As an airline pilot, I have to protest at your article in The Argus last Friday entitled "Jets five seconds from disaster".
Articles like this, when describing what, to us, is an everyday occurrence, do nothing to promote air travel, which is statistically one of the safest forms of travel.
We practice "go-arounds" regularly in the flight simulator, often with less than the full complement of engines, and it is no big deal.
This is despite reassurances from all and sundry, which you quote in your article, that there was no danger.
Gatwick Airport air traffic controllers do a magnificent job in getting the maximum utility out of their single runway and, from time to time and for various reasons, a "go-around" is performed if the pilot of the landing aircraft judges it to be the safest course of action.
In such a case, it is an entirely safe and controlled manoeuvre - no "banking and swerving upwards".
How do you "swerve" an airliner? I would be interested to know. Are you sure it didn't "swoop back up to 35,000 feet"?
All you - and sadly you are not alone in this - will do is to cause unnecessary distress to quite a high proportion of the public who are (unjustifiably) afraid of flying.
-John Laws, johnlaws@bigfoot.com
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