This might sound silly but I have always wondered when the flaps on an aircraft is adjusted, is it while the plane is still In the gate, when taxing or when it has lined up on the runway.
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I usually adjust flaps after i pushback & turn on the engines
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In real life the flaps are set once engines are started and before taxi to the runway. I suspect this is so that if there is an issue at this stage (when the hydro’s are up and running) then it will be spotted and can be acted on before continung with the flight.
On Infinite Flight I normally wait until I am at the hold line for the runway and set flaps at the same time I switch on the landing and strobe lights, just before requesting TAke off (when there is ATC). I do it in this order as otherwise it tends to slow down my taxi speed and there is no chance (presently) of flap or system fail!
Happy Contrails!
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I have noticed at airports in real life that as soon as push back has taken place, flaps are often extended to full before being retracted again to takeoff setting before taxi, along with other hydraulic related processes like ailerons . Please correct me if I am wrong but I believe this is some kind of final hydraulics test to ensure all is right before the flight continues.
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you are watching some weird airlines if that’s what they are doing!
There is a control surface check but that does not involve fully extending and retracting flaps.
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I did it while passing the hold-short line (but I was wrong it seems) for take off and I try to extend them full flaps before intercepting the ILS during landing
Ah ok, thank you for the clarification! :)
Here’s what I do (on a twin-engine aircraft)
Start pushback
While pushing back, start engine #2
Once engine #2 is running, set takeoff flaps
Finally, start engine #1 before taxi
Engine #2 is started before #1 in real life I believe for the safety of the ground crew, as the crew guiding the aircraft are on the captains side, which is engine #1
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I know EasyJet and British airways do this on short haul airbus aircraft. I think it’s a final check to be sure. Yes they have computers but just running through it all helps the pilots prepare.
And in answer to the original question they are usually set prior to taxi once engines are up and running and they’re ready to taxi.
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On Mango Airlines (bonus points if you know where that’s based), they tend to extend the flaps right before taxi, after both engines have at least been started.
BA certainly do not fully extend flaps and retract them after pushback.
As I noted there is a control surface check (ailerons, spoilers, elevators, and rudder). After pushback flaps are moved from fully retracted to the take-off position only.
Well I noticed they did when flying to Dublin last summer. Maybe some pilots do and some don’t. BA may not train to do it but if pilots from other airlines have been trained then join BA they’re probably in a habit of doing it and gives them peace of mind
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What exactly do you mean by this? I don’t see how putting flaps down reduces taxi speed, unless I’m missing something…
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I have never seen that done ever on a BA aircraft. It is not part of their SOPs. Pilots operate to current SOPs, not some previous version they learned when they joined or moved on to that type.
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Good to know, Thanks for sharing that!
I do it the same way many people do it; after pushback and flight control check, I lower the flaps. Then I start my taxi.
I’ve noticed this to be the same procedure on many of the airlines and aircraft I have flown IRL.
If I taxi with my flaps set for take off then I need more thrust from my engines to taxi at the same speed verses taxiing with the flaps set to 0,flaps down = greater drag. Try it ;-)
I see, but I’m pretty sure at taxi speed (15-25 knots about) the drag created by flaps is negligible…
But who knows, I guess I could try this on my own and find out though. 👍
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yep,try it out for yourself and you will see the differnce.
try 25kts Taxi at flap 0 compared to 25kts with Flap2 (A320) and note the two different N1% numbers…
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