Longest line of planes waiting to takeoff or land?

N918KT

N918KT

Line Up and Wait
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KT
Hello guys. Just curious to those who are airline pilots or air traffic controllers but what is the longest line of planes you have seen waiting to take off or coming in for landing on final approach at a major international airport? And what major international airport is it at?

At PHL I think the longest line I've see for planes waiting to takeoff is between 25 and 30 airplanes during rush hour. But the planes are located all over the airfield heading towards the takeoff runway.
 
One day in about 1984 or so in Chicago I was on a United 727 flight to either Denver or Reno (can't recall) and I think we were #136 in line. It took 3 or 4 hours and was weather related.
 
DesertNomad said:
One day in about 1984 or so in Chicago I was on a United 727 flight to either Denver or Reno (can't recall) and I think we were #136 in line. It took 3 or 4 hours and was weather related.
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How? That will require 27000 ft of taxi-way. Or were some of the planes in line waiting at the gate?
 
It's pretty common in LGA to be like #30-40 after weather screws things up. ORD I'm usually vectored on a 20-30 mile final.
 
Denver about 3-4 years ago when the wind was howling from the west. Only two east west runways there, and RWY25 was tasked for departures. 90-120 minutes it took from push back to our turn on the runway. Wind was strong enough that the gusts were felt rocking the plane when we were sitting perpendicular on the taxi way. No idea of the number of aircraft waiting their turn. But it was a bunch!
 
ATL has some good sized conga lines. Especially after weather disrupts traffic flow.
 
Sorta related, I was on my way back from DC from vacation and talked to this guy who told me an interesting story about delays...

Apparently the plane taxiied from the gate had a long delay (2-3 hours). Then the pilot came on and said they were taxiing back to the gate because the crew was apparently over the amount of time they could fly that day. So they had cancel the flight until the morning. What's more, all the unlucky people on that flight had to end up paying for their hotels (or half anyway) because it wasn't a "weather related" or "equipment related" cancellation or some such nonsense.

Anyone ever hear of that before?
 
I have sat in the lane at Philly long enough for the plane to have to retun to the terminal for fuel.
 
Caramon13 said:
Sorta related, I was on my way back from DC from vacation and talked to this guy who told me an interesting story about delays...

Apparently the plane taxiied from the gate had a long delay (2-3 hours). Then the pilot came on and said they were taxiing back to the gate because the crew was apparently over the amount of time they could fly that day. So they had cancel the flight until the morning. What's more, all the unlucky people on that flight had to end up paying for their hotels (or half anyway) because it wasn't a "weather related" or "equipment related" cancellation or some such nonsense.

Anyone ever hear of that before?
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Oh, that's definitely equipment related. Need to stock more yoke actuators.
 
Off topic I know but I was wondering if the sterile cockpit rule applies when holding so long. Do the pilots only limit their discussions to the flight?
 
AKBill said:
Off topic I know but I was wondering if the sterile cockpit rule applies when holding so long. Do the pilots only limit their discussions to the flight?
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The sterile rules only apply (at least in my company's case) when the aircraft is in motion on the ground.
 
I know there was a couple hundred of us trying to leave Tampa after the National Title game this year. The controller did an amazing job keeping it moving.
 
52F, back when it was "affectionately" known as " Narrow Valley", had a stackup one Saturday that required one aiplane to take off before the conga line could move and let whomever just landed to get out of the far end run up area.
 
deonb said:
How? That will require 27000 ft of taxi-way. Or were some of the planes in line waiting at the gate?
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Yes, waiting at gate for a bit but I think it was still over 100 in line on the ramp and taxiway.
 
FRG on a nice Saturday afternoon and you could be 20 deep... Not fun.
 
N918KT said:
Hello guys. Just curious to those who are airline pilots or air traffic controllers but what is the longest line of planes you have seen waiting to take off or coming in for landing on final approach at a major international airport? And what major international airport is it at?

At PHL I think the longest line I've see for planes waiting to takeoff is between 25 and 30 airplanes during rush hour. But the planes are located all over the airfield heading towards the takeoff runway.
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Duh..

Oshkosh on thursday or Saturday.
 
I think I was on a Jet Blue flight with a layover at LGA and we were #30 or so a couple years ago, early morning, fog was really bad, and they said, we are going to turn the runways around, oh and the tower can't really see the planes so this might take a while.

And I'm sure everyone has heard this story 10 times, but I still find it funny as hell.

(While sitting in a long line of planes waiting to take off)

Pilot: "I'm f...ing bored."
ATC: "Last aircraft transmitting, identify yourself immediately!"
Pilot: "I said I was f...ing bored, not f...ing stupid."
 
Ryanb said:
ATL has some good sized conga lines. Especially after weather disrupts traffic flow.
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Like yesterday! They close the field for a thunderstorm! I left out of FTY as the storm was moving in, we could see the lighting just to the east, good thing we were going west!:D They had them stacked up holding at LGC, I heard two or three divert while we were en route to Destin.
 
N918KT said:
Hello guys. Just curious to those who are airline pilots or air traffic controllers but what is the longest line of planes you have seen waiting to take off or coming in for landing on final approach at a major international airport? And what major international airport is it at?

At PHL I think the longest line I've see for planes waiting to takeoff is between 25 and 30 airplanes during rush hour. But the planes are located all over the airfield heading towards the takeoff runway.
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LAX for arrivals. They're lined up straight in to 24 and 25 before they even get to California.
 
Airline guy here

My record was right after a thunderstorm in PHL I asked the controller our sequence, he said, somewhere over 50 I'll let you know when you're within 10. So I don't know the exact number but it was over 50 planes ahead of me
 
You people keep talking about conga lines. MSP had a hootenanny last night. Lightning kept ground crews from fueling planes and pushing them back, and arrivals stacked up in every square inch of the airport, facing every direction, waiting for gates to open up. I was a mere passenger so I couldn't tell you how many planes were waiting, but it was impressive that the controllers found space for them all.
 
jordane93 said:
It's pretty common in LGA to be like #30-40 after weather screws things up. ORD I'm usually vectored on a 20-30 mile final.
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We were about to push for our second attempt at leaving LGA when we notice the line was all the way to the Delta Terminal and looping half way back. At least 40 planes not moving a single inch. I didn't even request for a push and just looked at the Captain who said "welp let's get everyone off and go to a hotel".
 
kayoh190 said:
The sterile rules only apply (at least in my company's case) when the aircraft is in motion on the ground.
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Yep, if the parking brake is set we're good. It gets kinda boring after an hour or so starring at the back of the same plane.
 
iamtheari said:
You people keep talking about conga lines. MSP had a hootenanny last night. Lightning kept ground crews from fueling planes and pushing them back, and arrivals stacked up in every square inch of the airport, facing every direction, waiting for gates to open up. I was a mere passenger so I couldn't tell you how many planes were waiting, but it was impressive that the controllers found space for them all.
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I've had to almost hold before going into CLT on a CLEAR day because a certain person was working ramp. She had every inch parked because she cleared THE ENTIRE ramp to push one A330. The actual ATC guys were royally ****ed off.
 
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