Geico266
Touchdown! Greaser!
Another thread reminded me of a subject near and dear to me (for many reasons). Seems most pilots have never done a "Go Around" and are darn proud of it! This kind of macho (I can make a landing no matter what! :mad ) can get you into trouble. I have had 3 occasions in 1,750 hours where a go around has saved lives, property, and lots of aggravations. Maybe I'm just a bad pilot, or maybe I'm over cautious, you be the judge. For me, I'm gonna make go around part of my flying and be prepared to use it every time I fly.
1. I was a solo ultralight pilot doing many T&G's on a grass strip and it was approaching 0dark30. Practicing short field landings I was on final and looked up (I was told to check out the rest of runway before touch down) and I noticed 3 black dots that were not there before. Instinctively, I hit the power and pulled the nose up and held it just before stall. I passed over 3 kids that got up and ran off the field. They thought it would be cool to hide in the tall grass on the runway.
2. I was on short final (with a passenger) on an unfamiliar private runway, in an LSA and a convertable car was paralleling the runway at a good speed. I looked up ahead and saw that the road crossed the runway and I could see a possible problem if the car did not see or hear me. Full power, go around. The car stopped at the intersection and all would have been fine, but I certainly did not know that. Later he told me I was silly for going around. B)
3. Learning how to land a tail dragger it is easy (for me anyway) to get into PIO (Pilot Induced Osculation) SEVERAL times I have hit the power and started flying again to kill the PIO and corrected the approach and made a "good" landing.
The point is, there are times when a "go around" is the best thing to do. I am certainly no expert when it comes to flying airplanes, I've just flown alot in many different airplanes. Don't be afraid to use it.
Better to have botched a landing and done a go around than to ball up a plane, hit something, or ground loop it.
When in any doubt do a go around. You'll just may be glad you did.
Anyone else have a go around day?
1. I was a solo ultralight pilot doing many T&G's on a grass strip and it was approaching 0dark30. Practicing short field landings I was on final and looked up (I was told to check out the rest of runway before touch down) and I noticed 3 black dots that were not there before. Instinctively, I hit the power and pulled the nose up and held it just before stall. I passed over 3 kids that got up and ran off the field. They thought it would be cool to hide in the tall grass on the runway.
2. I was on short final (with a passenger) on an unfamiliar private runway, in an LSA and a convertable car was paralleling the runway at a good speed. I looked up ahead and saw that the road crossed the runway and I could see a possible problem if the car did not see or hear me. Full power, go around. The car stopped at the intersection and all would have been fine, but I certainly did not know that. Later he told me I was silly for going around. B)
3. Learning how to land a tail dragger it is easy (for me anyway) to get into PIO (Pilot Induced Osculation) SEVERAL times I have hit the power and started flying again to kill the PIO and corrected the approach and made a "good" landing.
The point is, there are times when a "go around" is the best thing to do. I am certainly no expert when it comes to flying airplanes, I've just flown alot in many different airplanes. Don't be afraid to use it.
When in any doubt do a go around. You'll just may be glad you did.
Anyone else have a go around day?
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