User Guide

Learning To Fly with Rod Machado
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This is one cue that you’re going to be high on the approach.
4. Press F7 once to lower 10 degrees of flaps.
5. Apply a little forward pressure to correct for a flap-induced pitch-up, then readjust the pitch for
a final approach speed of 60 knots. Don’t forget to trim!
6. Apply the other 20 degrees of flaps in 10-degree increments by pressing F7 two more times
until 30 degrees of flaps are extended (that’s full flaps for
this airplane). As you press F7, make sure you adjust the
pitch for 60 knots of airspeed.
Notice how the runway stops disappearing underneath
the airplane. The airplane has pitched forward a bit,
allowing a better runway view. The descent rate has also
increased (Figure 11) and the spot plane view shows the
airplane at slightly less of a nose-up pitch as a result of
flap application as shown in Figure 12. With flap
application, the nose gear isn’t as far above the main gear,
an additional reason for the flare.
7. When you’re at flare height, raise the nose from its present attitude to about 14 degrees nose-up
pitch. Hold that attitude until touchdown. Since this airport’s elevation is 2,787 feet above sea
level, you should begin the
flare at around 2,820 feet. Yes,
you may indicate a stall as you
touch down, but that’s okay
since you’re just inches above
the ground.
8. Press P to pause the
simulation after you touch
down.
Did you notice that the rate of
descent is greater with flaps
applied? That’s why the flare needs
to happen a little sooner when
using flaps.
So why use flaps? They allow you to touch down at slower speeds, which means less energy to
dissipate when stopping. Additionally, flaps come in handy when you’re too high on approach. They
are also useful when landing over an obstacle or when landing on a short runway.
Rerun this simulation at least two more times by pressing Ctrl+;.
After you gain a little experience with flap usage and glidepath control, run the simulation without the
wing leveler active.
Figure 11
Figure 12