Hello all...

My son is currently training on a C172 for his PPL and ultimately his CPL. I am a retired CPL and my son informed me today that he is ALWAYS doing flapless landings (he has 15.4 hours and all landings have been flapless since day 1). His instructor is teaching him to never use flaps. All their landings are flapless. Is this common practice these days? My flight training was well over 30 years ago and we were of course taught flapless landings, but during all other training we used flaps for all landings.

Maybe this is a new thing that flight schools are doing?

Any thoughts or current information would be appreciated. I find it a very "odd" thing to train a brand new student pilot to always land flapless. Is this the new way of doing things?

Thank you in advance.
FTB

It shouldn't be. Perhaps some misguided attempt to 'save on flaps wear and tear'. Or perhaps the flaps are broken?

Did you ask the flight school about it?

Thanks digits_. That is what I thought as well. No we have not spoken to the flight school yet as I just found this out today. I wasn't sure if maybe flight training had changed in the last 30 years and all schools do this now, but I did not think so. I found it to be as you said "a misguided"attempt to save on flap motor wear and tear. I get that flight schools will always cut corners where and when they feel they can do it safely, but I do not think this is exposing my son to real world flying.

I would welcome any other replies, just to see if this is a "normal" thing and done at other flight schools as well. It just seems way off to me.

Thanks for the reply.
Fly safe
FTB

PS...The flaps do work as my son advised me they used them for slow flight training.

I don't think it's a good idea, but that's how I was taught until my first solo, then when we got into soft field/short field we included flaps and included them after that. The reason was for go around performance if you forget them. Anyhow I turned out fine. Flaps are a funny thing. On the Airbus and Boeing I fly people say always use this flap setting, even though the book gives you two options. I like using them all just to keep current.