The instrument flight rules system is a marvel of modern technology and procedures. Staggering numbers of aircraft make their way across the continent day after day, in good weather and in bad, yet they stay on course and arrive as expected at their destinations because of the steady, predictable nature of aircraft operations under IFR.
Of course, there are times when something doesn’t go quite as planned. Perhaps an aircraft doesn’t clear a runway as quickly as expected, causing the next aircraft in line to execute a missed approach. The weather could degrade below minimums, causing a line of aircraft to abandon their intended destination and divert toward an alternate. An in-flight emergency might cause multiple aircraft to be rerouted temporarily in order to clear airspace for the afflicted aircraft to maneuver safely.
In each of these cases, ATC could assign a hold to other aircraft in the system. The hold is as close as we can come to stopping an airplane in flight. Airplanes continue to maintain a safe airspeed, but they do this while flying a specified pattern that restricts their movement along a specific route of flight.
A holding pattern is usually short and is always issued to serve a purpose. In the training environment, or in an instrument-rated pilot’s quest to maintain proficiency and currency, we often request holds to practice the procedures in a real-world environment.
The hold itself is simple. It’s an oval pattern flown over a fix. The fix can be a VOR; a fixed point on a radial (such as a DME reading); an intersection between two radials; or a GPS waypoint. That one spot in the hold is static. The pilot can base decisions regarding the hold on the placement of the fix, his or her position relative to that fix, and the direction from the fix that he’s been instructed to hold.
When assigned a hold, the pilot’s first decision is how to enter it.. There are three options: the direct entry, the teardrop entry, and the parallel entry. No matter where you are directed to hold, one of these entry methods will get you into the hold and properly establish your aircraft on the assigned course. The other two may not. Knowing which entry to use and when to use it is the key to flying a good, stable hold.
The hold clearance. When ATC issues a hold, the controller provides very specific information. Six pertinent pieces of information typically are included in a hold clearance.
1. The name of the fix.
2. The cardinal direction of the inbound leg as it radiates from the fix.
3. The radial or bearing that defines the inbound leg.
4. The direction of turns.
5. The length of the legs.
6. An expect further clearance (EFC) time.
If the hold is a standard hold, ATC may not specify turn directions or leg length. If that is the case, ATC is expecting standard right-hand turns and a standard leg length of one minute inbound (if flying below 14,000 feet).
For training purposes, go ahead and draw a hold as if you were given this clearance. “Cleared direct to the Boston VOR, hold south on the 180 radial, expect further clearance at 1550Z.”
Draw a dot to represent the fix, and a radial extending downward to the south of that fix. Mark an arrow on that line that points north, toward the fix. This is your inbound leg. Now draw a 180 degree arc to the right from the fix, extend the line downward to illustrate the outbound leg, and a second 180 degree arc to rejoin the inbound leg.
This is your hold. It is also one of the most productive instructional aids you will ever use. By using a drawing to represent your hold—and a pencil, or a paperclip, or a tiny model airplane to represent the real one you’ll be flying—you can practice hold entries and holding procedures without burning any fuel, putting time on the airplane, or writing a check.
The clearance you got from ATC is asking you to fly directly to the VOR; hold on the south side of the VOR, using the 180 degree radial as your course line; and to expect another clearance at or before 1550Z. Of course, the reciprocal of 180 degrees is 360 degrees—so it is important to keep in mind that although you are holding on the 180-degree radial, your inbound course will be 360 degrees. ATC has omitted any indication of turn direction or leg length, so we can assume the controller anticipates a standard holding pattern with right turns and an inbound leg length of one minute. You can always ask for clarification. ATC prefers a question to your flying an unexpectedly odd hold. Yet, even with all that information, you still have no idea how to properly enter the hold. One piece of the puzzle is still missing. It is your location in reference to the VOR.
By turning directly toward the fix, as we have been cleared to do, we can determine which direction we are from the fix, and which direction we will be heading when we cross the fix. With that in mind, we can plan our entry and prepare to establish ourselves in the hold.
The direct entry. If your airplane is approaching the fix from the southwest, the direct entry is most appropriate. Simply fly to the fix, turn to the outbound heading upon station passage, and fly outbound for one minute. At the one-minute mark, turn inbound and establish yourself on the 180-degree radial. Start your timer when the wings are level and time the duration of the inbound leg. When you cross the fix again and turn outbound, you can contact ATC to report you are established in the hold.
The direct entry is the simplest and most straightforward of the three holding-pattern entries.
The teardrop entry. If you are approaching the fix from the northwest, a teardrop entry is the preferred technique. Fly to the fix, then turn to a heading that is 30 degrees less than the outbound course (for a hold with left-hand turns, the heading would be 30 degrees greater than the outbound course). In this case, that puts you on a heading of 150 degrees. Fly that heading for one minute, then turn in the same direction of your holding turns (to the right, in this case) and establish yourself on the radial inbound.
The parallel entry. When approaching this hold from the northeast, a parallel entry is called for. Fly to the fix, then turn to the outbound heading, paralleling the inbound course. After flying outbound for one minute, turn 210 to 225 degrees in the opposite direction of the holding turns (a left turn, in this case). Your turn must be 180 degrees to reverse course, plus an additional 30 to 45 degrees to establish an intercept angle. As you intercept the radial that establishes the inbound leg, turn to track it inbound, then turn outbound after passing the fix.
The parallel entry is the only entry method that requires your first inbound turn to be in the opposite direction of the turns in the hold.
You can use this drawing, or one substantially similar, to practice arriving at a hold from any direction you choose. As you practice it will become apparent to you when it is most appropriate to use each of the entry procedures. Knowing that, and having reviewed the process of entering a hold from so many different directions, will give you the insight and the confidence to perform flawless hold entries in the real world. And you don’t have to rack up a big flight training bill in the process.
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