Good post. I do prepare for the possibility of a GA when briefing the approach. I use Radar Contact for ATC, and though better than default ATC, there are times when an AI jet sneaks in or do not vacate the active as fast as they should. In those instances, ATC tells me to go around. Once I decided to ignore ATC and land anyway, thinking that the jet ahead of me had initiated its takeoff roll and I could just land behind it. When I reached the gate and asked for the Radar Contact critique, I was told that ignoring a GA was a serious offense and that I could loose my certificate. Pretty mean for simulated ATC, but since then I go around when I'm told.
Recently I was landing in Denver, and the forecast told me there were gusting winds. I was about 300 feet above the runway when I hit wind shear. At that moment I should have gone around with maximum power, but instead decided to pull back on the yoke.
Stupid mistake. Every virtual passenger complained about my almost crash landing.
Arriving late should not be a reason to justify not executing a GA when needed. This time I was flying as a passenger from Boston to St Louis, for real. We had departed Boston very late, and some passengers were very worried about not making their connecting flights. Since I've done that approach so many times, simulated and real, I saw we were too high on approach to 30R. Sure enough, the pilot did a go around. As we were on downwind the pilot said we did a go around because "... the winds had changed." That sounded like a lame excuse to me, but, hey, what do I know.
We should be ready to go around on every landing, either because ATC tells you, or because, we, as virtual PICs make the safe decision to do so.
Dave
sax702
