How do I enter and fly a holding pattern in a flight simulator?

To enter and fly a holding pattern in a flight simulator, identify the fix, inbound course, turn direction and leg length; slow before the fix; choose a direct, parallel or teardrop entry; then track the inbound course, measure each leg, and correct for wind on every circuit.

What information defines a holding pattern?

A complete hold tells you exactly where the pattern sits and how to fly it. Before reaching the fix, identify:

• Holding fix: a waypoint, VOR, NDB, intersection or DME position.
• Holding direction: the side of the fix on which the pattern lies, such as east or north-west.
• Inbound course: the course flown towards the fix on each circuit.
• Turn direction: right turns for a standard hold, or left turns when specified.
• Leg limit: a time, distance or terminating DME value.
• Altitude and speed restrictions: any published or assigned limits.

Do not confuse a VOR radial with the inbound course. For example, “hold east of ABC on the 090 radial, right turns” places the outbound leg on the 090 radial, but the inbound course to the VOR is 270 degrees. Set the CDI to 270 with a TO indication. Our guide to using VORs, NDBs and bearing instruments covers fix identification and course interception in more depth.

A real ATC clearance may also include an expected-further-clearance time. That does not change the racetrack geometry, but it matters operationally. Built-in simulator ATC may omit it, so decide beforehand how many circuits you intend to fly.

How do I choose the correct holding entry?

Choose the entry from the aircraft’s track as it approaches the fix, not simply from the heading shown on the compass. Visualise the inbound course, its reciprocal outbound course and the holding side before selecting one of the three recognised entries.

The common sector method assigns approximately 180 degrees to direct, 110 degrees to parallel and 70 degrees to teardrop. Treat a sector boundary as a judgement line rather than chasing a single degree while crossing the fix; follow the convention required by the authority or training syllabus you are simulating.

How do I fly each circuit accurately?

Fly the hold as a tracked procedure rather than a sequence of memorised headings. Wind changes the headings required to maintain the published inbound and outbound tracks.

1. Prepare the navigation source. Tune and identify the radio aid or select the correct GPS/FMS source. Set the inbound course and verify that the CDI, HSI or navigation display is using that source.
2. Reduce speed early. Reach the applicable holding speed before the fix. Published and regional maximum speeds differ, so the chart or procedure being simulated takes priority over a generic value.
3. Cross the fix and fly the chosen entry. Confirm passage using waypoint sequencing, a bearing flip, DME behaviour or the appropriate station-passage indication.
4. Intercept the inbound course. Turn early enough to capture it without overshooting. Use standard-rate turns or the aircraft’s approved flight-director guidance rather than forcing an excessive bank angle.
5. Start outbound timing correctly. Start the timer when abeam the fix or when wings level outbound, whichever occurs later. If the abeam position cannot be determined, start when the outbound turn is complete.
6. Track back to the fix. Crab into wind, centre the course gradually and note the actual inbound time. Confirm fix passage before beginning the next turn.
7. Adjust the next circuit. Shorten the outbound leg if the inbound leg took too long; lengthen it if the inbound leg was too short. For a distance-based hold, use the specified distance rather than substituting a timer.

One-minute legs are common in basic simulator practice. Under FAA convention, the target inbound time is one minute at or below 14,000 feet MSL and one and a half minutes above it. Other jurisdictions and published holds can use different criteria, so match the procedure you are practising.

Why does my holding pattern drift or become lopsided?

A hold drifts when heading is mistaken for track or when the outbound correction is too small. Establish the crab needed to centre the inbound course, then use roughly three times that wind-correction angle outbound, towards the wind, as an initial estimate.

Refine the correction on every circuit. If the CDI remains displaced to one side inbound, change the outbound wind correction before making large last-second turns. If inbound timing is wrong but tracking is good, adjust outbound time rather than changing the crab angle.

Common failure modes include:

• Flying the radial as the inbound course: use the reciprocal when holding on a VOR radial.
• Starting the timer over the fix: start abeam or wings level outbound, as applicable.
• Using aircraft heading as the entry reference: entry sectors are based on the track to the fix.
• Chasing the CDI: make small heading corrections and allow the indication to settle.
• Selecting the wrong navigation source: check GPS versus VOR/LOC before blaming the autopilot.
• Entering too fast: excess speed increases turn radius and can carry the aircraft outside the expected pattern.

Using GPS, FMS and autopilot holding modes

A GPS or FMS can construct and fly a hold, but its displayed racetrack must still match the clearance. Enter or verify the fix, inbound course, turn direction, leg time or distance, altitude and speed where supported.

Check the map before executing the hold. The most common data-entry error is supplying the outbound radial where the system expects an inbound course. Another is activating the hold while the autopilot is following the wrong lateral mode or navigation source. Understanding how GPS, radio aids and FMS guidance represent fixes and courses makes these errors much easier to diagnose.

Avionics implementations differ between simulator aircraft. Some calculate the entry and wind correction automatically; others require a pilot-created waypoint or manual heading mode. An “exit hold” command commonly leaves at the next fix crossing rather than immediately, so monitor the active leg instead of assuming the aircraft will turn towards the route at once. Avoid pressing an OBS or suspend control unless the simulated avionics procedure calls for it, because doing so may stop normal waypoint sequencing.

For useful practice, begin in calm weather with a clearly defined VOR or GPS fix. Add crosswind, random arrival tracks, left turns and distance-based legs only after the basic scan is stable. Holding becomes much easier when practised as part of the broader IFR clearance, navigation and approach workflow rather than as an isolated racetrack.