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Old 27th Nov 2005, 09:36
  #22 (permalink)  
HI'er
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
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Meeb, good/bad judgement has NOTHING to do with the fact that sometimes, pilots find themselves in a situation - where, even using their finest skills - NECESSITATES a go around, because of OTHER factors.

Let's take a typical example of an airport with which I am familiar, and which those of you who have accumulated "significant time" can also identify.

The aforementioned airport has a roughly speaking East-West (09/27) alignment of its runway.
Invariably, the wind reported by ATIS, and from Tower, indicates that the surface wind is either a light easterly (indicating that R/W 09 is in use), or L & V.
R/W 09 is the preferred runway, due to high terrain on the 27 end.

But in actual fact, the winds down to about 200'agl are westerly, and frequently at 500' are pushing 15-20 knots + tailwind component (I know this, because I have the luxury of an FMC )
However, for the first timer (who is flying in with no previous "local" knowledge), it's a very easy catch.
He turns finals at around 1,000' expecting to chuck out the final flap - and maybe gear - and discovers that his ground speed has INCREASED.... that the runway is now rapidly disappearing beneath the nose of the aircraft.

This was NOT due to any "bad judgement" on his fault - UNLESS he tries to land off what has rapidly deteriorated into a "kamikaze" situation.

If a pilot elects to execute a go-around, then he deserves FULL marks for knowing his own capabilities, and for having the good sense to work within them.

It's the UNSAFE/DANGEROUS pilot who will try to "save the day" by using his "superior" skills - and ends up WISHING he'd had the good sense to go-around!

Last edited by HI'er; 27th Nov 2005 at 09:51.
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