Holding Pattern

Geetings Aviators & Aviation Aficionados Today, we're diving into the fascinating world of holding patterns – a critical skill for pilots especially in your initial IFR Traning, it not only combines precision, patience, and strategy. But, it's not just about the maneuvers; it's about the stories and experiences each of you brings to the cockpit.

Holding Patterns: More Than Just Circles in the Sky, Imagine you're nearing your destination, but there's traffic congestion, poor weather, or maybe a runway is temporarily closed. That's where holding patterns come into play, keeping you safe and organized in the sky.

Understanding the Three Types of Entries:

#Direct Entry

- Situation: When the aircraft's approach path is within 70° of the holding course.

- Procedure: The aircraft turns to intercept the holding pattern and continues in the direction of the hold.

- Key Fact: Most straightforward and efficient entry, minimizing the need for significant maneuvering.

#Parallel Entry

- Situation: When the aircraft approaches the holding fix from the opposite side of the holding course, within a 110° sector.

- Procedure: The aircraft overflies the holding fix, turns outbound on a heading parallel to the holding course for one minute, then turns towards the holding pattern to re-intercept the inbound course.

- Key Fact: Used when the aircraft's approach does not allow a direct or teardrop entry, ensuring a smooth transition into the pattern.

#Teardrop Entry

- Situation: When the aircraft's approach path is between 70° and 110° of the holding course on the non-holding side.

- Procedure: After crossing the holding fix, the aircraft turns to a heading typically 30° away from the outbound course for a specified period before turning to intercept the inbound course.

- Key Fact: This method provides an efficient way to align with the holding pattern when approaching from specific angles.

#Additional Key Facts:

1. *Speed Limits:

- Below 6,000 ft MSL: 200 KIAS

- Between 6,001 ft - 14,000 ft MSL: 230 KIAS

- Above 14,000 ft MSL: 265 KIAS

2. **Timing for Inbound Legs:

- Below 14,000 ft MSL: 1 minute

- Above 14,000 ft MSL: 1.5 minutes

3. Turn Direction: Standard patterns use right turns, but ATC may instruct left turns (non-standard) at their discretion.

4. Altitude Separation: Aircraft in holding patterns are typically separated by at least 1,000 feet.

#3Essential Elements

1-Holding Fix: The geographic point or navaid where the hold is centered. Knowing your hold fix is critical for determining the rest of your holding strategy.

2-Direction from the Fix: Understanding whether the holding pattern is standard (right turns) or non-standard (left turns) and the orientation of your entry in relation to the fix.

3-EFC Time (Expect Further Clearance): This is the time you can expect to leave the hold. Always keep an eye on fuel and plan accordingly.

#Final Thoughts...

Holding patterns test a pilot's ability to visualize and execute flight maneuvers precisely. Mastering these entries is crucial for safe and efficient flying, embodying the principle of piloting with intelligence and foresight.

Remember, pilots, practice makes perfect! Keep refining these skills to ensure safe and smart flying.

Captain Ferouze,

Air Speed

 

The different colored arcs and lines represent various important airspeeds:

White Arc (V_SO to V_FE): This is the flap operating range, where it is safe to use the aircraft's flaps. The lower limit of the white arc (V_SO) is the stalling speed or minimum steady flight speed in the landing configuration. The upper limit (V_FE) is the maximum speed with the flaps extended.

Green Arc (V_S1 to V_NO): This is the normal operating range of the aircraft. The lower limit of the green arc (V_S1) is the stalling speed or minimum steady flight speed obtained in a specified configuration. The upper limit (V_NO) is the maximum structural cruising speed, beyond which you may encounter turbulence that could lead to structural damage.

Yellow Arc (V_NO to V_NE): This range is for operations in smooth air, and caution should be exercised. Flying in this range should be avoided unless the air is smooth, and speed should not exceed the boundary indicated by the red radial line (V_NE).

Red Line (V_NE): This indicates the never-exceed speed, which is the maximum speed the aircraft should not exceed under any circumstances. Exceeding this speed is likely to cause structural damage or failure.

These indicators help the pilot operate the aircraft within safe speed parameters to avoid stalls, structural damage, or loss of control.

curl_cli -vk https://te.checkpoint.com/tecloud/Ping

 
 

[Expert@myfw]# curl_cli -vk https://te.checkpoint.com/tecloud/Ping
*   Trying 52.21.148.145...
* TCP_NODELAY set
* Connected to te.checkpoint.com (52.21.148.145) port 443 (#0)
* ALPN, offering http/1.1
* *** Current date is: Sat Apr  6 01:23:52 2024
* TLSv1.3 (OUT), TLS handshake, Client hello (1):
* err is -1, detail is 2
* *** Current date is: Sat Apr  6 01:23:52 2024
* TLSv1.3 (IN), TLS handshake, Server hello (2):
* err is -1, detail is 2
* *** Current date is: Sat Apr  6 01:23:52 2024
* TLSv1.2 (IN), TLS handshake, Certificate (11):
* TLSv1.2 (IN), TLS handshake, Server key exchange (12):
* TLSv1.2 (IN), TLS handshake, Server finished (14):
* TLSv1.2 (OUT), TLS handshake, Client key exchange (16):
* TLSv1.2 (OUT), TLS change cipher, Change cipher spec (1):
* TLSv1.2 (OUT), TLS handshake, Finished (20):
* err is -1, detail is 2
* *** Current date is: Sat Apr  6 01:23:52 2024
* TLSv1.2 (IN), TLS handshake, Finished (20):
* SSL connection using TLSv1.2 / ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256
* ALPN, server accepted to use http/1.1
* servercert: Activated
* servercert: CRL validation was disabled
* Server certificate:
*  subject: CN=*.checkpoint.com
*  start date: Oct 25 18:11:28 2023 GMT
*  expire date: Nov 25 18:11:27 2024 GMT
*  issuer: C=BE; O=GlobalSign nv-sa; CN=GlobalSign GCC R3 DV TLS CA 2020
*  SSL certificate verify result: unable to get local issuer certificate (20), continuing anyway.
* servercert: Finished
< HTTP/1.1 200 
< Date: Sat, 06 Apr 2024 05:23:52 GMT
< Content-Type: text/plain;charset=ISO-8859-1
< Content-Length: 4
< Connection: keep-alive
< Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains; preload
< X-Request-Start: t=1712381032.202
< Set-Cookie: te_cookie=aabd0422269d88cb7d33996ad8cd951b; Path=/; Secure
< 
* Connection #0 to host te.checkpoint.com left intact
Pong
[Expert@myfw]# # cphaprob tablestat 

----   Unique IP's Table  ----

Member          Interface       IP-Address              MAC-Address
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Local)
0               3               192.168.110.1            00:1c:ff:46:44:92
0               19              10.114.255.113           00:1c:ff:a3:44:1c
0               22              216.21.183.19            00:1c:ff:a3:44:1f
0               26              172.116.183.2            00:1c:ff:a3:44:4d
0               27              216.21.183.252           00:1c:ff:a3:44:4d

1               3               192.168.110.2            00:1c:ff:46:44:b0
1               19              10.114.255.114           00:1c:ff:a3:44:a8
1               22              216.21.183.20            00:1c:ff:a3:44:ab
1               26              172.116.83.3             00:1c:ff:a3:44:51
1               27              216.21.83.253            00:1c:ff:a3:44:51

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Expert@myfw]# 

ATC Light Gun Signals

 

Air Traffic Control (ATC) light gun signals are used to communicate with aircraft when radio communication is not available. These signals can be directed at aircraft in flight or on the ground and consist of different colors and flashing patterns. Here’s what each signal means:

For Aircraft in Flight:-

Steady Green: Cleared to land. This indicates that the aircraft is cleared to land on the runway.Flashing Green: Cleared to approach the airport. This signal is used to indicate that the aircraft is authorized to approach the airport for landing.

Steady Red: Give way to other aircraft and continue circling. This means the aircraft must continue to circle the airport because it is not safe to land.

Flashing Red: Airport unsafe—do not land. The pilot should not attempt to land; the airport is considered unsafe.

Flashing White: This signal is not used for aircraft in flight.

Alternating Red and Green: Exercise extreme caution. This signal is a general warning of danger and advises the pilot to be cautious.

For Aircraft on the Ground:-

Steady Green: Cleared for takeoff. The aircraft is cleared to take off from the runway.

Flashing Green: Cleared to taxi. This indicates that the aircraft is cleared to taxi to the runway or another specified area on the airport.

Steady Red: Stop. The aircraft should come to a complete stop.

Flashing Red: Clear the runway. This signal indicates that the aircraft should vacate the runway or that it is not safe to enter the runway.

Flashing White: Return to starting point on the airport. This directs the pilot to taxi back to the starting point on the airport.

Alternating Red and Green: Exercise extreme caution. Similar to the in-flight signal, it warns of potential danger.

These signals are crucial for ensuring safety and effective communication when radio contact is not possible.