What is the approval status for steep approaches with flaps up?

The approval status for steep approaches with flaps up in the King Air 350 is classified as "Not approved." This is primarily due to the aircraft's design and performance limitations. When flaps are up, the aircraft maintains a clean configuration, which affects its stall speed and handling characteristics during steep approaches.

Steep approaches require a specific flight profile that benefits from increased lift generated by deploying flaps. Without flaps, the wing is less effective at generating that lift, making it challenging to maintain proper descent rates and control the aircraft's speed while navigating through a steep descent. Thus, flying a steep approach without flaps could result in increased stall margin risks and control difficulties, particularly in the approach phase where precision and stability are critical.

The requirement to have flaps deployed during steep approaches ensures that the aircraft can safely operate within its performance envelope while providing optimal lift and reducing landing speed. Hence, the categorization of steep approaches with flaps up as "Not approved" is in line with maintaining safety standards during flight operations.