How to Perform a Safe Go-Around
Learn when to go around, how to execute the maneuver, and common mistakes student pilots should avoid during rejected landings.
A go-around is a normal maneuver used when landing is no longer the safest option. It can happen on short final, during the flare, or even after a bounce. The airplane does not care whether you are embarrassed. It cares whether you add power, control pitch, manage configuration, and climb away safely. If you are still building the landing picture, connect this with airplane landing technique.
The best pilots are quick to go around because they have already decided what “not good enough” looks like.
When to Go Around
Go around when the approach or landing is unsafe. Common reasons include:
- Unstable approach.
- Too high, too low, too fast, or too slow.
- Runway not clear.
- Strong drift or poor alignment.
- Wind shear or gusts beyond comfort or limits.
- Excessive sink rate.
- Floating too far down the runway.
- Bounce or porpoise.
- ATC instruction.
- Any uncertainty about aircraft configuration or runway safety.
If you are trying to save a bad landing, you probably already need a go-around.
Stabilized Approach Gates
Before landing, choose a personal decision point. Many pilots use a higher gate in IFR and a lower gate in VFR, but the principle is the same: if the airplane is not stable by that point, discontinue the landing.
Stable means on speed, on path, configured, aligned, checklist complete, and requiring only small corrections. If those conditions are not met, go around early.
The Basic Flow
Use the procedure in your aircraft's handbook and your instructor's guidance. In many light trainers, the memory flow is:
- Power.
- Pitch.
- Configuration.
Add full power smoothly but promptly. Use the right rudder needed to counter left-turning tendencies. Pitch to stop the descent and establish a climb attitude. Then reduce drag in stages according to the checklist.
Do not dump all flaps at once unless your aircraft procedure specifically calls for it. A sudden flap retraction can remove lift close to the ground.
Climb and Clean Up
After adding power and establishing a safe attitude, verify positive climb. Retract flaps incrementally at the proper speeds and altitudes for your aircraft. Re-trim when workload allows.
If there is traffic or an obstacle on the runway, maneuver as appropriate to maintain separation and keep the traffic in sight. On a checkride, applicants may be expected to show they can move to the side of the runway or landing area when needed. At non-towered airports, that visual scan belongs with the broader habits in common non-towered airport mistakes.
Communicate When Able
Aviate first. Navigate second. Communicate third.
If you are busy controlling the airplane, do not sacrifice aircraft control to make a perfect radio call. Once stable, announce the go-around or respond to ATC. At non-towered fields, state your position and intentions clearly.
Common Mistakes
The first mistake is waiting too long. A late go-around leaves less altitude, less runway, and more workload.
The second is poor pitch control. Full power with too much nose-up pitch can create a stall risk. Too little pitch may continue the descent.
The third is forgetting right rudder in high-power, low-speed conditions.
The fourth is retracting flaps too quickly.
The fifth is losing situational awareness. During a go-around, keep scanning for runway traffic, pattern traffic, obstacles, and drift.
Practice It Like a Normal Maneuver
Do not practice go-arounds only when something goes wrong. Ask your instructor to include them regularly from different points: final, flare, after a simulated bounce, and with crosswind correction. For actual bounce decision-making, use bounced landing recovery.
You want the decision and the hand movement to be familiar. A go-around should feel like a planned escape route, not a panic button.
Final Takeaway
A go-around is not a failed landing. It is a safe pilot refusing to continue a bad situation. Decide early, execute smoothly, and fly the airplane all the way back into a stable climb.
Official References
Need help applying this to your training?
Use this guide as a starting point, then bring the confusing parts to a focused ground lesson. Diego works with Louisville-area and remote students on FAA knowledge, oral-prep, and practical training decisions.
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