HS25 IN SYR TFC PATTERN QUESTION TWR ABOUT ACFT IN POS ON RWY WHILE ON APCH.

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WE WERE CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 10 AT SYR. PRIOR TO THIS; WE NOTICED AN ACFT DOING A LOW APCH TO RWY 10 ALONG WITH OTHER PLANES OPERATING OFF OF RWY 15/33. IT APPEARED THAT ACFT Y WAS FLYING LCL TRANSITION TRAINING. WE WAITED IN POS APPROX 3 MINS WHEN ACFT Y ASKED TWR 'IS THAT AN ACFT ON THE RWY?' THE TWR REPLIED; 'YES; ACFT Y GO AROUND AND MAKE A L 360 DEG TURN.' APPROX 10 SECONDS LATER; WE SAW THAT ACFT OVERHEAD AND TURNING L. AFTER THIS OCCURRED; WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. WHEN WE ASKED SYR TWR IF ACFT Y KNEW WE WERE HOLDING IN POS. THEY SAID 'NO; ACFT Y WAS 12 MI OUT WHEN WE CLRED THEM TO LAND.' WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THAT ACFT HAD NOT SEEN US WAITING IN POS ON THE RWY. ACFT Z WITNESSED THIS AND SAID THAT ACFT Y EXECUTED THEIR LOW APCH AT APPROX 200-300 FT ON FINAL. CAUSE: TWR FORGOT ABOUT US. SOLUTION: TWR BE MORE DILIGENT. TWR NOT PUT US ONTO HOLD ON AN ACTIVE RWY UNLESS THEY WILL ISSUE TKOF CLRNC WITHIN 30 SECONDS. COMPANY CHANGE PROCS AND ALLOW PLTS TO TURN ON STROBES WHEN ON AN ACTIVE RWY BECAUSE ALL OTHER LIGHTS BLEND IN WITH RWY ENVIRONMENT WHEN ACFT IS HOLDING IN POS.