Matt Whiting wrote:

Just once, but I noticed it instantly, and I was already pretty busy
flying an instrument approach into OSH of all places after having lost
my alternator. When I noticed the alternator light come on about 20
miles out, I turned off everything but one navcomm and the transponder.
However, once on short final, the old habit kicked in and I put the
flaps down even though I was on battery power alone at that point.

It's amazing how that works, isn't it?

Years ago, when I was working on my instrument rating, my instructor and I
had just taken off on a night IFR flight and were having trouble checking
in with NY Departure. The radio's were scratchy and they weren't getting
our xponder, when we noticed the panel lights dim. We told NY we were
returning home.

On the short flight there, we discussed the idea that we might have enough
battery to get the flaps down and not enough to get them back up if we
needed to go around. We decided to do a no-flap landing.

Exactly the same thing happened that you described -- habit kicked in and
without even realizing what I was doing, I reached out and put the first 10
degrees of flaps in on downwind. It's just hard to break the habit.