It was suggested that It's up to the PIC to decide whether flaps are required or not depending on situation. Could be interesting to hear Your opinions on that.
One opinion as requested. Get the flaps full down as quickly as possible if landing ahead on remaining runway. It steepens the glide angle and flaps lower the stall speed. After the flare any float is minimised because of the drag caused by full flap.
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Retract flaps immediately on touch down to get weight on the wheels for braking efficiency. On the other hand, if you merely dive at the runway following engine failure touching down clean or with take off flap setting, then chances are you will float because of excess speed and there is a tendency to try and "spike" the aircraft on the runway.
In turn this has the potential to lead to a series of out of phase bounces known as "kangarooing" and has been known to cause the nose wheel break off. . The kangarooing uses up more runway as you desperately try to pin the aircraft on the runway. And you still haven't got the weight on the wheels in order to attain maximum braking capability.
If all else fails and you are floating just above the surface, then one suggestion is to have your handkerchief knotted at each corner like a mini parachute and hold it outside the side window for extra drag
That advice came from Wing Commander Spry the editor of the wartime RAF flight safety magazine "AirClues.