In general, what are some normal distances for when certain airliner mechanicals should be deployed?

 

For example, usually at what distance should the landing gear be put down?

 

What distance from landing should full flaps out? What about first step of flaps?

General rule is gear down on glide slope intercept to help with any ballooning as you extend flaps and to also help increase drag. You want to be configured a lot earlier if flying a visual approach. Best thing to do is refer to the aircrafts FCOM since it is type specific regarding flap schedule.

 

I should add that company's have something called 'Stable approach criteria' By 500 feet VMC or 1000 IMC you should be fully configured for landing, engines spooled and flying with +/- 5 knots or your landing speed (Vapp) if not you must execute a missed approach.

 

Regards

Speaking specifically about the NGX, I usually start with flaps 1 somewhere between 10 and 13 NM if I'm flying an ILS with a level-off segment. Constant descent approaches (usually RNAV) I'll start things sooner since it's sometimes hard to go down and slow down (so maybe 15-16 NM out).

 

Since the SOP at many carriers is to be fully stable at 1000' (or 500' on a visual) I aim to be configured at 1500' to give myself a bit of padding. Since most ILS approaches intercept the G/S somewhere around 2000' you can imagine I usually get gear down / flaps 15 right at G/S capture, then flaps 30 shortly thereafter. This usually works pretty well for me, I don't feel like I'm dragging it down the approach with a high power setting for too long nor am I scrambling at the last minute to get configured.

Landing gear down before any flaps? Man, I'm doing it all wrong. I'm usually using flaps to slow down enough so that I'm within gear down allowable speed.

 

Where can I find a general FCOM for landing an airliner timing its flaps, gear and spoiler properly?

 

 

Landing gear down before any flaps?

 

It really depends on the plane. In the NGX I use flaps long  before gear goes down (I haven't flown it for a while but I usually lower gear at glideslope intercept while flaps are at 15 already. However, with GA it's totally different: there I usually have gears down before I set first flaps (often the allowed speed for gears is higher than it is for flaps).

 

Imho there aren't any general rules expect for one: do it all on time... ^_^ As soon as you start using gears and flaps mainly to slow down, your doing something wrong imho. I sometimes do use gears on the NGX to slow down but only when I notice I am coming in to high or fast which isn't good, obviously.

No, you will already be flying near your approach speed or clean speed before you select your gear down with at least slats out.

 

let's take the A320 for example..

 

1. You fly the initial approach at green dot (clean speed) flaps up.

 

2. ATC will then slow you to around 180 knots for the Localizer intercept, at this point you would select config 1 (slats)

 

At glide slope intercept you would select config 2 and gear down gradually slowing to your final approach speed (Vapp) and finaly select config 3 or config full according to your weight or host of other factors. Your PFD will also display appropriate speeds for selecting each flap configuration.

 

 

Their is no general FCOM, best thing to do is go to smartcockpit, pick an aircraft and study how to fly an approach correctly.

 

Regards

Landing gear down before any flaps? Man, I'm doing it all wrong. I'm usually using flaps to slow down enough so that I'm within gear down allowable speed.

Think this is aircraft and situation dependent. On most flights I've flown on, the flaps are down to some extent well before the gear comes down. I've only been on one flight where the landing gear came down before the flaps came down. This was on an A320 heading into Denver, and admittedly, I don't know if slats were deployed or not, as I was not in a position to see them.

This is a bit void of distance info and approximate altitude info but its a start.

Well it's not that void of distance since it tells you when to configure before the FAF. You also may not have noticed but this approach is non precision using V/S, not how you would normally fly an approach.

There are many speed\noise restrictions in many big airports. You should usually have gear down before or at FAF. You should operate flaps to comply to speed restrictions of procedure you are following, if unable - tell ATC.

 

Gear and flaps create noise. So in some cases you will want to delay extension of em for as much as possible.

 

For example i landing in EGKK, London Gatwick, doing ILS 08R at late evening.

Im in my 727-100 at landing weight around 135 000 lbs. My vref will be 125 kias.

 

Taking into account Gatwick's speed and noise restrictions i will depart Mayfild VOR at speed 220 kias, clean config. Usually ATC will ask for speed 220 at this point.

On downwind leg, I should start my base leg turn at D23 MAY, i'll reduce speed to 200 and extend flaps 2, before turn, at around D18 MAY. Slow it down a bit to 210 kias, and extend flaps.

On base turn i'll extend flaps to 5 and reduce speed to 180 kias. I'll establish at LOC at speed 180, then reduce speed to 160 kias by extending flaps 15. since thats late evening - i'll delay gear extension until about 6 NM from TD.

I should keep 160 kias until 4 DME But 4 miles a bit short for hand flown approach, so i 'll extend gear at 6 miles DME and at 4 miles dme flaps 25, then 30.

 

In 727-100 that'll be VERY tight flap extension schedule, landing in gatwick daytime a bit simpler, - i'll extend gear with flaps 15, and stabilize at 160 kias, flap 15, gear down long before 4 miles DME. At 5 DME i'll put flap 25, and 30. 727 will decelerate fast from this point.

 

In both cases i'll do landing checklist before extending landing flaps, thats odd, but no choice.

 

If ATC gives speed specific instructions, i will follow them as long as it safe for my aircraft. If by some point ATC will instruct me to fly 180 kias until 4 miles DME - i'll say -"UNABLE", coz i cant slow it down and configure at 4 nm DME. So Procedure gives you speeds, and you select flap\gear extension schedule to comply with it, but not putting your flight into danger.

One poster suggested that the 747 profile was a non precision approach and not an ILS.  Same basics apply.  As the aircraft crosses the final approach fix, final flaps should be selected and power set at known (good training would suggest at maneuvering altitude, set up landing config and a 700-800 fpm sink and stabilize speed and note power setting) setting theoretically setting up a stabilized approach whether non precision or ILS.  EASA and FAA are now actively promoting constant angle approaches.  By the way.  FAA now recognizes GPS/LPV approaches with minimums less than 300' as precision.

 

Short story:  Approach flaps prior to FAF with speed reduced to < final flap speed.  FAF- gear down - final flaps - stabilize by 1000 feet.  It's not a perfect world.  The FAA Private Pilot Guide to Aeronautical Knowledge indicates that straight and level is a series of climbs, descents and turns.   THAT is how I fly an ILS :-)

Q400 you can come in clean at around 200 knots until established and then usually back to 160 to 4 DME with flaps 1 selected. Usually gear down at 5 and flaps straight to 15. Reduce to vref to be stable by 500 feet AGL. That's the criteria we work to.

Captain Sim 727-100 has some approach notes in its pdf that is helpful. I've deleted and edited non-general info.

 

APPROACH NOTES
1) Initial pattern entry will normally be in a clean configuration.

4) Normally, the landing gear should not be extended until after at least 5 of flaps have been extended.

6) Approaching the glideslope, the pilot flying should call for flaps 25, gear down, flaps 30 (when the gear is down and locked

8) On a visual approach final landing configurations should be established so as to be stabilized no later than 500’ AGL.

We use a rule-of-thumb for VMC of 5.5NM from the runway to drop the gear in the narrow-bodies (A319/A321/A321) and 6.5NM to drop the landing gear in the wide-bodies (A332/A333), and if in IMC add 1.5MN to those figures.

 

Regards,

Ró. 

Is this valid for non-precision and visual, or only for ils ?

 

 

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