Instrument Approach Speeds

[KSCessnaDriver]

Flaps for an approach in a Cessna? Never done it. I've never seen it as being necessary. I'd teach my students to fly a MINIMUM of 90kt, no flaps. If you're on an ILS at 100kt at 200ft, there's ample time to slow to 60kt and touch down.

They should also be able to make speed adjustments inside the FAF if necessary. I haven't often done it at 120kt, but when I did, I'd simply start to slow at ~500ft.

Now in a twin, I'd have the gear down by the FAF. Flaps as necessary to comply with speed restrictions (usually a C152 in front of us doing the approach with flaps).

Is it needed in a Cessna, no. I think its taught more as a procedural thing, for moving on to bigger equipment. Having spent a fair amount of time flying a DA-40 IFR, it was much easier to fly with flaps on approach, because no matter what you did, no flaps meant it would take ages to slow down and go down.

 

[JustinS]

I've taught my students 100 knots. That's what the school pays me to teach, so I teach that... It may be a little fast for a Skyhawk, but it keeps the Hobbs time down, and the student has a better experience of what it's like trying to brief the approach, fly the airplane, and talk with ATC in a shorter time span. Recently I've heard that we're allowed to vary the speed for our students. Next chance I get, I'll teach students to shoot the approaches at varying speeds once they get the basics of shooting an approach down.