AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2020 - 97

P&E 
clearance limit. You should make sure
you're issued an EFC in case you lose
communications with ATC. If you lose
communications when you're holding at
an en route or other fix that isn't associated with an instrument approach, leave
the holding fix at the EFC and fly to a fix
from which your approach begins. Then
start your descent and approach as close
as possible to your most recently calculated
estimated time of arrival (ETA), based on
any clearance amendments. If your clearance wasn't amended, use the ETA you
named in your flight plan.
If you lose communications and your
holding fix is a fix where an approach
begins-an initial, intermediate, or final
approach fix-then begin the descent, or
descent and approach-as close to the EFC
as you can. No EFC? Then as close to the
ETA as possible. For the full lowdown on
lost communications, check FAR 91.185.
Along with an EFC, ATC should also
keep you advised of any expected delays,
and give the time of the delay duration. The
worst case would be the dreaded "delay
indefinite" message, followed by another
EFC time-which means additional turns
around the holding pattern.
With the popularity of full-featured
GPS navigators and their big-screen moving
maps, it's easier to do the mental gymnastics needed to orient yourself to the holding
fix and the legs of the pattern. They even
tell you the correct holding pattern entry!
But full familiarity is vital when it comes to
flying holding patterns. Recent Garmin navigators, for example, require that you use the
OBS function to define the inbound leg of
the holding pattern and suspend sequencing. If you don't, you'll navigate to the next
fix in the flight plan instead of staying in
the holding pattern. However, guidance to
and around missed approach holding patterns can be automatic. And if on autopilot,
the airplane will continue to hold until you
select another operation.
That's a far cry from the bad old analog, round-gauges-only days. The basics
may remain the same, but those of us flying with flight directors, autopilots, and
automated navigation definitely have a big
advantage. 
AOPA
EMAIL tom.horne@aopa.org

SAVVY MAINTENANCE
Savvy Maintenance coverage
sponsored by AIRCRAFT SPRUCE

OPINION

|

The looming
mechanic
shortage
What if your airplane breaks and there's no one to fix it?
BY MIKE BUSCH

BEING A DYED-IN-THE-WOOL technology
freak, I drive a Tesla Model 3. It has been
a superbly reliable vehicle that doesn't
require maintenance very often.
But when it does, I take my Tesla to the
nearest Tesla dealership, where it is worked
on by factory-trained mechanics who work
on nothing but Teslas all day long and know
them like the backs of their hands.
The situation was very similar in 1968
when I bought my first airplane, a brandnew 1968 Cessna 182 Skylane. I based it at
what is now called John Wayne Airport in
Santa Ana, California. In those days, there
were three big aircraft dealerships on the

field: a Cessna dealer, a Piper dealer, and a
Beechcraft dealer.
When my Skylane needed maintenance, I took it to the Cessna dealership
on the field, which employed a half-dozen
factory-trained airframe and powerplant
mechanics who worked on nothing but
single-engine Cessnas all day long. The
Cessna dealership also had a parts room
to die for, so when my airplane needed
some component to be replaced it was
likely to be in stock. Owners of Pipers
and Beechcraft on the field enjoyed the
same happy circumstance at their factory
dealerships.
aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT | 97
http://www.aopa.org/pilot
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2020

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