Ask HN: Live flight tracking – what gives?

[webtechgal]

I was (in fact, still am) tracking a flight from Paris to Mumbai in real time - https://uk.flightaware.com/live/flight/JAI123/history/20170606/0935Z/LFPG/VABB

A few minutes earlier, just off the coast of Mumbai (~ 150 miles out), the tracker showed the flight doing a 360 loop; it still shows on the map at the URL above, and then it resumed on course.

I've tracked flights before, but never encountered anything like this. I wonder what gives.

[towndrunk]

It's a holding pattern. Commonly used when there is a lot of traffic at in the destination airspace.

http://www.wikihow.com/Fly-a-Holding-Pattern

[superasn]

I think it happens when they are not allowed to land. Mumbai is a pretty crowded airport tbh.

[webtechgal → superasn]

Yes, but I thought the holding pattern would commence once the flight is directly over - or close to - the airport.?

[borkt → webtechgal]

It can happen anywhere but is usually in relation to a certain waypoint etc. The best holding pattern would be one out of the way of other planes. The link shows aviation maps for the US to give you an idea of all the jetways they would likely be trying to avoid had the pattern been in the US http://www.iflightplanner.com/AviationCharts/