Holding entries, are they mandatory?

LifeAsBen

LifeAsBen

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LifeAsBen
While practicing questions for the IR rating one question I came across stated that "holding pattern entries are not mandatory". Is this accurate?
 
Correct but they are designed to keep you within the protected airspace for terrain / obstructions. Also, both sides of the holding course are protected. The "protected side" is generally used to describe the holding side because it affords the most protection.
 
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If you are assigned a hold, entering it is mandatory. However, the specific entry technique is not. Seems like a poorly worded question.
 
Technically correct. In the real world, no one cares so long as you stay on the protected side and don’t interfere with anyone else. On a flight test, again they are not technically required but you may be called upon to explain how your creative entry complies with the requirements. Fortunately, that’s not really a big deal - most any entry that makes any kind of sense will comply.

The catch is, this is not a knowledge shortcut. "any kind of sense" means you have to understand holds. And if you understand holds, you also understand the FAA's entry recommendations.
 
Cool. Thanks for the replies everybody. I was just worrying if a DPE would crush me for a wrong entry. I understand the procedures and importance but it's nice to know I don't need to be 100% accurate with them, but rather focus on nailing the holding pattern correctly.
 
The business about a 70 degree dividing line always seemed to me like an unnecessary distraction from more important matters. I doubt that using 90 degrees instead would cause a significant enough problem to worry about.
 
Palmpilot said:
The business about a 70 degree dividing line always seemed to me like an unnecessary distraction from more important matters. I doubt that using 90 degrees instead would cause a significant enough problem to worry about.
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Exactly.I had more than my share of trouble with holds. Once I finally understood them (not until I needed to think about teaching them!) I learned to appreciate the three entries, although I'm not religious about any of the dividing lines. I’m more visually oriented than numerical, so I draw the hold (assuming no GPS box drawing it for me) and see what looks right. I generally prefer teardrop to parallel and tend to fudge in that direction.

There are schools that teach alternate procedures. A friend of mine went to an accelerated course where they dropped the teardrop altogether.
 
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At light airplane speeds, there is a lot of protected airspace, especially using RNAV (no VOR errors). In jets, most of which tend to hold at the maximum authorized holding speed, the correct entry becomes more important. At the airline I worked for the FAA made the entries mandatory and we had to demonstrate en entry in the simulator on every PC. Today, most modern flight management systems, and even light aircraft WAAS navigators calculate the correct entry and advise you what entry is being used. Attached is the KAZC RNAV RWY 29 IAP, which uses the same holding pattern for the HILPT and the missed approach hold. Since the HILPT and missed approach hold are at the same altitude, the same pattern template was used for both. There are 31 different holding pattern templates. Also attached is the FAA TERPs drawing for the holding pattern. Note there is more protected airspace on the left side since it is a left-turn pattern.

FAA RNAV 29 Chart.jpg AZ_KAZC_RNAV GPS RWY 29_ORIG_S-7.jpg
 
the GNS 430/530 love to depict the teardrops, when parallel is the proper entry.. Dont believe me, check it out the next time... It made me laugh during my training...
 
RDUPilot said:
the GNS 430/530 love to depict the teardrops, when parallel is the proper entry.. Dont believe me, check it out the next time... It made me laugh during my training...
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Probably why I never noticed it. I've chosen teardrop when the unit has shown me parallel :D
 
RDUPilot said:
the GNS 430/530 love to depict the teardrops, when parallel is the proper entry.. Dont believe me, check it out the next time... It made me laugh during my training...
Click to expand...
Same here. I call my 430W the “teardrop entry generator.” I think I even caught it recommending a teardrop entry when direct was most appropriate once.
 
The proper hold entry isnt THAT hard to learn. The 20 degrees only really works one way. Just draw about a bunch of holds and label them with ATC holding instructions and draw an entry into each one. Then if you get one in the air, draw it. I draw them on square yellow stickies, always north up, like on the approach plate. Draw one on an approach plate.
Draw the 6 possible holds on one VOR radial (two are at the VOR and the other 4 are at FIX).
 
If you're flying behind a garmin it'll tell you what to do and when, if you're flying coupled it'll even do it for you.

Ofcourse any good DPE will fail it or something and make sure you can actually fly it too ;)
 
ATC says, "N42XR hold northwest of FIX on the 135 degree radial left hand turns".
Take your time and draw that one out. FIX is 10 DME southeast of VOR on 135 radial.

I think the mistake most pilots make is hurrying. It takes a minute or two to draw it out and figure out your entry. And ATC allows that amount of time. End this instantaneous decision making.

Now draw all six possible holds on the VOR 135 radial and off of FIX (two at the VOR and 4 at FIX).

Now do it while flying the airplane.
 
I wrote a short article about uncharted holding instructions for the ALPA magazine late in the last century.
 

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"When I do high-altitude penetration, I always use safe entry.... Stay protected my Friend." The most interesting pilot in the world... :cheers:
 
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