Im either lucky or I dont fly enough: In more than 30 years of flying airplanes for personal transportation, Ive had to execute a for-real missed approach in IMC exactly twice. On both occasions, weather was the main culprit. At least thats my excuse. Both flights ended after a successful ILS approach. Of course, those two occasions dont include the trips I delayed or didnt make for weather-related reasons. 288
Miss Opportunity Approaches
Im either lucky or I dont fly enough: In more than 30 years of flying airplanes for personal transportation, Ive had to execute a for-real missed approach in IMC exactly twice. On both occasions, weather was the main culprit. At least thats my excuse. Both flights ended after a successful ILS approach. Of course, those two occasions dont include the trips I delayed or didnt make for weather-related reasons. In more than one instance, Ive waited out weather but still arrived at my destination before I had to be there. Theres no real secret to this kind of reliable personal-airplane use. Its a fairly simple matter of planning, keeping open as many options as possible, knowing what the options are and then-when its necessary-making the decision to execute the appropriate plan.
Key Takeaways:
- Always proactively plan for a missed approach, treating a successful landing as a bonus, and clearly communicate your Plan B to ATC for smooth execution.
- Avoid repeating the same approach or attempting to land at the same airport multiple times without first understanding and correcting what went wrong.
- Monitor weather trends diligently and develop comprehensive contingency plans (Plan A, B, C) including legal alternates and practical options like the nearest ILS.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
