Holding procedures

Draw what the clearance actually describes

A hold keeps the aircraft near a fix while ATC manages delay or while a procedure requires it. Delays may follow destination weather deterioration, traffic sequencing, a blocked runway or unavailable equipment. Establish what the hold requires before reaching the fix and reassess whether waiting still leaves a usable landing option.

For an uncharted hold, identify: direction of holding from the fix; fix; radial, course, bearing or route; specified leg length in distance or time; left turns if assigned; and EFC/additional delay information. Retain the assigned altitude and any speed restriction. Standard means right turns; nonstandard means left turns. These describe turn direction, not whether the hold is published.

Study clearance: hold south of fictional GROVE, inbound course 000 degrees, right turns, one-minute legs, maintain 6,000, expect further clearance at 1855Z. Draw the inbound northbound leg ending at GROVE and the outbound southbound leg on the east/holding side. Holding direction from the fix is south, while the holding side of the inbound course is east. Confusing those two descriptions can reverse the pattern.

If instructed to hold as published, use the appropriate assigned charted pattern and confirm its inbound course, turn direction, leg length, altitude and speed. A fix can have different holds on an en route chart, SID, STAR or approach; select the one actually assigned. Ask for complete holding instructions if needed.

If no pattern is charted and no instructions have been issued, ask before the fix. If congestion or a stuck microphone prevents obtaining them before reaching the clearance limit, current AIM guidance is to enter a standard pattern on the course used to approach the fix and request further clearance as soon as possible. This is a specific instruction-gap situation, not a substitute for the separate §91.185 lost-communications rules.

AIM 5-3-8(a)–(c), (i), (j)(1): assigned/uncharted holding and descriptive terms · §91.123: actual clearance and clarification · §91.185: separate two-way communications-failure framework

Use the heading at the fix and the actual turn direction

FAA recommended direct, parallel and teardrop entries support the design of protected holding airspace. Select using the aircraft's heading as it reaches the fix, relative to the inbound holding course and turn direction. Heading is not ground track: wind can make them differ. Mirror the entry sectors for left-turn holding; simply reusing a right-turn picture can put the entry on the wrong side.

For the illustrated inbound 000-degree, right-turn hold, heading 000 gives a direct entry: cross the fix, then turn right to follow the pattern. Heading 270 gives a parallel entry: cross the fix, parallel the course outbound on the west/nonholding side for one minute, then turn right through more than 180 degrees to return to the fix or intercept inbound. Heading 150 gives a teardrop entry: cross the fix, fly a 30-degree offset from outbound toward the east/holding side—heading 150 before wind adjustment—for one minute, then turn right to intercept inbound.

For inbound 000 with left turns, the holding side is west. Heading 090 is a parallel example and heading 210 is a teardrop example; the teardrop outbound heading is 210 before wind adjustment. Heading 000 still gives a direct entry, now followed by a left turn. Draw the pattern before selecting the entry.

The recommended sectors are useful guidance rather than rigid maneuver law. The design allows a 5-degree tolerance around sector boundaries, and another appropriate entry can remain within protected airspace. For example, heading 290 is a parallel/direct boundary for the illustrated right-turn hold; a nearby heading needs an appropriate plan, not an invented exact-degree legal verdict. Excess speed, wrong-side geometry or poorly controlled turns can exceed protection even with a memorized entry label.

Use the Explore trainer to rotate the inbound course, change arrival heading and mirror turns. Its relative-heading sectors model the FAA recommendation and mark boundary ambiguity; it does not approve a real-world entry or establish protected-airspace dimensions. Rehearse the actual entry with the instructor and the installation being used.

AIM 5-3-8(j)(3) and (j)(7)(a)(1): recommended entries, nonstandard orientation and heading/track tolerance · ACS III.B.S1 and R4: appropriate entry and entry/wind risk

Enter with the right speed and turn capability

Use the published/assigned restriction and the applicable maximum holding airspeed. General AIM limits are 200 KIAS from the minimum holding altitude through 6,000 feet MSL, 230 KIAS from 6,001 through 14,000, and 265 KIAS above 14,000. Charted lower limits and special cases can change the applicable value; §91.117 speed limits still apply. A charted 175-knot maximum must be met before initially crossing the fix, even where the general table permits more.

A maximum is not a recommended target. Use the actual airplane's recommended holding speed, operating limits and maneuvering margin, with appropriate power for fuel conservation. Current AIM fixed-wing guidance calls for at least 90 KIAS to reduce wind influence, and for the lowest practical speed consistent with recommended aircraft holding speed when using RNAV guidance. This does not supply a universal 90-knot operating prescription or justify flying below aircraft limits in icing/turbulence.

With advance notice, AIM recommends completing reduction to at or below the maximum at least three minutes before the fix. If no clearance beyond a nearby limit has arrived and three minutes or less remain, begin reducing so the initial crossing is at or below the maximum. Without advance notice, reduce as expeditiously as practical. The ACS also prepares changing to the appropriate holding speed when three minutes or less from, but before, arrival. Plan early enough to satisfy the actual notice, restrictions and airplane; do not turn a late call into a rushed configuration change.

For holding without RNAV lateral guidance, current AIM turn guidance is the least bank required by: 3 degrees per second; 30 degrees bank; or 25 degrees bank when a flight director system is used. The flight-director qualification matters; it is not a universal choice to use 25 degrees. Actual aircraft limitations remain controlling.

RNAV guidance may compute an appropriate turn. Do not use a pilot-selectable bank limit below 25 degrees unless the applicable limitation or minimum maneuvering margin requires it; the AIM also recognizes a nonselectable limitation. If bank must be limited below 25 degrees, advise ATC that more holding area is needed. Excess speed or shallow turns can expand the flightpath beyond protected airspace. Advise immediately if unable to meet the speed/turn requirement and request an alternate clearance.

AIM 5-3-8(j)(2), (j)(7)(a)(3), (j)(8): holding speeds, deceleration and bank guidance · §91.117: applicable aircraft speed limits · ACS III.B.S2/S4: appropriate holding speed/power and flight tolerances

Recognize passage, then time the correct leg

Use the actual aid/installation indications to recognize arrival at the assigned fix. At a VOR station the AIM specifies beginning the turn outbound at the first complete to/from reversal. For an intersection, DME fix or RNAV waypoint, use the correctly selected aid, distance/waypoint sequence and other necessary checks. A plausible map position or a nearby same-name fix is not a verified arrival.

For a timed hold, the target inbound time is one minute at or below 14,000 feet MSL and one and a half minutes above 14,000. The initial outbound leg uses the applicable one-minute or one-and-a-half-minute value; subsequent outbound timing is adjusted to obtain the proper inbound time. Entry instructions are separately described in entry-choice; do not confuse their maneuver with a completed holding circuit.

Start outbound timing over or abeam the fix, whichever occurs later. If the abeam position cannot be determined, start when the outbound turn is complete. Start inbound timing when established on the inbound course. Trying to start every outbound timer at initial fix passage includes the turn and can distort leg length.

If an inbound leg at 6,000 takes 75 seconds instead of 60, shorten the next outbound leg as a starting adjustment and observe the next inbound result. If inbound is too short, lengthen outbound. Turn effects and unequal groundspeeds mean a memorized equal-time rule does not guarantee the result; make controlled refinements while monitoring the assigned course, fix and limits.

When cleared to a different holding altitude, recheck the applicable speed and leg timing. A hold built at an altitude above 14,000 can retain a one-and-a-half-minute setting after descent below that level unless corrected. Respect a specifically published/assigned distance or other leg restriction instead of replacing it with the generic timed-hold rule.

AIM 5-3-8(g), (j)(4), (j)(7)(a)(5): fix passage, leg timing and retained altitude settings · IFH Chapter 10, 10-12, Time Factors and Figure 10-7: outbound timing · ACS III.B.S3/S3a/S5: fix recognition, assigned leg restrictions and timing preparation

Use the distance reference named by the procedure

In a distance hold, the chart or controller specifies leg distance in place of the time value. Determine whether the readout is distance from the station, from the holding waypoint or GPS along-track distance. Those are different quantities. Do not assume a five-mile leg means turn when any displayed distance reads five.

Conventional DME holding uses station-referenced distances for both ends. Study case: inbound course is toward the station, fix at 10 DME and outbound leg five NM. The outbound endpoint is 15 DME. If inbound is away from the station, fix at 28 DME and outbound leg eight NM, outbound travel goes toward the station and the endpoint is 20 DME. The required course/radial and the specified leg determine whether to add or subtract.

On a published GPS distance hold, the fix is a database waypoint and the outbound endpoint is determined by the applicable along-track distance. Some GPS procedures still specify timing; read the actual procedure. Suitable approved RNAV can substitute for DME under applicable rules, but station-referenced RNAV distance is not the same label as along-track leg distance. DME is slant range; AIM treats the substitution difference as negligible when used solely for appropriate DME substitution, not as permission to substitute arbitrary screen values.

Follow the clearance/chart entry, direction, speed and altitude requirements as well as leg length. A correct number on the wrong reference or a correct turn at the wrong fix still produces a wrong hold. Reconfirm the distance source after a route, source or display change.

AIM 5-3-8(j)(5)–(6): DME/ATD endpoints and RNAV-distance substitution · AIM 1-1-17: GPS IFR installation/procedure requirements · AIM 1-2-3: suitable RNAV on conventional procedures · ACS III.B.S3a: holding leg length and other restrictions

Correct heading and timing to preserve the track

Hold the assigned inbound course with a wind-corrected heading, then assess drift on both turns and outbound travel. A compass heading equal to the published course will not necessarily keep the airplane on that ground path. Altitude, speed, bank and wind all affect the size of the pattern.

FAA guidance uses approximately triple the inbound drift correction in the opposite direction outbound as an initial holding technique. For the illustrated inbound course 000, suppose observed tracking requires heading 008—eight degrees right. A starting outbound correction is 24 degrees left of outbound 180, or heading 156. This accounts approximately for accumulated turn drift; it is not an exact wind-triangle solution or a guaranteed protected track. Observe actual course/position, refine the correction and adjust outbound time separately to obtain the inbound target.

A stronger wind can push the pattern outside the expected area even while the inbound needle looks satisfactory. Monitor the whole flightpath, not only the final inbound interception. Use the actual aircraft's turn guidance and speed/maneuvering margins; do not widen the hold by selecting a shallow bank without recognizing the consequence. Advise ATC when conditions or limitations prevent the assigned hold.

For an explicitly assigned arrival-over-fix time, plan using the remaining distance/groundspeed and controlled timing changes, while respecting the cleared hold and aircraft limits. An EFC alone is not an assigned instruction to exit at that time while communications operate. Do not stretch legs beyond restrictions or leave the limit to satisfy an expectation.

AIM 5-3-8(j)(8): pilot speed/bank/wind correction actions · IFH Chapter 10, 10-10–10-11: with-wind discussion and Figure 10-5 drift correction · ACS III.B.R4/S5: wind correction and specified-time ground preparation

Verify the programmed hold and monitor its actual path

Before using RNAV/flight guidance, compare the selected fix, inbound course, right/left turns, speed, time/distance, altitude and termination behavior with the actual assignment. Systems implement holding differently; use the AFM/approved supplements and pilot guide for the installed equipment. This lesson does not prescribe universal buttons, automatic entry choices or a common method to exit a hold.

Some systems choose entry by ground track rather than heading, compute a fly-by rather than initial fly-over, or use bank limits that change the pattern. A coded inbound distance can cause an outbound turn point beyond the chart-design turn point, especially with strong outbound headwind. A previously selected timing value may persist after altitude changes. An autopilot can accurately follow an incorrect programmed hold.

A database can store only one of several holds at a fix, or default to right turns where the assigned pattern is left. Check actual turn direction, speed and leg limits before execution. Confirm what termination means in this installation: manual continuation, specified altitude or passage after entry. A requested change near the fix may not affect the current circuit; monitor what the system actually does.

Use an MFD or graphical navigation display, if installed, to compare aircraft position with the desired path. Check active leg/source and flight-guidance indications along with reliable primary instruments. RNAV databases do not contain the dimensions of protected holding airspace, and the system generally cannot warn that the airplane crossed that boundary. A neat racetrack on the screen is a flightpath picture, not proof of protection.

If the display or mode differs from the clearance, keep control and use the appropriate familiar method while resolving the issue. Avoid spending a full entry heads-down attempting unfamiliar programming. Ground practice with the actual equipment should establish how to verify, amend and leave the assigned hold.

AIM 5-3-8(j)(7): RNAV entry/turn/distance/timing differences, coding and boundary limits · ACS III.B.S6/S8: installed graphical position monitoring and SRM preparation

Report arrival and leaving; keep expectations separate from authority

Report the time and altitude/flight level when reaching the clearance limit and report leaving it. Use the actual assigned fix and aircraft identification. A study arrival report is “N742FD GROVE at 1840Z, holding 6,000.” If a hold changes the estimate for a nonradar reporting point, update applicable estimates; communicate weather, malfunction or other safety information as required.

An expect further clearance time helps plan delay and has a role in lost-communications procedures. With communications functioning, it is not authority to leave the hold, descend or begin the approach. Request an update before the expectation expires when the plan remains unresolved. Copy/read back a revised EFC and immediately update fuel and landing alternatives.

A received onward clearance changes the plan only as specified. Confirm route, altitude, approach authority and any restriction on leaving. Prepare the navigation sequence and exit maneuver while continuing the assigned hold until authorized. Complete the applicable leaving report; do not silently exit because the tablet's sequence advances.

If two-way communications fail, apply the full §91.185 framework, including its VFR provision and the distinction between an approach-start fix and another clearance limit. The lost-communications lesson teaches that decision in detail. A working-radio EFC and a lost-radio limit calculation are different situations.

AIM 5-3-8(a), (f) and note: EFC, arrival/leaving reports and lost communications · AIM 5-3-3: additional reports and nonradar estimate changes · §91.183: frequency watch, required position and safety reports · §91.185(b)–(c): VFR, route/altitude and clearance-limit rules

Set a fuel limit before the EFC becomes the decision

Recalculate endurance whenever holding or an unexpected EFC changes the plan. Use usable fuel, actual consumption at the planned holding configuration, onward flight/approach/missed-approach needs, suitable diversion/alternate requirements and the protected legal/personal reserve. Include changed wind, altitude, weather and uncertainty. The original filed ETE and fuel at takeoff cannot describe the remaining margin.

Study budget: 24 usable gallons remain; protect eight gallons for onward/diversion flying and eight gallons for the chosen reserve/margin. That leaves eight gallons for holding. At an assumed eight gallons per hour it is 60 minutes. These are fictional planning inputs, not an airplane consumption figure or a universal reserve requirement. A new 75-minute delay exceeds this budget before considering extra uncertainty; obtain a shorter delay, another landing option or assistance before the protected fuel is consumed.

Check whether the destination is becoming less usable while waiting. Deteriorating ceiling/visibility, icing, a closed runway or loss of the needed approach may make an earlier diversion better than a promised improvement. Set a practical latest decision point that preserves a reachable suitable option. A reserve is protected fuel, not an automatic holding allowance.

Tell ATC about fuel limitations early. “Minimum fuel” advises that upon reaching the destination the aircraft cannot accept undue delay; it is not an emergency declaration and does not itself request priority. If the remaining usable fuel suggests priority is needed to ensure a safe landing, declare a fuel emergency and describe the needed assistance. Do not wait until fuel exhaustion is imminent to resolve a time budget that has already failed.

AIM 5-5-15: minimum fuel, controller advisories and fuel emergency distinction · §91.167: IFR fuel supply, applicable alternate and reserve requirements · ACS III.B.R1/R2/R3: changed EFC, fuel-emergency risk and destination deterioration

Practice the entire holding task with an instructor

On the ground, copy a published or uncharted clearance, draw its course/holding side, select a suitable entry using heading at the fix, and explain the speed reduction before arrival. Rehearse recognizing the fix and beginning the assigned entry promptly. Change to left turns, a distance leg, a lower speed limit or a revised altitude and explain the consequence.

Use observed drift and inbound time to propose wind/timing corrections. Explain how to reach a specifically assigned fix time within restrictions. Verify the actual graphical display/programmed hold and plan concise arrival/leaving, inability and fuel communications. Allocate attention to aircraft control, primary indications, navigation, timer and radio; complete major setup before entering when practical. Ask for clarification or more time instead of improvising under workload.

For instructor-led flight preparation, know the ACS holding tolerances: airspeed ± 10 knots, altitude ± 100 feet, selected headings within ± 10 degrees, and selected course/radial/bearing within three-quarter-scale CDI deflection. These are evaluation standards, not permission to deliberately drift to the limit or ignore a chart restriction. Actual flight instruction develops precise control, fix recognition and resource management; reading or trainer success does not demonstrate flight proficiency.

ACS III.B.S1–S8, including S3a: ground preparation for the complete holding flight task · AIM 5-3-8: actual holding entry, speed, timing, display and report responsibilities