Using these notes

By this lesson the student flies the circuit, approach and landing. Keep this briefing to about 15 minutes at the whiteboard, working interactively: ask, draw, and listen rather than present. Today's new material is built on one idea — a landing is a decision — so let the student reason their way to it.

The components (choose your own order on the planning page):

The aim of the flight

Ask — "We've been flying circuits. What's new for today?"

Expect — in the student's own words:

• consolidate the normal circuit, approach and landing
• fly a flapless approach and landing — a flatter, faster, powered approach
• carry out a go-around before touchdown
• recover from a baulked landing — go around from a bad or bounced touchdown

Write the aim on the board — these all hang off deciding not to land.

Today's flight — whiteboard walk-through

Draw — the circuit, then layer today's exercises onto it. Fill in your local details:

• Runway: ______    Circuit direction: ______    Circuit height: ______ ft
• CTAF / frequencies: ______    Flapless approach speed (POH): ______ kt
• Go-around point: ______    Who flies which circuit: ______

Draw — the exercise sequence (build it up over several circuits):

1. Consolidation circuit(s) — normal approach and landing, student flying as much as ready
2. Flapless approach and landing — draw the flatter path beside the normal one; higher speed, power on, longer float, longer roll
3. Go-around in the air — abandon a stable approach before the flare, climb on the centreline
4. Baulked landing recovery — go around from a deliberately high hold-off or a bounce

Ask — "What are the go-around actions, in order?"

Expect — Full power → Attitude (arrest descent, climb) → Flap up progressively → Climb and re-trim, on the extended centreline. If this doesn't come back cleanly, build it on the board now — it's the backbone of the flight.

Threats and how we'll manage them

I'M SAFE and PAVE are standing checks before every flight — by now the student runs them, rather than being taught them.

Ask — "Run me through your I'M SAFE — any flags today?"

Expect — honest self-assessment. A busier, higher-workload lesson rewards a clear head.

Ask — "Apply PAVE to today's flight — what stands out?"

Expect — Pilot, Aircraft, enVironment, External pressures. Listen especially for the enVironment angle: today's wind ______ and the circuit traffic ______, since go-arounds put us back into the pattern.

Draw — the genuine threats you and the student identify for this flight:

Ask — apply TEAM to each: "What are our options?"

• Transfer · Eliminate · Accept · Mitigate

Likely ones to surface: wake turbulence behind other traffic on a go-around; a flatter flapless approach misjudged; directional control on a longer/faster landing roll; slow speed at low altitude after a baulked landing — full power applied but time and distance needed to accelerate to a safe climb speed.

Airmanship emphasis — the go-around decision and lookout

This lesson's emphasis: the go-around is the default, and today the circuit is busy — every abandoned approach puts us back among other aircraft.

Draw — the stable-approach gates as a checklist on the board: glide path · alignment · speed · configuration · runway clear. Any one missing → go around.

Ask — "When is the latest you can decide to go around?"

Expect — there is no cut-off — on final, in the flare, even after a bounce — but the lower and slower you are, the more demanding it is, so decide early.

Rehearse — walk through the go-around actions aloud together, then the baulked-landing version: full power, don't pitch into the ground, level then climb, flap up in stages, centreline. Rehearsing it on the ground means the first real one in the air is not a surprise.

Ask — "On a go-around, what's our first radio priority?"

Expect — fly first — aviate, navigate, then communicate; climb on the centreline and keep the lookout going before reaching for the radio.

A go-around is a well-flown outcome, not a failure. We'll make it routine today so it's never a shock.

Questions, then fly

Ask — "Any questions before we head out?"

Quick recap as you pack up the whiteboard:

• A landing is a decision — if it isn't stable, go around
• Flapless: flatter, faster, power on — longer float and landing roll
• Go-around: full power · attitude · flap up · climb — centreline, then turn
• Baulked landing: go around without hesitation, don't fly back into the ground

Confirm who flies which circuit, brief the first go-around before the first circuit, and go flying.