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Any RV-10 without passenger brakes ?

Good day,

I was wondering if anybody did not install passenger brakes on their RV-10 (as it is an option with Beringer to have them just for the left seat) ?

I believe I will never use them from the right seat, I don't plan any basic instruction on the aircraft or to fly it from the right so why install them...

Thanks,
 
My Mooney has no brakes in the right seat.

There have been a few times when I wished there were.


1. When I wanted to adjust or reach for something quickly and it would be easiest for passenger to hold them for 10 seconds.

2. A couple situations where I wanted to let someone fly left seat but wasn’t comfortable not having brakes while in the right. One was an older gentleman with Mooney experience, but not in the best health.

3. I had 3 DPEs turn me down to do my instrument checkride because of the lack of brakes on their side. Some advanced instructors also will not sit right seat for a stranger without brakes.

So, in 5 years, I wished I had them maybe a half dozen times. I’d install them, but it’s not that bad to not have them.
 
Good day,

I was wondering if anybody did not install passenger brakes on their RV-10 (as it is an option with Beringer to have them just for the left seat) ?

I believe I will never use them from the right seat, I don't plan any basic instruction on the aircraft or to fly it from the right so why install them...

Thanks,

I don't have brakes in the right seat of my -6 and it has never been a problem for BFR's and the like. But if you might sell the -10 one day, I think you'd want them. Most buyers would expect the airplane to have them.
 
Co-Pilot Brakes

A better question may be: How hard is it to install them later ? I think it would certainly impact the Airplane's Value.
 
I elected not to install right side brakes on my -10. Went with fluid reservoirs mounted on the master cylinders on the left side, which makes for a very clean setup. Haven’t missed the right side brakes.
 
This reminds me of a Telco advert down here, where it said "You don't need Australia's biggest phone network, until you do.

You will use them. I use ours a lot, but I do coach newbie RV owners a bit.

Just fit them and one day you will look back and say, yeah that was the right choice. :)
 
I have flown a couple floatplane that didn't have rudder pedals at all on the seat. Going one step further, one didn't even have a control yoke. The check-outs weren't all that exciting. Maybe they were for the instructor, but I didn't see any issues. :D
 
Why not?

I’m in no position to understand this as I have a wife who would never fly in a plane that she isn’t able to fly safely to the ground when I can’t.I’m young but birds do happen as well as unplanned events. Unless you plan to fly solo and never take anyone, as many have said, you may have a hard time getting the full value that a right seat brake will provide to a buyer with a partner like mine.
It’s easy to add now, certainly much easier than later when the panel is installed.
I encourage adding them now and never use them, or wish you had them one day.
When I was building many said not to waste money on a trim never used. I did get the one many said I would never use. In the end I use the trim all the time and am so glad I considered it versus thinking I would never need it.
Best of success considering your own situation.
 
Not that my preference matters for your airplane, but if I was looking for an RV to purchase and it didn't have brakes on the right side, I would have some serious reservations about it. I would certainly add it but so much easier to do so when building than to add it later. I flew our RV10 from the right side all the time. My friend who built the plane who I partnered with did not like flying from the right so I always sat in the right seat and flew my leg from the right side. I would emphasize that especially for the RV10 brakes are necessary on the right side because it's hard to taxi and turn without the brakes. Since I started my flight lessons some 25 years ago, I still remember to this day being told to check brakes after initial rollout when first taxiing. "Brakes check" on both PIC and Passenger has always been part of the check list and to this day even when I fly the -7 or any other plane, I tell the passenger (regardless of their experience level) how to operate the brakes on the other side. Who knows they may save the day for us if my brakes go out. So there certainly is a safety advantage as well.
 
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Thanks again, very good points... The idea was really to keep it simple and don't add too many unnecessary items.. I agree the added cost and weight is negligible. I have decided to install them, thanks for your help !
 
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