How do I fly a GPS holding pattern in FSX?

In FSX and FSX: Steam Edition, the default Garmin GPS cannot build or automatically fly a holding pattern. Use it to make the holding fix active, press OBS to suspend waypoint sequencing, set the published inbound course, then fly the entry and racetrack manually or with the autopilot’s heading mode until cleared to leave it.

Can the default FSX GPS fly a hold automatically?

No. The stock GPS 500 and simplified stock G1000 can identify the holding fix and provide course guidance, but they do not calculate the entry or command the racetrack turns. Selecting OBS freezes the active waypoint; it is not an automatic-hold function.

The autopilot can maintain altitude, fly selected headings and track the inbound GPS course. It cannot decide when to turn outbound or compensate automatically for holding-pattern timing. Third-party GPS or FMS equipment may include its own hold function, so use that equipment’s controls instead of the stock OBS method where applicable.

How do I set up and fly the GPS hold?

1. Decode the hold. Identify the holding fix, inbound course, turn direction, altitude, speed and whether the legs use time or distance. The inbound course runs towards the fix; the outbound heading is approximately reciprocal but requires wind correction. Our explanation of heading, course, bearing and track in FSX clears up the distinction.
2. Make the holding fix active. Load it in the flight plan or select it with Direct-To. Check that the active leg terminates at the correct waypoint and that its distance decreases as you approach. A Direct-To may need replacing with the next flight-plan leg when you leave the hold.
3. Select GPS as the navigation source. Set the aircraft’s NAV/GPS selector to GPS, or use the equivalent CDI source control in a glass cockpit. Keep the autopilot in heading mode while configuring the hold.
4. Press OBS before reaching the fix. Confirm that OBS appears on the GPS, then set the published inbound course with the aircraft’s OBS or CRS selector. On the inbound leg, the CDI should provide guidance towards the fix with a TO indication.
5. Fly the correct entry. Use heading mode or hand-fly the direct, teardrop or parallel entry. The GPS does not select the entry for you. If that choice is unfamiliar, follow our holding-entry, timing and wind-correction procedure.
6. Fly the racetrack. Use heading mode for the turns and outbound leg. Start outbound timing when abeam the fix or wings level outbound, whichever occurs later, unless the published hold specifies a distance. Turn back to intercept the inbound course and select NAV once the CDI is moving towards the centre.
7. Repeat as required. Return to heading mode before the next holding turn. GPS distance increasing outbound and the TO/FROM indication changing after crossing the fix are normal.

For an unpublished practice hold, a common starting point is right turns with a one-minute inbound leg. A charted procedure or ATC instruction takes priority, including any specified direction, leg distance, speed or altitude restriction.

When should I cancel OBS and leave the hold?

Cancel OBS on the final inbound leg, shortly before crossing the holding fix, once cleared onwards. This allows the GPS to sequence to the next flight-plan waypoint as you pass the fix.

Watch the active leg rather than assuming it changed. If you reached the hold using Direct-To, the GPS may retain that navigation state instead of resuming the intended route; activate the required next leg or use Direct-To for the newly cleared waypoint.

Why won’t the autopilot stay in the holding pattern?

The most common mistake is expecting NAV mode to generate the holding turns. It only tracks the selected GPS course, so the aircraft may fly straight through the fix unless you command the turn with heading mode.

FSX’s stock navigation database reflects the simulator’s era. A holding fix or procedure taken from a newer chart may be missing or may not match the stored course, so verify the waypoint before relying on the default GPS.