Does flying leave you sore if you haven't flown in a while or if you
are new to flying? I'm thinking of muscle fatigue from being in an
unusual position for long periods, and in particular I'm wondering if
keeping one's feet on rudder pedals for hours at a time leads to any
soreness afterwards. Or do you even keep your feet on the pedals all
the time?

Nope. Most spam cans are stable in level flight, and -- since most
flight is level -- your feet can remain firmly planted on the floor.

The only time my feet are on the rudders is during take-offs, landings,
and maneuvers.

Since apparently most autopilots don't use the rudder, even
running on autopilot might not eliminate the need to have feet on the
rudder (?). And if pushing the pedals forward applies the brakes,
does this mean that you have to hold your foot back whenever it's
resting on the pedal? Does it hurt anything to apply the brakes in
flight?

One thing I've noticed with the CH pedals that we bought for the Kiwi
(our flight sim) -- it's too easy to fly around with the toe brakes on.
It's something to do with the angle they're mounted at, and -- even
with them permanently mounted in the Kiwi at a more accurate angle, it
still happens all the time.

Real aircraft rudders (that have toe brakes) don't work that way, so,
no, you don't have to hold your toes back whenever your feet are
resting on the pedals.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"