Definition
VFE is the maximum airspeed at which the airplane may be flown with the wing flaps extended to a prescribed position. Exceeding VFE risks structural damage to the flaps, their attach points, or the surrounding wing structure. On the airspeed indicator, VFE is marked as the upper limit of the white arc.
Plain English
The fastest you are allowed to fly with the flaps down. Go faster than this and you can damage the flaps or the wing.
Context Anchor
Seen in the aircraft flight manual or pilot’s operating handbook, on airspeed indicator markings, and during approach and landing when the pilot is deciding when to extend flaps.
Derivation
The 'V' comes from the French 'vitesse,' meaning speed, used throughout aviation for V-speeds. 'FE' stands for Flap Extended. So VFE literally reads as 'velocity, flaps extended.'
Why Pilots Care
Exceeding this speed with flaps extended risks damage to the flap system or wing structure.
Intuition Check
VFE is not a target speed to aim for. It is an upper limit: be at or below it before using the specified flap position.
Example Sentence 1
On the descent into the pattern, the pilot slowed below VFE before selecting the first notch of flaps.
Example Sentence 2
VFE is lower with full flaps than with partial flaps.