For the avoidance of doubt, the point I was making previously is that it is sometimes possible to not have to
go-around by using an alternative manoeuvre to position oneself more suitably to obtain a fully-stabilised approach.- which is what we all trying to achieve, right ?!
And again, for the avoidance of doubt, there are times & locations when, say, an orbit is acceptable ( i.e. when offered it by ATC, e.g. at STN
helping you to get the height off when they’ve offered you a straight-in late at night, and all subject to your own assessment of MSA/SSA, terrain, traffic, noise constraints, etc ), and reciprocally there are times & locations when a full procedural go-around is preferable ( e.g. at INN – which we did the other week, the whole flight being flown
sans autopilots - they were u/s - with the approach into INN in solid IMC, ++snow, icing, turbulence
down to the MDA, and ending up with us diverting to MUC - so yes, one knows how to fly a go-around, and fill the paperwork in afterwards ) – but what ever you do it must always be with safety first and foremost, right ?!
Incidentally, one of the most regular screw-ups seen in the simulator are mishandled go-arounds, wherein there are seemingly all manner of opportunities to get it wrong, e.g.
- Failing to press TOGA, or pressing it above 2000’RA when ( on a B737 ) it doesn’t work ( system mode awareness ? )
- Failing to ask for, or select, an appropriate GA flap selection
- Failing to raise the gear
- Failing to monitor MCP modes and / or mis-selection of MCP modes
- Failing to remember what is the acceleration altitude and / or failing to accelerate
- Failing to observe flap speed limits
- Failing to re-tune / identify any radio aids required by the missed approach
- Failing to follow the correct MisApp procedure either laterally, vertically, or both
- Failing set the correct level-off altitude and / or overshooting / undershooting
etc….. and I won’t even mention system / engine failures !
Many airlines have already fitted, and will soon ( 2005 ) have to have fitted, Quick Access Recorders ( QAR’s ) to their aircraft. A loose analogy is that these units are the airborne equivalent of the tacho-graphs which are fitted to lorries, albeit that the airborne variety record considerably more parameters.
Personally I like QAR’s as they ultimately help stop the cowboys out there from conducting unstable(?) approaches – i.e. not stable at the ‘gate’, typically 1000’ AAL – the kind of approaches which should lead to go-arounds.
Of course, ultimately, it pays to remember that nobody has ever collided with the sky !