Pilots: is it a good idea to make a landing with less-than-full flaps if there's a strong headwind?

Question

Whenever I'm landing with a strong headwind (or quartering headwind) I'm usually reluctant to add more than one notch of flaps.

In the planes that I fly (Cessnas and Warriors), one notch of flaps is 15 degrees. Anything more than this creates a large amount of drag for a negligible increase in lift, and I'm nervous about taking on too much drag with a strong headwind.

When landing with a strong headwind, isn't it better to use minimal flaps and a higher approach speed? (the POH says to add roughly 1/2 the wing gust factor).

Answer 1

It is a good idea. You require more power to maintain a regular approach with full flaps and if you find you are undershooting, the power required can exceed the power available. (Of course pulling the flaps up also produces that sinking feeling that will make things worse). It's not so much of a problem in the Warrior where the flaps are more ornamental than useful.

It is also a very good idea to add to your approach speed (especially in the Warrior with its laminar flow wing). You have a headwind anyways so landing distance shouldn't increase that much. And the gusts can take away your flying speed in a hurry; airspeed is life.

However, I fly into a small strip where everyday is a strong crosswind with a Cessna 172, 182, and 206. I always use full flaps but I approach high so power isn't a problem and crab my approach until I am over the runway and then slip to correct drift.

There is nothing wrong with having a bit of cross control (for cross winds) with flaps on; the Cessna 172 POH and placards only say 'avoid slips when flaps extended'.

Answer 2

You already have some good answers, but I will add mine. Flaps are pretty much of no use in a Cessna 172 unless the field is soft or short. The higher your speed, the less the gusts will affect you. An aircraft needs to be ready to land, airspeed wise, so of course no flaps means a little higher speed and less gust effect. So in windy, gusting conditions, avoid the use of flaps.

As was mentioned in a previous answer, when using full flaps, keep your approach high, never low and low. It is easy to get behind the power curve to the point that adding power will not arrest the descent.

Answer 3

Landings are best executed with full flaps, regardless of the headwind factor.

A strong headwind will merely dictate at which point you idle your power to flare out and touch down.

With full flaps and a consequent steeper approach, you will be less impervious to adverse effects of the strong headwind factor. Any undershooting tendency can be corrected by bit of increase in power and a slight back pressure on the stick. With this approach, you will have a positive control on your touch down point.

On the other hand, approaching with less than full flaps will give you a longer float and a lesser perception of your touch down point. Further, since the sink rate would be lower, any gust will easily upset your rate of descent and distort your perceptive further.

Answer 4

i dont see what the big deal would be.. i always used the second flap setting and sometimes the third if i was high on approach... with or without a strong head wind as long as you keep the proper airspeed constant then the only thing you are changing is your ground speed.. personally, i always want to land at the lowest possible speed in small planes.. obviously since you will have a slower ground speed then you will also have to adjust your power setting to compensate for the head wind and sink rate so you dont land before the runway.. the most important thing is to have a stabilized approach.. however you do that is up to you.. that is what the industry wants to see

Answer 5

depends on the type sircraft and its operating characteristics. If it's a steep descent into a short runway its sop in the planes I fly but Im not an airline pilot. It would allow a steaper descent with a slower speed . Airliners have spoilers and leading edge slots to increase the lift at slow speeds so I Imagine with the full flaps in they could really come down say over a hill or mountain and be able to stop short because they could keep the speed low . They could also come in at a slower flat angle because with more wing area , the aircraft can fly slower to make the same amount of lift. .

Answer 6

Apparently no one reads the POH any more. Cessna says not to use full flaps in gusty or crosswind situations.
As far as use of flaps is concerned, they are not really necessary, or all planes would have flaps. All planes do not have flaps.
The sole purpose of flaps is to steepen the descent without increasing airspeed.
Full flaps in a high wind will cause you to balloon on landing, because besides adding drag, they add lift.

"(the POH says to add roughly 1/2 the wind gust factor)."

Do as the POH says.

Answer 7

If you wanna do gass saving then you can land with no flaps.
With full flaps and heavy headwind your touch down will be slower than usual (deacreasing the landing roll).
to answer the Q: No. It's not a good idea. You always have to land as short as possible with as much safety as possible.

Answer 8

Allways land with full flaps unless control is a problem like in a strong crosswind, Why do you care how strong the headwind is? You touch down that much slower. What's wrong with that?

Answer 9

I use less flap on gusty conditions, especially when cross winds are around. Gives you that little extra response time should you need to suddenly apply power for any reason.

Answer 10

I never use more than 15 degrees of flaps (Cessnas). My instructor many years ago (1967) really preached and drilled me on cross-controlling to avoid using flaps. He was an old-timer who learned to fly when planes didn't have flaps, I guess. Cross-controlling is a lot of fun and you can really get that sucker to drop like a rock sometimes.