Why are airliners held in a stacking pattern before landing ?

Question

Why are airliners held in a stacking pattern before landing ?

Answer 1

Holding pattern is usualy used to delay incoming aircraft so aircraft before them can land safely and get off (vacate) runway or in case of missed approach, if airplane is unable to land due to poor visibility or other factors such as departing traffic etc. then they follow MAP (Missed approach as published) procedure , usually it gives altitude to climb and course to holding point for holding untill cleared by ATC to enter RWY approach again and is usually then vectored by ATC for final approach. For every holding pattern there are specific procedures published in pilot maps such as Jeppesen charts with those procedures for every airport so pilots in flight prep. know what to do or to expect in every moment of flight depending on stage of flight they are in.

Answer 2

Not all airplanes can use the runway(s) at the same time.  Depending on airport runway configurations, weather, congestion and numerous other factors this is inevitable at times.

Departing planes may be on a ground delay departing leaving no open gates for planes to come into.

Answer 3

- Airline scheduling too many landings within too short of a time period.

- Excessive weather conditions on the ground.

- Ground traffic congestion

Answer 4

The holding pattern is a basic maneuver required for instrument flight certification.  As you study for the Instrument Rating, you will become very proficient at holding patterns.

By assigning different altitudes to each airplane, ATC can "store" a number of incoming flights to be sequenced for landing as the active runway or runways become available.

Stacked holding patterns are used whenever the number of arriving flights exceeds the number that can be placed on final approach at a given time.

Answer 5

Imagine a gas station just for buses and trucks, with daily specials for regular cars and motorcycles, during rush hour, with all of the drivers trying to get there at the same time.

Now imagine that all of those buses and trucks weigh in at over a quarter of a million pounds, are filled with people, very explosive jet fuel, and are traveling at 200 miles per hour. For a little bit of added excitement, lets throw some slow moving passenger cars, and a few hot shots on motorcycles, into the mix... Stir well.

All of these buses and trucks (passenger and cargo aircraft) as well as the slow cars (civilian light aircraft) and motorcycles (high performance civilian & military aircraft) need proper sequencing in order  to get to the gas station (the airfield) without swapping paint and making headlines in the newspaper (crashing).

To do this, air traffic controllers bring airplanes into the terminal area (a special section of airspace around the field), and "stack" the arriving aircraft in a very specific holding pattern using very specific altitudes and headings called a 'STAR' - which is short for Standard Terminal Area Route.

Then ATC gives the aircraft commander 'angles & dangles' (or vectors, which are directions for pilots), and clears him to land.

All so YOU and I, as well as countless others, don't end up on the news.

Answer 6

Because the runway is to congested and they need to wait to land. The other option is to have them fly aimlessly which is extremely dangerous.