Holding Is Easy ... Got a Pend?

By-the-numbers method gets you

•• What? Another "easy" way to enter
into the proper pattern without a holding pattern? Yes-and it's so
simple you'll probably wonder why you
mental gymnastics hadn't thought of it long ago.
I think anyone concerned with hold-
ing patterns, and methods of entering
same, is familiar with the diagram
shown in Figure 1, showing the 70-
by T.R. WHITE degree line cutting across the standard
holding pattern. Now, if we try to en-
vision this as we enter the holding pat-
tern, during a busy IFR flight, we see
the impracticality of it.
The problem is that this diagram is
going to move, that is, rotate magnet-
ically, as the radial changes with differ-
ent holding situations. Thus you have
360 entry methods instead of just one.
It is also predicated on the direction
from which the aircraft is coming, and
not the heading, with which we are
more normally concerned. So we have a
need for a simple method we can use in
the cockpit; a method that uses as few
varikbles as possible. The method pro-
posed here is so simple that if you get
the monkey through the FAA physical,
FIGURE 1 STANDARD PATTERN I'll teach him how to enter holding pat-
- A NICE DIAGRAM, BUT NOT OF MUCH USE terns.
IN THE COCKPIT. This method will always have the
same format; your cockpit procedure
need never change. Speaking of the
cockpit, let's begin there, for that's
where we will be determining our hold-
ing pattern entries. We will use one
cockpit instrument-the directional
gyro; this will be the only thing we will
have to look at when determining our
holding entry. This instrument is in our
normal scan, and thus eliminates the
need to be scrawling diagrams on our
kneeboard as the holding fix slides
gracefully to our six o'clock position.
Let's say you're trucking inbound on
the final leg to your destination and ap-
proach advises that you'll have to hold.
You get the airplane pointed towards the
holding fix, but now you start to squirm
because you have to figure out how to
HOLDING RADIAL
enter that mysterious oval in the sky.
To set your mind at ease take your pen-
cil and place it over the face of the di-
rectional gyro. This does three things:
it keeps you from dropping your pencil;
FIGURE 2- A PENCIL (OR FINGER)
IS ALL THERE IS TO IT - JUST LOOK
it diverts your thoughts from panic; and,
it will show you how to make your hold-
FOR THE HOLDING RADIAL.
ing entry.
The idea is that you hold the pencil
(or any straight edge) over the center

66 THE AOPA PILOT I SEPTEMBER 1977

of the directional gyro, rotated 70 de- radial). If you find the radial in the
grees to the right of the lubber line (see 70-degree arc between the lubber line
Figure 2; we will deal with standard and the top of the pencil, you will make
patterns, or right turns, first.) This pro- a teardrop entry (with right turns, sub-
cedure will always be the same, no mat- tract 30 degrees from the radial to de-
ter how the holding clearance changes, termine your heading). If the holding
or how complicated it becomes. Once radial falls in that other area between
you have mastered the task of placing the lubber line and the bottom of the
the pencil rotated 70 degrees to the pencil, make a parallel entry and turn
right, the rest is a piece of cake. left to parallel the radial (the heading
All you do now is look on the face of will be the same as the radial). Note
the directional gyro for the holding that in both the direct and in the paral-
radial. That's right, just look on the lel entries you turn to a heading that is
DG for the directional equivalent of the the same as the radial specified in the
holding radial given in the clearance holding clearance. Now let's follow
(in Figure 2 we have found the 060 through with an example.
degree radial as an example). The loca- In Figure 3 we are heading 0900; let's
tion of this number in relation to your assume we have been given a clearance
pencil will give your holding entry solu- to hold northwest on the 3500 radial of
tion. the Whozits VOR. All we do now is
The basic method is depicted in Fig- place the pencil over the DG as in the
ure 3. If the holding radial is found illustration, 70 degrees to the right of
below the pencil, it is a direct entry and, the lubber line. Now, look for the holding
upon crossing the fix, you should note radial-350-on the DG. We see that
the time and turn right, outbound 350 lies in the sector between the lub-
(heading will be the same as the ber line and the bottom of the pencil,

FIGURE 3 - STANDARD HOLDING, OR RIGHT TURNS.

=
C3'

• ".0

.... .. - ..... ..
~~
ENTRY DIAGRAM

c
 ance is to hold southwest of the Whozits
VOR on the 250 radial, left turns. Place
the pencil 70 degrees to the left of the
lubber line and look for the holding
radial. We see that 250 falls in the tear-
drop entry sector, between the lubber
line and the top of the pencil. So we
know that over the Whozits VOR we
will note the time and then turn to a
heading of 280 (remember, for a tear-
drop with left turns, add 30 degrees to
the holding radial to find your entry
heading). After timing outbound, a left
turn will bring you back to intercept the
radial. The proper entry track is shown
in the smaller diagram.
FIGURE 4 HOLDING WITH LEFT TURNS. A few notes of explanation are now
in order. We have used the term "hold-
ing radiaL" When holding on a VOR
this is simply the radial specified in the
holding clearance. When holding along
an airway, it is the magnetic heading of
the airway in the direction of holding.
ENTRY DIAGRAM And, if for some masochistic reason you
are holding on a non-directional beacon
or a compass locator, the "holding rad-
ial" is the same as the magnetic bearing
from the station given in the holding
clearance.
There may be some skeptics who
would ask why bother with such a spe-
cific procedure to determine a holding
entry; why not, say, just turn in the
direction of holding and then go from
HOLDING IS EASY continued
there. I think the word "professionalism"
best refutes this argument. Vie should
always strive to fly with precision; why
not be as precise in the holding pattern
which indicates that we should make a as we are on the ILS. If we know what
parallel entry. So we know that when kind of a holding entry we are making
we get to the VOR we will check the
time and turn left to a heading of 3500
and execute it properly, we will always
know where we are in the holding pat- I
to parallel the 3500 holding radial. After tern, orientation will not be a problem, I
timing outbound, another left turn will
bring us back to intercept the radial.
and we can concentrate on preparing
for the approach.
I
Our track when entering the holding The simplicity of this procedure lies
pattern should be as shown in the in the fact that you do the same thing
smaller diagram. every time that you are confronted with
For holding patterns with left turns, a holding situation-all you have to re-
simply rotate the pencil 70 degrees to member is which way to hold the pencil.
the left of the lubber line instead of to Everything (the directional gyro is
the right. Figure 4 shows the correct "everything") is right there in front of
procedure. The same principles apply in you, no drawing of diagrams or squirm-
determining your entry method: below ing contortions with charts; all you need
the pencil, direct entry (turn left); lub- is your pencil.
ber line to the top of the pencil, teardrop Try a couple examples yourself; use
(with left turns, add 30 degrees to the a piece of scratch paper as your DG,
holding radial to determine your head- radials pulled out of the air, and your
ing); lubber line to the bottom of the pencil. I think you'll see the simplicity
pencil, parallel entry, turn right (head- of the method. Practice it, and the next
ing again is the same as the radial). time you're in the soup it'll keep an
Now take another look at Figure 4. unexpected "hold" from blowing your
Our heading is 270. Let's say our clear- mind. 0