Ok, so has anyone else wondered this? Looking at the design of the YT-1300 aka Millennium Falcon, I was wondering how does Han make Left turns??? I mean I am sure he wouldn't be a NASCAR fan since all they do is make left turns, but seriously...THERE IS A HUGE SAUCER SECTION IN THE WAY. So how does he know if there are bad guys or obstacles or whatever on the left side (And if you say Port side I will smack you) of the ship???

Wouldn't the design of the YT-1300 make it impractical to fly in atmospheric conditions? And in space just annoying??

Am I the only one who thought of this??

Same way a 747 pilot lands when instruments are out even though they are 3 stories above ground when landed, practice. Seriously though, instruments and such would be the practical answer.

Ask a long haul trucker...

Ask a long haul trucker...

With a trucker at least they have mirrors all over the place...they just can't see behind them.

The Falcon may not have mirrors, but it certainly has sensors/scanners and probably some camera type things. (Cameras are basically sensors)...

There's a camera on that side of the ship that can feed to a display in the cockpit (conveniently just off camera) similar to the backup camera on a modern car.

It's the TIE pilots that'll really blow your mind, those guys probably have something like this.

There's a camera on that side of the ship that can feed to a display in the cockpit (conveniently just off camera) similar to the backup camera on a modern car.

It's the TIE pilots that'll really blow your mind, those guys probably have something like this.

Dear Lord that is FRAKKIN' AWESOME!!

My main gripe with YT-1300 is the neck leading to the cockpit.

GM: Han, you're in Docking Bay 94, stormtroopers are shooting at you.

Han: I run up the landing pad and run straight into the cockpit.

GM: No, you can't do that. You have to run up the landing pad, around the turret base hallway, and then make a sharp turn down the neck of the cockpit.

Han: Why is that there? Wouldn't a pilot want a more direct approach?

GM: ...Look. Just play. What do you do? Want to do an extra maneuver?

Han: No. I'll spend one maneuver to go the whole way around into the cockpit, and downgrade one action into a maneuver to get into the cockpit seat. With an incidental, I'll scream "CHEWIE GET US OUTTA HERE!"

Nah, Han clearly has Let's Ride!

My main gripe with YT-1300 is the neck leading to the cockpit.

Filmmakers were more interested in showing a cinematic moment than an accurate blueprint. Trying to make the movies fit to mechanics 100% is just folly.

There's a camera on that side of the ship that can feed to a display in the cockpit (conveniently just off camera) similar to the backup camera on a modern car.

It's the TIE pilots that'll really blow your mind, those guys probably have something like this.

Dear Lord that is FRAKKIN' AWESOME!!

Well that'd explain a lot about TIE pilots since that system isn't working for **** right now and has been implemented as a result.

There's a camera on that side of the ship that can feed to a display in the cockpit (conveniently just off camera) similar to the backup camera on a modern car.

It's the TIE pilots that'll really blow your mind, those guys probably have something like this.

Dear Lord that is FRAKKIN' AWESOME!!

Well that'd explain a lot about TIE pilots since that system isn't working for **** right now and has been implemented as a result.

I never said the one on the F-35 worked...

A little more in-universe though, in the TIE Fighter sim game looking any direction except forward yielded a view of a monitor affixed to the wall of the craft that then had a video feed of the outside... Which is way less dramatic...

Wouldn't the design of the YT-1300 make it impractical to fly in atmospheric conditions? And in space just annoying??

In one of the early Han Solo books, it explains that the YT-1300 is a cargo pod hauler. Designed to push cargo pods into space. So imagine the Falcon with a giant cargo pod being held by those mandible things in front. If the cockpit was in the center, you couldn't see anything. So it is sort of a space big rig.

Ask a long haul trucker...

With a trucker at least they have mirrors all over the place...they just can't see behind them.

You would be surprised how much we can't see even with those mirrors

Ask a long haul trucker...

With a trucker at least they have mirrors all over the place...they just can't see behind them.

You would be surprised how much we can't see even with those mirrors

That is why driving near big rigs always makes me anxious.

Nah, Han clearly has Let's Ride!

Nope, that's Chewy.

It's like UPS, they only make Right turns for better efficiency
how else do you think he made the kessel run so quick!?

It's like UPS, they only make Right turns for better efficiency

how else do you think he made the kessel run so quick!?

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http://img.myconfinedspace.com/wp-content/uploads/tdomf-2/461465/tumblr_men2c2SO761rlapeio1_500.gif

You see that little bit of roll he does as he's lifting off? That would let him see to the left just fine.

It's like UPS, they only make Right turns for better efficiency

how else do you think he made the kessel run so quick!?

But parsecs are a measure of distance...

Could also be a shortcut through a binary star or a certain dangerous phenomenon that shortens the normal route.

You could fly YT-1300's in X-Wing: Alliance, and the lack of leftward visibility was never much of an issue unless you were trying to squeeze the ship into a really tight space. Remember the ship will theoretically also have a copilot and crew to help the pilot maintain situational awareness.

Of course, I'm basing my opinion on how difficult it is to fly a fictional spacecraft in a space opera setting on a "space simulator" video game, so... take it for what it's worth.

Ask a long haul trucker...

With a trucker at least they have mirrors all over the place...they just can't see behind them.

You would be surprised how much we can't see even with those mirrors

That is why driving near big rigs always makes me anxious.

They key to driving around trucks...is drive around them. Don't dither behind or next to them. Either hang way back, or pass them quickly.

I haven't driven a big rig, but I've driven plenty of 24 footers, and I can tell you that I really hate it when other drivers are hanging out somewhere alongside me or just off of my rear bumper to one side or another.

It's like UPS, they only make Right turns for better efficiency

how else do you think he made the kessel run so quick!?

But parsecs are a measure of distance...

Out! OUT! Your Space Logic has no place here!

It's like UPS, they only make Right turns for better efficiency

how else do you think he made the kessel run so quick!?

But parsecs are a measure of distance...

Out! OUT! Your Space Logic has no place here!

Well, in one of the EU books it's explained that Han and Chewie had taken a route closer to some black holes than anyone else had done along the Kessel run. Basically, they had taken a very dangerous shortcut.