I suppose at low level there is no harm in it; you can fly full rich
That is an understatement Peter. I think the majority of GA pilots fly full rich at all times (or don’t have to bother with this issue due to having a modern engine that doesn’t need an ancient technology such as manual mixture control). As you often mention, most GA traffic flies at or below 2000-3000 ft where leaning is unnecessary and most are renters who pay a wet rate and thus don’t really care for the fuel flow or longlivety (sp?) of the engine.
Sure, but this is an experienced pilot, 2500hrs, flying a piston twin.
Only a small detail I wondered about…
Mixture rich on short final does make sense to me as a setup for a possible go-around.
Standard procedure during training for MEP class rating (admittedly some years ago) was props fully forward, mix fully forward on approach. Reds, Blues, Greens check on final. That of course is unless you have already briefed otherwise such as if landing at altitude.
I don’t think it matter in practice to have it lean of peak or full rich on a 10min approach? But better have the aircraft completly configured for go-around as it is the most likely scenario after…
I tend to do last minute reconfig of the aircraft just as I become visual, for now it works as I only touch power, speed, flaps at 600ft agl but I think it is a bad habit on complex and low minima, at what phase one will put a complex aircraft in config for landing?
Just watched it again. He went full rich with the gear down.
Ibra wrote:
at what phase one will put a complex aircraft in config for landing?
It should be on your checklist for the particular aircraft that you’re flying.
Peter wrote:
Indeed, but you won’t be going around until the DH, or when requested by ATC.
No? You go around if you get more than half deflection on the needles, if the approach gets unstabilised for whatever reason, if you lose ILS reception or GPS integrity etc. etc.
Dimme wrote:
It should be on your checklist for the particular aircraft that you’re flying.
The ones I saw (Arrow, Seneca, DA42) have checks in two phases “decent & approach” (alt, engine…) and “landing” (gear, flaps…) but I am not sure how these fit within an instrument approach phases?
I usually mark my plates with “checks” along at the final approach fix, usually at 4 dme that involves re-configuring before becoming visual (which is easy if I know the aircraft), while I have been taught by an instructor to configure for landing (checks + flaps + gear) on a 14DME arc downwind, I was ok to do that while on instruction/exam but I don’t think I need that in practice 
With lower minima, I think I will keep “cruise config” until I become visual then switch to “landing config” in VMC, this makes go-around/land and approach easier, but then I may hit the jackpot one day landing too fast or with gear up, I am more concerned about the latter?
Going around with full flaps and full power and completely out of trim in IMC is not something I like to try again, one starts to have doubts on instruments, when you have to push hard on the yoke with two hands to keep it straight and level
In my twin rating I was taught “reds, blues, greens” on final (after gear and flaps) so typically between 700-1000’. I think this is fairly standard.
