CalCapt,
Yes, your takeoff clearance will be issued as you are holding short of the runway. There will be no more "... taxi into position and hold."
Departure and Arrival rates will be reduced depending on the configuration and workload at various airports.
I am recently from AUS, where nearly EACH and EVERY depature was slotted via TIPH between arrivals. If the Local Controller could not "hit the gap" between his arrivals, then he would not get certified in the Tower. By canceling TIPH, the spacing between arrivals at AUS (and other similar airports) will need to be increased due to the additional time for you guys (and gals) to roll around the corner and depart prior to the next arrival.
Here at MEM, our arrival and departure pushes are segregated to a large degree, so we are not "hitting gaps" as often. Plus we generally have a "non-arrival" runway for departures that is used during the arrival pushes.
The reasoning behind all of this, is supposedly due to past incidents involving "fly overs", where arriving aircraft landed over the top of an aircraft that was holding in position. I only know of this happening once, and that was at SJC many years ago. No actual numbers or statistics have been provided.
TIPH is a valuable tool that the FAA is taking away from the Controllers. I would venture to say that most of us enjoy hitting the gaps and seeing a nice mix and flow of arriving and departing aircraft.
This will certainly slow things down. Yes... it will be "safer", but is this action really necessary?
MEM_ATC
Originally Posted by calcapt
Am I to assume that the cleared for takeoff will be received as we are holding short?
I did a recent go-around in LGA due to an aircraft, which was given TIPH, delaying their takeoff roll causing my go-around. Seems this new procedure would stop a repeat of my situation but it seems that arrival and departure rates will suffer. What are your thoughts as ATC? Is this new way safer?