No-Flap Approach

No Flap Approach & Landing Procedure:

WARNING:
All procedures are GENERALIZED.
Always fly per Pilot Operating Handbook procedures,
observing any relevant Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

1. Complete the Descent Flows/Checklists
2. Talk to tower as appropriate to the airspace you're operating within
   • Controlled: "[Tower], [Callsign], [Location], [Information], [Intentions]"
     • Example: "Palms tower, Cessna one seven two seven victor, fives miles to the west for touch and goes"
   • Uncontrolled: "[Facility Name], [Callsign], [Location], [Information], [Intentions], [Facility Name]"
     • Example: "Palms tower, Cessna one seven two seven victor, five miles to the west for touch and goes, palms tower"
   • Abide by tower's instructions and plan to enter the traffic pattern at Traffic Pattern Altitude (TPA) on a 45° entry to the downwind, maintaining a one-half mile distance from the runway on the downwind leg
     • Alternatively, if approved, you may enter the pattern through the overhead approach maneuver
3. Set power to establish and maintain traffic pattern speed
   • Trim as necessary
4. Abeam the point of intended landing, reduce power lower the landing gear, and begin a gentle descent and call
   • Keeping your hand on the landing gear until given the down and locked indication will prevent forgetting
   • Controlled: "[Tower], [Callsign] abeam, gear 3 down and locked, [Landing Type]"
     • ATC: "[Callsign], [Winds], cleared for [Landing Type], [Runway]"
   • Uncontrolled: None
   • Anticipate the balloon effect when lowering the flaps
   • Trim as necessary
5. At the 45° point to the intended touchdown point (or as appropriate for wind conditions), commence a turn to the base leg
   • ICS: "Cleared left, forward, clear right, turning [Left/Right]"
   • Controlled: None
   • Uncontrolled: "[Facility Name], [Callsign], turning base for [Runway], [Facility Name]"
   • The wind is now at your side, so depending on its strength, you will need to compensate for drift with a crab angle
6. Establish and maintain base leg airspeed
   • Trim as necessary
7. Visually verify that the final approach (including the extended final and the opposite base leg) is clear, and turn final
   • ICS: "Cleared left, forward, clear right, turning [Left/Right]"
   • Controlled: None
   • Uncontrolled: "[Facility Name], [Callsign], turning base for [Runway], [Facility Name]"
   • Check your heading indicator against the runway heading to ensure you're lined up with the correct runway
   • Be mindful of wake turbulence considerations
     • That is look for larger, slow, heavy aircraft and offset your flight path higher & upwind)
8. When landing is assured establish approach speed (+1/2 gust factor, if applicable)
   • Final approach speed will be faster than with flaps
   • Trim as necessary
9. Transition from a crab to a slip
10. By 300' above landing, complete a GUMP check
    • GUMP Check:
      • Gas: Fuel Selector and Pumps - SET
      • Undercarriage: Gear - DOWN AND LOCKED (if applicable)
      • Mixture: Mixture - FULL FORWARD
      • Prop: Prop - FULL FORWARD (if applicable)
    • If the approach is stabilized, call out, "300 feet, stabilized, continuing"
    • If the approach is not stabilized, callout, "300 feet, not stabilized, going around," and execute a go-around
11. Approaching the runway threshold, verify the runway number (heading) matches your clearance
    • You are checking to verify you are landing on the correct runway as this is your last opportunity to wave off
12. Before the round out, begin smoothly reducing power, continuing the power reduction to idle during the round-out while increasing the pitch to maintain a constant glide path to the desired touchdown point (airspeed will begin decreasing)
    • Don't focus on the runway but instead look long to flare
      • You will see the horizon flatten as if you're sitting on the ground
    • Avoid closing the throttle rapidly, which may result in an immediate increase in the rate of descent and a hard landing
    • Round out when the distant trees go out of sight (look long to flare)
    • Touch down at minimum controllable airspeed with a power-off stall pitch attitude, on the main wheels first (minimum float), and with the throttle at the idle (closed) position
    • Hold the nose wheel off with back pressure throughout the rollout; allowing settling gently
13. Increase aileron deflection into the wind if present or has shifted from expected
    • See crosswind landings
14. Increase "up" elevator to increase braking effectiveness
15. At nose wheel touch down:
    • Callout, "flaps up, max braking"
    • Retract the flaps to the up (0°) position (for maximum braking effectiveness)
    • Hold the control wheel full back, and
    • Apply braking as necessary to stop within the shortest distance possible, consistent with safety and controllability
16. Maintain directional control throughout the roll-out with the rudder, slowing sufficiently before turning on a taxiway
    • Reference board speeds: you should be traveling no faster than twice the distance remaining
    • Example: at the 3 board, you should be traveling no more than 60 knots
17. If required, raise the flaps to decrease lift over the wings and therefore increase weight on the brakes
18. Exit the runway without delay at the first available taxiway or on a taxiway as instructed by ATC
    • An aircraft is considered clear of the runway when all parts of the aircraft are past the runway edge and there are no restrictions to its continued movement beyond the runway holding position markings
19. Proceed with taxi procedures

Exiting the Runway After Landing:

• Exit the runway without delay at the first available taxiway or on a taxiway as instructed by ATC
  • Pilots must not exit the landing runway onto another runway unless authorized by ATC
  • At airports with an operating control tower, pilots should not stop or reverse course on the runway without first obtaining ATC approval
• Taxi clear of the runway unless otherwise directed by ATC. An aircraft is considered clear of the runway when all parts of the aircraft are past the runway edge and there are no restrictions to its continued movement beyond the runway holding position markings
  • In the absence of ATC instructions, the pilot is expected to taxi clear of the landing runway by taxiing beyond the runway holding position markings associated with the landing runway, even if that requires the aircraft to protrude into or cross another taxiway or ramp area
  • Once all parts of the aircraft have crossed the runway holding position markings, the pilot must hold unless further instructions have been issued by ATC
• The tower will issue the pilot instructions which will permit the aircraft to enter another taxiway, runway, or ramp area when required
• Guidance contained in subparagraphs a and b above is considered an integral part of the landing clearance and satisfies the requirement of 14 CFR Section 91.129
• Immediately change to ground control frequency when advised by the tower and obtain a taxi clearance
• The tower will issue instructions required to resolve any potential conflictions with other ground traffic prior to advising the pilot to contact ground control
• Ground control will issue taxi clearance to parking
  • That clearance does not authorize the aircraft to "enter" or "cross" any runways. Pilots not familiar with the taxi route should request specific taxi instructions from ATC

Noise Abatement:

• Aircraft noise problems are a major concern at many airports throughout the country. Many local communities have pressured airports into developing specific operational procedures that help limit aircraft noise while operating over nearby areas. As a result, noise abatement procedures have been developed for many of these airports that include standardized profiles and procedures to achieve these lower noise goals
• Airports that have noise abatement procedures provide information to pilots, operators, air carriers, air traffic facilities, and other special groups that are applicable to their airport. These procedures are available to the aviation community by various means. Most of this information comes from the Chart Supplements, local and regional publications, printed handouts, operator bulletin boards, safety briefings, and local air traffic facilities
• At airports that use noise abatement procedures, reminder signs may be installed at the taxiway hold positions for applicable runways to remind pilots to use and comply with noise abatement procedures on departure. Pilots who are not familiar with these procedures should ask the tower or air traffic facility for the recommended procedures. In any case, pilots should be considerate of the surrounding community while operating their airplane to and from such an airport. This includes operating as quietly, and safely as possible

No Flap Approach and Landing Common Errors:

No Flap Approach and Landing Airman Certification Standards:

Conclusion:

• Remain mindful that performance calculations are usually more optimistic than performance in reality
• Every good landing starts with a stabilized approach
  • Avoid any urge to "chop and drop"
• A good landing always follows a stabilized approach
  • Check out the FAA stabilized approach and landing fact sheet
• Consider the use of no-flaps when landing during icing conditions due to changes in landing performance
• Remember that go-arounds are always free
• Additional resources are available through tools such as the FAA's Runway Safety Simulator
• Consider actual versus realized performance when doing any performance calculations
• Consider practicing maneuvers on a flight simulator to introduce yourself to maneuvers or knock off rust
• Still looking for something? Continue searching:

References:

• Federal Aviation Administration - Pilot/Controller Glossary
• FAA Safety Briefing (July/August 2018) Is that My Runway?
• Pilot Workshops - Tom Turner - Smoother Landings
• FAA Aviation Safety - Stabilized Approach and Go-around