In our company we are encouraged to land Conf 3, it is our first option to land, even on a wet (but not contaminated) runway, provided we run a calculation with runway condition “medium to poor” and take no credit for reverse. However, we do have some high altitude airports; main base is at 8300ft, our most frequent destination is at 7000, and we have everything between those and airports right at MSL. I do try to save fuel when possible (part of the job description now, I suppose), but I try to put common sense on top, so far as decision making goes, and I’ve tried to made it simple for myself.
So here goes: land with Conf 3 (+ idle rev) if no particular weather phenomenon present, I.e, no tailwind, no massive shower, no chance of shear and, if landing at one of those high alt airports (read those two mentioned above) resulting Vapp no higher than 140 (mainly for the GS/VS relation mentioned above, and also to take care of the brake temp, since our turnarounds are short). I’ll even land conf 3 with a wet (but not contaminated) runway, if no other relevant factor is present (no high winds, no heavy shower). However: runway with active heavy rain showers (we fly in the Caribbean) or runway too wet (as in “massive rain shower just ended”) will see me use conf full + max rev. Tailwind? Too heavy? Atmosphere too bumpy (like on hot days)? Conf full is my choice.
I do have a nitpick, which I will present to you here for judgement/correction/confirmation, and that is the abrk setting. Company says this is the first item to be modified in the landing conf (before flaps and rev, in that order) for $ome rea$on I $u$pect, which would mean that if I choose to land with flaps full + rev, it’s because I already have abrk on medium. However, when landing in seriously wet runways I use conf full, rev but abrk on low. My reason for this is that I know (because of Lauda Air 767) that reversers destroy lift, and abrk at medium will sometimes make controllability a bit harder once on ground (on one occasion I even had to disengage it as it made the airplane veer left and correcting with pedals wasn’t enough). Abrk low, in my experience, will see the airplane roll down nice and easy with no weird pulls to either side and control will be easier. Any comments on this practice?
Regards!