Flaps on take-off and landing

On Mon, 18 Sep 2006 17:53:16 +0200, Mxsmanic
wrote:

Roger (K8RI) writes:

I love airplanes and we are on the centerline for the GPS 06 approach
to 3BS and about a mile and a half in from the FAF. Even when working
in the shop I still have to run outside to see what's going over.

I like to watch aircraft, too. I sorely miss the days when you could
go to the airport and walk up to the roof or observation deck to watch
planes take off and arrive. Nowadays, it seems you're a terrorist if
you manifest any interest in aircraft. I never understood what danger
there was in letting people watch. Even people who take pictures from
outside the airport are considered terrorists these days.

On landing I generally run 10 down wind.15 to 20 on base, and about 30
until the runway is made and then it's full flaps whether it's windy
of calm, gusty or steady. The only time I don't use full flaps is the
one or two landings I do every few weeks with no flaps.

Why do you do those landings without flaps?

Practice for the "just-in-case" situation. Flap actuators have been
known to fail. The Deb and Bonanzas have decidedly different landing
characteristics between those big barn door flaps at 40 degrees and
nothing. With full flaps it's a very good short field plane. With no
flaps, it floats and floats and floats in a very nose high attitude if
you wish to touch down at a reasonable speed. Typically with no flaps
I'm looking straight ahead at the center of the instrument panel with
the only forward view being sky. The only view of the runway is in the
forward bottom corners of the front side windows so I can see the
edges of the runway or runway lights. With full flaps the forward
view is very good.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com