Originally Posted by
Empty Cruise
.... This is not what holdings were designed for - stay inside the design parameters, and don't give a toss about the timing inbound, you'll know when you pass the fix anyhow. The outbound timing should only be corrected for W/V in order for you to stay inside the primary holding area, not so you can impress anyone with an inbound timing from wings level to fix of exactly one minute ....
Sometimes it pays to impress ones instructors
IAC, here in Canada, hold timing is proscribed as follows [from TC AIM]:
10.6 Timing
The still air time for flying the outbound leg of a holding pattern should not exceed 1 minute if at or below 14 000 feet, or 1 1/2 minutes if above 14 000 feet ASL; however, the pilot should make due allowance in both heading and timing to compensate the wind effect.
After initial circuit of the pattern, timing should begin abeam the fix or on attaining the outbound heading, whichever occurs later. The pilot should increase or decrease outbound times, in recognition of winds, to effect 1 or 1 1/2 minutes (appropriate to altitude) inbound to the fix.
When the pilot receives ATC clearance specifying the time of departure from the holding point, adjustments should be made to the flight pattern within the limits of the established holding pattern to leave the fix as near as possible to the time specified.
I expect the CAA/JAR rules are similar. Notwithstanding that, controllers are not usually timing your inbounds, but likely
are minding the airspace you're using. Away from a pedantic instructor's gaze, timing for simple four minute race-tracks works well. Advantages:
[1] - the largest race-track is the no-wind one (confining your airspace use).
[2] - timing is simple: after flying a 1-minute outbound circuit, add/subtract half the time-change needed on the outbound leg.
[3] - planning for station passage at EFCTime is much easier.
Disadvantages (other than instructor/legal-beagle carping
): .... ?
Cheers, nightowl
