Airbus Flaps Down on Ramp?

[Radi K]

Hey Guys.

Quick question. Last week when flying around Europe I noticed that some Airbus operators keep a certain level of flaps down during a turnaround? I flew in an EK A332 and A345 and Olympic and Agean A320's. On most flights it looked like 1 stage of flaps was out during the turnaround. Both leading and trailing edge devices. Is this a new thing? Why is it done? Or is this normal Airbus SOP's because I have never noticed it before.

Not sure if JQ or QF do it too?

If this post doesn't make sense I'll try and provide a pic of what I'm talking about...

[David C]

In the last month I've flown on A346 , A332 and A321 aircraft . I've not noticed any flap extensions on the ramp on any of the flights , and I tend to notice things like that , so I'm not sure what was happening on your flights . Perhaps others may have noticed anything ??

Dave C

[Nathan Bartlett]

From another forum:

"It is recommended by Airbus that A330s/A340s (and possibly the smaller buses I'm not certain tho) if the outside air temperature is over 30 degrees C to leave the flaps at the first setting when pulling into the gate"

But don't know how true it is! Cos its pretty hot here in Australia and i've never seen it here!

[Radi K]

That would make sense because it was in Dubai and in Athens both which were very hot!

[Philip Argy]

More shade for ground crew?

[Michael Mak]

I flew on Virgin Atlantic A340-600 to Hong Kong in late November last year. The flap was down when I boarded the aircraft, I think it's about stage 1 of the flaps setting. The aircraft had been parking on the tarmac since it arrived at 7 that morning and my flight was at 3:30pm. The Thai A340-600 parked next to us did not have its flag extended at all.

I was wondering why the flags were extended and were they extended the whole time it was parked on the tarmac?

Here is a photo of the wing when I boarded the aircraft:
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/8...1127144227.jpg

[David C]

Originally Posted by Radi K

That would make sense because it was in Dubai and in Athens both which were very hot!

The plot thickens .... I was at Abu Dhabi and Larnaca in late July and there was no extended flap set on the tarmac then...

Dave C

[Karl M]

I was watching a Tiger Airways 320 from my office window in MEL this morning & noted the flaps down at a reasonalby small setting before it was taxing out of it's stand off bay.

Could not confirm if they were down while parked & engines off, but defenitly will keep checking of the next few days to see if they are down while parked.

[Brenden S]

I recall reading something where it was due to a flap fault or freezing or the flaps couldn't retract on climb out. I could be wrong.

[Brad M]

In Hot/humid weather, the flaps set to 1+F (slats & first flaps) to eliminate a Wing surface overheat message , caused by the bleed air from the APU to the wings for Anti icing....Keeps wings cooler while on the bay..

Tiger lowers the flaps as the last part of the dispatch..not on bay.