'Hold cancelled' and hold exit
 

You are holding at XXX, just turned outbound and you receive the following from ATC, "Hold cancelled, next time over XXX leave on heading 120"

A) would you continue to fly the hold until XXX then leave on the heading or would you turn immediately to XXX ? Is there a correct answer ?
B) is this technically a correct clearance to give ? A quick glance at CAP413 doesn't reveal much.

Thanks

If they say next time over the fix leave on a heading then thats exactly what I'd do. If they're ready for you to turn immediately then they'll give you a heading there and then (e.g. Hold Cancelled, turn left HDG 300). At least thats my logic. :)

If I was just turning OB'd, having passed XXX, I would select DCT TO XXX and the a/c would fly a continuing orbit back to XXX. Why spend time flying a full outbound leg & inbound leg of a Hold if the Hold is cancelled?

If I wanted you to leave the hold the next time over XXX, I would say "Leave XXX heading 120". I would expect you to do the full hold.
If I wanted you to go to XXX then leave, I would say "Return to XXX now and leave heading 120".
More likely I would say "Turn right now heading 120".

I'm with Rat. If the hold is cancelled, turn inbound straight away ie hit "exit at fix".

Thanks for the replies. I guess in the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter exactly what you do.
I just wondered if that particular clearance is a bit if a contradiction of sorts ? If hold is cancelled then you are free to go straight back to XXX. Why not just say, 'next time over XXX fly heading zzz' ?

Can anyone provide a reference for the 'hold cancelled' phraseology ? CAP413 doesn't mention it.
Thanks

Interesting that quite a few pilots wouldn't do the full hold whereas the controllers do expect an aircraft to continue the hold.

Well if you want the plane to do the full hold and then leave the fix you say nothing until the plane is inbound the fix. If I hear "hold cancelled" I understand I don't need to stay there anymore, ergo I'm going straight to the fix in the shortest way. Controller doesn't have to say "leave on heading", radar may be inop and they just expect from you to fly the procedure as published.

That's how I would act.

"Hold cancelled....."= no need to hold anymore. "Continue in the Hold and next time over XXX HDG 120." KISS.

Bit like marriage: "I heard what you said, and I thought I knew what you meant, but.........I am always wrong." Repeat after me, I am always wrong.
Or as my wife keeps telling me, "do you want to be right or do you want to be happy."