Flaps check - great lesson learned
"steve" wrote
...
While recently getting checked out to fly a glass panel Cirrus, my
instructor, under the statement that the TAWS wasn't operating quite
right, reached down along the circuit panel while I was busy flying my
last instrument approach. As I entered the decent phase of a straight in
landing, I applied 50% flaps, then as I got near the runway, applied 100%
flaps and noticed that I was still coming in "different" than normal. I
did a beautiful landing and as we taxi'd off the runway, the instructor
asked if I noticed what was wrong. He had pulled the breaker on the
electronic flaps so I actually landed with no flaps extended. He stated
that I ALWAYS need to do visual verification that the flaps extended
properly on both sides, especially when they are electical.
It was a great lesson that I will never forget. I was also really pleased
with doing a good landing in an aircraft that wants to keep flying, even
with flaps extended.
If you did a "beautiful landing" thinking you had full flaps, it means you
were coming in WAY too fast, had you the flaps.
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