If you're a frequent flyer, you have probably had to "hold" at one time or another. Holding is when an airplane makes several 360° turns to avoid other aircraft or wait for a clearance to land.
Although not as common now as it used to be, you may still encounter a holding request, especially if you are a pilot working on an instrument rating. With that in mind, the following article is written from a private pilot standpoint and (foolishly) assumes you know how to use aircraft navigation equipment such as VORs, DME, and NDBs.
[edit] Steps
1. Determine the Holding Fix. Air Traffic Control (ATC) will give you instructions to "hold north of SKIER intersection as published" or give you specific holding instructions such as "hold southeast of Falcon VOR on Victor 366, left turns." The holding fix can be identified on an instrument flying chart and will usually be an intersection of Victor Airways (pre-established flying routes between VOR navigational aids), a VOR (Very high frequency OmniRange station), or an NDB (NonDirectional Beacon).
2. Visualize the Holding Course. This is the position in relation to the holding fix that ATC would like you to hold at. They may say "hold west on Victor 8" or "hold on the Kremmling 260° radial." You should be very familiar with VOR and NDB radials and bearings before flying holding patterns.
The holding course is the course to fly "to" the station. This will always be the reciprocal of the radial or bearing "from" the station (eg the 260° radial would result in a 080° Holding Course). To quickly identify this, take a piece of paper and put a dot for the Holding Fix and draw a line in the direction of the radial or airway to hold on. Place an arrow pointing to the station to identify the Holding Course.
3. Draw the Holding Pattern. Once you have the Fix and Course, mentally or physically draw a picture of the holding pattern. You will need to determine if it is Standard or Nonstandard. A standard pattern turns are to the right, while nonstandard turns are to the left. If the pattern is nonstandard, it will be published on the chart as left turns or ATC will say "nonstandard pattern" or "left turns."
Starting at the Holding Fix, draw a 180° turn in the direction specified (left or right), continue the line paralleling the Holding Course, and draw another 180° turn to bring you back to the Holding Course. This is the famous "racetrack" or Holding Pattern.
4.
Determine the correct Entry Procedure. Depending on where you enter the holding pattern, you will need to follow an entry procedure. If you are coming from 70° to the left (right for nonstandard patterns) of the holding course, use a Teardrop procedure. Coming from 110° to the right (or left if nonstandard), use the Parallel procedure. And from the remaining 180°, fly a direct entry. The entry procedures are outlined below:
1. Parallel Procedure. When approaching the holding fix from anywhere within sector (a), turn to a heading to parallel the holding course outbound on the nonholding side for the appropriate time (see step 5), turn in the direction of the holding pattern through more than 180 degrees, and return to the holding fix or intercept the holding course inbound.
2. Teardrop Procedure. When approaching the holding fix from anywhere in sector (b), turn outbound to a heading 30° from the holding course on the holding side for the appropriate time, then turn in the direction of the holding pattern to intercept the inbound holding course.
3. Direct Entry Procedure. When approaching the holding fix from anywhere in sector (c), fly directly to the fix and turn to follow the holding pattern.
5. Time the legs. The pattern should be flown so the Inbound Leg is one minute long if you are flying at or below 14,000ft Mean
Answered by
Sunny
, an ibibo Advisor,
at
10:03 PM on April 22, 2008
