I may be missing something but I get the feeling that some of the people here are concerned only about the external stick/yoke movement.
Consider whether the full and free check really isn't overly interested in what the pilot's bit is doing - rather it is to check the various control runs within the entire circuit to detect any restriction or interference, howsoever caused, which might prove to be an embarrassment in flight ?
The question of whether a particular bit goes up or down should only be terribly relevant after the control circuits have been upset during maintenance. The usual dual certification inspection and post maintenance test flight ought to protect the main body of troops against the spectre of things going in the wrong direction. Can happen, of course, if the system is bypassed or subverted somewhere.
[This message has been edited by john_tullamarine (edited 01 June 2001).]