Originally Posted by
mrdeux
Some people do...and some types are worse than others, but I don't think it's helped by the procedures used.
For instance, tower won't give a conditional line up clearance. When I queried that via my company, the response was 'because of the stop bars'. Well, they exist in other places, and ATC there gives the clearance, and you move as soon as the bars go out. There's probably 15-20 seconds in that.
Even simple things, like giving a heads up that you'll be next will help. That will allow me to spool the engines up a couple of percent, which then shaves a few more seconds (the 380 spool up is very slow from ground idle).
The Australian Manual of Air Traffic Services does not allow us to give conditional line up clearances when stop bars are in use, this includes not being allowed to give the conditional line up, and then only dropping the stop bar when the landing aircraft passes the holding point. I'm aware that this is different overseas.
Most tower controllers agree with you that efficiency would be improved if conditional clearances were allowed, it would also reduce our workload and allow us to move on to other radio calls. This feedback has been passed up the chain many times but to no avail in terms of rule changes.
Given this, we do our best within the confines of the system to be efficient. Most controllers will give the heads up "be ready for immediate departure behind the landing 737" etc if they believe it will make a difference in the useability of a gap for departure.
If the gap isn't that tight, and only 1 departure will fit in it anyway, then there is less need for use of that phrase.