Flying A Standard Holding Pattern

By Chris | Published: September 12, 2011


This is a quick reference for flight simmers – DO NOT USE FOR REAL, LIVE FLIGHTS.

Notes:

  • Standard Holding Pattern is typically right-hand turns on VOR, DME, NDB, GPS, or intersection
  • Legs are typically 1 minute below 14,000 feet and 1.5 minutes above 14,000 feet.

Parts of a Pattern:

  1. inbound leg (1:00)
  2. fix end
  3. outbound leg (1:00)
  4. outbound end

Types of Pattern Entry:

  1. Direct entry
  2. Parallel entry
  3. Teardrop entry

The 5 T’s:

  • Turn
  • Time
  • Twist
  • Throttle
  • Talk

UPDATE
Thanks to YouTube friends for other videos.

Inspiration: Holding Patterns 101

Referral: OBXFLIGHT: Holding Patterns

 

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Boeing 737 Takeoff Video

By Chris | Published: June 5, 2011


I think I finally figured out the screen resolution I need in order to fill a youtube video viewing box. I set my screen and FSX to 1280 x 720. It makes everything pinched, but the outcome is widescreen 16:9. I also converted the video from Fraps’ AVI to MPEG4 using widescreen setting for both input and output.

This also gave me the opportunity to install an iframe plugin for WordPress so I can use YouTube iframes and WordPress doesn’t zap the HTML. Thanks to Túbal Martín for his plugin and shortcode and the link to YouTube parameters.

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Fairhope, AL

By Chris | Published: February 2, 2011

At WV43 in Beaver DHC2

This adventure was huge in comparison to all the others. Flying in a de Havilland Beaver DHC2, I covered more than 1,000 miles from Martins Ferry Seaplane Base (WV43) in West Virginia, to Fish River Seaplane Base (5AL) in Fairhope, Alabama (southeast of Mobile). The planning required for this trip took more than 5 hours; seaplane bases are hard to find. The route is so long that I split it into two parts – with a stop-over in Lake Monroe, Indiana (07I). As usual I used SkyVector to plot the course and find the seaplane bases. I also found a rare Water Runways and Seaports document on the Microsoft web site.

Read More »

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Wheeling, WV

By Chris | Published: January 2, 2011

Approach into WV43 (20 water)

On this flight I was hauling 1,000 lbs of snow in a Grumman Goose G21A from John H Batten Airport (KRAC) in Racine, Wisconsin, to Warwood – Martins Ferry Seaplane Base (WV43), near Wheeling, West Virginia. That’s right, a half-ton of snow! The challenge was that with that much weight I could only carry 140 gallons of fuel or 41% in each tank.

SkyVector said it was 358 nm straight from Racine to Wheeling. I needed to make a delivery and I needed to make it there quickly so I chose to fly using GPS. I figured with 41% full of fuel I had a range of 375 nm. I was sweating the whole trip, but I made it with 4% fuel to spare. Read More »

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Racine, WI

By Chris | Published: December 1, 2010

Piper Cub at KBIV in rain

This one is a really short adventure. Without navigation equipment the Piper Cub is like a powered glider. I couldn’t go very far and I needed VFR conditions so I could use dead reckoning to find the airport. I looked at SkyVector just to see that it was a straight shot across Lake Michigan on a heading of 270 from Tulip City Airport, KBIV, in Holland, Michigan, to John H Batten Airport, KRAC, in Racine, Wisconsin. Read More »

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Saugatuck, MI

By Chris | Published: July 28, 2010

Saugatuck, MI

There is an interesting story behind this adventure. Somehow I read a Twitter post from @saugatuck that was an ad for the Saugatuck Visitor’s Bureau.  I Googled it and it looked like a cool place so why not fly there. There isn’t an airport at Saugatuck, but there is one 10 miles south in Holland, Michigan – Tulip City Airport, KBIV. I used SkyVector.com for my charts to plot a course from KOSH to KBIV. Read More »

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Oshkosh, WI

By Chris | Published: June 8, 2010

DC-3 at KASE

For this adventure I’m on a mission: I’m headed to Michigan via Oshkosh, WI (KOSH). My problem this time was choosing an aircraft with enough power to make it over the 12,000 foot peaks of the Rocky Mountains and have enough fuel to make it to Oshkosh. For kicks I chose the Douglas DC-3. That’s right, the old gooney bird. It might be old. It might be ugly. But it has a fairly long range, and it’s not afraid of mountain climbing. Read More »

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Aspen, CO

By Chris | Published: May 5, 2010

Glider tow out of KLXV

What better way to “celebrate” an one-way-in, one-way-out approach than with an only-one-approach aircraft: DG–808S Competition Sailplane – a.k.a. glider. Half of the reason I wanted to fly the glider here is to see if the AI tow-aircraft  (a Maule) could get off the ground at Leadville, Lake County (KLXV). The other reason is what better place to catch thermals than in the mountains. In this adventure I’m flying from Leadville to Aspen, Colorado (KASE), a 26nm “glide.” Read More »

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Leadville, CO

By Chris | Published: April 16, 2010

Maule at KLXV

If you’ve ever been to Leadville, CO, you know it’s a small town, with a small airport, surrounded by Pike National Forest in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. What you may not know, however, is that the airport is North America’s highest (public) airport.  We’re starting at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, KBJC, at 5,673 feet, and flying 70 nm southwest to Leadville’s Lake County Airport (KLXV) at 9,927 ft., in a Maule. Read More »

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Denver, CO

By Chris | Published: March 2, 2010
Mooney at KLBB

Mooney at KLBB

Now for a little fun in a Mooney Bravo. The Mooney has a ceiling of about 25,000 feet and we’ll need something with a little kick to get into the Rockies. I decided to fly to a little airport west of Denver called Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, KBJC. Read More »

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