Prepare for: Go-Around / Rejected Landing
Abandoning an approach early and climbing away safely. It's a normal maneuver, not a failure.
Your CFI's syllabus and your airplane's POH come first. This page is a general study aid to help you show up prepared.
What you'll do
- Decide early: an unstable approach or a blocked runway means go around.
- Apply full power immediately, add right rudder, and pitch for VX or VY.
- Retract flaps in stages as the POH directs (often the first notch immediately), only after a positive rate of climb.
- Move to the side of the runway if needed to see traffic, then rejoin the pattern and announce or tell the tower.
The standard you'll be held to
Quoted from the current FAA Airman Certification Standards for each level that tests this.
Private Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-6C)Task PA.IV.N · Go-Around/Rejected Landing
- Complete the appropriate checklist(s).
- Make radio calls as appropriate.
- Make a timely decision to discontinue the approach to landing.
- Apply takeoff power immediately and transition to climb pitch attitude for VX or VY as appropriate +10/-5 knots.
- Configure the airplane after a positive rate of climb has been verified or in accordance with airplane manufacturer’s instructions.
- Maneuver to the side of the runway/landing area when necessary to clear and avoid conflicting traffic.
- Maintain VY +10/-5 knots to a safe maneuvering altitude.
- Maintain directional control and proper wind-drift correction throughout the climb.
- Use runway incursion avoidance procedures, if applicable.
Read it in the FAA handbooks
The official chapters behind this page. Each link opens the exact chapter, free on faa.gov. See the full Study Library.
Prepare the night before
- Memorize the POH go-around (balked landing) flow.
- Decide your stabilized-approach criteria before the flight.
Common mistakes
- Hesitating, then going around too low and slow.
- Raising all the flaps at once and sinking.
- Not using enough right rudder with full power.
Questions to ask your instructor
- What are your stabilized-approach criteria?
- Can you call surprise go-arounds during my landings?
Check yourself
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