Hey guys,

 

So I just broke the NGX on landing out of Toncontin / MHTG about 10 minutes ago and it got me thinking. :Thinking: I personally rarely initiate a go-around, even if the landing looks like an unstabilized mess; 20 knots too fast, 100 feet too high, and an AI aircraft already on the runway - I'll still try and put it down instead of wasting another 30 minutes on a go around and 2nd approach. Because it's a sim, it just feels easier to "put it down" and I rarely ever suffer consequences from it (except for tonight where I left 125 passengers stranded off the end of runway 02 in a ditch).

 

It's sort of ironic to have so much fidelity and complex realism with the PMDG, yet not follow any semblance of realistic flying. So I was wondering who else among us has forgo-ed a go around because you don't want to spend time on a 2nd approach, or because you know you can get away with a bad landing? Have any of you just "put it down" without care, even on a horrible approach?

 

 

Let's hear some stories. I can't be the only guy here that doesn't often push TOGA. Is it ever always worth the extra 10-20 minutes of your busy day to Go Around?

LMAO! is all I have to say to that shot - I have done a go-around or two myself; but like you I've many times ignored the AI on the runway. I had a friend, we were flying online in the NGX. We were doing Norwegian hops with our VA, and had made our way up north in Norway. We landed on a runway only 6,500ft long that the real airline flew to, my friend managed to hover over the runway and miss the TDZ completely, he still put it down and slammed on max auto brake etc. He skidded off the end of the runway, into the water! It was hilarious. I'd say more go-arounds though!

I have to admit in the past I've pushed on even though the approach hasn't met the stable criteria, normally due to being in a rush to go out or not having enough time for a second approach.

 

Last time I did that I ended up over running RWY 06 at EGPH in heavy rain on Vatsim.

 

Nowaday's I have a bit more time on my hands so it's Go around if not stable by 1000ft IFR 500 ft VFR

 

Stable criteria is landing flaps, within 5kts of Vapp/Vref, engines spooled and within 1 dot of the G/S & LOC

 

Regards

 

 

I too am guilty of avoiding the TOGA button most of the time. Just don't normally have the time to fly the about. I do sometimes practice them though, when I don't feel like flying a route.

I exercise quite a lot. The pilot career on IVAO helps a bit, but i like challenges and not always land right away or use the easiest approach available.

 

The NGX makes things quite easy too, very docile and predictable A/C.

Rarely have to perform them, although did the other day on approach into Gibraltar, which becomes visual after a certain point, and there were clouds below the MDA which forced a go-around.

Rarely have to perform them, although did the other day on approach into Gibraltar, which becomes visual after a certain point, and there were clouds below the MDA which forced a go-around.

Really like flying into Gibraltar (The route I like is LSZH to LXGB), its a fun approach to use the HUD and SFP option, the HUD is amazing and seriously improved my approach accuracy.

 

Back on topic, Overshot the approach into Gibraltar and was still able to stop in time. My virtual passengers we're pealing their faces from the seat in front of them though. Definitely guilty of not going around on more than a few occasions.

 

Great image Kenneth!

Really like flying into Gibraltar (The route I like is LSZH to LXGB), its a fun approach to use the HUD and SFP option, the HUD is amazing and seriously improved my approach accuracy.

 

Back on topic, Overshot the approach into Gibraltar and was still able to stop in time. My virtual passengers we're pealing their faces from the seat in front of them though.

 

As long as it's not wet, the 737NG does stop very quickly. I've landed past the TDZ at LXGB and stopped before the TDZ of the other end by applying a bit more aggressive braking (again, it wasn't wet thankfully).

You should always consider the go-around procedure as a part of your flight. Don't make bad landings. If you go around, you're more focussed on making good landings.

 

Always be prepared: go around-heading, altitude, restrictions, navaids set etc...

 

One important rule: 1) Aviate 2) Navigate 3) Communicate

 

Touch and goes help you learn to control the aircraft in a go-around manoeuvre.

 

Bert Van Bulck

I overran Monctron NB Canada last weekend, was way to high and fast. I don't have much time to sim these days so you do what you gotta do, its a sim so who cares :D

I hardly ever get to do go arounds and believe me i look for every chance to do one, but never can find a reason to. The last one i did was late last year landing at KJFK during a storm, gusting winds and strong turbulence, both APs were engaged and tracking the ILS, it was a really rough ride with heavy rain and 2 mile visibilty, everything was going fine except for the bad rocking of the plane then at around 100 feet the APs kicked off by themselves, i guess they couldnt handle the turbulence, when i took over control i could see why, it wasnt easy, so i aborted the landing, i must admit i had a big smile on my face, went into a holding for about 30 minutes til the weather changed then landed safely after that following a smooth ride down the glidepath.

I've only had a couple G/As in the sim, and I follow procedure, and call off an approach if it is not stabilized, which rarely happens. Also, in the real world, if you have to Go Around, ATC will usually either vector you (if IMC) or put you into the traffic pattern (if VMC) when you go around. You usually don't really follow the missed approach procedure, unless there is a ton of other traffic. Most of the time, a G/A only adds 5-10 minutes of flight.

I am guilty of this myself at times, and generally it is due to an AI on the runway, and I don't care to have FSX's ATC vector me around gods creation.

 

However, in the real world we are always taught if you don’t like what you see then going-around is the safest and most practical thing to do, and there are no “points” lost for doing so. During check rides FAA examiners like to see this decision process take place and give “kudos” when the pilot elects to go-around versus attempting to “wing it”. Whether you are coming in on an instrument approach and are chasing the glideslope for what ever reason (weather or not setup and stabilized) or flying in the pattern and being too high on final, It lets them know that you are exercising good judgment.

 

John

When you are coming in on approach, you should really be preparing for the transition to a go-around. If all goes well, you land instead.

 

In the sim you can cheat a bit, with no real consequences, but why do that.

 

* Orest

This is actually a very good question. I will try to land if I still can bring down the aircraft safely but once or twice I have gone around. But one thing has changed the flying a bit and that is a special thing in our VA. Our flight recorder has a built in landing plotter and it check that the landing was inside the margins. This really forces me to do stabilized approaches with no changes in airspeed, VS, and glideslope dots during the last 1000 feet. (Thank you Egbert)