience with these sorts of control environments.

... welcome to new ideas--especially from engineers.

You could relocate the yoke to a more comfortable position so that pitch control could be done by moving the foot up and down and aileron control done by rotating the foot. You would need a shoe mounted on the wheel so that you could pull with your foot.

I would keep the coupled aileron-rudder control of the Ercoupe, but maneuvers such as crosswind landings require crossing the controls. Maybe the same foot can be twisted to override the aileron-rudder coupling. Coordination of the aileron/pitch/rudder controls with one foot might be easier to learn, and the other foot can take care of throttle control and other functions.

Just some ideas...

She flies from the left seat. I would suppose this is a mix of personal preference and layout of common flight controls and her ability to manipulate them.

So modifications to the yoke and pedals of the left seat would not seem to create any new problems.

Console (pedestal) or common controls… comms, flaps, navigation gear, fuel tank switchover, throttle/choke/fuel mix/cruise control, roll/yaw/pitch trim, cabin comfort… I would think these sorts of things would be more problematic.

It has been decades since I piloted a plane. IIRC, the engine start/stop is only accessible from the right seat. Does anyone know if this is still the case? I do not recall this being stated in any of the articles I read, but I glean that she always flies with (also licensed pilot) husband in the right seat. If this is so, this alone might negate the necessity of altering the pedestal controls.

Interesting and worthwhile project. There are several articles out there on the inter web about this, should anyone wish to dig for more.