Hi guys,During the approach, you should get an indication on the MASI for the next higher flap position maneuvering speed. This is so you know at what speed to set the MCP if you are decelarating and decide to go to a higher flap setting. Currently, you first have to set the flaps and then see what speed the MASI comes up with. Although I realize that any good pilot should know the flap maneuvring speed schedule by heart anyway :-)Leo Bakker

Hi !I've already wondered about this also :-roll At takeoff and climb, reaching the flaps 5 - mark commands to select flaps 5, am I right?At approach, does it work like this or the other way round (meaning when reaching flaps 10 mark you should select 15 because it's the lowest speed the aircraft can fly with flaps 10)?Hope I made myself clear :-hah regards,Japhy

Hi Japhy,The Boeing 737 Flight Crew Training manual has this to say:- Climbing: "Flap retraction should be initiated at the maneuver speed for the existing flap setting". In other words, if you pass the number 5 on the speed tape, you should select flaps 1. This may seem odd, as you would indeed expect that you should never run the risk that you might reach flaps 1 before you reach the flap 1 maneuvring speed. However, Boeing says this: "Normally the airplane should be accelerating when flaps are retracting to the next position. Acceptable maneuver margin, is, however, retained at a speed 20 knots below the recommended speed." So, not to worry, just do as they tell you :-)- Approach: select flaps 1 when decelarating through the flaps-up maneuvring speed, the UP sign. When you want to decelerate further, select the next flap position and then set the airspeed cursor to that flap maneuver speed. So basically when you're flying at flaps 1, you set flaps 5 and then set the air speed to where the number 5 appears.Hope I made Boeing's thinking clear :-)Leo Bakker

Hi Leo!Thanks for the answer!Hmm, don't know if the 747-400 is different here, but I have a DVD showing a flight London-Kai Tak in a 747. It's part real flight, part simulator (very good DVD, btw). The captain is explaining the takeoff and climb, and that's where I got the "mark 5 reached - select flaps 5" statement from.I'll go and have a look at it, but I'm almost sure...But, as I said, the 737NG might be different, although I wouldn't know why...regards,Japhy

Hi Japhy,I know the video. However, just to make, I just checked a Boeing 747 Flight Crew Training Manual and there it says very clearly that indeed in a 747 you should only set flaps, say, 5 when you have accelerated above the maneuvring speed for flap 5. I think the major difference is that the 747, when full, is quite slow in accelerating so you might arrive at the new setting too early if you operated it just like a 737, which usually accelerates so fast that you arrive at the new flap setting and speed at the same time.Leo Bakker