Hi all, do you ratchet your throttle stick or leave it smooth (without ratchet). I would like to find out from the experienced flyers what are their preferences and reasons to go ratcheted or smooth ? Thanks for sharing...............

How fine do you like your throttle control, and how good are your motor skills? Usually helicopter pilots use a smooth throttle, because the $*^@ hover setting always seems to be on a click. Because of that I've taken the ratchets off my throttle sticks. It makes it harder to use the rudder without changing the power.

No ratchet on mine because I fly a heli too.

Funny you should ask!
On my radio I use for training I leave the ratchet on because I find it easier to say "increase your throttle one click" or "bring your throttle back a couple of clicks".
However, since I also fly ultralights, on my "personal radios" I removed them because, I have never flown a full size plane that has a "ratcheting throttle".

Jetts

I fly everything without ratchet, but if you are not flying helis, don't worry about it, use what the radio has. I like the no ratchet better, but my non heli radios have it and I don't change it. Works fine with the ratchet on planes.

Another thing that comes to mind is that the ratchet is adjustable on most radios, so that you can make it as firm or soft as you like it. All you have to do is take the back of the case off and make the adjustment.

I fly my radio with the ratchets, because I find that it is a lot easier to "bump" the throttle by accident without ratchets. I like knowing how far my throttle is moving at a giving time, and I find that it's a lot harder to do that without the ratchets. So...for these reasons, I fly with the ratchets.

It depends on how you like to fly, and your personal preference.

Happy flying and happy late Thanksgiving,

Patrick

I fly with very soft ratchets,fly with what you like the best.