When do you NOT use flaps landing?

[sblack]

Originally Posted by ChiefPilot

What's the thinking behind taxiing with them down?

In the RAF taxiing a spit with flaps down resulted in a fine paid to the mess fund.

[sblack]

Originally Posted by LettersFromFlyoverCountry

The only time I come in with no flaps is in really gusty conditions as mentioned.
.

Why? Still don't see the purpose of doing that.

[flightlogic]

The last time I was hijacked... it was because I dind't do the dishes.
And ground control didn't even seem interested. And I PAY my taxes. No dodging them for this old guy.
If you do a visual survey around the ramps... almost all the RV's are parked flaps down. Reasons have been posted here.
I put my EXPERIMENTAL sticker on the upper part. Then it only shows to PAX boarding and not the rest of the time.... drift oops.
One of your challenges will be to slow down to flap operating range. We have fast little planes... but not much speed range on the flaps.
Since mine are electric and just a simple toggle... I often approach the field too fast on purpose. As I round out... I keep adding flaps until right before touch down. It does bump the workload up... since pitch forces are changing throughout the landing. But that just makes it fun and challenging.
Plus I like hearing the tower tell the guy in front of me to keep the speed up... RV to follow.

[jpowell13]

Brad,

Re-trimming after flap deployment during a coupled approach is good, but I'm more concerned about departing from the glideslope than making the perfect landing (being a low time instrument pilot). If I were flying an approach to near minimums into a short runway I would definitely add flaps and re-trim. John

[David Paule]

Originally Posted by alpinelakespilot2000

....I was originally taught the "always raise your flaps for taxi" when learning to fly a Cessna, but then I once had a really experienced instructor ask me, rhetorically, "why?" Neither of us could find a good answer to that. ....

When I was learning to fly, I had an instructor who answered that question on a windy day. We were taxiing along in the Cessna 150 into the wind, not all that fast, and he abruptly dropped the flaps and hauled back on the wheel. We were at or just above idle power - and it was windy, remember. The airplane popped off the ground, stalled, and dropped back down.

Got my attention.

Dave

[alpinelakespilot2000]

Originally Posted by David Paule

When I was learning to fly, I had an instructor who answered that question on a windy day. We were taxiing along in the Cessna 150 into the wind, not all that fast, and he abruptly dropped the flaps and hauled back on the wheel. We were at or just above idle power - and it was windy, remember. The airplane popped off the ground, stalled, and dropped back down.

Got my attention.

Dave

Sure. If the winds are 35-40 knots, or whatever it takes a 150 to get off the ground, some common sense would be in order. I could see that.

[Bugsy]

When I do touch in goes I leave in the first 20% during the landing and then give full power and takeoff. I end up using much less run way than waiting for full flaps to retract before shoving in the power. It actually is more fun give it a try

[pilotgabe]

For the most part I agree with Steve. What can I say I've got over 400hrs and 20 some odd years flying a Stearman and mind you there are no flaps on this aircraft. I also have an RV-6 which I love to death and a Navion that I learned to fly with my WWII fighter pilot dad. The Navion as well as the RV-6 I will always use flaps if they are available but as Steve has mentioned in high cross winds or on my nose use as little as your conferrable with. I will use 10 to 20 and will rarely use full flaps unless of course I wish to do a short field landing. But remember at full position you've exhausted everything when you've slowed the aircraft at the bottom of the white arc. Fy safe.

[Xkuzme1]

I always use flaps. In gusty conditions, add 1/2 the gust factor to your ref speed "over the fence speed + 1/2 the gust factor".

[sailvi767]

Originally Posted by sblack

Why? Still don't see the purpose of doing that.

Seat of the pants only but I find the RV6 much more stable in the flare in gusty conditions with the flaps up. I suspect that the gusts interact with the ground and flaps to cause a ballooning effect. The flaps are very close to the ground at touchdown forming almost a air dam that seems to exaggerate gusts.