Originally Posted by
vtpilot
What about if there is no tower or it is closed? You better be flying some place safe, especially at night, and the published missed assures that.
This. I always use the published missed approach altitude and procedure for the IAP as a reference. Reference is the key here. If we are doing the visual and have to go around, the tower better have a plan...quickly. If no tower, I'm going back to approach or center...and they better have a plan as quick. Whether or not I'm going to play around in an unfamiliar pattern at that point depends on my comfort level with the airport, terrain, etc.