08/20/03 - Here we go with another day in the sim. The menu for today included holds, and holds only. The main things to remember are Type of entry to make and then the time for each leg.

There are three different entries that you can make:
* Direct
* Parallel
* Tear-Drop

Direct is used when you are coming from the largest area into the hold.
- pretty simple, you cross the fix and start your turn right away.

Parallel is used when you are coming from the next smaller area into the hold.
- cross the fix and make a left turn outbound (parallel) for 60 seconds, then make a 225 degree left turn to reenter the holding pattern and cross the fix and begin your right hand turns.

Tear-Drop is used when entering the hold from the smallest area.
- used when you reenter from the smallest area. Cross the fix and fly outbound with a 30 degree angle from the inbound leg for 1 minute. Then make a 225 degree turn to the left to cross the fix from a TearDrop entry.

The holding pattern should be timed so that the inbound leg is 1 minute long. When you need to adjust your time so this happens, you would add or subtract time from the outbound leg.

On a basic holding pattern you would start the timer for the outbound leg once you are abeam of the fix. Then when the times has run out, you would make the turn back towards the fix. When the OBS indicator flips, you would then start the timer for the inbound leg. The time should be as close to 1 minute as possible. You normally have two trips around the hold to make the inbound leg 1 minute.

Once the needle flips again, full scale deflection the other way, you start your right turn back towards the outbound heading and restart the time again when you are abeam the fix. On the second trip around the holding pattern, you should adjust the outbound leg so that the inbound leg gets as close as possible to the 1 minute mark.

Things To Remember:

1. Legs are 1 min long with the outbound adjusted accordingly so that the inbound leg equals 1 minute.
2. All turns are right hand unless told to do otherwise by ATC.
3. Report to ATC once you have crossed the fix on the inbound leg. Report your time and alt.when crossing the fix.
4. Start timer on the outbound leg once you are abeam the fix.
5. Start timer on the inbound leg once the OBS indicator flips.
6. Start turn back to the outbound leg once the needle goes full deflection to the other side.

I know that some of this is probably incomplete, but I will update on Friday, August 22nd. Drew and I will be going over the holds in the airplane to give it a more realistic feel.

Until Next Time !!!