go around

[deanofs]

Im a student pilot and went today to Manchester Airport viewing park to listen in and rehearse RT as well as enjoy seeing the big guys flying in and out. While I was there and within about 30 minutes of each other there were 2 go arounds called.

Clearly it is done for safety reasons etc, but I wondered do the pax on board realise its happening ? In my PA28 you certainly know it !! but is the 777 a different kettle of fish ? The other question I was thinking about is how much extra fuel might it take up. Both a/c were on short finals when called to go around by ATC.

Thanks

[chiglet]

As an "ATCer" I have had a go around as a pax, and also as a "supernumary" [aka familiarisation flight] cockpit member.
On both occasions nothing was said to the pax:confused:
No idea what the SOP is per XXairline
we aim to please, it keeps the cleaners happy

[south coast]

with regards to the whole go around thing...i have been flying as a passenger for 20 odd years now, and i had never been on a 'go-around' until about 5 weeks ago. we were flying on an air2000 charter from algeria back to gatwick and we were on the final approach when we heard the engines spooling up and the nose started pointing the other way...needless to say, the captain came on the pa and informed us that someone was a little slow in clearing the runway, hence the go around.

we are flying here in algeria, all be it small 1900's, but sometimes, especially this time of year there are terrible sandstorms and visibility drops to almost zero on occasions. if we do initiate a go around due to bad weather, lack of visual cues...then i think that the work load is too high while in imc to give an explanation immediately to our passengers as to why we are doing it. after we have got ourselves to a point where the plane/we are in a comfortable and less critical stage of flight, we will inform them back there what the story is....

is this how the people in airlines with proper jobs would also do it?

thanks

[Groundbased]

I was thinking about this the other day. As a pax who flies reasonably frequently (usually 15-20 times p.a) I have experienced a go around three times over the last 5 years.

First one approaching Bergamo in a 757, interestingly this aircraft had external cameras that were switched to show the outside world on the pax screens. I saw the boundary fence of the airfield and next thing we were up and away. PA announcement from FD said that they could not raise the airport on the radio so prudently went around.

Both other times were aircraft slow to vacate, once at MAN and once at LTN.

It was instantly recognisable because of the power increase.

I have never flown on any other aircraft that had the external cameras, if I recall correctly it was a Brittannia 757 but wouldn't like to bet on it.

[slingsby]

A P/A, workload permitting would be in order or at least call the CA1 to put him/her in the picture. Sometimes though the ATC workload can increase significantly for PNF as he is following A/G instructions to rejoin the existing (full) pattern, especially LHR. The PNF/PF will have their hands full reconfiguring the aircraft so a P/A could/may slip down the order of priorities.
The passengers would notice the G/A since flaps/gear etc would have trundled out, various power changes, then smooth on the approach followed by an abrupt power/pitch change to follow the missed approach procedure. Generally you aim to maintain your intermediate approach speed in the climb so massive power changes aren't required, no swooping up or stuck in the back of your seat rides. Climb away at 1500 fpm, accelerating according to flap retraction speeds and then leveling off at the missed approach height, following ATC or as the charts prescribe.
Fuel figures for the B767 for the go-around, circuit and subsequent landing is only around 1.5t, larger aircraft will require larger power gradients and therefore larger fuel consumptions.