Opening and Closing door inflight

[rnorty]

I have never tried this, but I was told you can, with some talent, open and close the door in flight. Is that true? Any techniques?

 

[Jeb]

Just do it. It’s easy. Don’t lose your hat, don’t let the wind rip your arms off.
Can do top open, bottom shut also.

 

[rnorty]

Just do it. It’s easy. Don’t lose your hat, don’t let the wind rip your arms off.
Can do top open, bottom shut also.

Does it hard pull away from you? I got long arms, just worried it's going to rip it out of my hands and damage something.

 

[Jeb]

Nope. Wind just pulls your arms back and its surprising if you aren’t expecting it.

I’ve had the bottom flop a bit right before touchdown in a crosswind (high aoa, plus slip). Nothing dramatic, but again, surprising if unexpected.

generally the doors are very neutral to the relative wind.

 

[TheFlyingMouse]

Have done this a number of times, with and without instructor. Heads up that the back seater can’t reach the top window latch to begin closing the door. It’s easy for them to manage the rest of the process if you coordinate a bit.

I prefer window open and door up.

 

[tbienz]

I open and close the all the time in flight. It’s great to fly with both open when low down on a summer day. Good for photography too.
I hold door handle with left hand, window with right. Pull handle on door and push outward while holding window. The window tends to want to pull up to the wing a bit. Push it up to latch. Change to right hand holding door and gently let it fold down.
I don’t usually do this over about 70mph as it gets kinda windy.
To close: reach down with right hand and pull up door; latch it. Now reach up with right hand and unlatch window with right hand and bring it down to door. Use left hand to unlatch door and push out just a bit to let window come down past. Re-latch door.
It’s much harder to write down what I do than to just do it.
I always leave the lower door shut if my Border Collie is in the back seat as I’m afraid he will jump out after an elk or antelope when flying low.

 

[Snowbirdxx]

To close both: Trim for level flight. Close and latch bottom door, Reach out to bring top door down, hold top with your RH hand and open bottom with left. Insert and close. Takes less than 3 sec. Exercise on the ground first.

 

[Kent Wien]

One note of caution, make sure you only have heavy items in the baggage. I had a light down blanket in the baggage float forward and fly out the door, only to catch the stick on the way out. It pulled hard right until I figured out the issue and reeled in the blanket.