Originally Posted by AllanJ
You mean they actually divert airplanes running low on fuel when high in a spiral holding pattern? Seems like it would be far simpler (?) let the affected plane skip to a lower level in the circling pattern.
Either way the pilot would likely be charged with an infraction if he hadn't loade the proper amount of fuel.
You can end up having to divert for fuel reasons even if you have loaded the proper amount of fuel onboard. Fuel uplift and use are as much arts as sciences - one of the reasons why you'd always watch your diversion options all the time whilst in flight.
And as for allowing aircraft to "skip" to a lower level in the hold, just one question for you: How woudl you go about deconflicting the aircraft with the low fuel with all the other aircraft in the intermediate levels in the stack below it? Or are you fond of aluminium sandwiches?