Twin Otter Procedures

[flyhardmo]

I would like to know what other companies operating procedures are for after take off on the twin otter. Do you put flaps up and then reduce the props or vice versa. since engine failure procedures require that flaps be put back down to 10 degree's would it be better to reduce the props and then retract the flaps. Does the environment you fly in dictate what procedure you use ie: mountainous terrain. Thanks for your help.

[Bob Lenahan]

Flew for a small company with 2 a/c outfitted with pt6a20's. Our procedure was take -off with 10 degrees flaps and props set at 75 to 80%. We were flat landers.

[V2+ A Little]

Not a good idea to take off with the props at 80%, you don't have full power, and no reverse if you have to stop quickly. We use to set the power, before flap retraction.

[411A]

When operating this aeroplane 40 years ago (when they were brand new directly from the factory), the AFM was thus...
Normal takeoffs.....flaps 10
STOL takeoffs.......flaps 30
As for power reductions, flaps up first, then power reduction.
We did have one line pilot who insisted on using zero flaps for takeoff, reasoning that if an engine were to fail, the best engine out ROC was with flaps up.
He was quite right of course, but this resulted in rather long (for the aeroplane) takeoff runs, which scared the heck out of the passengers, especially those with window seats watching the boundry fence at the far end of the rather short runway...:uhoh: :uhoh:

[Musket90]

The Maldivian Air Taxi T Otters sea planes I think use the STOL flap setting and full power as you can hear stall warning as the crew try to lift of the water as early as possible!

[mini]

Sat in the back of an empty one once - seven seconds from commencement of take off roll to rotation. No idea what settings they were using...:ok:

[flyhardmo]

I was asking because we reduce the props and then retract the flaps but the book says flaps first then props. We are operating at higher altitudes with lots of hill and we find that leaving flaps set at 10 after take off we get a better angle of climb to clear obstacles. The other reason is that if we lost an engine while reducing power after take off then flaps 10 were already set minimising EFATO procedures. I have heard arguments to retract the flaps straight away to accelerate the aircraft but accelerate to 100KIAS from 90KIAS seems a bit pointless for initail climb out.

[Bob Lenahan]

Sorry V2+.
10,000 ft runways at sealevel 80% was plenty of power. No prob concerning engine failures. 6 month check rides confirmed that. Sudden stops at 60, no prob with brakes. Also, kept the noise level way down. FAA had no probs with the procedure either.