If you have ever traveled by flight, you must have seen that when the plane is about to land, suddenly it starts circling in the sky instead of landing straight on. The city lights are shining below. In such a situation, slight worry starts appearing on the faces of the passengers, which is also natural. After that the question starts arising in the mind that what happened? Is there any problem with the flight? What’s going to happen next? All these worries start appearing clearly on the face, but now you do not need to be afraid, because most of you do not know the reason behind this happening, due to which you go into tension.

In today’s article, we will tell you about this in detail, so that your doubts are cleared and you can enjoy your journey without any worries. Let us know in detail here…

holding pattern

Actually, the process of rotating in the sky like this is called holding pattern in the language of aviation. This is done when the aircraft is not allowed to land for some time. This means that the pilot is instructed to keep going in a circle at a specified altitude until he gets runway clearance. This is not a technical glitch, but a completely security based process. There is no need to panic about this. Often such a procedure is adopted due to lack of runway at busy airports.

These are the reasons

• The most common reason for aircraft spinning in the air is bad weather. If there is strong wind, fog or heavy rain around the airport, visibility reduces. In such a situation, landing can be risky. In this situation, air traffic control orders the pilot to remain at altitude for some time, until the weather becomes stable. This gives the pilot time to understand the situation and control the position of the aircraft.
• Sometimes an emergency situation arises in another aircraft, such as a technical problem in the engine or the health of a passenger deteriorating… In such a situation, the airport management immediately gives priority to that aircraft. All other planes have to wait till then. This wait takes place in the air, meaning the remaining aircraft continue to rotate in a holding pattern until the emergency is completely resolved. During this time, passengers may feel that something is wrong, but it is actually a security procedure.
• Just like there is traffic jam on the roads, similarly there is congestion on the air routes too, especially at busy airports like Delhi, Mumbai or Dubai… with planes landing or taking off every few minutes. In such a situation, air traffic control gives each aircraft a landing slot. If an aircraft arrives ahead of schedule or is delayed on the runway for some reason, the pilot is instructed to hover overhead.
• Sometimes the reason for the delay is not in the sky, but on the ground. There may be another aircraft taxiing on the runway or the gate may not be vacant yet. Sometimes the ground staff takes a while to make arrangements. In such a situation, the airport control tower asks the pilot to wait in the air for a while. This avoids congestion and chaos on the ground and ensures smooth landing of all aircraft.
• The runway is the most important area of ​​every airport, but it is not always available. Sometimes the runway is temporarily closed due to maintenance work going on or due to an emergency landing of an aircraft. Then the rest of the planes have to wait. During this, the pilots keep the aircraft in a holding pattern, so that as soon as permission for landing is given, they can land without any delay.
• Many passengers think that the rotation of the plane means a sign of danger, but the reality is the opposite. It is part of the modern aviation system. Every time the plane goes around, it waits for the runway to be completely clear, the weather to be favorable and the plane to land safely.