"Tom Fleischman" k wrote in
message
news:250320051938408267%bodhijunkoneeightyeightjun ...
This was a new one for me.

I was IFR this afternoon out of HPN for short practice flight. I was in
sequence number two at the runway waiting for departure. As the tower
controller cleared the Cessna in front of me to position and hold, he
asked him his direction of flight. The Cessna pilot responded
"Northbound". The controller then instructed the Cessna to position 50
feet north on Rwy 34, and then he cleared me to position and hold
behind the Cessna. The Cessna was VFR. I questioned the clearance,
reminding him that there was an airplane on the runway in front of me.
He told me to position and hold behind the traffic. As I taxiied into
position, he cleared the Cessna for takeoff and as soon as the Cessna
broke ground he cleared me for takeoff. I was using a DP which includes
a turn to the left. The Cessna was instructed to turn out to the right.

I've been flying out of HPN since 1992 and I have never seen or heard
of anything like this being done there before, ever.

Did I miss something??

I had the same thing at HPN two weeks ago. I was #2 at 34 behind another
single engine, both VFR and was cleared position & hold behind the other
aircraft. The only other time I've seen this was during my training. My
instructor & I flew to POU, where they cleared us onto the runway with
another plane. I remember my instructor asking me, "Do you know what the
tower is doing?" I replied, "I assume the plane in front is going to be
cleared for takeoff first because it wouldn't work the other way 'round." I
then heard him mutter "smart ass" under his breath.