General consensus on when to add flaps on IAP.

In the Talon, I select 60% flaps about 3 miles prior to the FAF.

Definitely depends on the aircraft.
 
ppragman said:
You'll be able to feel it when you start to get too slow. You won't know a precise numeric value, but based on how the airplane is flying at that point you'll be able to tell when you're on the ragged edge. Best bet is to keep the speed up, and if you want to use flaps only use a single notch. If you're out of the ice, a single notch of flaps might give you a helpful bit of lift to slow up a little. It all depends on the plane and on the conditions. When you're in those conditions, remember, speed is your friend, but don't go off the end of an icy 6000' runway when you came in at 150Kts instead of 90 and couldn't force it on in time. If you need to, feel it out on the way in to land, find out where the airplane feels the worse someplace other than on short short final. Also, remember that if you're a less than salty pilot that what you consider to be a "lot of ice," may or may not be. Just use common sense. In the words of a man with way more experience than myself, "talk like your balls need a wheelbarrow, fly like they haven't dropped."
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The problem with icing is that you may not feel it. The wings stall characteristics are modified by ice and, instead of a sharp break preceded by a buffet it may be a mush with no buffet. Also can not rely on the stall horn as, unless it is heated, it probably won't be working.
 
For me, I teach my students to use ten degrees mainly for visibility, and when flying the approach with a tailwind, which is common at our airport since approaches only go in one direction. In that instance the slower groundspeed is kind of necessary.

For normal approaches, however, I typically do not teach the use of flaps in 172s and most pipers. In our c-177 though, even as little as 10 degrees may mean the difference between seing approach lights in low vis/ceilings and not seeing them. That is a nose heavy airplane and it comes in relatively flat on the approach, the use of flaps allows you to drop the nose just a bit to see over the cowl.
 
In my SR22, I drop the first notch about 2 miles outside of FAF precision approaches if i'm being vectored. If i'm doing a full approach I drop them at the IAF. I'm usually not in that big of a rush so flying the approach at about 110-115 is fast enough.
 
Pachong said:
Other than on a circle to land approach....when do you guys suggest adding 10 degrees of flaps for a straight in approach? I've been training with 2 CFIs and get different suggestions....sometimes they tell me not even to bother. Is there a rule of thumb or anything? gracias...
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If I'm flying something like a 172, then no flaps until the runway is in sight. It seems kind of silly to drop flaps in something that isn't a problem to slow down in a quick amount of time. Maybe 10 degrees at the FAF or GS intercept, but nothing more.

However, something much faster, you have to be more prudent in configuring in order to give yourself enough time to stabilize.
 
In the Cirrus I was taught to set up when I was 2 Dots below glide slope or 1 mile out from FAF. I did that in a Cessna and flew the worlds slowest ILS...DOH
 
In a 172, my "normal descent to landing" is minumums, go visual, idle, nose up, dump flaps, 50-55 knots, land. I like to start from flaps 10 and slow. Handy for those shorter runways with the quartering tailwind when circling minimums just won't cut it. I like things slow... short bus slow.
 
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