Rick Farnbach, CFI

08/08/2025

What do I mean when I say students must be 100% on go-arounds and go-around calls but not necessarily perfect on landings? How do I judge that?

Judging go-around technique is easy. They need to maintain control of the airplane throughout the go-around process. No excessive pitch or roll angles. If tower requests a side-step they should be able to execute it, otherwise stay over the runway until past the departure threshold. If I call a go-around over the runway the student should react without the airplane ever touching the runway, especially if practicing in an airplane with retractable gear.

Judging go-around calls is more confusing. As I already said, if an actual go-around is needed, the student should always beat me to the call. Otherwise, I simply don't relax my landing standards below what I think they should be doing on their final check ride. If they touch down on the nose-gear and bounce, or really if they bounce for any reason, that's a landing they should have gone around. If they settle down significantly off center-line or askew of straight down the runway, that's another landing they should have gone around. Even a wind induced side load on landing should have been a go around. If we're doing a short field landing and they touch down before the target or too far beyond it, that should have been a go-around.

Some argue if a student is that proficient at landing they'd be ready for their check ride! No, they wouldn't. Remember, this is about whether they are proficient at calling go-arounds. Yes, they may be landing the same when they get to their check ride, but they'll be doing it with fewer go-arounds in between. That will be what they are practicing between their first solo and their check ride, not bad landings.

Relaxing standards is the last thing a student needs right before being sent on their own in the cockpit. When I'm there, bad landings are simply missed go-around calls. When I'm not there it could end up far worse.

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07/31/2025

And this is why -
Rule #3 for student solo: ANY bounce is a mandatory go-around.

Don't try to ride out a porpoise. It gets worse with each bounce, not better, until the airplane finally breaks.

Better yet, don't get into that situation. A porpoise starts with a nose low landing which is the result of trying to force the airplane onto the runway. Continue to fly the airplane through the round out and maintain altitude until the rear wheels touch down and THEN the nose wheel. If you rounded out too high or if you are further down the runway than you wanted to be, GO AROUND!

Go arounds are the most critical thing for students to learn and after the first two lessons we practice them every single lesson (starting away from the field, of course) until that first student solo. In fact the one thing I look for before clearing a student to solo is not perfect landings, it's perfect go-arounds and perfect go-around decision making.

I tell my students that they will have plenty of opportunities to practice bad landings after they have their pilot certificate. I am only here to teach good landings and if you don't know it's going to be a good landing, just go around. I should never beat the student to a go-around call.

If your landings are only 50% but your go-arounds and your go-around decisions are 100% you're still safe. Whatever your landings are, if your go-arounds aren't 100% or if you don't correctly call a go-around 100% it's only a matter of time before you end up an accident.

07/29/2025

There are good reasons to use a slip on final. Rescuing an unstabilized approach isn't one of them. Go around.

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07/18/2025

https://ktvz.com/news/accidents-crashes/2025/07/13/small-plane-crashes-after-takeoff-from-sisters-eagle-airport-catches-fire-all-3-people-aboard-escape-serious-injury/

What’s different about this headline? You just don’t see these kinds of headlines with pictures of this kind of wreckage and yet no fatalities. The last thing this poor little airplane did was protect the lives of its occupants

This incident has changed my mind about the importance of airbags. When I started flight training I looked for the safest plane to train in. I looked at lots of things - aircraft age and maintenance, panel technology, even interior quality and materials - but I never considered airbags. If I were to do it again today, I would look for airbags. I thought the most important way to stay safe was to stay out of accidents, and that’s true, but airbags clearly can and do make a difference if plan A doesn’t work out.

A small plane crashed just after takeoff from the Sisters Eagle Airport late Sunday morning, but all three people aboard were able to climb out a window and escape with only minor injuries, officials and witnesses said. The plane caught fire after the crash, sparking a brush fire that crews were cal...

07/14/2025

Thanks to all who have offered their condolences. Yes, it was one of my airplanes. No, I was not involved nor were any of my students. We are very grateful for the very professional and rapid response by emergency personnel ensuring the safety of those on board and minimizing damage on the ground.

Our thoughts and prayers are for the rapid recovery of all those affected.