» Cover story GIVE YOURSELF A LIFT HOW FLAPS PROVIDE THE BOOST AND DRAG NEEDED FOR EVERYDAY OPERATIONS When I was a student pilot, learning about flaps was like a revelation to me. I had known they were used on landing to slow down the airplane, but I hadn’t given a whole lot of thought to other uses. As a student flying a trainer, chances are you only use the flaps on landings. Flaps are only used on takeoff when you are practicing short- or soft-field operations, and only in accordance with the pilot’s operating handbook for the particular airplane. Some aircraft never use flaps on takeoff, and even some jets can take off without the flaps down. Flaps do two things. First, they increase the amount of lift the wing can produce by increasing the total wing area and changing the curvature or shape of the wing. This keeps airflow in contact with the wings’ upper and lower surfaces for a greater period of time, thus increasing the coefficient of lift. This is why » By Chip Wright PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE FIZER ILLUSTRATION BY JOE SAPUTO SEPTEMBER 2012 FLIGHT TRAINING / 23