diff --git a/e2e/phases.spec.ts b/e2e/phases.spec.ts
index 25ddb37..805ec9c 100644
--- a/e2e/phases.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/phases.spec.ts
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ async function fitToAirports(page: Page, icaos: string[]): Promise<void> {
 // fetch can be stale by tens of px) and wait for the popup. `flyingOnly` skips grounded frames —
 // used right after dispatch, when the last rendered frame may predate it.
 async function clickPlane(page: Page, flyingOnly: boolean): Promise<void> {
-  const pt = await page.evaluate(async (onlyFlying: boolean) => {
+  const pt = await page.evaluate(async ({ onlyFlying, starterId }: { onlyFlying: boolean; starterId: string }) => {
     const m = (window as any).__flightMap;
     if (!m) return null;
     const deadline = Date.now() + 10_000;
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ async function clickPlane(page: Page, flyingOnly: boolean): Promise<void> {
       } catch {
         // map not ready yet — keep polling
       }
-      const f = feats.find((x) => x.properties?.id === STARTER && (!onlyFlying || x.properties?.flying === true));
+      const f = feats.find((x) => x.properties?.id === starterId && (!onlyFlying || x.properties?.flying === true));
       if (f && f.geometry) {
         const projected = m.project(f.geometry.coordinates);
         const rect = m.getContainer().getBoundingClientRect();
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ async function clickPlane(page: Page, flyingOnly: boolean): Promise<void> {
       if (Date.now() >= deadline) return null;
       await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 100));
     }
-  }, flyingOnly);
+  }, { onlyFlying: flyingOnly, starterId: STARTER });
   expect(pt, 'plane marker not rendered').not.toBeNull();
 
   // Popups are created per click and never auto-close — remove any stale ones so the testids below
diff --git a/e2e/right-pane.spec.ts b/e2e/right-pane.spec.ts
index 4c3093d..d17633d 100644
--- a/e2e/right-pane.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/right-pane.spec.ts
@@ -154,39 +154,29 @@ async function createPackage(page: Page, fromIcao: string, toIcao: string, deadl
   return (await created.json()) as PackageState;
 }
 
-// Self-heal: let any in-flight leg finish, then reposition plane-starter home via the API.
+// Self-heal: let any in-flight leg finish, then reposition plane-starter home via the API. The end
+// state is verified by ONE poll on FRESH snapshots (v1.12.0): legs now include takeoff/landing holds,
+// so a leftover leg can land at its destination after an earlier snapshot was taken — deciding from a
+// stale pre-flight snapshot let tests load cargo onto a plane that wasn't actually at the hub (409).
 async function flyHomeViaApi(page: Page): Promise<void> {
   // v0.39.0 (ISS-069): wear accumulates across the shared CI DB — restore full health and clear any
   // active repair gate from an interrupted run before the steps below act on the starter, so the
   // farthest-flyable picker and fuel pins never see a worn or broken plane.
   expect((await page.request.post('/api/test/set-health', { data: { planeId: 'plane-starter', health: 100, repairUntilMs: 0 } })).status()).toBe(200);
-  const s0 = await getState(page); // ticks — a shortened gate flips the plane back to available here
-  const starter = s0.planes.find((p) => p.id === 'plane-starter')!;
-  if (starter.status === 'flying' || starter.locationIcao !== HUB) {
-    // Fast-forward any leftover leg / repositioning flight (~20 s real time worst case at 1000×).
-    await setScale(page, SCALE);
-  }
-  if (starter.status === 'flying') {
-    await expect
-      .poll(async () => (await getState(page)).planes.find((p) => p.id === 'plane-starter')?.status === 'available', {
-        timeout: 240_000,
-        message: 'waiting for an in-flight plane-starter to land',
-      })
-      .toBe(true);
-  }
-  if (starter.locationIcao !== HUB) {
-    // Make sure the world rate is back at SCALE so the return leg fast-forwards. ISS-082: dispatch
-    // auto-refuels, so a grounded plane can always start any full-tank-flyable leg when cash allows — no top-up retry needed.
-    await setScale(page, SCALE);
-    const flyHome = await page.request.post('/api/planes/plane-starter/fly', { data: { destIcao: HUB } });
-    expect(flyHome.status()).toBe(200); // repositioning needs no package (v0.12.0 manual flight)
-    await expect
-      .poll(async () => (await getState(page)).planes.find((p) => p.id === 'plane-starter')?.locationIcao === HUB, {
-        timeout: 240_000,
-        message: 'waiting for plane-starter to land back at the hub',
-      })
-      .toBe(true);
-  }
+  // Fast-forward any leftover leg / repositioning flight (a few seconds real time worst case at 1000×).
+  await setScale(page, SCALE);
+  await expect.poll(async () => {
+    const p = (await getState(page)).planes.find((x) => x.id === 'plane-starter')!;
+    if (p.status === 'available' && p.locationIcao === HUB) return 'ok';
+    if (p.status === 'available') {
+      // ISS-082: dispatch auto-refuels, so a grounded plane can always start any full-tank-flyable leg
+      // when cash allows — no top-up retry needed. Fail loud with the server's reason otherwise.
+      const flyHome = await page.request.post('/api/planes/plane-starter/fly', { data: { destIcao: HUB } });
+      if (flyHome.status() !== 200) throw new Error(`reposition home failed (${flyHome.status()}): ${await flyHome.text()}`);
+      return `flying home from ${p.locationIcao}`;
+    }
+    return p.status; // flying or repairing — keep waiting (SCALE makes both finish quickly)
+  }, { timeout: 240_000, message: 'waiting for plane-starter to be grounded at the hub' }).toBe('ok');
   // Abandon leftover loaded/expired packages (the baseline is captured AFTER this cleanup).
   const s1 = await getState(page);
   for (const pkg of s1.packages) {