The speed which will provide the least FPM rate of descent, or greatest distance until you reach earth is NOT the speed I would like to be doing when I decide to initiate a flare
That's a good point but isn't the speed at the threshold when landing normally lower than the best glide speed? I appreciate slipstream will have something to do with elevator authority but surely the elevator has to be big enough to flare sufficiently from best glide in a forced landing? I don't know much about the design/certification requirements for aircraft but would've thought it was something that was tested.