It’s important to know how and when to perform a go-around. [Credit: Meg Godlewski]
Key Takeaways:
Go-arounds are essential safety maneuvers, often more critical than landing, to prevent accidents stemming from attempts to salvage unstable or problematic approaches.
Proficiency in go-arounds requires diligent practice of proper techniques, including applying full power with right rudder, managing flaps incrementally, and using trim effectively to avoid overcontrolling.
Pilots must maintain acute situational awareness, verify correct runway alignment, and be prepared to initiate a go-around for any unsafe condition, such as missed checklist items (e.g., GUMPS), obstacles, or unstable parameters.
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.
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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)
