Touch-And-Goes

The approach and landing phase should be conducted in accordance with whatever specific procedure is being practiced: normal, engine-out, short/soft-field, high density altitude. Simply because youre not planning to slow down and exit the runway doesnt mean you should do anything different on the approach and landing. After all, the reason youre doing touch-and-goes is to practice, and you cant engage in valuable practice if you dont simulate realistic conditions and procedures.

Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside

Friday, September 22, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Touch-and-goes are a common pilot practice maneuver defined by landing and immediately departing without stopping, but they involve significant complexity beyond their simple definition, especially during the brief runway roll phase.
Successful execution demands meticulous attention to aircraft reconfiguration (flaps, trim), maintaining directional control, managing power, and continuously assessing runway length and conditions for takeoff, including establishing an abort point.
Pilots should consider alternatives like full-stop landings when facing unsuitable runways, flying complex aircraft, operating in high-density altitude conditions, or practicing specific short/soft-field techniques, as touch-and-goes may not always be the most appropriate or safest method.

See a mistake? Contact us.

One of the rungs on the ladder student pilots must climb is the touch-and-go. It naturally follows learning about stalls, flying a traffic pattern, and takeoffs and landings individually, and has become a time-honored way for pilots of all skill levels to practice using a runway. Interestingly, the FAA’s flight training literature offers little guidance on touch-and-goes beyond a definition in the Pilot/Controller Glossary (PCG) and that section of the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM). Both define a touch-and-go as an “operation by an aircraft that lands and departs on a runway without stopping or exiting the runway.”

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? This definition and the scarcity of formal guidance from the FAA on performing touch-and-goes also implies that the maneuver isn’t something to worry about. After all, it’s just the hard parts of a landing, followed immediately by what is supposed to be easy: a takeoff. What could go wrong?