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Old 27th Oct 2004, 11:41
  #18 (permalink)  
Del Prado
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: London
Posts: 647
Received 6 Likes on 3 Posts
Jerricho, yes the landing rate can vary considerably although it has got better since you went to Canada. (sorry couldn't resist )

Okay I take yours and Hammy's point about using strips and reverting to procedural control during times of garbling but by having to rely on procedural methods we're increasing the chances that a level bust or ATC error isn't spotted early enough. Quite simply, (ssr) radar is safer yet it's rendered almost useless in the stacks by excessive holding.

Hammy is right to say only two aircraft are required to cause garbling. Two aircraft in a hold MIGHT garble, eight in the same holding pattern WILL overlap.

As you say, delays can go from 10 to 30 minutes for all manner of unforseen reasons (weather, runway closure, etc). But once the delays are high we could be using flow control to bring them down to a sensible target.

Your assertion that TEAM can bring delays down to the point where we have no jets to play with isn't true. TEAM can only be used when delays are excessive (ie well over 20 mins) when EATS are no longer in force TEAM ceases. There will still be 20 minutes of holding in the stacks.
In fact TEAM only saves 5 or 6 minutes holding per hour.

This has always struck me as a latent risk in our operation and I don't think the benefits to customers of applying no flow control outweigh the safety risks associated with overloading the system.
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