How to fly the maneuver

A go-around is a landing abort — a deliberate decision to discontinue the approach and re-enter the traffic pattern. The maneuver itself is fast and choreographed: power → pitch → configuration → climb → pattern position. But the maneuver depends on the decision, which is the harder part: recognizing that the approach is broken before the round-out and committing to fix it rather than salvage it.

The misframing to anticipate. "I've already committed to landing." Wrong. You're never committed to landing until the wheels are on the runway and you've slowed below flying speed. The go-around is always available; the decision to use it is always pending until the airplane is firmly on the ground.

Recognize the trigger

Triggers cluster into three categories. Any of them, on their own, justifies the go-around:

Energy / approach state:

• High on path, low on path
• Fast on speed (typical: >V_REF + 5 KIAS at short final)
• Slow on speed (typical: below V_REF − 5 KIAS at short final)
• High sink rate (>700 fpm in a typical trainer late on final)
• Unstabilized below 500 ft AGL (energy/path/configuration not set)

Configuration / aircraft state:

• Flaps not in landing position late on final
• Trim not set (controls require unusual force)
• Engine indications abnormal

Runway / environment:

• Runway occupied (aircraft, vehicle, deer, etc.)
• Wake turbulence from preceding aircraft
• Unexpected wind shift / shear on short final
• Loss of visual reference

You don't need to wait for the round-out to commit. The decision can come at any point on the approach — abeam the numbers on downwind if the configuration is wrong; turning base if the pattern is wrong; on final if the energy is wrong.

Full power smoothly

1. Throttle full forward — three to four seconds, same as a normal takeoff (A).
2. Carb heat off (if applicable). If you forget this in the moment, it's not the end of the world — the engine will tolerate it briefly — but it's part of the sequence.

Pitch to climb attitude

1. Pitch up smoothly to the climb attitude. Don't pull hard.
2. The airplane has been trimmed for approach — heavy nose-down trim. Adding full power makes the airplane want to balloon nose-up because of the pitch couple from the engine. The trim is fighting you in one direction, the engine in the other. You're in the middle.
3. Trim the nose down progressively as the airplane accelerates and you pitch for the climb attitude.

Configuration cleanup (in order)

The order matters — incorrect retraction can cause the airplane to settle.

1. Flaps to the takeoff setting (typically 10° or 20°, not zero) — partial retraction first, to reduce drag without losing too much lift.
2. Verify positive rate of climb on the VSI / altimeter.
3. Once climbing at V_Y, retract remaining flaps incrementally per POH (typically: takeoff flap → up at 200–500 ft AGL).
4. Gear up (if applicable) once positive rate is confirmed.
5. Trim to V_Y for the climb.

The rule of thumb on retraction order: never retract flaps fully while still close to the ground. A clean wing at low speed = sink.

Climb out

1. V_Y +10 / −5 KIAS (V.H.S4) — same standard as the normal takeoff (A).
2. Maintain runway centerline track during the climb-out — same as A, S5.
3. Pattern position — climb back to pattern altitude.

Communicate

1. Announce the go-around: "Going around" on the CTAF, or to tower at a towered field.
2. Re-position in the pattern — typically a wider-than-normal downwind, or extend the upwind if tower instructs.
3. Brief mentally what went wrong on the previous approach so you don't repeat it.

Don't second-guess once committed. The decision is made when the throttle moves forward. From that point, fly the go-around — don't lower the nose back to the runway, don't reduce power to "see if it stabilizes," don't abandon the climb to land. The go-around is committed once initiated; flip-flopping is more dangerous than either choice alone.