What happened to the STACK?

gay_pilot18

gay_pilot18

New Member
When I was younger, I used to always read about something in the air traffic control system called "the stack". It was used for arriving planes into a terminal area.

Basically it was this: Airplanes were stacked for arrival in a circular holding pattern at all altitudes and would slowly make there way to the bottom of the stack and prepare for there arrival and eventual landing at a certain airport.

The stack could best be described as a large holding pattern for landing aircraft at airports.

Now I fly alot and I work at a Class B airport (CVG) and have flown to all the big class B airspaces. ATL,LAX,DFW,SEA,ORD,PHX etc.,etc. and I don't ever remember the aircraft flying in a large circular holding pattern in preparation for landing at any of these airports.

Also since I have started work on my Instrument Rating I'm learning that arriving into a terminal area is pretty much following a direct path.

Feeder Route, IAF,Initial Approach Segment, Intermediate Fix, FAF, Final Approach Segment, MAP (if necessary)

So I guess my question to you all is what happend to the Stack? Is it still used?

Everett


P.S. Doug thanks for freaking me out about regional/major airline ground school thats all I needed is something more to stress bout in my life...(lol)
smirk.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]

When I was younger, I used to always read about something in the air traffic control system called "the stack". It was used for arriving planes into a terminal area.

Basically it was this: Airplanes were stacked for arrival in a circular holding pattern at all altitudes and would slowly make there way to the bottom of the stack and prepare for there arrival and eventual landing at a certain airport.

The stack could best be described as a large holding pattern for landing aircraft at airports.

Now I fly alot and I work at a Class B airport (CVG) and have flown to all the big class B airspaces. ATL,LAX,DFW,SEA,ORD,PHX etc.,etc. and I don't ever remember the aircraft flying in a large circular holding pattern in preparation for landing at any of these airports.

Also since I have started work on my Instrument Rating I'm learning that arriving into a terminal area is pretty much following a direct path.

Feeder Route, IAF,Initial Approach Segment, Intermediate Fix, FAF, Final Approach Segment, MAP (if necessary)

So I guess my question to you all is what happend to the Stack? Is it still used?

Everett


P.S. Doug thanks for freaking me out about regional/major airline ground school thats all I needed is something more to stress bout in my life...(lol)
smirk.gif



[/ QUOTE ]

In the days prior to flow-control measures, stacking/racking/packing planes was the norm. STARS should alleviate this, but I've still seen it used in areas under IFR where multiple planes are desiring to make approaches to a non-tower or tower but non-radar field where TRACON will only allow one IFR arrival into the control zone at a time until he calls on the ground.

In the military, it's also known as the "marshal" stack, where you marshall (hold) until your assigned "push" time.
 
I've been "stacked" over Providence several times waiting to get in to Boston. You know how long your hold is going to be (approximately) by your initial altitude - basically 5 minutes for every 1000' over 10000'.
 
John - I see planes all the time "stacked" over my house... They come in from the west, loop around RI/southern New England once and fly back over but at a lower altitude and head for Boston to land. It was weird seeing it at night when there were several planes flying the same circle... I thought Mars was invading again or something.
 
It is the norm going into London Heathrow but I have not had to stack going into LAX in the longest time. Having to wait after 11 hours of flying is no fun!!
 
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