ATC Holding Clearance

ATC Holding Clearance /Holding Pattern

Achieve the skill and knowledge required to enter and remain within a published or non-published holding pattern

Holding pattern are usually found at busy airports where ATC can put aircraft in holding patterns to sequence aircraft for landing, and it can be found at Miss Approach

• 1. ATC Holding Clearance
• 2. Write ATC Holding Clearance
• 3. Read back ATC Holding Clearance  
• FIX  - GFK VOR
• Direction of inbound leg from fix - hold south east
• Radial defined inbound leg - 150deg radial
• Turn Direction - left hand turn
• Inbound leg  -  5 mile legs
• Expect further clearance 1355Z
• 4. Draw FIX and Holding Pattern
• 5. Draw in your aircraft approach to FIX 
• 6. Determine how you will make the Entry (Tear Drop, Parallel or Direct)
• 7. Followup with your 5 T's of a Holding Pattern
• Turn     - for the Tear drop entry
• Time     - Beginning timing for 1 minute as the aircraft crosses the VOR
• Twist    - Twisting the OBS setting to 360deg/TO flag for correct sensing on inbound leg
• Throttle - Adjust Throttle for proper holding speed
• Talk     - To let ATC know that Aircraft Sioux 55 is established and holding at 6,000 feet, time 1340 Zulu

Holding pattern has a Right hand turn

Fix is a stationary waypoint
Fix can be a VOR, DME , GPS Waypoint, Intersection, NDB

Holding Pattern is a Race track pattern and it has 4 components
1. Inbound leg to FIX
2. Fix End  (semi circle)
3. Outbound leg
4  Outbound End (semi Circle)


ATC Holding Clearance (template)
1. Name of the FIX  
2. Direction of the inbound leg from the FIX
3. Radials/Berings that define the inbound leg
4. Turn Direction  (if non-standard)
5. Leg length (if non-standard)
6. expect further Clearance Time  (EFC)
7. Any Applicable notes


Example of Holding Pattern from ATC

"Sioux 44, proceed direct to the GFK VOR, hold south east on the 150deg radial
left hand turn, 5 mile legs, expect further clearance 1355Z"


Applied ATC Holding Clearance
1. FIX  - GFK VOR
2. Direction of inbound leg from fix - hold south east
3. Radial defined inbound leg - 150deg radial
4. Turn Direction - left hand turn
5. Inbound leg  -  5 mile legs
6. expect further clearance 1355Z

There are 3 ways to enter the fix
1. Direct
2. Parallel
3. Tear Drop

Direct Entry - Pilot Crossing the FIX and immediately turning to the outbound leg

Parallel Entry - Pilot Crossing the Fix and turn parallel the inbound leg on the non inbound side , fly outbound for 1 minute then turning towards the inbound side of the FIX and establish an intercept for the inbound leg.

Tear Drop  Pilot Crossing the FIX and flying approx 30deg angle to the inbound leg on the holding side of the fix for 1 minute then turning to intercept the inbound leg

5 T's of a Holding Pattern
Turn     - for the Tear drop entry
Time     - Beginning timing for 1 minute as the aircraft crosses the VOR
Twist    - Twisting the OBS setting to 360deg/TO flag for correct sensing on inbound leg
Throttle - Adjust Throttle for proper holding speed
Talk     - To let ATC know that Aircraft Sioux 55 is established and holding at 6,000 feet, time 1340 Zulu

Timing on the outbound leg will alway start when the pilot abeams the FIX
This is where the TO/FROM indication flips in the cockpit
This is the time when outbound TIMING can start

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waAdGCVa_Bo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbIw6kdytnU&spfreload=5