"Ron Lee" wrote:

Hawthorne, CA has recently begun a policy of not issuing position and
hold clearances. Can't say I like the policy.

Position and hold (P&H) is an accident waiting to happen. How much
time does it take to wait at the holding line then move into position
and depart versus P&H and depart? 15 seconds?

It can be enough to be the difference between having required runway
separation and not having it. At a busy airport, 15 seconds/departure will
really add up over the course of a day's operations. ATC may not have it to
spare.

Want to p. o. the tower controller at Hobby Airport in Houston? Just diddle
around stopping at an angle or spinning donuts when given a p&h instruction.
Decline the p&h if it makes you nervous, but be prepared to wait a looonnngg
time to take off, as ATC will assume they have a kook on their hands.

I prefer to verify that the approach path is clear before venturing out on
the runway and
departing.

That's fine, but sometimes you have to make allowances for the situation.
Either you're going to work with the flow at a busy airport or you're going
to be a problem for everyone.

--
Dan
C-172RG at BFM