Logging holds: does a HILPT count?

[azure]

Well I finally got in some good hard IMC today, long overdue. 1.5 total, 1.4 actual, and 3 approaches down to near minimums: the ILS and RNAV 15 at DET, and the ILS 9R at PTK. Unfortunately, it turned LIFR as I was headed to PTK and I had to leave the plane and bum a ride back. It was all good experience though, my second time getting my ticket wet and I'm still processing a weird GPS/HSI glitch that had me flying the needle backwards until I figured out what was going on. I might post about it later.

Anyway on the RNAV, I was told to proceed direct IHIDE which, from where I was, required the HILPT. My question is whether I can log this as a hold.

 

[poadeleted20]

I agree with Dean. As long as you cross the fix at least twice, log it. If nothing else, it's the entry which bamboozles folks, not going round and round. In addition, the AIM says "The holding pattern maneuver is completed when the aircraft is established on the inbound course after executing the appropriate entry." That's good enough for me, and nobody in the FAA has ever disagreed with me on this point.

 

[azure]

Thanks Dean and Ron!

 

[Banjo33]

Azure..that's funny (in a not so funny way), but I took my instrument student up yesterday evening for some "actual" and ended up having to divert due to low IFR too. Ceiling dropped to ILS mins and our home field doesn't have an approach. After sitting around the FBO for 3 hours waiting for the weather to improve (per the TAF), we eventually borrowed the FBO van and drove back to our home airport to get a car!

 

[azure]

Bless you! My first CFII would *never* take a chance on having to leave the plane away from home base! As a result, I had very little actual during training. With my finish-up CFII, we agreed to seize the opportunity whenever it arose since I had had so little. As it turns out we only had one chance, and we did make it back in, and it was a great confidence builder for me. I really appreciate an instructor who is willing to risk being inconvenienced to give an instrument student some valuable experience.

 

[gismo]

Bless you! My first CFII would *never* take a chance on having to leave the plane away from home base! As a result, I had very little actual during training. With my finish-up CFII, we agreed to seize the opportunity whenever it arose since I had had so little. As it turns out we only had one chance, and we did make it back in, and it was a great confidence builder for me. I really appreciate an instructor who is willing to risk being inconvenienced to give an instrument student some valuable experience.

Actually, having to divert when attempting to return home is by itself a pretty useful IFR learning experience, albeit a potentially inconvenient one.

 

[azure]

Part of me wishes now that I'd tried to shoot the approach into the home drome on Sunday. I probably wouldn't have made it in since the reported ceiling was OVC004 and the MDA is 500. But in that case I would have had to miss for real and go back to PTK. Of course it's 20/20 hindsight, and what stopped me was the fear that it might get so low at PTK that I'd have to go all the way to FNT, where I was sure to get in but where it would be harder to get a ride back. It was forecast to get that low later on at PTK, and it was already lower than forecast then.

 

[midlifeflyer]

Bless you! My first CFII would *never* take a chance on having to leave the plane away from home base! As a result, I had very little actual during training.

That sounds like an excuse rather than an answer.

I was in Colorado for 20 years and numerous pilots received instrument ratings with little or no exposure to actual. But there, the absence of flyiable IMC was at least a legitimate excuse.

 

[LDJones]

Actually, having to divert when attempting to return home is by itself a pretty useful IFR learning experience, albeit a potentially inconvenient one.

Good practice for the real world.

 

[azure]

That sounds like an excuse rather than an answer.

Not sure what you mean. An excuse for what? He took me into actual a couple of times early on in my training. But both times we were pretty well 100% assured of getting back in at home. Ceilings at least 500 feet above MDA, conditions forecast to improve, etc. He took his last IFR student on her long XC in actual where they did an approach down to minimums at the destination, but forecast conditions at home were much better. I don't think he lacks confidence, if that's what you're thinking.

I was in Colorado for 20 years and numerous pilots received instrument ratings with little or no exposure to actual. But there, the absence of flyiable IMC was at least a legitimate excuse.

Well sure, but Michigan is different. There are lots of opportunities for actual here, but usually it's either convective, icy, or LIFR. Last Sunday was a case in point: it was a great opportunity for IMC experience, no convection, temps well above zero C, but conditions were forecast to go below minimums here later on. I got a commitment from my A&P to pick me up if I had to divert, but gambled that I could still finish up before it got too low to get back in. I lost.

My first CFII would never have taken the chance.