Hi AtlPax -
Yes, I agree - it would seem reasonable to us non-pilots to expect the flaps to be seviceable and set properly for take-off on the a/c. The pilot at LGA informed us of the problem himself - this is not "non-pilot speculation" from the back of the plane. He also informed us of what was going on outside, and those paxs on the r/h side could see and hear the mechanical rectifications taking place. The pilot then said the problem was fixed - "he (the engineer outside) has cranked them down, and he's cranked them up again" - the pilot's own words) - so why the aborted take-off that followed, then a very hair-raising second attempt, and finally the very high speed and bumpy landing at TPA with the flaps in the same position as they were at the LGA gate, with the plane seeming to drop like an elevator with snapped cables ?
and to Larry in TN -
Thanks for your post - As you have probably deduced, I am not qualified to fly S80's and so I will not disagree with your statement that it is not particularly dangerous to land an S80 without flaps. However, in this scenario, you must remember that the only people on the plane who really know what's about to happen are the 2 crew up front - and for the other 120plus punters in the cabin it is a SERIOUSLY unfunny experience, no matter how "nice" the flap systems are.
If an a/c develops a fault on the ground, then common sense would dictate that it should not fly again until the fault is rectified - whatever the cost to the airline. Unfortunately, the constraints of the financial side of the commercial aviation business and common sense rarely see eye-to-eye!