Holds

During advanced instruction and in particular, CPPP sessions, there seems to be considerable confusion among pilots regarding holds/holding procedures. Although many pilots understand the need to comply with ATC for published and unpublished holds and the need to be prepared for executing published Missed Approaches, most pilots seldom or never actually do them.

Last week on a corporate flight I overheard ATC giving a Cirrus pilot an unpublished hold in actual conditions as he was first in a string of planes landing at a busy Class C airport where a disabled aircraft was on the runway. It must have been very unsettling as the Cirrus pilot was not ready to copy the clearance nor was he prepared in any way to execute the hold as evidenced by the subsequent communications. The result was time compression for ATC as he dealt with the obvious confusion of the pilot, confusion of the pilots following the Cirrus, and a potentially dangerous traffic sequencing problem for ATC.

I encourage pilots to:

1. Review holding procedures including situational awareness and hold entry
2. Know your aircraft holding configuration, slow down and save fuel while holding
3. Practice copying and reading back ATC holding instructions
4. Practice both unpublished and published holds on a basis that will ensure you are ready for it if it comes.

For many, including professional pilots, the most effective way to practice procedures like this is in a simulator where the simulator instructor has control and can simulate all of the hold situations a pilot could reasonably expect.

Cliff Izer

Master Certified Flight Instructor, CFII, MEI, AGI, ATP
FAA Safety Team and Gold Seal Instructor
CIRRUS Standardized Program Instructor
SimTrain, Chief Instructor