When in doubt, go around

Flight Debrief, Cessna 172R VH-LWX, 1.2h, YMMB - YTDN - YMMB.

In aiming to fly at least once per month, I needed to get airborne this week if I was to achieve that objective. Friday and the weekend offered poor weather and cloud, Monday through Wednesday were too busy, but Thursday was CAVOK, even if hot and windy.

I wanted to fly some circuits within the training area basically to stay current. Moorabbin is usually too busy, but in retrospect would have been the better option. Tooradin Airport is about 25 miles southeast of Moorabbin, just over a ten minute flight, at the southern boundary of the training area. I like using it for circuit training, and last flew solo circuits there in July on a windless day. The only other time I have flown there was with Chris, my instructor, on a navigation training flight, when there was a light crosswind on runway 22. As Chris said at the time, "never turn down an opportunity for crosswind landing practice."

Proficiency & Preparation

My pre-flight preparation was marginal. Out of practice and busy, and a little complacent in returning to Tooradin and not needing to prepare a navigation plan. This manifested on the morning of, in my realising I hadn't updated my kneeboard with ERSA pages, was unsure of whether I needed to lodge a Flight Notification (I didn't - but lodged a SARTIME from the aircraft for safety's sake), and couldn't find my current VTC Chart.

At least preflight checks and start-up admin felt reasonably second nature, except for nearly forgetting to call "CLEAR PROP!"

Flight - Departure

Departure was without issue. I made two minor communication errors during the entire sortie, both with ground, where I couldn't clearly hear the taxi instructions so asked them to say again.

Departing YMMB felt rusty, such as where three miles from the aerodrome was, and what height I should depart at (below 2,500'), but proficient enough. I inadvertently pressed a button on the Bendix NAV/COM control that removed my digital map and I couldn't figure out how to get it back, giving me less geographic SA. I don't usually use the NAV map but it's a helpful tool to back up manual navigation, and I missed its utility today.

Flight - Tooradin Circuits

It was reasonably quiet in the training area and at Moorabbin, and I only heard a little bit of CTAF traffic at YTDN as I tracked south. I was slightly west of the training area boundary, and used the easy-to-spot boats in the marina as a guide to track my way towards YTDN, planning to overfly at 1,500' for a midfield crosswind rejoin. I spotted the other C172 on downwind as I approached overhead, and descended onto downwind behind him, giving the appropriate radio calls.

I attempted three touch and go's at Tooradin, but aborted each one with a go-around between 60 and 120 feet AMSL. I was crabbing in each time towards the northerly wind, but as I got closer to the runway the gusts worsened and my wings were being reasonably rocked. With Tooradin being such a narrow (10m) and short (950m) runway, landing long or slightly off centre increases the risks of an excursion or a bounce into uncontrollability, with little room to recover. I really wanted to complete at least one touch and go, but each time decided that I wasn't going to, and I initiated a go-around. The main reason was that I found it difficult, with the limited margin for going wide or long, to accurately straighten my aircraft on centreline while keeping wings level and with a stable & safe rate of descent in the gusts. If there had been a consistent crosswind (i.e. non-gusting), I feel like I would have been able to land.

Go-Arounds

A go-around procedure is not unusual, and I'm grateful for the Air Force preaching the mentality that go-arounds are normal and should be executed against certain criteria, as well as whenever the stability or safety of a landing is in doubt.

Tooradin's go-around procedure is slightly unusual in that there is no dead side, so it's simply maintain track and execute the go-around sequence to rejoin the circuit upwind. Executing a go-around in a Cessna 172 is reasonably simple - full power, flaps 20°, climb at 55 knots, and once accelerating, climbing, and clear of obstacles, the aircraft can be cleaned up for proper after-takeoff and upwind configuration.

The go-around sequence is much the same for all aircraft: power, pitch, flaps, and gear. - AOPA

Cessna's Pilot Operating Handbook refers to a go-around as a 'balked landing,' and prescribes the go-around actions in line with the general sequence for all aircraft. Regardless, the go-around actions are straightforward; the decision to make a go-around is more complex.

At 2FTS (and BFTS), we had to memorise the go-around criteria. I can't recall all ten or so exactly now, but they were along the lines of speed stable above Vthreshold; no S-turns required to maintain centreline; traffic conflict; when instructed by ATC; not happy with the approach; etc. Neither CASA nor Cessna publish formal go-around criteria like the Air Force did, but they do publish guidelines. Ultimately, if the pilot-in-command is not perfectly satisfied with any aspect of an approach and landing, they should perform a go-around. 'Satisfaction' can be defined in terms of stability of an approach, which can be measured in terms of aircraft performance & configuration, air traffic control & traffic, and environmental factors. The benefit of prescribed criteria is they make decision-making easier and faster because they are objective, and they complement the subjective 'satisfaction' element.

Crosswind Landings - Think Wind

I knew that crosswind would be an issue at Tooradin given the forecast and YMMB ATIS of 15-gusting 25 knots at 340. However, I didn't intuitively realise that I was only one knot under the 15-knot C172 crosswind limit at Tooradin runway 04, and in breach of it when gusts were considered. Coupled with a narrow and short runway, I can accept that it was challenging and my go-around decisions were the right ones given I had no need to land at Tooradin.

On crosswind landing techniques, I prefer landing in a crosswind by weather-cocking into wind on approach, and straightening up just prior to touchdown. The alternative, which I've only practiced on a few touch-and-gos with Chris (at Tooradin!), is to use rudder and ailerons to align with the runway using rudder, but out of balance using ailerons to stop drift. This latter technique feels less comfortable, but maintains runway track and axis. My preference requires coordination just prior to touchdown, to land straight.

Had I used the latter technique, I don't think it would have helped as the gusts would have required strong aileron inputs, and likely rudder inputs as well. With cross-controlling onto final, I would have been even less comfortable than I was with my preferred method. Boldmethod offers a good primer on crosswind landings, and the pros, cons, and application of both methods:

Importantly, I had to 'think wind' on this flight, the first time I've had to do that in a circuit since flying PC-9s. With the wind strong, I found it was pushing me wide on my crosswind leg, making my downwind leg too far out from the runway. Similarly, I felt myself being blown on downwind away from the runway, so I needed to crab into wind slightly. On base, I needed to bank more gently in order to roll out neatly on centreline, rather than standard angle of bank for nil wind conditions. By the third circuit, it was satisfying to be mindful of the effects of wind on my circuit, and adjusting accordingly.

Flight - Return to Moorabbin

After the third failed touch and go, I departed upwind back to Moorabbin. Melbourne Centre gave an advisory as I approached Carrum that there were two aircraft joining in close proximity, so I orbited once while looking for the other aircraft. I never spotted it, nor did that pilot join at Carrum. I haven't had an advisory from MEL CTR before, but other pilots have told me that they will maintain an active watch for potential conflicts, so it was nice to experience that.

Tower gave me a clearance to final on runway 35 Left, and to report at 3 miles. Again, no Bendix meant I was judging 3nm by reference to the VTC, which was reasonably easy. I found a straight-in approach challenging in terms of judging the appropriate glideslope, and ended up quite low a couple of miles out. Tower kindly pointed out my low altitude with a QNH reminder (I was off by one hPa, but the bigger issue was not recognising the right glideslope and runway aspect angle from a few miles out). I applied more power, maintained altitude, and tried to re-intercept the right glideslope by judging the aspect angle. I landed without issue, comfortably dismissing the granule of doubt in my mind that spawned as a result of not being able to execute a touch-and-go at Tooradin.

Key Points

• Preparation. Night before: charts, ERSA pages, draft flight notification, consider SARTIME.
• Bendix NAV/COM. Learn the buttons and functions!
• Go-arounds. Be mindful of the dead side. Radio call for a go-around? I didn't as I was the only one in the circuit; but should probably say 'going around runway XX.'
• Go-around criteria. Develop and formalise my own set of criteria.

Next Flight

A visit to Sale before the end of the year, and a Great Ocean Road flight with Dad. Longer term, a friend recently flew with his dad to Lake Eyre (William Creek) and a few other interesting outback spots. I'd love to plan this sort of trip for a week in winter 2020, and will start preparing.

#aviation #pilottraining #flighttraining #generalaviation