Circuit and landing config

[alanhawse]

Low 100's in the downwind (probably in the 35ish load territory)

I dont know what I was thinking when I said 35 load... it is 55ish...

[mfdutra]

Cirrus suggests no configuration changes below 500 AGL. That's reasonable, especially on a Cirrus SR, that has a strong pitch up tendency when you apply flaps, making everything unstable for a moment. The DA62 is completely different. Applying flaps doesn't cause any pitching moment. It just increases drag.

I'm all for stable approaches, but it's all about circumstances at the end. If it's low IFR, near minimums, I want to be all configured at the FAF, and I'm likely landing with flaps TO. If I'm on a long final and it's all visual, I keep ~160 IAS until 3-nm final, then gear, flaps, flaps. I'll be completely stable by 1-nm out, without my engines ever seeing idle.

The main point is that I have very repeatable standard procedures for everything. I'm not winging anything at the moment.

[Tksea]

250 hours in DA50RG. One of the first delivered. You have a crazy experience in front of you. Approach speeds are dramatically affected by the Fowler flaps and your speed brake the landing gear. If you drop the final flaps too early you will have to add 75+ power to maintain the rate in descent. If you try to do final flaps early the slowing is even dangerous. I dont touch final until 100 agl or less. Wheels 2 mi before faf, flaps at one circle above, 100 knot final, 90 knots mid a f. Power setting 45-50% on the descent should hold you close to the above. 85kts at the turn and the final flaps will rapidly drop you to 70-75 at touch. Can approach 2 mi before faf at 140-145kts and still easily slow down for maf. The crazy thing is you can approach at pattern altitude into late final, put your nose down, full flaps and wheels and descend rapidly at 90 kts for a smooth short field landing. I love this plane. Safer than a 172 because of the ability to control speed and rate of descent even late in the approach. So the only time I use the final flaps before 100 agl is for rapid descent.

[alanhawse]

250 hours in DA50RG. One of the first delivered. You have a crazy experience in front of you. Approach speeds are dramatically affected by the Fowler flaps and your speed brake the landing gear. If you drop the final flaps too early you will have to add 75+ power to maintain the rate in descent. If you try to do final flaps early the slowing is even dangerous. I dont touch final until 100 agl or less. Wheels 2 mi before faf, flaps at one circle above, 100 knot final, 90 knots mid a f. Power setting 45-50% on the descent should hold you close to the above. 85kts at the turn and the final flaps will rapidly drop you to 70-75 at touch. Can approach 2 mi before faf at 140-145kts and still easily slow down for maf. The crazy thing is you can approach at pattern altitude into late final, put your nose down, full flaps and wheels and descend rapidly at 90 kts for a smooth short field landing. I love this plane. Safer than a 172 because of the ability to control speed and rate of descent even late in the approach. So the only time I use the final flaps before 100 agl is for rapid descent.

Yes we are pretty similar in time in that airplane ... I think that mine was the 3rd in the USA and I have 289 hours.... I think that we agree pretty well if you go back and look at what I said.

Perhaps our only disagreement is that I do think that 140-150 is too fast past the faf... and you should have the TO flaps out and be slowed to 100ish by then.

My experience is that in level flight coming into the pattern at 110 kts or something when you drop the gear and stay level it slows you by about 10 kts... to a good speed of about 100...