Can I bring us back to the central point? Lots of operators (I have worked for 3) have SOP's which encourage pilots to take off with the appropriate flap setting, go well through the speed at which they could select the flap up (sometimes by 50 kts or more) and take the flap up at 1500 feet just because its seen as a flap retraction platform.
Is this what anyone reading this thread does and do people think that's right or wrong?
Also, whats wrong with raising the flap when the manufacturer suggests? Where did a 400 foot height check come from? What I'm suggesting is that it doesnt make sense to have a height check at all for flap retraction. We should have a level acceleration platform available so that we can pitch level and accelerate if required but why is there a routinely accepted height check for flaps?
thats all I'm saying chaps, slightly surprised that everyone seems so negative about it. Do what you like, I don't really care. Tomorrows thesis is on the advantages of flying the ILS inverted so that you see the ground more easily on breakthrough.