Tailwheeler\u2019s Journal #4
\nThe Go-Around
\nIf there ever was a pilot operation exemplifying the fact that every situation is different, it\u2019s the Go-Around. Because I\u2019ve helped make it an issue in the minds of my students, I thought I\u2019d make it the subject of this Tailwheeler\u2019s Journal.
\nThose who\u2019ve flown with me or read the section of my book on this subject know that I think that the vast majority of go-arounds are needless. They deprive many pilots of the need to practice more exact accuracy landings. Since I\u2019m so against the practice of mindless go-arounds, isn\u2019t it appropriate that I\u2019ve attached the infamous \u201cLanding at Gualalupe\u201d video that has become viral on the internet? This video provides a perfect example of a situation in which a go-around was clearly indicated. Either the pilot was fixed on that landing with a \u201cmy mind\u2019s made up, don\u2019t confuse me with the facts\u201d attitude or there was some reason such as mechanical failure or bingo fuel that made a go-around an unattractive option for him (we stick our necks out when we infer details about an incident about which we have no first hand knowledge and I\u2019ll admit that my neck is out on this one).
\nThere are several reasons I\u2019m against routine go-arounds, but there are a couple of situations that don\u2019t come under that heading: Obviously, if you can\u2019t stop on the runway left to you, GO AROUND. If the runway becomes obstructed by other traffic, GO AROUND. But if you can simply slow down on the approach in order to give traffic the opportunity to clear, why not do so? Oh, afraid to fly slow? Cancel your subscription to \u201cTailwheeler\u2019s Journal\u201d. Is accuracy the issue? Then practice your accuracy. There isn\u2019t one of us flying who doesn\u2019t have some areas of weakness that we ought to practice. Interestingly, one of mine is\u2026wait for it\u2026 POWER-OFF ACCURACY. Do you know which way most pilots goof when it comes to flying power off accuracy landings? Overshoot. Few pilots undershoot, most tend to overshoot. I know it\u2019s MY favorite screwup. There are some common techniques to help hone landing accuracy, the most common
\nbeing to judge whether the target is moving up or down in your line of sight. One of my tailwheel students told me years ago that he figured he always floated a certain distance during the flare, so he just aimed for a point that much closer to allow for it. Hooray for his common sense approach to this problem. He did very accurate power off approaches, too.
\nI would have to say that the art of power off accuracy approaches and landings is losing favor as more pilots dream up excuses not to practice it (\u201cI have to avoid over-cooling that engine\u2026\u201d). As a result, few are able to land accurately power off. If you don\u2019t want that particular chicken to come home to roost, practice. I\u2019m particularly fond of placing a pilot about five hundred feet above pattern altitude right over the runway numbers before failing the engine and asking for an accuracy landing. Virtually everyone rushes all turns with the result that they end up high and hot. Good thing there\u2019s no beach at the end of the Sunriver runway.
\nSo let\u2019s all keep that chicken off his favorite roost and go out to practice the power-off accuracy landing. If you ever have a real engine failure, your friends and family will be grateful that you did.
\nHappy (power off) landings,
\nBrian<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Tailwheeler\u2019s Journal #4 The Go-Around If there ever was a pilot operation exemplifying the fact that every situation is different, it\u2019s the Go-Around. Because I\u2019ve helped make it an issue in the minds of my students, I thought I\u2019d make it the subject of this Tailwheeler\u2019s Journal. Those who\u2019ve flown with me or read the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tailwheelersjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tailwheelersjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tailwheelersjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwheelersjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwheelersjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tailwheelersjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tailwheelersjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwheelersjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwheelersjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}