I had custom side sticks make for me by a company in Oregon. As I had already opted to use the hydro dipping procedure for my instrument panel, I wanted to have the matching look for my side sticks, and my other smaller panels and trim pieces.
Obviously, the stick covers were designed to align with the arm rests. I also make custom pen mounts for this area, as well. This turned out be an optimal spot for the pens.
There is a push-to-talk button on the front of the sticks. The top panel has the traditional “coolie hat” two-way toggle for pitch and roll trim, Autopilot (toggle to engage or disengage, hold for “Control Wheel Steering”), mute (temporarily mutes traffic calls for use in a busy traffic pattern), and Flip/Swap toggles (“Flips” standby frequency to active, “Swaps” active radio transmitter).
Unfortunately, these sticks are no longer available. The gentleman in Oregon that was making these sticks is no longer in business. Like a lot of things in the world of experimental aviation, they are now officially “unobtainium”.
