When the airport looks close, the plane may still be looping

When the airport looks close, the plane may still be looping

Watching an aircraft circle repeatedly just a few miles from its destination can be frustrating for passengers, and flight-tracking apps can make it look like the same loop over and over again. Those loops are known as holding patterns, and they’re used by air traffic controllers to keep inbound aircraft safely separated while they wait for a landing slot. Sometimes the wait is short; sometimes commercial flights can spend an hour or more circling before starting the approach. Heathrow is one of the best-known examples, with four dedicated holding stacks: Bovingdon, Lambourne, Ockham, and Biggin.

Gobble's Take: Nothing says “almost there” like an aircraft politely pacing in circles while your patience evaporates. Source: Simple Flying

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