Definition
A landing approach flown with the wing flaps fully retracted, resulting in a higher stall speed, a flatter approach angle for a given power setting, a higher nose attitude, and a longer landing roll than a normal flaps-extended approach.
Plain English
Coming in to land without using the flaps. Because flaps normally help the airplane fly slower and descend more steeply, leaving them up means the airplane has to be flown faster and on a flatter path, and it will float farther down the runway before touching down.
Context Anchor
Encountered during landing training, especially when practicing abnormal landings or when discussing the round out and flare.
Why Pilots Care
Requires higher approach speeds and longer runway distances, directly affecting go-around decisions and landing performance calculations when flaps are unavailable.
Grounding Statement
With the flaps up, the airplane does not slow down and settle toward the runway the same way it does during a normal flap landing.
Intuition Check
No-flap does not mean “do everything normally except skip the flap handle.” It means planning for the airplane to approach and land differently because the flaps are not helping it slow down and descend.
Example Sentence 1
After the flap motor failed, the pilot briefed the tower and flew a no-flap approach, using a higher airspeed and aiming well short of the normal touchdown point.
Example Sentence 2
Because the airplane was configured for a no-flap approach, the pilot added extra runway length to the landing distance calculation.