Flight Training - April 2015 - 37

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 holdingpattern 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

REMEMBER
THE Ts
Five tasks when entering
a hold
To try and ease workload
when you're entering the
hold, remember to employ
the five Ts.
Time: Start your timer to
ensure the proper inbound
leg. A teardrop or parallel
entry often calls for a oneminute entry leg.
Turn: Fly the proper entry
heading.
Twist: If holding with a VOR
radial as a reference, select
the proper inbound radial
course.
Throttle: Slow down. This
isn't the Indy 500, it's the
line at the motor vehicle
department. There's no
need to burn extra fuel or
make yourself dizzy.
Talk: Notify air traffic
control that you're established in the hold.

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.
Jamie Beckett is a pilot and writer
living in southwest Florida.
APRIL 2015 FLIGHT TRAINING

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Flight Training - April 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - April 2015
