Ive just happened across this thread.....and have a few
comments to make.
[Rant mode on]
1. i am OUTRAGED
at 'Genghis the Engineer' - and engineer you might be because airmanship is not in your vocab....
causes a hell of a fuss if there was no good reason for you to do a go-around.
No good reason?!?! No good reason?! You need a good reason to LAND *not* a good reason to go around...if my students took this attitude they would be set right fairly quickly...one reason for go-around 'not happy with ANYTHING' - and I can probably list at least another 6. Perfectly valid reason....mutter mutter.
[Rant mode off]
2. Cleared to final?! If you are on base or cleared to join base then you can proceed to base....there is no clearance to 'final' once cleared to base...if you are on base then you have little choice but to turn final and execute the go-around (i suggest by 200'). If on the other hand you simply 'fly away' you have broken the patterns and you become an aircraft milling about the place - a nightmare for ATC & other pilots. So you execute *known* procedures.
3. The ATCO needs to be reprimanded. An aircraft on approach has priority over ALL other traffic. The *other* aircraft should have been told to 'standby'. I personally would lodge a formal complaint against the ATCO for ignoring an aircraft in the air on approach and favouring one on the ground...The only time this is acceptable is if there is immediate danger to the aircraft on the ground...in which case the airbourne aircraft should be told to go-around off of the approach.
4. Landing?! Who suggested that?! Without a clearance it shows a huge disregard to airmanship, and clearly against rules. Unless you are in an emergency situation then you should go-around. If you lose radio contact and are not cleared to land you go-around...
5. Verbal over the air....eh?! Lets be sensible about this...if you wanna argue/sneer/be sarcastic keep it OFF the RT and onto the telephone after you have landed. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ARGUE over the RT. Simply follow standard procedures.
ho hum. I must say its no wonder the CAA regulate heavily given some of the rather niave and blantant breaking of rules advised here....I thought most pilots were more sensible...certainly there are one or two here I would not like to meet in the air....
As an instructor there are really only two options available - orbit or fly the approach & miss-approach. If it messes up the controller - tough luck - he should correct his priorities. Personally I believe the approach & go-around to be most appropriate, given a clearance to base. However, If i did not know the traffic situation I would orbit. (In the direction of the circuit(if known) or left-hand. Although orbiting produces its own somewhat ambiguous problems.
Hope this helps.