It’s important to know how and when to perform a go-around. [Credit: Meg Godlewski]
Key Takeaways:
The go-around is a critical, normal maneuver essential for preventing accidents caused by unstable approaches, missed checklist items, or hazardous runway conditions, often being more important to master than the landing itself.
Pilots must be proficient in executing go-arounds correctly, involving immediate power application with right rudder to counter left-turning tendencies, careful incremental flap retraction, and adherence to pre-landing checklists (GUMPS).
Proactively choosing a go-around when situations are uncertain or deviate from expectations—such as an unstable approach, runway obstruction, or incorrect surface alignment—is crucial, as delaying or trying to salvage a bad landing significantly increases accident risk.
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.
CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT
Sign up to keep reading
Create a free account to continue. Already a member? Sign in below.
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)
