PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Leaving a holding pattern
View Single Post
Old 26th Dec 2010, 12:08
  #33 (permalink)  
bookworm
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 3,648
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
This gets into technique as much as procedure since this is not a course reversal hold.
But doesn't this miss the point a bit? Pilots aren't supposed to have to consider where protected airspace is in deciding which way to turn (granted, it's a useful thing to know about to stay alive, but the system doesn't require it). There are supposed to be only two methods of assuring terrain clearance under IFR. Either:

A) I'm radar identified and either on a vector or on a direct clearance where ATC is assuring the terrain clearance

or

B) I'm following a procedure that has been designed to be safe.

I find it hard to believe that having missed an approach, the only way out of the TGO hold is by radar vectors or an ATC-assured direct. In that case either:

1) It's up to the procedure designer to check that I can make a left turn from TGO with adequate terrain clearance

or

2) It's not up to the procedure designer to check that I can make a left turn from TGO, and the "procedure" requires me to make a right turn of the sort that you describe.

If the procedure requires a right turn, I'd like to see where in PANS-OPS that's described (I'm not challenging you, aterpster). If the procedure allows me to make a left turn, surely the appropriate "technique" is to make a left turn, because it's shorter -- I don't normally make 270 degree turns just for fun.

In this particular case, the MVA in the area of a left turn is only 3500 ft, so it is a terrain-safe manoeuvre. But I don't know if it would be in general.
bookworm is offline