Joining holds- the "pencil" way...
 

am trying to remember a method taught to me for identifing the easily which sector join you will be doing....
it goes something like....

Place said pencil horizontal on HSI.
For a right hand hold, rotate right hand side of pencil up 30 degrees.
By some method tail of needle now indicates which sector join you will do...

any ideas..

cheers

Yep - spot on.

Used this method for my IR. Passed it on to loads of people and certainly takes the heat out of deciding on a sector entry when you've got a tonne of other things to do.

It's not the tail of the pencil which gives the sector join tho.....

Once you've flicked the tail of pencil up (depending, like you said, on what direction the hold is in), find what sector the OUTBOUND HEADING of the hold lies in.

If it falls in the big bit, make it a direct entry. If it's in the larger of the two smaller sectors, then it's a Parallel....smaller sector=teardrop.

The sectors are referenced to your current heading (ie straight ahead), and the corresponding sectors made by your pencil/pen.

Still stuck, let us know. But it's a fool-proof method that makes your life a lot easier in the air..........

:t

Thanks,

However i know that there is two "pencil" methods and that is not the one. sorry.

anyone else.

ps yours does make sense but its not the one i know..... i fear change

I was taught the pencil method but using a differnt implement.

I would call it the "THUMB" method. you use your thumb.

If it is a left hand hold, use your left hand thumb. For a right hand hold, use your right hand thumb.

With a left hand hold, put our left hand thumb next tot the left hand side of the DI and down by 70degrees. If you outbound track lies in that sector then you do a teardrop entry. You have to visualise the pencil line, but 110 degrees to the right gives you the parallel entry and the bulk of the DI delow your thumb is a direct entry.

Do the same for a right hand hold, except use your right thumb on the right hand side of the DI.

What I really like about the thumb method is:

Left hand hold - LEFT thumb

Right hand hold - RIGHT thumb

Sector with your Thumb (starts with T) is a Teardrop (starts with T).

With a pencil, you have to remeber which sector is teardrop or parallel and which way to slant the pencil.

Trevor Thom covers it in The Pilots Manual 3, Instrument Flying published by ASA is USA, but not in his book 5 for the UK.


Hope it helps.

Have a look at Hold Entries Revisited, an article on Avweb that explains the technique.

I don't even try to waste brain space by mentally picturing the entry turn vs direction of the holding pattern.

Simply use the holding diagram on the approach plate to do all your working out. Determine what your inbound track is (in this case off the head of the needle, because its the inbound heading/track), and then follow with your eyes along the pre-drawn lines through the direction of turn required, then to the entry heading.

If HSI equipped, set the CDI bar up on the hold's inbound track early. This will allow you to maintain SA on where in space the entry turn will put you, and where the holding side is.

All the info is on the plate for a reason, and that's to make our lives easier when in the busier phases of flying.
(I hope there's no sucking of eggs involved!)

Got to agree with Ex-Douggie, if you're flying a holding pattern, by definition you'll have a chart with it on it, so just visualise where you will cross the fix from and then it all becomes easy!

PP