Extending flaps after deice
 

Hi all,

After deicing / anti-icing, when do you extend flaps? My company has us wait until just prior to takeoff before extending flaps, but the Airbus FCOM says once you're done, you can go ahead. How's it done at other companies?

If there is a chance of accumulating ice during the taxi after deicing, leave them up until you are ready for takeoff.
We have done that on both Boeing and Airbus at my company.

Here they extended the flaps only at the holding point. But this is one heck of a blizzard!

For the A320 the FCTM states:

• On slush-covered, or snow-covered, taxiways: Flap selection should be delayed until reaching the holding point, in order to avoid contaminating the flap/slat actuation mechanism.
  

If no precepitation and no holdover time concerns, captain discretion to extend them after de-ice. Otherwise at the holding point when cleared onto the runway. In a nutshell.

A320, EU average exposure to white magic.

As early as available to resume the standard sequences of everything. Running the OEM version has flaps-set before F/CTL, when stationary prior to taxi. The FCTM guidance quoted at #3 was consistently observed, namely so as we deiced with the flaps up all the time.

Fortunately no overly eager and half-applicable company internal memos or SOP on that. In this case the Airbus books have some gaps if combed with Vulcan brush, but no need to formally bridge them if you know where you are going.

Thanks for the replies guys.