When's The Last Time You Had To Hold?

[Ill Mitch]

I held while trying to get into SMX about 7 months ago. I was number 3 behind a Van and a -99. The weather was right at mins. The funny thing is, even when the weather is like that, I rarely hold. We just all happen to arrive at the same time.

 

[minitour]

When was the last time YOU got given a holding instruction? Where were you, and why did you have to hold? And we're not talking about bladders here gentleman.

November 3, 2004 - Instrument Check Ride

SOONR Intersection/OM 5,000'

King Air on the approach wanted to get in and we were (obviously) slower. Knocked out the hold requirement too. Broke out at about 4,200 on the way up but a little buildup came over and started tossing some ice on us, so we got to descend as the KA was crossing the marker. One turn later cleared for the approach, called tower, got b*tched at for the landing (see crab and kick v slip thread for details if you're interested) got tanked that night.

I've been given vectors way the hell out to BFE, but not a hold since...unfortunately.

-mini

 

[RVSM]

3-4 times per day for my PHL ops. 1-2 turns at VCN and then in. VFR, IFR obviously it gets worse.

It is an arrival volume issue.

 

[FN FAL]

3-4 times per day for my PHL ops. 1-2 turns at VCN and then in. VFR, IFR obviously it gets worse.

It is an arrival volume issue.

One night at MKE they had us in a serpentine conga line arrangement. It was unforecast 100vv and the lowest rvr possible to get in.

I would have to say the that the vectors in the conga line lasted 45 minutes. The funny thing was the Northwest Guys that checked on and they were given holding instructions. They acted all surprised that things were all that bad...it almost seemed as if the rest of us were a great imposition on them. The controller told them get their pen handy, they were number 25.

During portions of the vectors in the conga line, they asked me to make 360's at least twice, if not three times. That's kind of fun, 360's in IFR conditions...expecially the way the cloud structure was, because occasionally you'd see the other aircraft out there.

I was monitoring the awos at about 4 airports in case I had to make a run for it, UES was 400 and 1 and I was getting to the point with fuel where it was starting to make think of whipping out the "min fuel" card or head to UES and top off.

Next think you know, they vectored me on heading of 090 to cross the field for the downwind to the ILS and I was next in line.

It was all of at least 45 minutes of vectoring and it was unforecast conditions at MKE...coastal cities, go figure. One little change in wind direction at sunset and everybody gets to get in line.

 

[minitour]

During portions of the vectors in the conga line, they asked me to make 360's at least twice, if not three times. That's kind of fun, 360's in IFR conditions...expecially the way the cloud structure was, because occasionally you'd see the other aircraft out there.

That sounds pretty sweet...but you still haven't told me how to enter the hold backwards....I'm waiting...you know...just for one of those things to make ATC go, "huh?"

(for those of you that can't tell...no...I wouldn't actually enter a hold backwards and tie up airspace for kicks, but FN told a story a few months ago about entering a hold backwards during his training and I wanted him to explain it to me then and he still hasn't...but no...I wouldn't actually do it so spare me the lecture)

-mini

 

[FN FAL]

That sounds pretty sweet...but you still haven't told me how to enter the hold backwards....I'm waiting...you know...just for one of those things to make ATC go, "huh?"

(for those of you that can't tell...no...I wouldn't actually enter a hold backwards and tie up airspace for kicks, but FN told a story a few months ago about entering a hold backwards during his training and I wanted him to explain it to me then and he still hasn't...but no...I wouldn't actually do it so spare me the lecture)

-mini

Hahaha mini, that was at that craptacular 141 school I went to at CRG called Shields Aviation.

It was one of those fall days in Florida, the ceiling was maybe 6,000-7,000 ovc. Vis below was probably that 10 miles and hazy Florida type of vis. The ride was as smooth as driving a boat on a glassy lake at night and there wasn't any wind aloft to speak of. Which made being under the hood easy...as well as the instructor being hung-over.

We went over to St. Augustine to practice holds and I'm under the hood. I cross the fix and go outbound on the radial/localizer (it was 92...it's been a long time mini!) to do a parallel entry and after one minute, instead of making a 270 back to intercept...I make a one minute standard rate turn and wind up paralleling the inbound course. A minute goes by and I make a one minute standard rate turn again and viola! I'm crossing the fix and outbound on the inbound course...AGAIN!

This goes on for about three or four more trips around the holding pattern. Keep in mind that this is Sunday before lunch and it is really quiet on the radio. JAX approach calls us up on the radio, breaking the morning quiet with, "I don't mean to interrupt your training, but do you guys know that you are flying the holding pattern backwards?"

My instructor, who was sleeping unbeknownst to me, pops too and answers the radio...next thing you know we are well on our way to leaving the scene of the crime. He must have got flustered that we in violation of some FAR or something, because it sure seemed like he wanted to get the hell out of there in a hurry. I don't remember if we were on an IFR or just doing the hold VFR with flight following.

That's all that happened mini...

 

[flyfastinmy10]

Flying my 172 I never held. In the Seneca I held once. In the Citation 500 series I held sometimes. In the Citation X I held more. Now in the Airbus 320 I hold quite often. The reason is because of the destinations.
Flying in the northeast in all kinds of weather with loads of traffic, holding is common. Now with RVSM airspace you can put double the traffic in route but everyone still needs sequenced for landing.

 

[rchcfi]

At my home airport (which is extremely slow), we get a rush between 1700-1800 of the C208s, C402s, etc doing freight. So in the winter when the weather is crap, I find myself holding at the OM quite a bit because that is the time frame my charters always seem to be arriving back home.

Off on a side note, I was #2 for the approach a couple of weeks ago and was told to descend to 9000. Then 5 minutes later I was told to climb back up to 11000 to let a Skywest in. And since I was already in the high orbit, center went ahead and let another freighter in before me 'cause he was coming from an airport only 40 miles away and "was already low".

 

[typhoonpilot]

Flying into Heathrow you will almost always do at least one turn in the holding pattern. Last time in, four days ago, we did 26 minutes over LAM as they transitioned to Low Vis approaches on 27L.


TP

 

[88_MALIBU]

Flew a hold last Friday at an NDB for an airline interview in a desktop sim... That was fun!

 

[Dodge]

I hold every time I have to go into Philly. "An A319 reported 2 clouds within 30 miles of the field....EFC time of 1200, time now, 1105." What a joke.

 

[trip]

The best hold I ever had- Checked in with app at PNS and was told get ready to copy holding inst. We are surprised because it was severe clear and of course we had no holding fuel. After some complex instructions that made no sense, we asked again and the controller said "fly down the beach and maintain 3,000-I'll call your turn back".
Now this we understood and complied with. Turns out a cessna backfired on the runway after cobbing take-off power and promptly caught fire. Aircraft was sitting on the runway with fire trucks aimed at it.

 

[minitour]

We went over to St. Augustine to practice holds and I'm under the hood. I cross the fix and go outbound on the radial/localizer (it was 92...it's been a long time mini!) to do a parallel entry and after one minute, instead of making a 270 back to intercept...I make a one minute standard rate turn and wind up paralleling the inbound course. A minute goes by and I make a one minute standard rate turn again and viola! I'm crossing the fix and outbound on the inbound course...AGAIN!
*chop*
That's all that happened mini...

That's all???

Man...I had a hard time learning how to time the outbound leg to have one minute inbound...hell dude...that's freakin phenomenal!!!

Awesome man...you're my new hero!

-mini

 

[HAL]

On the first of this month, going into IAH (Houston) at about 8:30pm local. A large thunderstorm drifted over the field, shutting off arrivals. We were about 50 miles out and given a fix on the arrival to hold over. We did about three turns, then they slowed us down and brought us in. We had extra fuel for this possibility, but were beginning to look at going to San Antonio if we were there another 30 minutes or so.

Also, in nine months of flying Navajos out of Fairbanks Alaska (Oct '03 to July '04), I had six holds (most at Fort Yukon) because the weather went below minimums for the approach. So in that flying, it was about one hold every 1 1/2 months.

HAL

 

[FN FAL]

That's all???

Man...I had a hard time learning how to time the outbound leg to have one minute inbound...hell dude...that's freakin phenomenal!!!

Awesome man...you're my new hero!

-mini

I wouldn't call it anything phenomenal...I paid for a wide awake instructor, not some hung over FSU ex football great who snoozed at the wheel. He's probably a check airman now at some national like gAy-T-A.