Jump to content

How to know when to start using flaps before landing


Recommended Posts

Guest stevepow
Posted

I made this video so that i could ask my question in detail.

Posted

Great way to ask a question. I just had to subscribe. Not I don't have an answer to your question, I can help you a little. I am not sure if it's on the 737 but I was flying the Level 767 the other day and you put down 1 notch of flaps at a certain speed. The 767 has a little mark on the speed tape that says "F" and when your speed gets there you put 1 notch down and then the next one comes and then you put another notch. Your flap schedule should be based on your speed. I can't really give you an answer when to start but I do know that you should have your flaps down before landing :) (ain't that a no brainer)

Posted

You will set flaps based on maneuvering speed and company policy. The maneuvering speed will vary based on weight. These maneuvering speeds are displayed on the MASI (Airspeed indicator) as a hash mark with "up", "1", "2", etc. Those are the minimum speeds at which you can turn in the displayed configuration. If you are clean (Flaps up), then you can't exceed 15 degrees bank below the "up" hash mark. When descending in close, you usually want to be at your maneuvering speed in your configuration. http://www.smartcockpit.com/plane/boeing/B737/If you go to that, it shows you various profiles with configuration listed. I don't know how close these are to the FS2Crew profiles, as I haven't flown with it in a while. We'll use the "Visual traffic pattern" as an example. -Before entering downwind, you want to slow down to CMS (Clean maneuvering speed), which is the "Up" hash mark on the MASI. I slow to CMS at about 15 nm until touchdown. -As you enter the downwind, as you slow through CMS, select flaps 5 and slow to the "5" hash mark. This usually somewhere around 170-180 kts.-Prior to base, as you are already at your maneuvering speed for flaps 5, select flaps 15 and gear down. From here you can slow to flaps 15 maneuvering speed ("15" hash mark). Usually about 140-150 kts.-Turn base while maintaining the flaps 15 maneuvering speed. On base you can select landing flaps (30 or 40), and slow to Vtarget. If memory serves me correctly, the maneuvering speed for landing flaps is Vref. As all approaches are flown a minimum of Vref +5, this is a non issue. If you apply this technique to the other profiles, you will find they work very well. I believe that the FS2Crew manual also has instructions on when to do what on approach.If any of that didn't make sense to you, I apologize. I am kinda tired :(

Joe Sherrill

Guest stevepow
Posted

Thank you very much for the responce i will try that out when i get home

Posted

Guidelines vary from company to company. Some allow the use of speedbrake and flaps, some don't.This is how it works at my current employer:20miles from touchdown = Select Flaps Up Speed (UP) in MCP18miles = Flaps 1 and then Select Flaps 1 Speed15miles = Flaps 5, and then Select Flaps 5 SpeedGlide Slope Alive (Solid Magenta and moving down) Gear Down, Flaps 15, Flaps 15 SpeedBefore Final Approach Fix/Outer Marker = Flaps 30, Set Final Speed. (Or Flaps 40)This is based on your flight distance to the runway. Look at your Prog page for guidance on that. If you're getting vectors, the prog page may not be very accurate, so modify your LEGS page so it gives you better guidance, or just estimate.Don't slow to a speed below your current flap setting (i.e. Don' slow to Flaps 5 speed with Flaps at 1).Keep your question on topic (FPS?) and people will enjoy your questions.

Matt Cee

Posted

Haha. Cool way of asking. Next time I need to ask something I'll try and get some hot chick friend of mine to do the vid for me. I'm sure I'll get tons of answers XDDo you know about this site? it's quite popular, so you probably know already, but just in casehttp://www.simforums.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=29041it might help you improve your FSX performance

Posted

Very nice way to ask a question, Steve! :( Best regards! :(

Pedro Lima
"The sky is the home of birds... we are just guests... guests of honor" Peter Besenyei
"...redundancy is very important in aviation; that is why airplanes have 2 wings instead of 1!" M.S.A.Q.
My videos

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Steve, no problem with your video at all. I fly the PMDG 737 a great deal in FS2004 - it's my favourite a/craft. I also use Radar Contact. This is what I do:-1. Descending below 10000 feet I use airbrakes to reduce to 245 knots.2. When at 245kts I select flaps 5 (250kts is the max speed at which flaps 5 can be selected).3. When vectored on to downwind leg i.e parallel to runway in opposite direction to landing direction, reduce to 210kts and when there select flaps 10, which is max speed for that operation.4. When vectored on to base leg, reduce to 180 kts and select flaps 15.5. When vectored to a heading to intercept the ILS reduce to 160kts and select flaps 25.6. When ILS is intercepted and turning to final, gear down, reduce to landing speed calculated by FMS which will likely be 135 to 140kts and then flaps 30.Some may say I'm not doing this precisely by the numbers but I've found it works and 95% of my landings are smooth. When I used FS Passengers a lot I used to get "nice landing" comments regularly in my reports.I hope this helps.Iain Smith

Posted

Iain, I am afraid you are overstressing your 737 frame with those configurations, what's your airline maintenance team opinion ? :( Here is the simple (and easy to remember) rule I use for the -700:210 kts - flaps up200 kts - flaps 1190 kts - flaps 2180 kts - flaps 5170 kts - flaps 10160 kts - flaps 15 - this always goes with gear down.150 kts - flaps 25140 kts - flaps 30 - landing configuration.Anyway, you have the green indication numbers on the PFD speedtape as a guide.

Posted
Iain, I am afraid you are overstressing your 737 frame with those configurations, what's your airline maintenance team opinion ? :( Here is the simple (and easy to remember) rule I use for the -700:210 kts - flaps up200 kts - flaps 1190 kts - flaps 2180 kts - flaps 5170 kts - flaps 10160 kts - flaps 15 - this always goes with gear down.150 kts - flaps 25140 kts - flaps 30 - landing configuration.Anyway, you have the green indication numbers on the PFD speedtape as a guide.
I almost always make my planning for being at 180 kts-flaps 5 when intercepting the localizer.When glideslope is alive (magenta diamond starts to move) go for flaps 15 - 160 kts and gear down.Make the final slowing to Vref (+5) while descending the GS.
Posted
Iain, I am afraid you are overstressing your 737 frame with those configurations, what's your airline maintenance team opinion ? :(
They say that I haven't broken it yet - but then it's not programmed to break! :( Thanks for those figures Jose, I'll put them into practice. Always prepared to learn something new.Iain Smith
Posted
Anyway, you have the green indication numbers on the PFD speedtape as a guide.
Ding ding ding. Put the bug on your current flap setting.Ian, I agree with Jose: you'd want to be setting the minimum speed for the configuration typically, and not the max. I think most airlines avoid the placarded MAX speeds and come up with their own. The airline I work for now, you select the next flaps when within 20kias of the previous min flap speed (ie F1 min + 20 = go to F5 and then set F5 speed).I hope that made sense - it's St. Patty's Day over here.Cheers

Matt Cee

Posted
Ding ding ding. Put the bug on your current flap setting.Ian, I agree with Jose: you'd want to be setting the minimum speed for the configuration typically, and not the max. I think most airlines avoid the placarded MAX speeds and come up with their own. The airline I work for now, you select the next flaps when within 20kias of the previous min flap speed (ie F1 min + 20 = go to F5 and then set F5 speed).I hope that made sense - it's St. Patty's Day over here.Cheers
Thanks Matt, that did make sense.Iain Smith

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Tom Allensworth,
    Founder of AVSIM Online


  • Flight Simulation's Premier Resource!

    AVSIM is a free service to the flight simulation community. AVSIM is staffed completely by volunteers and all funds donated to AVSIM go directly back to supporting the community. Your donation here helps to pay our bandwidth costs, emergency funding, and other general costs that crop up from time to time. Thank you for your support!

    Click here for more information and to see all donations year to date.
×
×
  • Create New...