Ill Be Missing You

We all know how to fly a missed approach. We probably did a handful of them on our instrument checkrides, and when were out practicing approaches, even in a sim, we most often go missed. We may not be flying a full missed approach procedure as published, but we still have to reconfigure the airplane and climb away. When were practicing, we know how the approach will terminate: by going around at the missed approach point. Its what we expect when practicing.

Tom Turner

Friday, August 30, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Though Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. felt at one with the F-16 he flew most in service, his dream is to fly one of the Red Tail P-51 Mustangs flown by the Tuskegee Airmen. U.S. Air Force

Key Takeaways:

Pilots must mentally prepare for and precisely execute missed approaches, viewing them as successful procedural completions rather than failures to land, and memorize critical details like altitudes, MAP, and climb headings.
A successful missed approach relies on flying a precise, stable descent, actively managing power (adjusting for altitude changes) and evaluating the approach's stability at 500 feet AGL.
To reduce workload during a missed approach's critical initial phase, pre-set controls (propeller, mixture), delay ATC contact until stabilized, and be intimately familiar with your aircraft's specific systems.
Be aware that most general aviation autopilots require manual disengagement for a missed approach, potentially leading to an out-of-trim condition, and understand your system's specific go-around mode operation.

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We all know how to fly a missed approach. We probably did a handful of them on our instrument checkrides, and when we’re out practicing approaches, even in a sim, we most often go missed. We may not be flying a full missed approach procedure as published, but we still have to reconfigure the airplane and climb away. When we’re practicing, we know how the approach will terminate: by going around at the missed approach point. It’s what we expect when practicing.

When you prepare to fly a for-real instrument approach, part of your briefing is the missed approach procedure. Then you fly the approach, almost always breaking out well above minimums and landing. That’s what we’ve come to expect. But what if you get to the missed approach point (MAP) and do not have the runway environment in sight? Are you really ready to fly the missed approach procedure without having to refer back to the approach chart? How can you fly this critical maneuver precisely? What are your expectations?