The flow over a flat plate at a Reynolds number of 750 is numerically investigated via fine large-eddy simulation (LES), first at normal (90\textdegree) and then at oblique (45\textdegree) incidence flow direction with a uniform steady inlet. The results are in complete agreement with the direct numerical simulation (DNS) and experimental data, thereby serving as a validation for the present simulations. For the normal (90\textdegree) uniform inflow case, coherent vortices are alternately shed from both leading edges of the plate, whereas for the oblique (45\textdegree) uniform inflow case the vortices shed from the two sides of the plate interact strongly resulting in a quasi-periodic force response. The normal flat plate is then analysed with an incident gust signal with varying amplitude and time period. For these incident coherent gust cases, a reference test case with variable coherent inlet is first studied and the results are compared to a steady inlet simulation, with a detailed analysis of the flow behaviour and the wake response under the incident gust. Finally, the flat plate response to 16 different gust profiles is studied. A transient drag reconstruction for these incident coherent gust cases is then presented based on a frequency-dependent transfer function and phase spectrum analysis.