Hello all, Another research question for you:

With holding patterns, we have the "protected side" and the "non-protected" side. I've heard a lot of figures banded about for just how protected these zones are:

Example:

Protected side = 5nm from hold radial
Unprotected side = 2-3 from hold radial. (To take into account any possible wind-drift if you're a bad pilot)

Obviously holds are not created with ZERO tolerance on the unprotected side otherwise we'd be holding right next to cliff faces all the time.

I think it makes sense that the "unprotected" side must have SOME kind of built in protection - if only to make parallel entries feasible. My question is, where is this information written?

Where does it say exactly how much airspace is "protected" on both sides of the inbound hold radial?

Not that it matters....I fly in FL.....zero terrain......a billion old people.

Thanks for your help!!

 

The answer is in FAA-H-8261-1A, chapter 3. You can find it by googling Instrument Procedures Handbook. There is a Primary area of 1000 ft clearance and Secondary area with 500 ft clearnace and more on dimensions can be found in this publication.

 

If you ever seen the sportys videos, you see that FAA has given us some extra breathing room for pilots that don't know how to hold.

 

If you want to know everything about holding, go to the source document FAA 7130.

http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/...ia/7130-3A.pdf

If you want to quick synopsis the USAF did in it's flight safety program, go here http://www.afsc.af.mil/shared/media/...071016-099.pdf

-Fatty

 

Thank you all...

this forum is awesome....tempted to never study ever again...i'll just post here...shame I only started using it the week before my CFI-add on. Doh!

D-Day is tuesday, wish me luck.

 

Good luck, let us know how did it go!