[loseta]

Hi there,

Before I spend about $1000 to get one of those controls I wonder if anybody has one or knows somebody who has one for sale at a lower price. I saw the wheelchair aviator site and they don't have any for a cessna. What a shame! It is also difficult to find a flight school that has a trainer with hand control for disabled student pilots, at least in illinois i haven't found any.

Loseta

[Bill Forrester]

The reason hand controls are so rare for the Cessna is the lack of effective braking available without modifications to allow the brake pedals to be depressed evenly. There is no effective hand brake as that also requires the brake pedals to be operated and locked by the panel pull cord.
The piper 140 has always been the preferred choice with the addition of a device called the blackwood pole with has been certified for use by the FAA. That device clips to the instructors rudder pedals allowing steerage both in the air and on the ground with a single addition control. The 140 has a fully functional handbrake just below the panel to the right of the control wheel which can easily be operated and provides effective braking on the ground. The cessna is the easier choice for access but the modification cost and recertification cost is too great for flight schools

Help that helps.

[loseta]

Bill Forrester, on Feb 14 2008, 04:55 PM, said:

The reason hand controls are so rare for the Cessna is the lack of effective braking available without modifications to allow the brake pedals to be depressed evenly. There is no effective hand brake as that also requires the brake pedals to be operated and locked by the panel pull cord.
The piper 140 has always been the preferred choice with the addition of a device called the blackwood pole with has been certified for use by the FAA. That device clips to the instructors rudder pedals allowing steerage both in the air and on the ground with a single addition control. The 140 has a fully functional handbrake just below the panel to the right of the control wheel which can easily be operated and provides effective braking on the ground. The cessna is the easier choice for access but the modification cost and recertification cost is too great for flight schools

Help that helps.

Thanks for the info. Are you a pilot?

[Bill Forrester]

loseta, on Feb 15 2008, 01:58 AM, said:

Bill Forrester, on Feb 14 2008, 04:55 PM, said:

The reason hand controls are so rare for the Cessna is the lack of effective braking available without modifications to allow the brake pedals to be depressed evenly. There is no effective hand brake as that also requires the brake pedals to be operated and locked by the panel pull cord.
The piper 140 has always been the preferred choice with the addition of a device called the blackwood pole with has been certified for use by the FAA. That device clips to the instructors rudder pedals allowing steerage both in the air and on the ground with a single addition control. The 140 has a fully functional handbrake just below the panel to the right of the control wheel which can easily be operated and provides effective braking on the ground. The cessna is the easier choice for access but the modification cost and recertification cost is too great for flight schools

Help that helps.

Thanks for the info. Are you a pilot?

Certainly am I have been flying for about 20 odd years. I used to fly competitions with a girl by the name of Suzi Ducan who pioneered the use of the blackwood pole and she is now an instructor with an organization called Vision Air here in Australia concentrating on adaptive flying.