Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By Milty
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1912820
Question for the pro flyers. Sunning myself in a hotel under the flight path for Heraklion about 20km out. Seems like about 1/3 are gear down as they go over and the rest don’t seem to be gear down until out of sight. What determines gear down point? Aircraft type, personal preference, something else. Just curious.
By A4 Pacific
#1912829
Milty wrote:Question for the pro flyers. Sunning myself in a hotel under the flight path for Heraklion about 20km out. Seems like about 1/3 are gear down as they go over and the rest don’t seem to be gear down until out of sight. What determines gear down point? Aircraft type, personal preference, something else. Just curious.


Company policy regarding the stabilised approach criteria. (SAC) Some airlines must be fully configured for landing (amongst other things) by 1000’. Other airlines will often state should be configured by 1000’ but must be configured by 500’.

There are some places, in some winds (and some types) where, if you don’t lower the gear well above the SAC point, you’ll still be above land flap limiting speed, so can’t get land flap out in time.
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By Milty
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#1912839
Some are playing very safe it would seem as they’re at around 2400 overhead the pool. I like my new hobby - something else to while away the time on hols.
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By A4 Pacific
#1912871
Milty wrote:Some are playing very safe it would seem as they’re at around 2400 overhead the pool. I like my new hobby - something else to while away the time on hols.


If you’re 20km from the airport, that’s 12.5 miles. Which would equate to 3,600’. That would be excessive even for me! Maybe it’s at ATC request, traffic ahead or you aren’t actually that far out?
By malcolmfrost
#1912875
The approach plate is here:
https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/43497/why-is-heraklion-airport-a-captains-only-airport
A straight in or approach from the North would not be too challenging, but coming in from the West with the terrain, you may well be kept high and need to capture the glidepath from above. The gear is the best way to get a lot of drag very quickly!
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By Milty
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#1912878
The 20km was a guesstimate using Google maps. Using SD, it’s closer to 8Nm. They’re all around 2400 according to flight radar. All in from the north and the routing to 27.
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By PeteSpencer
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#1912945
Thread drift:re 'CAT 'drag :

Interestingly in the arrer I drop the gear on the downwind leg in a visual approach:

However in IFR on an ILS, dropping the gear is part of the PUFAL checks once established on the localiser. (Prop fully fine, undercarriage down, Flaps 2st, Altimeter check, landing lights on.)

It happens , if the speeds are right, that dropping the gear at the start of descent provides just about the right amount of drag to initiate the descent with very little input from the pilot, apart from anticipating and taming the inevitable slight balloon................... :wink:
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By MichaelP
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#1912946
Interesting.
Approach flaps or gear first? There’s a choice.
Then there’s a fuel consideration, gear early, up the throttles, burn more precious fuel at low level, affect any profit you might make.

Used to slow down and apply approach flaps in the DA42, then the gear to capture the glideslope when it was centring.

I’ve touched down many times with the wheels up.
Got to remember what you’re flying.

Reds Blues Greens... “We’re going around from this one.” “Why?” “Look where the undercarriage lever is” “Oops”.
It was important to retract the wheels after take off, and even more important to ensure they were retracted on final approach.

I learned to call out my prelanding checks, even looking down at the wheel my side in the Cessna 150.
It has been a good habit.
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By chevvron
#1912968
I saw an Aztec at Sumburgh landing northerly and the aerodrome manager said 'tell him to check his gear' (which I did at about 100ft).
'Just coming down now' replied the pilot nonchalently - it must have locked down just as he touched down.
In a practice flameout in a Hunter I was in, the gear was dropped at about 10,000ft.
So it depends entirely on circumstances although the majority of pilots will have a 'standard' point at which to put the gear down..
By TopCat
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1912973
MichaelP wrote:I’ve touched down many times with the wheels up.
Got to remember what you’re flying.

And presumably in that aircraft it would have been somewhat arresting not to?
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By Trent772
#1912979
A320...

340kts to 15 miles, level, flaps and gear on schedule, no cheesebrakes, stable at 1000'

A330.... Jog on - no chance !

PC-12 210kts to 8 miles, no issues.

RV7 - into the circuit at 190kts, base at 100kts.

I'll get me coat........ :pirat:
By Hooligan
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1912983
Saw a Twin Com go around from almost at the flare at the Cranfield Business Show once. He seemed to turn it into a bit of a "I was doing a low pass", rather spoiled by the presence of full flaps...