This runway ain’t big enough for the both of us

Last lesson wasn’t great, as well as struggling with weird winds and hazy horizons, I just didn’t feel “on my game”. ATC; however didn’t appear to be having any such problems, they were on fine form.

Fine form as in “lets spin WMAP around until she’s dizzy” kind of way.  No biggie really, I’m kind of used to it now to be honest. I don’t lose my bearings as often now*. I may not have helped the situation by failing to hit the tarmac 50% of the time. **

However I’m not entirely sure why ATC thought it would be a good idea to try and stick a last minute take off in between a slow-to-exit-the-runway Dash 8 and an already-on-a-tight-short-final Cessna AKA me! Needless to say it didn’t work and I found myself on seriously short final staring down at the back end of a Dash 8 on the threshold.

Well this ain’t gonna work is it? It was obvious that I was going to have to overshoot at some point, but I was a little hesitant, I had visions of overshooting right into the climb out path of the Dash 8. I waited just a little longer to see if a) ATC would actually notice and b) if they had any special instructions.

I honestly don’t know if they were playing chicken with me or what, I literally just reached for the throttle as ATC came on to tell me “JPM pull up and go around, make a turn to your right”

Obviously I did with no ill effects but I can’t help but muse over the following thought. If I’m slow or a little off the mark  and cause a Porter to overshoot , it gets CADOR’d but no one bats a flippin eyelid if they send me out on an overshoot followed by a 2.5 mile final if they are a bit slow. Does that seem right to you?

 

* yes I know it sounds crazy but yes you can get disoriented in the circuit.

** in the interests of clarity here, I overshot, rather than crashed off the side!