Flight Training - March/April 2021 - 50

ADVANCED PILOT INSTRUMENT TIP

When the hold is already charted, ATC
can slim these instructions down considerably and include only the fix, the
EFC time, and instructions to hold in the
direction as published. But for all other
holds, a full clearance is the norm.
Parsing out each of these pieces of
information will help you fully prepare
for complete holding instructions. The
fix is the root of the entire procedure. It
serves as the anchor of the pattern, the
end of all the inbound legs, and possibly
even the limit of the clearance. When the
controller mentions the direction of the
legs-hold northeast, for example-it's in
reference to the fix. The radial or course
is self-explanatory once you understand
the fix is the end of the inbound leg.
Knowing the direction to hold from
the fix helps to further clarify things.
Imagine the instruction is to hold on the
90-degree radial. That's obviously east
of the fix. But setting it up can be tricky
because the fix represents the end of the
inbound leg. So with a VOR you track the
270-degree radial to the station, but fly
on the east side of the fix.
The default instructions will include
legs based on nautical miles if DME
or GPS is used. Yet in training most of
us practice timed legs. The Aeronautical Information Manual accounts for
this and says that timed legs can be
issued upon pilot request. Time is also
the default in hold without DME or
GPS. Speaking of time, the EFC time
is included solely as a lost com tool. It
keeps you from holding indefinitely, and
theoretically allows you to continue to
your clearance limit. The regulations
aren't completely clear on this, but the
procedures are broadly set out in FAR
Part 91.185.
Finally, the turns. For some reason
pilots have great difficulty remembering
the standard direction of holding turns.
It's to the right. Whatever you need to
do in order to remember that, do it. A
surprising number of pilots have started
turning left when ATC expected them to
turn right. You can remember that most
people are right-handed and so are most
holds. Or that to fly a hold you need The
Right Stuff, or that you can turn right on
red. Turn directions can be omitted from
the holding instructions if the turns are
to the right, so it's something you must
remember.
Unpublished holds are much harder
to set up since you are playing cartogra50  FLIGHT TRAINING MARCH/APRIL 2021

YOU CAN REMEMBER THAT
MOST PEOPLE ARE
RIGHT-HANDED AND SO ARE
MOST HOLDS. OR THAT TO
FLY A HOLD YOU NEED THE
RIGHT STUFF, OR THAT YOU
CAN TURN RIGHT ON RED.
pher while also trying to keep the shiny
side up. Published holds are not only
easier to understand, but also the clearance is easier. ATC is required only to
issue the fix, holding direction, and the
words " as published " when giving a published hold. It will sound something like,
" Cessna One-Two-Three-Four-Five, hold
east of Frederick as published. " That's all
that you need in order to determine all
the other parameters.
When you're issued an unpublished
hold there are a few strategies. Instructor Dick Rochfort has a good one on
YouTube. Imagine the instructions are,
" Cessna One-Two-Three-Four-Five,
hold east of the Frederick VOR on the
090-degree radial, 4-mile legs. Expect
further clearance at 10 past the hour. "
Start by drawing a triangle that represents Frederick, the fix. Then draw a
line on the east, or right side of the triangle. Since you know this is the inbound
leg, draw an arrowhead on the end of the
line that points to the triangle. No turns
mentioned in the clearance means you'll
be going right, so now it's just a matter of
completing an oval to the right. To make
things clearer it can be helpful to write
090 (270) on the inbound leg to represent the 090-degree radial but tracking
the 270-degree radial to the station. And
of course note 4 nautical miles somewhere to remind you how long the legs
are. Better yet, ask for 1-minute legs.
Once you know exactly what the
hold looks like, where it is, and where
you are in relation to it, entering is
much easier. FT
ian.twombly@aopa.org
http://efirc.com/FT
Flight Training - March/April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - March/April 2021
