Do-Over

Pilots would do well to think of the throttle knob as the "reset button" on the instrument panel. If a mistake is made during a landing attempt, it's logical to use it to perform a do-over. The landing can be quickly deleted and replaced by a climbing return to the traffic pattern for another try. However, in our eagerness to stack as many landings as possible into an hour of training, we don't really give the go-around the status it deserves.

A go-around, also called a rejected landing, aborted landing, or balked landing, should be the expected outcome for any landing approach that's not going as well as we'd like. Landing is only mandatory when fuel becomes critically short. We should allow the airplane to continue on to the touchdown only if it's in the proper condition--on speed, aligned with the extended runway centerline, moving down the glidepath to the touchdown zone, and configured for landing. From the time the landing approach begins, we must be ready to perform a go-around.

As a flight instructor I like to introduce the go-around as a deliberate maneuver, briefing the student on the downwind leg to fly a normal approach down to the runway, and then make a go-around to return for another landing. The student learns to judge the approach, set up the airplane correctly for a landing, and--most important--experience the changing control feel accompanying a shift from glide to climb. There's no surprise, because this is a planned, expected go-around.

Once the technique of going around is learned, we can proceed to making complete landings, with the go-around always available as an option. The instructor may call for a go-around if the situation demands it; the student may make a go-around if he or she feels it's called for; or the instructor can issue a "go around" command arbitrarily, simulating a conflict or other problem.

As with any maneuver, go-arounds can be done poorly. Sometimes they turn into a more hazardous situation than the one the pilot is trying to avoid. For this reason, they need to be discussed in preflight briefings and practiced as part of the takeoff and landing drill. The student needs to understand that the aircraft must be reconfigured for a climb in a specific sequence, applying correct control inputs to keep the airplane flying safely as it transitions from the landing glide to a full-power climb.

What changes when we go around?

There are many reasons a go-around would be the safest option. A primary justification would be the lack of runway remaining at touchdown. Our ancient rule of thumb is to make the landing in the first third of the runway, leaving the last two-thirds for stopping. If you're still high above the VASI glidepath when you pass over the numbers, your touchdown will likely take place well beyond the first 1,000 feet of runway--which may be too far (unless it's a really long runway). Bring up the power as soon as you can see you're too high. A late judgment of being low on the approach can also be justification for going around. Students often get the message a little late, applying some power but not enough, eventually hauling the yoke back to keep the landing gear out of the trees as airspeed deteriorates. While it's possible to cram on throttle, recover the proper airspeed and glidepath, and make a landing, the nose-high "dragged in" approach is not a normal sight picture for a landing and will require aggressive control inputs to jockey throttle reduction and flare. Going around to make a normal approach is a better option. Losing runway alignment calls for a go-around. If you're heading for a touchdown on top of the runway lights or in the grass beyond the pavement, push the reset button and climb out for another try. An uncorrected crosswind drift may have created such a situation, or you may have put a wing down or pushed on a rudder pedal to leave the centerline. If there's any doubt about whether you're properly aligned with the runway, go around. There's always the airplane-on-the-runway scenario that requires a go-around, perhaps because you were following a bit too close on final or the pilot landing ahead missed the turnoff. And it's not always an airplane that looms large in the windshield; once I saw four whitetail deer meandering across the runway as I was on short final. Be ready to execute the do-over option, even after the touchdown.

As a result of the power surge accompanying a go-around, the airplane's attitude can change rapidly. On a normal approach to landing with flaps extended and nose-up trim applied to compensate for slowing airspeed, the power is at a low rpm and airflow over the tail is stable, with little effect on turning tendencies. Adding power blasts airflow over the horizontal tail, introduces p-factor, and yaws the airplane's nose to the left. The airplane may try to pitch up to maintain trim speed, possibly into an excessive nose-up attitude. Meanwhile, the pilot is occupied with raising flaps, shutting off carburetor heat, making a radio call, and maintaining position in relation to the runway.

By practicing this maneuver in advance of an unexpected requirement to go around, we can break the sequence into manageable chunks. Priorities have to be established; control the airplane first, and that means avoiding a stall. Don't try to get the airplane under control with the trim tab; you'll need to temporarily override the out-of-trim condition with forward or aft pressure on the yoke while the speed, power, and flaps are changing. Use the trim to relieve excess pressure, but take charge with the primary controls.

Airspeed is a primary tool for gauging successful attitude control; a nose-down gliding attitude produced the correct speed for the approach, and with climb power a nose-up attitude is needed to hold the desired climbing airspeed. Check the airspeed often during the go-around and keep it near the target. If the go-around is begun late in the landing, as when entering the flare to land, it will be necessary to keep the nose low in order to accelerate away from the near-stall condition and reach a safe climbout speed. A go-around from final approach, on the other hand, is a simpler transition from glide to climb, because the airspeed is already near the desired figure.

Make sure full power is applied; the intent is to climb away from the runway, not go for a slow cruise across the airport. Carburetor heat must be turned off for the engine to develop full rpm, and, after opening the throttle and achieving a positive rate of climb, you'll want to remove the drag of the flaps. Remove the flaps in stages, first getting rid of the high-drag landing-flaps setting to enhance acceleration while keeping the lift generated by the first flap increment. Once safely into the green arc on the airspeed indicator, the rest of the flaps can come up.

The most common mistake I see in go-arounds is a failure to increase pitch attitude as the airplane accelerates. The student winds up 20 knots over V_Y, satisfied to be progressing away from the landing, but barely climbing. Safety lies with altitude, not excess airspeed. Get the nose up to climb attitude and grab all the altitude you can as quickly as possible, in case the engine goes to sleep in those first few critical seconds.

Why go around?

Can you go around too soon? Sometimes a low-time student goes around early in the approach, even though there was a long runway and he had the option of regaining control and landing well within the available pavement length. You should always consider all the options, such as adding more flaps, using a forward slip to bleed off altitude, or adding power to buy time to get back into runway alignment. But I would rather second-guess the decision after I've gone around and executed a successful landing. Don't deliberate; instead, accelerate.

Following a go-around, it's important to do something different the next time. Extend the downwind, carry more power, make the turn to final earlier--try alternatives to get it right. Don't keep doing the same thing that resulted in a go-around on your first attempt. Going around is a mixture of mental and physical skills, because it requires good judgment to initiate the action, then some dexterous flying to complete the transition from approach to climbout. That's the reason it has to be planned in advance, so you'll know exactly how you'll do it when the time comes. Always be ready for a do-over.

LeRoy Cook has been an active flight instructor since 1965 and has had more than 1,350 articles published. He is also the author of 101 Things to Do With Your Private License and Flying the Light Retractables.

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