So today the "genius" operator of my aircraft learned something new. I did my usual pre-flight and started up the airplane. On the taxiway by my hangar (stopped and holding brakes) I did part of the checklist that I don't like to do in the run-up area as the airport is crazy busy on a beautiful VFR day like today. One of those items is an autopilot test (G3X touch) to check that I can overcome the servos and that my red button (autopilot disconnect) works as it's supposed to. So far, so good. My next action is always to turn off the flight director as the G3X autopilot leaves it on and I find it annoying while taxiing. Today I forgot to hit that button until a bit farther down the taxiway.
As I approached the point on the taxiway where I usually contact ground control (they have no visual contact with hangar area taxiways), I noticed that my rudder pedals felt "stuck": gentle force against the pedals gave me the sensation that the cables were caught/trapped. Strange, since I checked them on preflight and they seemed fine, and felt good when I got in the airplane to start up.
So I called up ground control and taxied back to my hangar using brakes. As I turned on the taxiway to my hangar I turned off the avionics and autopilot switches. Suddenly, rudder pedals are "free and correct". It's about this point that I realize I hit the yaw damper button instead of the flight director button (or both, not sure). Yaw damper servo engaged on the ground pretty much feels like a stuck rudder cable, I learned today!
It was a perfect day for the flight that then ensued after shutting down, checking everything on the ground fully, and making my way back to the starting point....
As I approached the point on the taxiway where I usually contact ground control (they have no visual contact with hangar area taxiways), I noticed that my rudder pedals felt "stuck": gentle force against the pedals gave me the sensation that the cables were caught/trapped. Strange, since I checked them on preflight and they seemed fine, and felt good when I got in the airplane to start up.
So I called up ground control and taxied back to my hangar using brakes. As I turned on the taxiway to my hangar I turned off the avionics and autopilot switches. Suddenly, rudder pedals are "free and correct". It's about this point that I realize I hit the yaw damper button instead of the flight director button (or both, not sure). Yaw damper servo engaged on the ground pretty much feels like a stuck rudder cable, I learned today!
It was a perfect day for the flight that then ensued after shutting down, checking everything on the ground fully, and making my way back to the starting point....
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