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I’ve been on one go-around. It was in Pisa, Italy in 1977. Huge fog bank hanging over the ground. Smokestacks sticking up through the fog, probably 500 ft stacks. We were flying on top of the fog layer forever. Finally entered the thick fog and a few moments later came out of the bottom. We missed the runway by 100-200 meters off to the right! Ground was probably 50 meters below us. Scared the sh!t out of me.

We went around and, on the same long descent through the fog, I figured I was a goner. If he couldn’t find the runway the first time, how was he going to find it this time? But we descended through the bottom of the fog and the runway was right below us. Everybody cheered.

Almost 50 years ago and I remember it like yesterday.

Those flights stick in your memory. Both of my go arounds were on clear nights where the pilot was in line with the runway but something was off.

The go around is pretty violent initially as those engines really bite when the jet is in flight with take off power.