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Sticky Pedals...


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I recently have been wearing different shoes. It is seems like my pedal work has suffered, It is a bit more jerky now. I just attributed it to just needing more practice, not wanting to use sticky shoes as an excuse. However, the other night it rained a bit through the night. Consequently the tarmac had some wet spots and the air was a bit humid the next morning. I tell you what. Boy were my shoes ever sticky. I was having some real jerky and abrupt pedal work on my final. There was a bit of a left quartering tailwind, so i had my work cut out for me anyway. There was no doubt about it, my shoes had way too much gription.

I am sure you have felt it before. Push and push, and then suddenly it gives way, and now you have to push the opposite way to correct for your over controlling.

 

Anyway... Do any of you have any solutions for this? Has it happened to you before. My CFI said he had a pair of shoes he wore once, and never wore again because they were too sticky.

 

I guess the easy solution is to wear different shoes. Let's say that is out of the question. You are on a xcountry. You stop for some fuel and a burger. Starts to sprinkle a bit. Lets up, but boy oh boy is it humid... You being the smarty you are, whip out a pair of them Dr. overshoe blue booty things. That cures it. No sticky shoes. Sure am glad I keep a pair of those in my flight bag...

Anyone tried this? Or have a better solution? Forgo the shoes and do it socks only style?

 

Curious...

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I am very particular about the shoes I wear when I fly. I discovered as a student that I prefered more of a casual dress shoe with a fairly smooth bottom. I have gotten a lot of crap for the dress shoes with a flight suit but it works for me. You just have to try a few different styles till you find what works for you. I almost never fly with a sneaker type shoe but several of my friends do.

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I own one pair of shoes that I will not wear when I fly. They catch on the sides of the robinson pedals. Makes me look like an ass when I tell my passengers that my shoes are causing all the yaw on approach and set down, lol.

 

I never have a problem with a pair of boots I always wear, the only thing that gets me on the other shoes is the tread near the sides.

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Eventually it gets to be a non-issue. You can move your feet without keeping your heels in the same place. It's easier with smooth-soled shoes, but I've flown with all sorts of boots and shoes over the years. You get used to dealing with it, and eventually don't have to think about it.

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Gomer,

I did notice that instead of pivoting on my heel, moving the whole leg and likewise foot "solved" the problem. But it gave rise to another problem. Sore hip-flexers and thighs. not to mention the movement that I was not used to so everything was coarse movement which need to be refined into fine movements...

 

Choppedair,

I had that problem also. The first time with these shoes we did autos. During the power on recovery the edge caught on the tab on the end. needless to say, it was quite a shock that the pedals would not move anymore. Just lasted a second though, as I noticed the issue right quick. You should have seen how fast my CFI's feet shot for those pedals...

 

I guess I should just go back to the old shoes, or get some different new ones..

 

Thanks for the tips.

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Eventually it gets to be a non-issue. You can move your feet without keeping your heels in the same place. It's easier with smooth-soled shoes, but I've flown with all sorts of boots and shoes over the years. You get used to dealing with it, and eventually don't have to think about it.

 

I'm with Gomer on this one. It doesn't matter which shoes you are wearing. It's all mental. I do believe that many young helo pilots are superstitious about their shoes...not sure why.

 

Here's a question to ask yourself: Why would sticky shoes affect my approaches? My hover? Is it a mechanical issue? Should they be banned?

 

Your future employer may require you to wear one type of shoe (and it might not be the DC's you want to wear).

 

I currently fly with my Magnum boots for uniform reasons and I can have them on all day without discomfort. I do have a pair of those really cool Oakley Helicopter Pilot Shoes to fly with. They are really comfortable, but suck walking on the ramp with. Not sure they were worth the money.

 

To summarize, find a comfortable pair of magic shoes and stick with them until they wear out.

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If your legs are getting sore, then you're much too tense and moving them too much. It doesn't take a lot of pedal movement to do anything, as long as you make the movement before things go too far. If you're having to move your legs a lot, you're behind the aircraft, and need a lot more practice. Like I said, it all comes together eventually, but not in the first few dozen hours. In the short run it may help to get some slick shoes, but you do need to wean yourself off them as time goes on. In the long run, you'll have to fly with whatever footwear is required for the job, and fly well in them.

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If you wouldn't have any issues driving your car with those shoes, you shouldn't have a problem flying the helo in them. When was the last time you consciously thought about your shoes when driving?

 

(note: this notion excludes those of you who may - for whatever reason - be driving in high heels from time to time. Or flying in them, for that matter.)

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I have to somewhat disagree with you, it depends on the helicopter. It has nothing to do with "superstition" or excuses, lol. The robinson pedals are very narrow, and have metal tabs that stick up on each side. Shoes with any knobbies on the edges very easily get caught. In a 206, 300, 369, it makes no difference to me. It is just one pair of shoes that I have owned that constantly get caught in the robinson pedals.

 

For what it's worth, I always wear magnum boots also. They never get caught in the narrow pedals, and I can wear them comfortably all day long.

 

 

 

 

I'm with Gomer on this one. It doesn't matter which shoes you are wearing. It's all mental. I do believe that many young helo pilots are superstitious about their shoes...not sure why.

 

Here's a question to ask yourself: Why would sticky shoes affect my approaches? My hover? Is it a mechanical issue? Should they be banned?

 

Your future employer may require you to wear one type of shoe (and it might not be the DC's you want to wear).

 

I currently fly with my Magnum boots for uniform reasons and I can have them on all day without discomfort. I do have a pair of those really cool Oakley Helicopter Pilot Shoes to fly with. They are really comfortable, but suck walking on the ramp with. Not sure they were worth the money.

 

To summarize, find a comfortable pair of magic shoes and stick with them until they wear out.

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The robinson pedals are very narrow, and have metal tabs that stick up on each side.

 

Reason #769 not to fly a robbie. :lol:

 

And I still don't believe if your feet are sticking to the pedals it would affect your flying UNLESS you are transfering controls to another pilot in flight.

 

 

john

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yepp, exact thing happened to me just a few weeks ago in the 44 with a pair of climbing shoes I was wearing. The knobbies on the sole hung up on the pedal, made for an interesting hover. I had to unstick it and then back on the pedal.

 

I have never had problems with regular tennis shoes, but yes the narrow Robbie pedals can get hung up !

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Wore the old shoes yesterday. Big difference. I don't know if it was the lack of humidity or not getting them wet on the ramp first. But pedal work was much easier. Didn't even have to think about it. Just like it was before. Everything was much better. Smoother all the way around.

It may be psychological, but I don't think I will wear the other shoes when I will be flying.

 

It was a good day altogether. One of those days you shut down and walk away grinning. That was a good 1.1 of helicoptering. When do I get to do that again? Not soon enough...

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And I still don't believe if your feet are sticking to the pedals it would affect your flying UNLESS you are transfering controls to another pilot in flight.

 

Welp, believe what you like. Even after 600+ hours in the r44, if I forget and show up in those shoes it still happens. It's really odd, it feels like you honestly have a stuck pedal, just like it hits a stop. When it happens as you raise collective to terminate an approach to a hover, and try to apply left pedal, it definitely effects your flying. Never notice it in cruise with minor pedal inputs.

Might be a little different than the problem the original poster was talking about, but anywho.

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I've had the same problem in the R-22, but I haven't really had an issue that would make it unsafe for flight... Just a bit uncomfortable and annoying. My cross-country running shoes that I wear casually do it pretty bad and so do my boots when I have to come straight from work (pretty odd since they are one of two approved for flight use in the Army). When I can help it, I wear some Adidas Sambas, but I've never had enough of an issue to go home and change my shoes before I go up.

 

J-

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