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It's the final leg of your trip, and everything is set for landing at JFK.
You inform the passengers about the 20 minutes left in flight and ask the flight attendants to prepare the cabin.
Suddenly, the air traffic controller calls:
"Are you ready to copy holding instructions?"
The purpose of holding procedures
Sometimes, there's a need to delay the aircraft in flight. Since parking mid-air isn't an option, we use holding patterns.
Holdings are necessary for various reasons, such as:
- Hazardous weather
- Traffic congestion
- Airport or runway closures
- Airport equipment outages
- More time for handling abnormal situations or emergencies
A holding pattern is a racetrack-shaped maneuver that keeps the aircraft around a specified fix until ATC and the pilot are ready to resume the flight to the destination or an alternate airport.
The holding pattern shape
A holding pattern consists of four parts:
- An inbound leg towards the fix
- An outbound leg
- Two turns
Bank angle for turns in the hold
The FARs require the smallest bank angle for hold turns, out of the following options:
- 3º heading change per second (standard-rate turn)
- 30º bank angle
- 25º bank angle with a Flight Director system
ATC Holding clearance
ATC can issue either published or non-published holding clearances. Published holding procedures are charted on low/high enroute, arrival, and area charts.
Published hold clearances reduce controller workload and radio chatter. For these, ATC only needs to include:
- The holding fix
- The direction of the holding pattern relative to the fix (e.g., North, East, South West), and
- The Expect Further Clearance (EFC) time.
For non-published holds, the controller must include:
- Direction of the holding pattern from the fix (e.g., N, W, S, NE)
- Holding fix
- Radial, course, airway, or route to hold on
- Leg length in miles (if DME or RNAV) or minutes otherwise
- Direction of turns (left if specified, otherwise right turns are standard)
- Expect Further Clearance (EFC) time
An example of an ATC holding clearance: "Hold West of ETX VOR on the 270º radial Expect Further Clearance at 18:55 Zulu". Since the controller did not mention turn direction, you know that right turns are required.
Once you have the holding clearance, you need to choose the best entry technique based on your position.
Holding pattern entries
Direct Entry
The direct entry is, as its name suggests, the simplest entry. Use it when approaching the holding fix from the 180º sector in the image.
After crossing the holding fix, turn to the outbound leg in the holding pattern direction to start your first hold.
Parallel Entry
Use this entry when approaching the holding fix from anywhere in the 110º-sized sector in the image.
Cross the fix, fly parallel to the outbound course for one minute, then turn into the hold to intercept the inbound leg.
Note tat you’ll make the first two turns in the "wrong" direction. For example, in a right-hand holding pattern, the turn to the parallel leg and the turn to intercept the inbound are both left-hand turns. Subsequent turns will be right turns in the racetrack pattern.
Teardrop Entry
Upon crossing the fix, turn 30º into the holding side. Follow this heading for 1 minute, then turn in the procedure's direction to intercept the inbound course.
Flying the holding pattern
Reduce speed within three minutes or less of arriving at the fix to cross it at or below the holding speed limit.
Shameless plug:
Choosing a holding pattern entry in the air could be tricky, especially if you receive the clearance at the last moment when close to the fix. For this purpose, I built a little app, Hold Trainer, that makes you better at quickly choosing the best holding entry with practice ATC holding instructions. The app also serves as a holding pattern entry calculator. Check it out here: Hold Trainer for Android and iOS.
Holding speeds restrictions
| Altitude (MSL) | Max airspeed (kts) |
|---|---|
| 6000' or below | 200 kts |
| 6001-14,000 | 230 kts |
| Above 14,000 | 265 kts |
| Air Force fields | 310 kts * |
| Navy fields | 230 kts * |
* Unless published otherwise
Timing
Unless published or instructed otherwise by ATC, the inbound leg time should last:
- 1 minute at or below 14,000 ft MSL, and
- 1.5 minutes above 14,000 ft MSL.
Inbound timing:
- Begins when the aircraft is wings-level on the inbound leg.
- Ends over the holding fix.
Outbound timing:
- Begins when the aircraft passes abeam or over the holding fix.
- If you can't determine the abeam point, start the timer at the end of the turn outbound.
Time adjustments:
- On the first circuit, fly the outbound leg for 1 or 1.5 minutes, depending on your altitude.
- Time the inbound leg.
- Adjust the next outbound leg as needed to achieve the required inbound timing. If your inbound leg was too short, extend the outbound leg slightly on the next circuit. If the inbound leg was too long, shorten the outbound leg accordingly.
ATC may also specify the leg length as a distance instead of a time.
Wind correction
- Determine the wind correction angle: Find the angle required to stay on course during the inbound leg.
- Take this wind correction angle and triple it for the outbound leg.
Why triple the correction? We are compensating for the wind drift experienced not only during the outbound leg, but also during the hold turns.
Example: If you need a 5º correction to the right to stay on course inbound, then apply a 15º correction to the right on the outbound leg.
Arriving over the holding fix
A technique commonly used by pilots for remembering the required actions over and abeam the holding fix is the "Five T's" mnemonic:
- Turn: the aircraft to follow the desired entry technique.
- Time: note the time over the holding fix. Start the timer when wings are level or when abeam the point.
- Twist: set the OBS to the inbound course
- Throttle: adjust power to maintain holding speed
- Talk: advise ATC of the time and altitude at which the aircraft reached the holding fix. E.g.: "<callsign>, over VRB 8,000 ft at 1320 Zulu"
- Some add a 6th T to this acronym: "Think (ahead)"
Try it: holding entries and timing
Questions 1 to 4: standard pattern means right turns, so decide the entry from your heading when you reach the fix. Question 5 is about timing. Check each explanation as you go.
ATC: "Hold west of the ABC VOR on the 270 radial, expect further clearance at 1430." No turn direction was given, so the pattern is standard. You arrive at ABC heading 090. Which entry?
Show the answer
Answer: A, Direct. The hold is on the 270 radial, so the inbound course is 090 and the outbound heading is 270. Arriving heading 090 you are flying the inbound course already: cross the fix and turn right to 270 to follow the pattern. For a standard pattern the direct sector covers arrival headings from 020 clockwise through 200, and 090 sits in the middle of it.
- A. Fly to the fix and turn right onto the outbound heading of 270.
- B. A parallel entry is for arrivals on the non-holding (north) side heading roughly outbound, between 270 and 020.
- C. A teardrop entry is for arrivals heading between 200 and 270, which cross the fix onto the holding (south) side.
Reference: AIM 5-3-8 c
Same clearance: hold west of ABC on the 270 radial, standard pattern. This time you arrive at ABC heading 330. Which entry?
Show the answer
Answer: B, Parallel. Outbound heading 270. Arriving heading 330 you cross the fix onto the north side, which is the non-holding side of a right-turn pattern west of the fix. Headings from 270 clockwise to 020 are the parallel sector: turn left to 270, parallel the holding course outbound for one minute on the non-holding side, then turn left through more than 180 degrees to intercept the inbound course of 090 or return to the fix.
- A. A right turn from 330 all the way round to 270 is 300 degrees, far more than a direct entry allows.
- B. Correct. Parallel the course outbound on the non-holding side, then turn toward the pattern to rejoin.
- C. A teardrop would put you on the holding side; from 330 the fix is behind you on the wrong side of the course.
Reference: AIM 5-3-8 c 1
Same clearance: hold west of ABC on the 270 radial, standard pattern. You arrive at ABC heading 230. Which entry?
Show the answer
Answer: C, Teardrop. Arrival headings between 200 and 270 are the teardrop sector for this pattern. Cross the fix, turn to 240 (the outbound heading of 270 minus 30 degrees, on the holding side), fly outbound for one minute, then turn right to intercept the inbound course of 090.
- A. A direct entry from 230 would need a right turn of only 40 degrees to 270, but you would start the outbound leg displaced on the wrong side of the course, so the AIM puts this heading in the teardrop sector.
- B. You cross the fix onto the holding (south) side, so a parallel entry on the non-holding side does not apply.
- C. Correct. Thirty degrees off the outbound heading, toward the holding side, then a right turn back to the inbound course.
Reference: AIM 5-3-8 c 2
ATC: "Hold east of the DEF VOR on the 090 radial, left turns, expect further clearance at 1500." You arrive at DEF heading 180. Which entry?
Show the answer
Answer: A, Direct. Holding east on the 090 radial means the inbound course is 270 and the outbound heading is 090. With left turns the pattern lies south of the course. Arriving heading 180, a left turn of 90 degrees puts you on the outbound heading of 090: a direct entry. For a nonstandard pattern the sectors mirror the standard ones, so the direct sector here runs from 160 clockwise to 340.
- A. Correct. Fly to the fix and turn left onto the outbound heading of 090.
- B. Parallel entries for this left-turn pattern are for arrivals heading between 340 and 090, on the north (non-holding) side.
- C. Teardrop entries for this pattern are for arrivals heading between 090 and 160.
Reference: AIM 5-3-8 c, nonstandard pattern
You're holding at 9,000 feet in a standard pattern. No distance legs are published, and ATC didn't give you a leg length. When do you start timing the outbound leg, and what sets its length?
Show the answer
Answer: B, Over or abeam the fix, whichever comes later; adjust the outbound leg so the inbound leg takes 1 minute.. Start timing the outbound leg over or abeam the fix, whichever comes later. If you can't tell when you're abeam the fix, start timing when you complete the turn to the outbound heading. The AIM sets the length of the inbound leg, not the outbound one: 1 minute at or below 14,000 feet MSL, 1½ minutes above. Fly the first outbound leg for 1 minute, time the inbound leg, and adjust each outbound leg after that until the inbound leg comes out at 1 minute. With a headwind on the inbound leg, the outbound leg gets shorter; with a tailwind inbound, it gets longer.
- A. Starting at the fix ignores the abeam point, and a fixed 1-minute outbound leg ignores the wind. The AIM sets the inbound leg, not the outbound one.
- B. Correct. Start over or abeam the fix, whichever comes later, then adjust the outbound leg until the inbound leg is 1 minute.
- C. Starting at wings level is the fallback only when you can't determine the abeam point, and 1½-minute legs apply above 14,000 feet MSL. At 9,000 feet the inbound leg is 1 minute.
Reference: AIM 5-3-8, holding timing
Source: AIM 5-3-8, Holding (Change 3, July 2026). Reviewed 2026-10-24.
FMS Holds
A Flight Management system (FMS) provides excellent help for performing holds and reducing workload. You plug in the information from the holding clearance: fix, direction, radial, and the system will command the autopilot to fly a perfect hold for you.
With an FMS, you won't have to worry too much about choosing the correct entry or wind correction.
With this in mind, the number one rule of computing applies:
garbage in – garbage out.
Therefore, you must carefully ensure to input the correct information in the FMS and monitor the automation throughout the procedure.
Conclusion
You received the holding instruction with an EFC of 18:55 Zulu, about an hour away. You inquire ATC about the reason for the hold, and they reply its due to traffic congestion on arrival, a common scenario in the New York City area.
Once established in the hold, or when workload permits, it's time to start planning forward.
Ask yourself questions such as:
- How long can I stay in the hold with the available fuel?
- What is my alternate plan if ATC does not release me by that time?
- What is the current weather and availability of other airports in the area if I have to divert?
Knowing the answers to these questions early will help you avoid getting into a low-fuel situation and keep the flight safe.
After holding for about 30 minutes, ATC releases you earlier than expected and clears the flight to proceed to JFK. You continue the arrival and land safely at the airport.
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