ACS Alignment

FAA-S-ACS-15 — Private Pilot, Rotorcraft–Helicopter · Area of Operation III. ATC Clearances & Procedures · Task: Holding Procedures

IR.III.B.K1 — holding entries (direct/parallel/teardrop) IR.III.B.K2 — timing, speed & wind correction IR.III.B.R1 — risk: airspace/fuel during holds IR.III.B.S1 — enter & fly a hold to standards

Holding Patterns & Entries

Flying a racetrack in the sky — correctly entered, timed, and wind-corrected.

By the end of this lesson you can:

Read a holding clearance and visualize the pattern relative to your position.
Choose the correct entry — direct, parallel, or teardrop — from your inbound heading.
Fly standard (right-turn) and non-standard holds with correct leg timing and wind correction.
Manage speed limits and fuel/airspace awareness while holding.

1 · Reading and picturing the hold

A holding clearance gives you the fix, the holding side, the radial/course, leg length or time, and direction of turns (right turns are standard unless stated). Picture the racetrack on the protected side of the fix, then determine which of the three entries fits your arrival heading. Standard legs are one minute inbound at or below 14,000 ft (1½ minutes above), or a DME/RNAV distance when specified.

2 · Entries, timing & wind

The three entries — direct, parallel, and teardrop — are selected by where your inbound course crosses the holding pattern relative to your heading (the 70° rule divides parallel from teardrop on the non-holding side). Time the outbound leg to produce a one-minute inbound leg, and apply wind correction — typically tripling the inbound drift correction on the outbound leg to stay on the pattern. Respect the AIM holding speed limits and keep fuel and airspace boundaries in mind.

3 · Watch

Curated reference clip — “Be Checkride Ready! Holding Patterns Explained!,” MzeroA Flight Training (YouTube). Embedded with the creator's player; we don't host or alter it.

4 · Reference sources

Use the authoritative references

📄 AIM 5-3 — En Route Procedures (holding, 5-3-8) 📄 FAA Instrument Procedures Handbook — Holding

Your aircraft: use your R44's holding/maneuvering speeds and fuel-flow figures from the POH to plan endurance in the hold; confirm the aircraft's IFR authorization.

QA flag: confirm IR ACS codes (FAA-S-ACS-8) and verify entry geometry, the 70° rule, timing, and speed limits against the current AIM before publishing.

Risk management (the “Consider”): holds bite when a pilot is behind the aircraft: a wrong entry, lost timing, or drifting out of protected airspace — all while fuel burns. Brief the hold before reaching the fix, pick the entry early, fly precise headings and timing with wind correction, and track your fuel against your expect-further-clearance time.