It’s important to know how and when to perform a go-around. [Credit: Meg Godlewski]
Key Takeaways:
Go-arounds are crucial safety maneuvers, often more important than successfully landing, to prevent accidents stemming from unstable approaches or hazardous conditions, as many aviation incidents occur during the landing phase.
Pilots should initiate a go-around for various reasons, including unstable approaches (e.g., incorrect glide path/speed, not aligned with runway), landing gear issues, unexpected runway obstacles, or explicit instructions from ATC or an instructor.
Executing a go-around safely requires correct power and pitch management, application of right rudder to counteract left-turning tendencies, incremental flap retraction, and adherence to pre-landing checklists (like GUMPS), with practice at altitude recommended to master these critical techniques.
This is what my instructor said when he taught me how to do a go-around, also known as a balked landing. Knowing when not to land is more important than how to land because trying to salvage a bad landing often leads to an accident.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
![It’s important to know how to do a go-around. [Credit: Meg Godlewski]](https://www.flyingmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/VFR-into-IFR-smoke-scaled-e1681249141756.jpg)
