"Ben Jackson" wrote:

3) Do you fly these in a different flap/gear configuration or just use
more power?

Flying a C182, I use no-flap configurations for approaches at 120 knots or
greater. In fact, I cannot necessarily maintain 120 knots in level flight
with 10° flaps.

When I was working out approach power settings for my airplane, I was
looking for configurations where I could get anywhere from level flight to
800 FPM descent with power changes exclusively. I also learned that I
didn't like flying approaches with 20° flaps due to buffeting. This helped
me set some bounds on my approach airspeeds.

With 10° flaps and power virtually idle (10"), I get about 800 FPM down at
90 KIAS. So that's about as slow as I will fly an approach.

With flaps up and power up around 21" or 22", I can maintain level flight at
120 KIAS. So that's about as fast as I will fly an approach.

I have flown down a glideslope at 140 KIAS, but I wasn't able to achieve
that airspeed until I got going downhill, after ATC had been griping at me
for a couple minutes about how he was going to pull me off the approach if I
didn't stay ahead of the 757 behind me. I think all I really gained was
higher workload by trying to accelerate the extra 20 knots at glideslope
intercept. I don't think there's a lot to be gained by flying the descent
legs faster than you can fly the level legs. It just makes you like one of
those annoying people on mountain roads who go 90 MPH downhill but sputter
up the next grade at 50 MPH.