I’m sure all of you IFR types know the drill. ATC assigns you a holding pattern and it is up to you to enter that hold in one of three ways: parallel, direct, or teardrop. Which entry do you choose? Well it all depends upon your intercept angle with the holding pattern… or something like that. Truth be told, I have no idea! But wait, how can you fly a holding pattern if you can’t do the mental math to compute your entry? It’s quite simple really: I do it visually.
Holding Pattern
That’s right, I barely even think about my entry. I just visualize the holding pattern, look at it, and visualize the appropriate entry. It’s quite simple really, lets look at a typical holding pattern. There are three possible holding pattern entries, all of which depend on where our airplane will be after crossing the holding fix. The trick is to remember three simple rules; after passing the fix, if the airplane is:
- Inside the hold, perform a teardrop entry.
Given the hold in the picture, if we approach the holding fix from the Northwest, then our airplane will be inside of the holding pattern (between the inbound and outbound legs). - Outside the hold, perform a parallel entry.
Again, look at the picture, if we arrive from the East, the airplane will be outside of the holding pattern. We must turn to our outbound heading (180 in this case) and begin a parallel entry. - With the hold, perform a direct entry.
This is the no-brainer. If you are heading in the same general direction as the inbound leg, just make that initial (in this case right) turn and fly the outbound leg.
This method sure beats doing a bunch of mental math whilst flying an airplane, and seriously reduces the chance of error. It is worth nothing that air traffic controllers don’t really care what kind of entry you make, so long as the airplane remains on the safe side (that’s the same side as the outbound leg). If you get all garbled up, just stick to the safe side and make it work!
I know holding patterns are a very abstract concept and can be difficult to envision. Please comment on this post if you need clarification on visually computing holding pattern entries.
[...] Flannigan has posted a short entry on AirChatter.com entitled Holding Pattern Entries Made Easy! As Patrick explains, there are 3 ways to enter a holding pattern (parallel, direct or tear drop) [...]
Thanks for the linkback.
Nice tips! I wish my instructor would have given me such a simple breakdown during my instrument training.
Thanks, I learned it well after getting my instrument rating. Sure would have made that part of the checkride a little easier.
Thanks for the useful info. It’s so interesting
Thanks for reading Bob!
[...] procedure. Get familiar with the chart and compute your holding pattern entry. Check out my post on Holding Patterns Entries Made Easy, it should [...]
All that stuff with pencils on the HSI never really helped me. This is much easier. Thanks!
This works, and works well but for your IR you have to be able to fly the correct entry every time and you’re only given 5º leeway.
We get taught the HSI method, which is really very simple (and works on the RMI with teeny adjustment in thinking).
1. Set the track needle on the HSI to the inbound track on the hold.
2. Draw an imaginary line 20º from horizontal across the HSI (left side low for a standard hold, and this is easy because they’ve been kind enough to mark degrees around the HSI for you!)
3. Where the track needle points is the entry you fly*
*Smallest sector = offset (teardrop)
Second sector = parrellel
Rest = direct entry
It’s quick, easy, doesn’t require any calculations or maths and, most importantly, it’s very accurate.
Still, I can’t help from thinking that when accuracy isn’t a huge issue I’ll be using a method very much like yours to quickly sort out my entries – great little guide!
Mike