Announcing a go-around

[FridayChild]

I have a question which is somewhere in between FS and the real world, I hope it's not misplaced here and not too lame (see how humble I am).  :D
I was simulating a VFR approach to a small mountain airport (tower controlled); the tower cleared me to land but at the "before-last" moment I decided to go around because I was too high and too fast. The tower had already cleared another plane to come in, instructing it to follow my own aircraft, so I knew it was somewhere behind my tail. At this time I opened the radio options and looked for a "announce/request go-around" option but I couldn't find it.
In real life, what would I have had to do in such a situation?

[Brett_Henderson]

At a towered airport you simply say, "XYZ Tower, N12345 is going around". If there's a reason that the tower should be aware of, you would say for example; "XYZ Tower, N12345 is going around, gear status uncertain".

If it's just because you're too high/fast, he'll already know that  ;)  and respond with instructions dependent on traffic. At a busy airport he'll likely say, "N12345 fly runway heading"... and then work you back into the pattern. If traffic allows, he'd just say, "N12345 make left traffic".

At an untowered airport, it's up to you. If you know there are other planes in or near the pattern you'd likely say, "XYZ traffic, N12345 is going around, will fly runway heading and re-enter the downwind". If you're sure there's nobody else in the pattern, you could just say, "XYZ traffic, N12345 is going around", and then announce positions accordingly.

[C]

There is no rush though. Depending on the aircraft, fly the aeroplane, clean up, do the after take-off checks (gear, flap, Ts and Ps etc), and when you're ready, call "XXX Going round". ATC would have already seen it anyway. Just watch out for anyone flying through the deadside...

[beaky]

In real life, start going around, then call it... before you turn crosswind, at the latest. That's assuming an uncontrolled field, and that you're goinjg to really go around into the pattern.

In the sim, I think what you want is to call upwind (?) or just wait and call it as you turn crosswind.

I never go around... in the sim.

[Mobius]

Call it as soon as possible, but not when it would get in the way of doing other, more important things.  Where I fly out of though, people will do touch-and-go's, and they'll announce they're on final, and not announce anything again until they're turning downwind, so, sooner than that and you should be fine.

[FridayChild]

I never go around... in the sim.

LOL... you hit a soft spot... now I'll have to admit that after seeing that there was no option to "announce go around" in the ATC menu, I changed my mind again and dove nose down into the field with full flaps (at a speed which would probably have bent them if MS had implemented this)... it came out a good landing, but I would never have got away with it in real life  ;D

[Brett_Henderson]

You can damage the flaps.. even "blow them out".  I haven't done it in a while, bu it has happened.

I think it was a KingAir. I never retracted them and during a rapid descent they "went away" and would no longer respond to the flap switch.

I think we need to get Rotty that neat little utility that formats the hard-drive if you damage the plane  ;D  ...  (bet you'd go around on occasion then  lol..  )

[FridayChild]

Oo yeh, myself I have read horror stories about flaps damaged by this. I seem to recall a flight school aircraft damaged by a student with an early flaps extension... and nobody bothered to check, so they discovered it the hard way.

[beaky]

You can damage the flaps.. even "blow them out".  I haven't done it in a while, bu it has happened.

I think it was a KingAir. I never retracted them and during a rapid descent they "went away" and would no longer respond to the flap switch.

I think we need to get Rotty that neat little utility that formats the hard-drive if you damage the plane  ;D  ...  (bet you'd go around on occasion then  lol..  )

You misunderstand... I never go around in the sim because I never botch an approach in the sim.


*cough*


Really.

[FridayChild]

As for me, I was talking just about myself... eh eh...  ;)

[beaky]

Oo yeh, myself I have read horror stories about flaps damaged by this. I seem to recall a flight school aircraft damaged by a student with an early flaps extension... and nobody bothered to check, so they discovered it the hard way.

Yes, that's a real snag with flying rentals: the damage may not create a problem on the flight when it occurs, but later...  ::) Flaps, engine, you name it... so many things can sort of "lie in wait" when it comes to airplanes.

I wonder if it's just as bad for the flaps to climb to TPA and get to almost Va with takeoff flaps still extended?
That... uh.. happened to somebody I know once...   :-/

[Brett_Henderson]

I

[beaky]

I  "think", in a 172 anyway, the flaps are more likely to suffer damage when they're extended at too high a speed. That's also when most of the flyabilty issues happen. Since you can safely extend the first notch at well above Va, I'm certain you can climb/accelerate to Va without consequence.

If you've taken off with anything more than that first notch of flaps, you'd KNOW it as you tried to get anywhere near Va ..


(were you practing short/soft field take-offs ?)

Yeah... when I was training out of N07, I was encouraged to make every takeoff and landing a short-field, so the odds of forgetting were pretty good.
 Also did it once at 2N8 after I got my ticket, but remembered before turning crosswind...  ;D

Come to think of it, it's possible I've forgotten the last notch or two doing a go-around at some point... i always remember to retract the first notch, but...
At any rate, with only 10 degrees hanging out on a 172, it's easy to not really notice until you level off and think "Gee, why is the airspeed coming up so slowly...?"

[Brett_Henderson]

OH my  lol..

I woudn't admit this to just anyone, but here goes...  :-[

When we were enroute to Oskosh, right after taking off and during the climb.. I was telling my friend (first student) that he could see how much faster this Cardinal is at altitude, all trimmed and happy..

Wellllllllllll  at 6500msl we couldn't get past 130kias and I was purplexed  :-?

Yup..  10degrees of flaps (normal Cardinal take-off) were still deployed  ::)

[Pappy44]

First time i flew the 747 on FSX, couldn't get up to top cruising speed....climb was really slow too...

one notch of flaps.....doh...