Tag: go-arounds

Today I got one step closer to being able (and allowed!) to land the plane.

We started off in the classroom reviewing the traffic pattern. Basically, the traffic pattern is a standard set of rules planes are supposed to follow when arriving at and departing an airport. This way everyone knows where everyone else is supposed to be and there is less chance of a collision in the busy airport environment.

Well, my instructor wasn’t going to set me loose in the actual pattern just yet. Instead, we headed out to the practice area and flew a simulated pattern. He gave me some reference points to base the pattern around and we went through the whole process as if we were in the real pattern — slowing the plane down for landing, lowering the flaps at the appropriate points, etc… Then, when we were on “final approach” he had me initiate a go-around procedure.

The go-around is a very important tool in the pilot’s arsenal. Anytime a landing doesn’t feel right — if the approach is not stable, or if anything seems off — you should immediately initiate a go-around and start over. A lot of pilots have killed or injured themselves by trying to force a landing when they should’ve gone around and set up again. You also need to be able to do a go-around if ATC instructs you to — maybe there has been a runway incursion by another plane or they need to close a runway for some reason — you never know!

I performed the go-arounds by applying full power and starting a climb, gradually cleaning up the flaps as we gained altitude and speed. Then we just transitioned right back into flying the pattern again and setting up for another landing.

My instructor also threw me a curveball when he “failed” my airspeed indicator for a little while — covering it with a rubber disc so I couldn’t see it. I was expected to get the airplane to the correct speeds by feel — listening to the engine, looking at the pitch of the place, how quickly we were moving across the ground, etc… I nailed this a couple of times, and others I was as much as 10mph off. It was a good learning experience. It sounds impossible but my CFI compared it to driving — you can drive without looking at your speedometer and be pretty close to your intended speed. You know what 30mph looks and feels like, you know what 60mph looks and feels like… eventually I will have that same level of intuition and comfort flying this plane.

When we were done practicing I started flying us back to DXR — I was hopeful that I might be allowed to do my first landing, but alas! It was not to be. A couple of planes were all converging at the airport at the same time as us and my CFI deemed it a bit too busy.

I’m still not confident in my ability to fly the real pattern, but my instructor assured me I will get a LOT of practice in this area!

Flight time today: 1.0 hours
Total flight time to date: 10.1 hours
Total takeoffs to date: 4