It’s quiet here, and my violin just broke the silence with a sudden detuning of one of the strings. Friction pegs have a way of doing that when there is a change of humidity. Flutes, however, usually won’t be as verbal when they experience the same humidity fluctuations, but that doesn’t mean they are not experiencing forces similar to the violin. In order to prevent cracking or other deformation of the wooden flutes, this is just a reminder to keep your flute well humidified. My antique cocuswood flute is resting peacefully in its plastic box with humidifier with a reading of 60% on the hygrometer. I played it tonight, and everything is A-OK after 160 years.
P.S. If your flute is as verbal as my violin, then you most likely have a problem.
Doug, I have the same trouble with violin pegs and I know many others who do as well. There is a simple solution. Simply tune them up to pitch and then squirt some super glue where the pegs fit into the body.Use lots. I do this as a favor to violin playing friends, usually when they are off getting a pint and have left me their fiddle to hold until they get back, or at least when they are not looking. I am their Secret Angel.
Am turning Folk Flute bodies today on the 4th and avoiding the parade of carnage downtown (not to mention ingesting the heavy metals released with the fireworks gunpowder) and dinking around. I’ve always wanted to play some sort of fiddle instrument but that tuning in 5ths has always stumped me. So the cheap Chinese fiddle in my shop that has been collecting dust (I am about to decorate it with my friend’s laser engraver and some abalone shell and make it really gaudy) caught my notice literally moments ago, proving again that great minds are at least thinking on the same topic (yours and mine). I tuned it to Ukulele tuning. THIS works for me. I may add gut frets and invent the world’s first “Ukulele de Gamba”. I may eventually try it with the bow as well.
Casey
You know what? I had another thought why Violin Pegs loosen and misbehave. Strangulation, usually by the peg head. This is all making lots of sense to me.
C.
(Terry, welcome back to the fray!!!)
On a friend’s suggestion, I took the opportunity of having loose pegs to tune my fiddle down to E, B, F#, C# tuning. Works like a charm! I tried messing with the flute, but you can see what happened if you checkout the posting clips page! 
Arbo