Hold Entries - Best Method for figuring out?

[Tsauna]

Help:uhoh:

I am shortly going to take my IR and one thing I am getting conflicting advice on from various instructors is how to work out a hold entry (i.e. direct; parallel; or teardrop). There seems to be as many methods as hold patterns:(

I am hoping PPruner's have a couple of "never fail"methods.
Any pearls of wisdom received with grateful thanks

Tsauna

[QNH 1013]

Good luck with the IR. At the risk of giving you yet another method, I'll try to describe the method that worked for me. I am a great believer in keeping things as simple as posssible and using anything that is in front of me on the panel if that can be used as a sort of visual aid. Unfortunately I am not clever enough to draw a diagram on pprune, so I'll describe it as best I can in words.

Look at the Heading Indicator in front of you. Imagine it divided into three unequal segments as if you were cutting up a pie. This is done by "drawing" one line from the centre of the instrument, vertically down to the bottom. Now "draw" a second line right across the instrument, passing through the centre, but this line should be angled at 20 degrees to the horizontal such that the left end is lower. For example, if the heading indicator is reading 360 degrees (at the top obviously) this second line would run from 250 degrees on the left to 070 degrees on the right.

You now have the heading indicator split into three segments, and you mentally label them D, for Direct, T, for Teardrop, and P for Parallel. D is the large top sector, T is the smallest on the lower left, and P is the third sector on the lower right. I suppose you could even actually draw the lines on the instrument with a felt pen if it is your own aircraft.

To use, look at the instrument. Your heading is shown at the top (obviously). Now look at the instrument to see in which sector the INBOUND track to the hold is found, and "hey presto" that sector tells you whether its going to be Direct, Teardrop or Parallel. No difficult sums to do; its all on the panel in front of you.

How did I remember which way the "almost horizontal" line slopes? Easy.... For a standard (right-hand) hold, it slopes the same way as the top of the cowling in front of you - assuming you're flying from the l.h. seat.

Good luck to you with the IR. I wrote myself a small booklet with all these ideas shortly after passing the IR and I still revise using it every year before the IR renewal so I don't do anything silly on the day.

One final point: Remember that if the hold is non-standard (i.e. left-hand) the "almost horizontal line" slopes 20 degrees down to the right, and the teardrop segment is always the smallest.

[tom775257]

At the most simple level, if using Aerad plates just look at the hold drawn. The axis are drawn on them. Look at your hdg, look at the plate..and you now know the entry! Easy ... Not sure about jepps, never used them for actual flying.

[High Wing Drifter]

I have a related question. How likely is it that you will end up at an unplanned hold during an IR test, a hold that you didn't know about during pre-flight?

It goes without saying that we need to be able to work these things out in the air, but I ask because during my IMC I was taught to work out all the details on the ground.

[Craggenmore]

If you IR takes you to Birmingham (egbb), then watch out for the hold at either Ebony or Grove (if you are approaching from the south...) Sometimes you get straight in vectors from your descent and other times you get the unplanned hold...! It has happened in the IR test!

For your own IR, cover all possible outcomes. Remember, a superior pilot carries out superior planning to prevent themselves having to show their superior skills :p

If your IR is in the afternoon though, larger airports that can make you hold should be quieter which may help you pre-empt the situation...Good question though!

Good luck..!

Craggs

[Seaweed Knees]

HWD, dont worry about unplanned holds. By the time you come to take your test they will be second nature.
Before I could drive, I used to be scared of roundabouts. This is kind of the same. Theyre not a problem when youre used to them.

[Tsauna]

Thanks QNH, a good description. I will give it a go on my next hold as it sounds better than holding up fingers & thumbs or scrabbling for a pen!!:D

Tom - I wish I was using Aerads as Jepp's don't offer "this service":(

Happy flying all

Tsauna

[High Wing Drifter]

Thanks Seaweed. Good to know. I really must use my IMC in anger.

Excllent suggestion QNH.

[Tinstaafl]

To add to the comment concerning plates that depict the hold & particularly useful for approach plates that depict the sector entries, other wise draw a couple of lines on the plate's hold depiction representing the sectors.

The top of the page represents North in all approach plates I've seen. Align the plate so that the top of the page matches North on the DI ie the page's N-S axis is parallel to the N-S axis of the DI.

Figuratively, you're flying vertically 'up the page' towards the holding fix & will fly into the sector entry that lies between your position/track & the fix. That will be the sector entry to be used.

[Teroc]

Try this

www.flightsim.com/cgi/kds?$=main/howto/hold2.htm

[buzzc152]

I panicked like mad the day before my IRT and ended up planning each of the 4 routes (8 if you include the off airways) in the most minute detail. Probably a good thing. On the day however, I got the simplest route, full airways clearance before I left the ground at Cranfield, radar vectors at Cambridge, cleared straight in to the hold at 3000' back at Cranfield with about 15 a/c stacked up above me. Still managed to make some major srcew ups... but got through in the end with a 1st time pass. Without a doubt my best flying experience to date.

[flaps to 60]

Tsauna

If your using Aerads the bisector line is already drawn on.

If Jepps then its a little more complex.

What i sued to do when teaching in the sim was to draw the hold in your mind on the RMI using the centre of the needle as the holding fix and the compass card to work out the inbound.

In doing that you had the hold on the very instrument your were using to enter it.

Hope this helps

[Piltdown Man]

For what it's worth, I'd do the one that's easiest. This does assume that you know what the inbound track to the hold is, which side you are to hold and that you have a choice of one of three hold entries. Then, if you do the wrong one (I'd suggest with most examiners, not a fail in itself) you could say, "Well, you are absolutely right, I'll remember your advice for the future!" However, because of the way the hold entries are constructed, you'll probably do the correct one anyway...

[unwiseowl]

You just do the one that is easiest from your direction!

[Ex Oggie]

Get hold of one of those Jepps or Aerad spiral bound clear view books (or A5 clear pockets if your skint). You can then draw on any useful info such as axis and sectors for holds. It's also easy to highlight DA and MDH etc by ringing them. Use a pen you need meths to wipe off the ink with, or the sweat might ruin your day!

You can then pulll and plan just about every plate you may need, and have it on your knee the whole flight. Just don't go over the top and obscure anything relevant.

EXO

[moochooser]

A very quick and simple method if you are approaching the hold but still have a blank is to use the entry that requires the least heading change to get onto.