Entering the hold - rule of thumb

[Pace152]

Hi all,

I've got to renew my IR soon and I'm desperatly trying to remember the method I had for deciding what type of entry to make into the hold.

It basically involved (in a right hand hold) holding your right thumb upto the HI and then splitting the HI into sectors to give you the right type of entry.

I cant remember anymore than this cos I haven't flown IFR for years, but I do remember it was a really good system. Does anybody else remember this method?

[Nashers]

i just look at the plate and then think which direction im flying in relation to it. it works for me and is pretty simple. no need to complicate things when its hard enough!

[selfin]

One of many methods - see image. Picture the circle as the DI and place the hold's outbound heading on the rose to determine sector. Fig. 1 deviates from the recommended sector arrangement, giving a bias the teardrop & direct entries. Fig. 2 represents the correct/recommended method.

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/4851/holdswi6.th.png (http://img442.imageshack.us/my.php?image=holdswi6.png)

[tbavprof]

Use your thumb of finger or pencil to split HSI/HI into 2 semi-circles.

For standard holds, the dividing line goes from about the 2:20 to the 8:40 (clock) positions (or 70 degrees right/110 degrees left) of current heading.

Think of the indicator as divided into 3 parts. Part A is the full semi-circle below and to the right of your line. Part B is clockwise between your current heading (12 o'clock) and your line. Part C is the section counterclockwise of your current heading to your line on the left.

Now, find the heading for the inbound leg of your hold. If it's in Part A, direct entry; Part B, teardrop; Part C, parallel.

For left turns, simply swap your original line to slope from the 9:40 position (70 degrees left) to the 3:20 position (110 degrees right). Part A is still below, but now mostly to the left of your line. Part B is now counterclockwise from present heading, and Part C is now to the right.

The written explanation might seem a little convoluted, but hold the pencil over the HSI and it becomes pretty intuitive.

[Canada Goose]

Simply place the CDI of the HSI to point towards the inbound track of the hold (i.e. towards the beacon) and it should then become very apparent which entry method to use. Remember, there is a degree of flexibility as to which hold entry method to use when you are on or nerar the cusp of the different sectors !

Give it whirl !

CG

[Airgus]

Imagine that you are holding close to the mountains... surrounding the racetrack are rocks, big mountains, tolls, taxes, sharks and cocrodiles (if you want to make it harder)....

So, depending on the way you are arriving, manage to keep inside the safe area (do not go outside!!!),
if you are arriving in such a way you can join the holding patern without changing your course away too much, by simple turning to the right above the holding point, then is a DIRECT.
If you can not do that, try to manouver inside the safe area, you have two ways: Paralell or Teardrop.
If the holding patern is standard (rhs turns) once you get into the racetrack area, fly against the inbound leg for a minute and then turn to the "safe" side (LEFT). That is a Parallel entry.
If you can not make it by parallel, cross over the race track in a diagonal way, above the turning point, keep flying inside the safe area for a minute and then turn right to join the inbound leg. That is a Teardrop entry.

By using this method (imaging that everything outside the racetrack is not safe) I managed to avoid myself some big headaches.... it help a bit if you picture the situation in your head (not the sharks and cocrodiles!).

I hope it will help you....

Good luck...

[davidathomas42]

I use the FMC, line select the waypoint, then hit HOLD button, then from the waypoint in the scratch pad place it in the open hold box, hit EXECUTE and boom, it will work out the entry for you and fly it and the hold!

if on the off chance your not flying a Boeing 738 then I think just look at the plate and where your coming from,, what is the most simple way to get inbound to the fix been able to stay in the potected area,,, forget all the complicated numbers and angles,,, in the real world you just make it work, flying and ground school if two different things.

[Pace152]

Thanks all for your help, its much appreciated!!

[moggiee]

if on the off chance your not flying a Boeing 738 then I think just look at the plate and where your coming from,, .
The nice thing about flying a 738 is that, because it does all the hard work for you, YOU'RE able to spend time brushing up on YOUR language skills.

That will reduce your risk of leaving YOUR apostrophes out when YOU'RE contracting words.


(I just couldn't resist :) ).

[davidathomas42]

I cant spell for toffee,,,, i think i did pretty well there lol, but thats why I am a pilot

when your decending at 5000fpm with the wings on fire and engines cut,,,,, ATC dont expect you to be able to spell MAY DAY! or use , ! ' : ;

[Leezyjet]

Any quick tips for working out the drift in the hold ?.

:)

[smo-kin-hole]

Draw it.

Seriously!

Draw it, keep a running tally of heading/seconds inbound until you nail it, on each side of the drawn oval.

It shouldn't take more than three laps.

[Apache36]

I use this method. Take the wind drift correction from your inbd leg (e.g. 10 degrees right due to a right crosswind) and double it on the outbound leg in the opposite direction. In other words, if your correction inbd was to the right for a right crosswind, your correction when going in the opposite direction (outbound leg) will be to the left for what is now a left crosswind. Double the amount of correction you had when you were inbd. So when outbd your correction will be 20 degrees to the left.

If your correction is more than 10 degrees inbd, say 15 degrees, use the number of degrees correction (15) plus 10 for a total of 25 degrees for the outbd leg.

All this is assuming right turns with a right crosswind. It all works out the same if you are left or right turns with left or right crosswind. Your outbd correction is always opposite of the inbd correction.

[Apache36]

When flying right hand patterns, hold your left hand up in front of the RMI/DG/HSI, whatever you have(left hand for right turns, right hand for left turns). Index finger pointing up to the lubber line and thumb pointing about 70 degrees right of your present heading. Curl your remaining three fingers in a fist, we won't be using them here. Imagnine an extended center line from the tip of your thumb to the base of your thumb and extend the imaginary line to the other side of the RMI/DG/HSI to the heading that would be 110 degrees to the left of your current heading. You have now seperated the compass rose into three sections. From the lubber line to 70 degrees right will be teardrop entry. From the lubber line to 110 degrees left will be a parrallel entry. The 180 degrees below the line your thumb makes, will be a direct entry. Then what you have to look at is the OUTBOUND heading you will be flying in the holding pattern. Whichever sector the outbound heading falls into, is the type of entry you will make.

[janrein]

a variant of Apache's above

for standard (right-turns) holding entries:
hold right hand up in front of DG etc, looking at back of hand
hold index finger up, representing heading
flex (or imagine) thumb 110 deg away to the left,
idem 2nd finger 70 deg to the right (remaining 2 fingers clenched/ignored)
read outbound heading from the holding plate, find it on the DG
when outbound heading falls in 110 deg sector ==> paralel entry, etc

for non-standard (left-turns) holding entries:
use left hand or turn right hand, looking into palm of right hand

caution, hand-rule is a strong simple rule, but must be remembered exactly/reliably or it bites you; alternatively you may picture yourself on the approach plate relative to the hold, draw the 70/110 deg line (correctly) through the holding pattern and decide from spatial awareness

regards

[smith]

So, depending on the way you are arriving, manage to keep inside the safe area (do not go outside!!!),


When you are compensating for drift sometimes you go way, way outside the racetrack to regain the inbound track!