Clarification for go-arounds

[Guest lbowes]

Hi again,Read all the posts on missed-apps, last night practiced one, CAT3 autoland dual channel, @ 1000ft clicked on TOGA power, a/c pulled up. One sec later speed started to drop because a/c pulled up too much (gear up @ this point, flaps to 15), look @ autopilot, lat and vert nav were not on, nor could I get the yellow light to come on for a/p A. I know that on app its normal for the the a/p lights to go off for app & vnav but is it normal for lnav & vnav lights not to be on for go-around? If not could anyone suggest what I forgot to do.Thanks very much,Luke (a pilot who will never get his 3 yrs no claim bonus:-))

[Guest Knikolaes]

I've always hand flown her for go-arounds, reset the needed procedures in the FMC while flying by hand and then intercept the new approach. Once intercepted then i turn on LNAV and VNAV to carry me back for the new approach.

[Guest Knikolaes]

Actually lemme reply to my own reply here to get a little more specific in clarification --Have you used the FMC and already confirmed that a missed approach/holding procedure is set? If so, also confirm on the missed approach that altitudes and such are set as well, and that you are able to meet the altitude requirements for the missed approach.For a full published procedure, when i do those, I usually hit TO/GO first off, get the plane going up. At this point I still have her by hand. I throw the gear up and clean up the flaps as needed. Once that is done I pitch her down to gain a bit of speed and then throw the AP on with LNAV only, and use FL Change for attaining my altitude. I never use VNAV on a missed approach because it almost is pointless to use. You don't want to AC to have a certain profile to get back up there on a missed approach. When it comes to bad weather and clearing that ground, trees and such, you want to expedite your climb as much as possible, get that bird up to the holding pattern and then start planning your next approach. If the full procedure is programmed into your FMC, then the LNAV and FL Change should be perfect for this, and just use SPD to maintain your speed in the MCDU.The good part about the holding pattern is while she is spinning I can be programming my next approach and clearing (in my mind, since FS2k4 isnt intelligent enough for this kind of clearing) through ATC my approach or requesting vectors to get my next ILS shoot.Once programmed, I exit the hold and off I go to try again.Hope this helps a bit. It may not be official procedure, but it's at least what i do and it seems to work okay thus far.

[Guest Knikolaes]

Annnnd . . .I almost forgot a MAJOR MAJOR step -- make sure your missed approach altitude is set in the MCDU as you are coming down the glideslope (ergo after she has captured the glideslope and you are no longer on ALT Hold, place the holding altitude for the procedure into the MCDU -- that may be part of why yer autopilot is not capturing)

[Guest lbowes]

Thanks Christopher for your very thorough response! Your suggested procedure sounds better than the offcial one and I will definately give it a try, I think where I failed last time was trusting the autpilot to handle everything lol I will make sure that I use LVL CHG as well.Cheers,Luke

[Guest Knikolaes]

No problem **smiles** I trust the AP a lot when it comes to normal procedures, but a G/A is not a normal procedure, and I also never trust the AP on corsswind landings either. When it comes to various certain situations all i trust is my arms, eyes, legs and the charts.