What is a potential drawback of extending flaps during approach?

• A. It adds drag, requiring adjustments to approach speeds.
• B. It reduces drag.
• C. It has no effect on approach speed.
• D. It improves climb rate.

Answer: (A)

Extending flaps changes the airplane’s aerodynamics by increasing lift but also adding a noticeable amount of drag. That extra drag alters how your airplane behaves on final approach: you’ll likely need to adjust your approach speed (and power) to stay on the correct glide path and keep your stall margin. The added drag means you can’t rely on the same speed schedule you used with flaps up, so you adjust speeds to account for the new configuration. Flaps do not reduce drag, do affect approach speed, and do not improve climb rate, so the stated drawback focuses on the need to adapt approach speeds (and power) to manage the higher drag.