An aircraft hydraulic system for operating a plurality of hydraulically-operated actuators in the aircraft having a hydraulic reservoir in which hydraulic fluid is stored, a hydraulic distribution system coupling the hydraulic reservoir to the actuators and having a main flow line coupled to the hydraulic reservoir, a hydraulic pump fluidly coupled to the main flow line and the hydraulic reservoir to pump hydraulic fluid from the reservoir to the main flow line, a main filtration system fluidly coupled to the main flow line upstream of at least some of the actuators, and a self-cleaning filter fluidly coupled upstream of the main filtration system.