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View Full Version : Question about holds for departing aircraft


Nicholas49
6th Feb 2012, 10:12
Hello,

I understand that busy airports have holding stacks to queue/sequence arriving aircraft. Heathrow has four, if I am not mistaken.

What I wondered is: if you want to enter a hold after departure (e.g. to trouble-shoot a technical issue with the aircraft / deciding whether a return to base is necessary), would ATC direct you into those same holding stacks used for arriving aircraft? Or is it not possible to get from runway departure to the point where you enter the hold?

Similarly, to use my favourite 'remote' airport Nimes as an example, where I don't imagine there is an established holding pattern (? I stand to be corrected if so!), what happens if, on departure, you want to fly a holding pattern for the same reason? How is this done?

Nick

HEATHROW DIRECTOR
6th Feb 2012, 10:48
Aircraft can fly holding patterns anywhere, not necessarily at an established holding point. In the event of a problem occurring after take of from Heathrow, for example, if the aircraft is low it could be routed to EPM or CHT to hold. If it had climbed to a higher level it could enter one of the main holds. As a last resort, it could be held on radar.