Parallel, Teardrop, Direct, huh?

Holding pattern entries don’t need to be rocket science, just get the job done

Just for fun, ask an instrument student to describe the single most confusing part of learning to fly instruments. Then ask a veteran instrument pilot to describe the single most confusing maneuver involved with instrument flight. Odds are you’ll get the same answer: holding pattern entries.

Holding patterns just don’t get any respect, which isn’t surprising considering they’re a last-ditch effort to salvage a route that’s in jeopardy because of traffic or weather. Controllers don’t like stacking up airplanes, and pilots certainly don’t like droning around in circles for $100 an hour.

Sometimes holding is a necessary evil, but many instrument pilots secretly quake at the thought of t...