I'm with Chuck. Students taught to approach at the correct speed, & hold off long enough to guarantee a main wheels touchdown are quite capable of handling a correction that uses power to cushion a balloon or a bounce.

They are also capable of being taught to choose to go around if necessary.

Regarding rwy. length concerns, it's easy enough to specify a 'must go around if the wheels aren't on the rwy' point.

Hey guys,

Thought I'd give you a student's perspective - I have never been taught to go-around as standard procedure following a bounced landing. I did have some troubles with bouncing initially so one of the better instructors took me out for a ride and gave me some very valuable advice, namely:

1. Keep the correct approach speed and a lot of problems will go away.

2. Flare at the correct height and the landing will be nice - keep looking towards the far end of the runway. (I had the nasty habit of glancing out of the side windows in the flare) Don't be scared to tailstrike. (Knowing that also helped to establish a correct attitude for touchdown - before I somehow felt that if I pulled any harder they would find pieces of airplane down the runway.)

3. If you bounce, ACT! He told me to apply some power and hold the centerline and land normally - going around only if things were really screwed up or there was no runway left.

We did an hour's worth of landings and I shaped up. I'm still in training but a lot more confident about landings now. I really don't see the need to go around following a bounce as long as things are managable - I'd much rather add some power and get her down smoothly then initiating a go-around from low altitude in landing config.

Well, my opinions, for what it's worth.

Rgds,

Avi

AviLGH:

Where were you taught to look to judge the flare height, to be more specific where were you taught to look before flaring?

Not a trick question, I am just courious as to what is being taught.

Cat Driver:

:D The hardest thing about flying is knowing when to say no.:D

I also agree with Chuck and Tinstaafl

If the students are taught from the start how high and how much to flare and what to do after that, then a ballon, bounce or gust of wind are variations of a theme the student has already learnt.

I also reiterate another point only one person has mentioned so far. Would you rather your student always counted on power being available, or would you rather they were equally comfortable with power on or power off approaches and landings? It seems to me that the student who thinks they are always going to be able to fly away from anything is being led up the garden path a bit. I realise that a modern engine is far more reliable than say forty years ago, but if it does stop, you need for your own life to be able to land it first time because you're definitely not going round. Or your student's definitely not going around while you watch.