Originally Posted by Gary Lager
it falls outside most companies (and so I suspect also the manufacturer's) SOPs for airmanship reasons.
From the Airbus Instructors Support Manual- "You may fly below current maneuvring speed of the configuration, provided speed is above VLS".
I would suggest this means flying below S speed is OK. But typical Airbus, have yet to, incredulously considering the price of oil, incorporated this into FCOM.
At max landing weight, your flaps jam. S speed is 182kts. Vref is 134kts. Approach increment is 25kts. Your Vapp is now 159kts. You can suffer an engine failure in this scenario and still have no restrictions flying below S speed without Flap 2!
That Airbus pilots are uncomfortable flying a few knots below S speed, is testament of how much the French are dumming down this profession.
Flying a level segment, with high drag Flap Two, burning an extra 20kg a minute, to meet an ATC speed requirement is poor airmanship IMHO.
I am confident Airbus will incorporate the practice of flying below S speed without Flap 2, when the price of oil makes 'green' approaches all the fuss.