If you fly an aircraft with side-by-side seating, you’re accustomed to seeing two complete yokes (or sticks) up front. Some older models of the Beechcraft Bonanza and Baron have one yoke that can be moved from left to right so that it can be flown from either side. The so-called throw-over yoke is mounted in the center of the panel. To move it from the left side to the right side, you release a T-handle at the back of the yoke bar and, yes, throw it over. Passengers appreciate the extra leg room the absence of a yoke affords.
How do you learn to fly in such an airplane? The short answer is, you probably don’t. The complex, high-performance Bonanzas and Barons were designed to be travelers, not trainers. FAR 91.109 specifies that dual instruction can only be given in an aircraft with fully functioning dual controls. So if you were intent on getting a private pilot certificate in a Bonanza so equipped, you’d need to install a dual control yoke. The exception is for instrument instruction, with a couple of caveats: if the instructor deems the flight can be conducted safely and the person who is manipulating the control is at least a private pilot with appropriate category and class ratings. The FAA has also issued exemptions to this rule to cover certain situations.
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