Leaving Flaps Down after Ldg -Why Notify Tower

[Wannabe737driver]

Why are you supposed to notify the tower if you're going to taxi in with your flaps down after landing?

I've heard it mentioned that it has something to do with security/visability considerations, but given that the guys in the tower are up high that doesn't make sense to me given their field of view.

This is one thing they never taught us in CPL school.

Thanks.

[FlapsOne]

Because leaving flaps down after landing used to (maybe still is) a ground signal for hijack.

Leaving flaps down, or partially down, after landing may be done because of snow, system failure or failing to do the checks!

Many years ago in the military, after landing at an American base, I neglected to raise my flaps after landing (cock-up) and found myself surrounded by flashing lights near the apron.

It didn't seem to matter to them that I was in a single seat aircraft!

[LEM]

amazing, you never stop learning strange things - never heard of that before!

[Guatico]

Hi,

I'm really struck by this! Never heard about it either :ooh:

Can you confirm this is kind of a worldwide practice or custom??

[2FLYEU]

Flaps one is right.........
It does mean high-jack still.
As well as requesting "300 000"(for a 737-3) pounds of fuel it was a way to
alert ops about the hi-jack situation.
At least on our company........strange isn't it??:eek:

[Firestorm]

In our company we raise the flaps to the take off setting in preparation for the next sector, yet no one ever comes to see if we've been hijacked.... :(

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Wow.. all those "hi-jacked" aircraft I saw during my time at Heathrow Tower that never got in the papers!!

I,m long out of date but know of no reason why crews should advise ATC other than to stop the smarty-pants in the tower telling them! I learnt this very early on when I told a departing Airbus that his gear was down. "Affirmative, we use them for the take-off" !!

[AIRWAY]

Something new to me as well, like dad once said, "Son, you always learn something new every day"...

Im trying to search my Air Law manual, but cant find anything suggesting the above regarding flaps down, i shall try and confirm it with my instructor.

Heathrow Director

"Affirmative, we use them for the take-off" !!

:}

This is a good one, thanks for sharing... :ok:

[BIG DADDY]

Its definitly correct flaps down means hijack in my airline however I have done so inadvertently a couple of times and nothing happened

[Felix Lighter]

Concur.....HIJACK

About 2 yrs ago we landed in Hong Kong....and the flaps failed to retract.
We advised the tower who promptly replied "Many thanks, we noticed, you had us worried for a minute there!"

Sometimes I guess you get a flightcrew and controller who remember these "old ways'.

There are many other ways to indicate HIJACK to ATC...... various radio calls/requests etc but in this brave new world in an open forum it probably not the best place to air our little secrets? Who knows who is listening??

[2FLYEU]

Felix..............

You're absolutely right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We don't want another 911.

[747FOCAL]

Great, now we reminded Uncle Osama to make sure the pilots pull the flaps before taxi. Oh, yah I forgot they don't want to land at an airport. :(

[744rules]

Could it be that aircraft with fuselage mounted engines taxi-in flaps down to avoid fod being ingested in the engines.

:confused:

[ABO944]

Hi guys

I used to work for SAS at Heathrow and noticed that our pilots used to leave the flaps down until just before turning onto stand!
Sometimes it was a long taxy if landing 09L/27R to get to Terminal 3. I also noticed this when I flew on them.
Dont know why they did this, never asked, but shall ask a pal who still works there to find out from one of the drivers!

Abo944

[747FOCAL]

744rules,

You just jogged my memory.....

The 727 has suggestions for taxi with flaps down for FOD.

[LEM]

Alitalia for example leave their MD80 flaps down, at an intermediate setting, after landing, to ease a possible emergency evacuation....

[BlueEagle]

Just a possibility. Maybe it is SOP in SAS not to do the after landing check list until taxying is complete, especially at complex airports where both sets of eyes and ears are required to ensure no wrong turns or missed calls?

[Waldo.P]

In the airline I fly for if you squawk a certain code that notifies atc you have been hijacked,then if you taxi in with the flaps down that is telling atc you want the aircraft immobilsed.
Thats what the book says.

[square leg]

Hi Guatico,

Not only is it flaps down, but FULL flaps to indicate what you suspected. That's why MD80s are not bothered (by ATC) when they taxi in with intermediate flap settings which is SOPs. ATC expect different flap settings from different A/C and when they see something out of the norm, ?s are asked... (if they can see that far at all)

[Speevy]

About the flaps down thing, it means Hijacking, but only if the A/C instead of clearing the RWY at first available interection taxies down to the end and stops.

It must be writen in some ICAO Anexxes (not sure if it's the security or airlaw)

I am quite sure about what I stated because I am quite sure I read it while I was studying for my.

I am mistaken I am terribly sorry!!

Good flying to all of you

[ratarsedagain]

100% N1,
Did it never occur to you that perhaps Waldo.P was being discrete??

[Right Way Up]

100%, suggest you edit your post!

[100% N1]

OK, I deleted it, but it's not like it's confidential info or anything :confused: