Holding Procedures

Holding Procedures

Holding Procedures

10.1Introduction. Holding is the equivalent to temporary parking areas for aeroplanes. Clearly (unless you are flying a rotorcraft) you cannot stop, but you can remain (hold) in the vicinity of a radio navigation facility for as long as is required (fuel permitting!). Providing you can fly the aeroplane accurately and navigate with reference to a radio navigation aid (VOR, NDB) or a fix position, holding is a feasible option for losing time. Indeed, in bad weather or at times of peak traffic flow, you will be lucky to get a ‘straight-in’ approach. All instrument arrivals start from a holding pattern established at the IAF. In a holding pattern, aircraft are ‘stacked’ up, one on top of another with the necessary vertical separation applied (1000 ft). As the bottom aircraft departs the holding pattern to fly the approach procedure, the others above are ‘shuttled’ (descended in the stack) to a lower level one at a time.

10.2Deviation Warning. It must be noted that deviations from the in-flight procedures for holding incur the risk of excursions beyond the perimeters of holding areas established in accordance with the provisions of PANS OPS. The procedures described in PANS OPS relate to right turn holding patterns. For left turn holding patterns, the corresponding entry and holding procedures are symmetrical with respect to the inbound holding track.

10.3Shape and Terminology. The shape of holding patterns and the associated terminology are shown below. A standard holding pattern has starboard (right) turns. If port turns are required, the approach plate will be annotated to indicate the fact. A left hand pattern is a mirror image of the standard pattern.

Figure 10.1 Holding pattern terminology

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Holding Procedures 10