When Should a Pilot Initiate a Go-Around?

Knowing how and when to commence he maneuver is like an art form.

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, January 28, 2026 at 09:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Go-arounds, also called a ‘balked landing,’ are part of all pilot training. [Credit: FLYING Archive]

Key Takeaways:

Pilots should initiate a go-around for any unstable approach, including incorrect aircraft configuration (speed, flaps, gear), being too high or low, or not aligned with the centerline, rather than attempting to salvage a poor landing.
Always execute a go-around if the runway is obstructed by another aircraft, vehicle, person, or animal, without assuming they will clear the runway in time.
The go-around procedure ("ups") prioritizes adding power and pitching up to climb safely away from the ground, with communication to other pilots occurring once the aircraft is under control.

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Question: When should a pilot initiate a go-around? I am a student pilot and I know enough to go around if the tower tells me to or the CFI I am flying with tells me to, but what do I do when I am flying solo at a nontowered airport?

Answer: If you are behind the airplane, meaning the aircraft isn’t properly configured (on speed, flaps down, and landing gear down), or too high, too low, or not lined up on the centerline, going around is a good aeronautical decision. Unless it is an emergency and landing must be made now, never try to salvage a poor approach.

Other times to go around: When there is another aircraft on the runway and they will not be clear by the time you are on short final, go around. If there’s a car on the runway, go around. If there is a person or an animal on the runway, go around.

READ MORE: How Can I Teach Student Pilots to Give Better Informal PIREPs?
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Are we noticing a trend here? Don’t operate on the assumption that the aircraft, animal, or person will get out of your way.

Be prepared to initiate the “ups”—pitch up, power up, clean up, heat up, fess up, which is pilotspeak for the go-around procedure. Adding power to climb is probably the most important. “Climb away from the dirt! The dirt is what’s going to hurt!” is a mantra used by some.

Note the radio (fess up) is the last on the list. If you don’t land, the other pilots are going to notice. Once the aircraft is climbing out and under control, let them know what you’re doing.

By the time you are endorsed for solo, you should have the skill to land on speed and in proper configuration on the first third of the runway. During training many instructors encourage identifying a point of touchdown, and landing within 1,000 feet or less in the appropriate attitude and on speed as indicated in the aircraft POH.

There are also some metrics that pilots use. In VFR conditions, if you are below 500 feet and the approach is unstable, don’t try to salvage it. Unless you are on fire or have some other emergency, go around. If you are in IFR conditions and below 1,000 feet and unstable, execute the missed approach and go around.

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