Holding entries: direct, parallel or offset?
Holding entries look like geometry and feel like guessing. They are neither: compare your heading with the inbound track, read off the sector, and fly the entry that belongs to it. The sectors come from ICAO Doc 8168 (PANS-OPS), Part I, Section 6.
The method in three steps
- Turn the clearance into numbers. Write down the inbound track and whether the turns are right (standard) or left.
- Find your heading relative to the inbound track. For a right-hand pattern measure clockwise; for a left-hand pattern measure counter-clockwise. The result is between −180° and +180°.
- Read the sector. Right-hand holding: direct from −70° to +110°, offset from +110° to +180°, parallel from +180° to +290° (the same as −180° to −70°). ICAO allows ±5° flexibility at the boundaries.
| Sector | Width | What you fly (right-hand pattern) |
|---|---|---|
| Direct (sector 3) | 180° | Turn right at the fix and follow the pattern. |
| Offset (sector 2) | 70° | At the fix turn to a track 30° off the outbound track, on the holding side. Fly outbound, then turn right to intercept the inbound track. |
| Parallel (sector 1) | 110° | At the fix turn left onto the outbound heading and fly it. Then turn left onto the holding side to intercept the inbound track or return to the fix, and turn right into the pattern. |
Outbound time: one minute at or below 14 000 ft, one and a half minutes above, unless a distance is given. Source: ICAO Doc 8168 Part I, Section 6, Chapter 1.
A worked example
Inbound track 270°, right-hand turns, and you approach the fix on heading 080°. Heading 080° is 170° clockwise from 270°. That is between +110° and +180°, so it is the offset sector. At the fix turn to track 060° (30° from the outbound track 090°, on the holding side), fly outbound, then turn right to intercept 270°.
The dashed lines are the sector boundaries. Heading 080° falls in the offset sector.
Why people get it wrong
- Heading or position? The sectors are about your heading to the fix. “I come from 260°” means heading 080°. Convert first.
- Left-hand patterns. Mirror the measurement, not the numbers. Measure counter-clockwise and use the same sector limits.
- Mixing up sector numbers. Parallel is 1, offset 2, direct 3, and the widest sector is direct.
A study aid, not the regulation: check PANS-OPS and your operator’s procedures. In the drill every entry is drawn, so you see the sector as well as reading it.
Quick answers
How wide are the three holding entry sectors?
Direct is 180° wide, parallel 110° and offset 70°. The boundaries are drawn from the holding fix relative to the inbound track.
What is the outbound time in a holding pattern?
One minute at or below 14 000 ft and one and a half minutes above 14 000 ft, unless the procedure gives a distance.
How do I find the entry for a left-hand pattern?
Mirror the sectors: measure the heading counter-clockwise from the inbound track instead of clockwise, then use the same numbers.
Make it stick
Fly the Holding Entries drill: every item is a streak you have to land.