You talk about semantics and then throw in an apparent fact that is just not true. There is no agreed definition of Landing Assured - this issue was raised at an instructors seminar in the UK and the only thing that was agreed is that there isnt a definition!
I am landing assured if the approach is stable, I can see that the runway is clear, and ATC have cleared me to land. I could baulk landing after that point for any number of reasons - brake failure, an unseen obstruction such as an animal, if the approach became unstable at any time. OEI I would consider taking landing flap once I have decided that the landing is assured but I definitely wouldn't leave it at the point where I could retard the throttles and complete a glide approach and take it then. ICAO does define a stable approach (in 8168) and one of those is that the aircraft is in the landing configuration. Taking the landing flap by definition destabilises the approach for a time and when you are OEI will require you to move the remaining thrust lever (s) more than you are used to and consequently you will have to move the rudder which may or may not mean you need to put in some aileron (you get the point). So the argument for landing in the approach flap config is fairly strong but the pilots in the plane with the dead engine must decide. Use the days when it doesn't fail to think about and practice what you will do when it does fail!
I think I consider Landing Assured to be a less wordy version of "Landing is really really likely and I'm happy to commit some extra drag to the situation and its pretty unlikely that I'm going to go around now but dont completely bin that idea because you never know, it is still a possibility".
But lets be clear. Thats me. I don't really care what anyone else does so long as there's a plan. I think its important to explain things as clearly as possible on here because some people with not a busting lot of experience actually read our waffle and may choose to incorporate whats said into their bank of knowledge.
come on Sillypeoples - give me your wisdom..
Last edited by tommoutrie; 28th Sep 2012 at 09:57.