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Overheard a pilot complaining about a 'sticky' rudder pedal on a Cessna 172
He said it felt like it was dragging, but only on the right side. I checked the usual stuff, cables and bearings, but it was fine. Then I remembered a post here about floorboard screws backing out and hitting the pedal arm. Sure enough, two screws under the copilot's seat were too long and just touching the linkage. Filed them down a quarter inch and the pedal moved smooth as butter. That saved me at least an hour of head scratching. Anyone else had a weird fix like that come from a pilot's vague description?
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wesleyjohnson3mo ago
Had a flap motor quit from a loose paperclip in the console.
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iris_green842mo ago
Wait, hold on - does that mean someone just... casually dropped a paperclip in there, or did it fall out of a pocket or something? I mean, @wesleyjohnson, that's such a random failure point, like the universe just decided to mess with you. But honestly, it reminds me of that old rule in aviation: if it can rattle, it can ruin your whole day. A paperclip is basically the ultimate stealth gremlin - tiny, metallic, and completely unassuming until it decides to jam a flap motor. Bet you checked every other possible cause before finding that little sucker, too, huh? Classic case of "it's always something stupid" and never the expensive part you actually budget for.
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nelson.finley3mo ago
That "sticky" rudder pedal story is a great reminder to check the simple stuff first. I read a similar thing about loose seat rail bolts causing the same feel. It's wild how a tiny thing like @wesleyjohnson's paperclip can cause such a big headache.
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