This is almost never. One does not have to do a "short field approach" to have ones energy down across the threshold. Short Field landing is about landing with the minimum energy possible. Landing any faster than that is a crutch that adds hazard. Coming across the threshold faster or with reduced flaps just extends the time for energy dissipation and difficulty for the new pilot flying out the flare. It's the causes of bounces and porpoises.
This is almost never in the limited circumstances and aircraft which you fly, but it's certainly applicable to a wide variety of aircraft in a wide variety of situations, both big and small.
In some small aircraft, one can afford to get creative and yank power from a normal approach to slow down across the fence, but in many aircraft in many circumstances, one is best configured and on speed for the approach. It's almost axiomatic that a good approach can lead to a good landing, but a bad approach often does not.
Reduced flaps is not the cause for bounces and porpoises. Poor piloting does that.
Exces speed is not the cause for bounces and porpoises. Poor piloting, again. Sometimes it's best not to try to salvage a bad landing; go-arounds still work.
If one is going to land normally, approach normally. If one is going to land short, then approach as though one is doing a short field landing. This may or may not mean approaching high, but you'll find that nearly all aircraft flight manuals provide approach speeds and configurations applicable to short field or soft field landings, and these generally differ from a normal approach.
Flying with less than full flaps is sometimes advisable in conventional gear airplanes, often in gusting conditions, especially in wind shear conditions. It may be preferable in a crosswind, too.
A short field landing is not about landing with minimum energy. It's about landing with minimum distance. There's a big difference. Particularly that it's about landing with the minimum distance, given the prevailing conditions (landing weight, weather, winds, density altitude, etc).
The larger and more complex the airplane, in many cases, the more the cheating one can get away with in light airplanes goes out the window. It doesn't need to be an airbus or a boeing. Moving to a Twin Commander from a 310 can make a difference, as can moving to a 210 from a 152.
Approaching as slow as one can and landing as slowly as one can isn't the be-all and end-all of a short field landing.
One also needs to realize that in many cases, truly short fields are often soft, and soft fields are often short, and in both situations, the fields are often bounded by obstacles. The customarily taught method of short field approaches involving dragging the airplane to 50', pushing over an obstacle, then landing with maximum braking is fine in a texbook, but poor practice in most cases in the real world.
Other factors often come into planning for a short field landing (including the approach) such as early gear extension for brake cooling (including preparing the brakes for a short field landing by pre-cooling them, or cooling them after a short flight), and techniques such as raising the flaps upon landing to put more weight on the wheels for adequate braking, or to reduce flap damage from loose or rough surfaces. These aren't simply things one does at the last minute. One may begin preparing for that short field landing in the descent phase of the flight.
Well, with my emergency the cockpit filled up with smoke, and then the landing gear didnt come down. I used my knowledge of the system and emergency procedures to get the gear down and clear the smoke out. My resolve also helped, because I had large blisters and burns on my hand from the emergency gear handle.
Did you learn the wisdom of carrying a pair of gloves in your flight bag?
When you are in a power off glide, the potential for carb ice is at or near the max. There is a maximum of pressure differential across the throttle, which means maximum cooling as the air flowing through the carb loses pressure. i.e., max potential for ice.
Yes, and no. You have an increased potential for icing across the throttle plate of the idle jet, but this isn't a factor once the throttle is opened. The greatest drop in pressure and the greatest temperature drop occurs at higher throttle settings, with greater airflow. It's also the biggest threat to interrupted engine operation.
A failed engine during a power-off descent may not be easy to recognize. In big-tailed twins like the Twin Commander, it may not even be felt in the rudder pedals or seen on the inclinometer (skid ball). Increasing power occasionally helps assure that power is still there, but it also transfers fuel feed from the idle jet to the main jet in the carb. There are multiple kinds of carburetor icing.
I dont know what a "short field approach" is.
For every landing, I drop everything, every time, and land at the slowest speed consistent with airplane control.
I was warned on the EVSS that 55 degrees of flaps results in a
very steep descent angle. So it does, at 55 KIAS, and I love it!
Again, you can get away with it in a light airplane, depending on the model, in many cases. In time, you may learn to tailor your technique and practice to the conditions the aircraft, and other factors. Simply because you do it that way in one aircraft doesn't mean you can or should in others.
As an example, in a Cessna 150 with electric flaps, you can land at flaps 40, and it makes a nice, short field landing. If you have a problem with a flap microswitch or the flap motor, however, you may not be able to retract those flaps. If you need to go around, you'll be doing so at flaps 40 which may give very poor climb performance. If you experience an engine failure during that process, especially while beginning the climb from a slow approach speed, you may lose your energy very quickly, and find yourself in a bit of a pickle.
I departed Eagle once in a Piaggio Avanti with an inexperienced pilot. During his briefing, I asked about his intentions with a problem, such as a partially retracted landing gear. He wasn't sure, but given icing conditions and weather in the area, we talked about the wisdom of trying to climb out IMC with a gear problem, given the potential for an engine-loss. He could do it with the gear handing out, but what if he lost an engine after that? He would be stacking the accident chain against himself, having already approved the weak link.
As it turned out, the gear failed to retract (the only time I ever saw that happen in the P180, in a thousand hours in the airplane). We later determined that it was likely ice on a microswitch, but sure enough after takeoff, the gear failed to indicate up, and the gear stopped part-way up. I mention this as an example of things one ought to consider: we don't plan what we do around everything working perfectly. We plan for what may go wrong. Landing with full flaps is such an example, in some aircraft. One may not be able to retract the flaps, and that could lead to a very serious problem.
One could be flying a light twin with reverse capability, such as a King Air 90. One may have additional tools at one's disposal other than brakes, for stopping, and for making a short landing. Dragging the airplane in may not be advisable or necessary.
One may be operating in an area with much faster traffic, and ATC may want you to keep your speed up, but get off the runway as soon as practical. Dragging the airplane in may not work. The Piaggio was a good example; ATC had us at airliner speeds for much of the approach, slowing and getting stopped as soon as we could, in close. We could do it because of the capabilities of the aircraft, but that's not true of all aircraft, or even all light aircraft. It's also not appropriate for all pilots flying the same type of aircraft: what's in your comfort zone may not be in another's.
Some emergencies represent a culmination of skills; others represent the conclusion of one's skill-building time. It's the last time.
Be very careful of learning experiences that stem from emergencies you create. These aren't necessary to learn: it's far better to learn before the emergency develops.
