Don’t Forget About the GO-AROUND.
It is a beautiful day. The sun is shining, and the winds are light. You are perfectly set on final approach – checklists complete, on airspeed, on glide path. Feeling pretty great about life you call out “stabilized approach – continue to landing” and as you begin to level off above the runway you hear it.
GO AROUND. The sound is like a record scratch from ATC during your favorite song and the tune changes. But are you ready? Are you really, ready to abort that approach and go around?
We commit to land every time we fly. But how often do you commit to the go-around?
We should commit every time we fly. So that means we need to be ready for the go-around at all points during the arrival and the touchdown. You have heard the phrase “the key to a good landing is a good approach,” and that is so true. A good approach does not guarantee a good touchdown or that there may not be cause to go-around at a low altitude. In fact, we often continue to the landing when the approach is less than perfect; less than good even. As pilots, we say, “I can fix this” or “I’m back on track now, all good,” and we commit to land. Therein lies the potential problem. We are so committed to land that we forget that the go-around is even an option. We develop a sort of tunnel vision with the sole focus of wheels on ground.
A go-around remains an option during all phases of the landing. The only instances when a go-around is not an option are pretty much if the aircraft is on fire or out of fuel. But a go-around is an additional skill that needs practice for the pilot to remain proficient. Part of the practice is training your brain to keep the go-around option open. How can we do this? How can we stay aware of the option to start over on the landing rather than continuing to a less-than-desirable touchdown?
For starters, let’s ready and use the Balked Landing/Go-Around checklist that is available in the MFD. After you complete the Before Landing Checklist and the Landing Checklist, have the Balked Landing/Go-Around Checklist either up on the display or ready to view with one touch of the checklist key.
Additionally, we should brief the go-around. Landing is arguably one of our busier times as pilots but if we are flying a stable approach, we have time to audibly brief the go-around procedure. We brief the missed approach procedure in instrument flying – this is no different – this is briefing what could be next. Assuming a stable approach at 500’, brief the go-around procedures when the “five hundred” aural is heard.
Lastly, practice, practice, practice. Practice makes proficient so be sure to dedicate time to reviewing checklist procedures outside of the cockpit in order to keep the memory sharp and take time to fly the actual procedure in the airplane to engage that muscle memory.
Go-arounds are free. There is no shame. The go-around is often the perfect answer to an avoidable landing incident. If you are prepared, you can always go around.
Make Good Choices.
