Determining Holding Entry

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Holding entries are considered by many students to be the most difficult item to learn while flying instruments. Determining the proper entry requires situational awareness and an understanding of how the entry sectors are divided.
There are three types of holding entries:
Parallel
Teardrop
Direct
To understand each entry sector, let's think of holding in terms of a circle, where the center is the holding fix.
The parallel entry sector makes up 110 degrees of the circle. It is located from the holding fix, in the direction of the holding turn, 110 degrees.
The teardrop entry sector makes up 70 degrees of the circle. It is located from the holding fix, opposite the direction of the holding turn, 70 degrees.
Together, the teardrop and parallel sectors make up 180 degrees of our circle. The direct entry makes up the remaining 180 degrees.
While there are hundreds of ways to determine how to enter holding, I've found one way that is both easy, and extremely quick to use while you are flying. Here's how it works:
Note: You must be tracking to the holding fix and have a relatively stable heading.
Determine the outbound heading of the holding pattern.
Take your right thumb (if right turns) / Left Thumb (if left turns) and hold it up to the heading indicator.
Place the bottom of your thumb just above whatever heading is 90 degrees abeam. (i.e. flying heading 360, right thumb above 090 for right turns, or left thumb above 270 for left turns)
You should be covering up 20 degrees of the heading indicator. (In our example 070-090 or 270-290)
Find your outbound heading.
If your outbound heading is:
Between your thumb and your current heading: Teardrop
Between your current heading and 110 degrees to the opposite side of your thumb: Parallel
Everything else: Direct
I know it sounds kind of complicated, but I promise if you practice it just a few times, you won't even need your thumb anymore.
Mastered holding? What about Approach Plates?

[@iseesquares]

Confused me when you said direct at 3:50 when it should have been paralell

[@wezpa]

Love your tutorials! Thank you so much!

[@AlexandreSilva-yq4vu]

On 3.31 his actually correct. Letpft turns. And remenber that you draw the imagine line for the outbound

[@therealskyrat]

This information isn’t correct. Some parts (where you demonstrate the thumb method) are; but when drawing the lines for the entry zones you’re drawing the parallel and teardrop zones reversed. This is going to leave a lot of new IFR students confused when they’re learning in flight with their CFII

[@ferdinanospinavalencia7168]

thank you so much i didnt understand this until i watch this video you dont know how it means to me now i can go to my check ride suscribiendome ahora mismo gracias!!!!

[@peterarey]

First drawing is RH but you put teardrop on left (lifted wrong side?)?

[@redglazedeyez6652]

Thats wrong. Parralel is on top left? And u did a left angle on a right turn

[@radamdrake]

3:40, heading west is a parallel method not direct method

[@pauldarpa8827]

@ 3:36 you call it direct . @ 6:13 you call it a Parallel entry. I think you made a mistake at 3:36. Looks to be a parallel entry both times. I'm fairly new to this. Correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks.

[@oscarfabiancaceres1206]

I have the same question !

[@oscarfabiancaceres1206]

Finally understood... Great video !

[@haroldvargas01]

+Paul Darpa both are parallel

[@chaphilip3757]

I hav the question. why do we use the 70˚ of the line for the entry, not 80˚ or 90˚?

[@azcharlie2009]

Great explanation! As a 35 year pilot, I've never really understood these darn things. Rick

[@MrNep48]

its easier to put you index finger on your heading, then it forms a clear picture

[@LarryTheFlyingGuy]

You got a direct entry via the method where you mentally superimpose the holding pattern on the DG, but a parallel entry with the thumb method for the same hold.

[@Vidas666]

Believe it , many Airline Pilots cant fully handle those thinks , sometimes pilots after clearing to enter hold on VOR , they asking to left or right (in fact unless ATC don't give clearance to left nor to right , by definition will be to right ) . Very common case and very dangerous when pilots missing beginning of hold pattern from your inbound heading on VOR North /East or something like that . Thanks for giving crystal clear tutorial

[@amandeepdhillon1990]

Very nicely covered....

[@rafaelpinky21]

I dont get it. Why if you are heading west you draw an arrow pointing east? And why sometimes you just say here is teardrop and here is paralel?

[@storyofwill]

So if you are flying a track of 280 to the station which is sector 1 with nil wind. And in a strong northerly wind condition you are still tracking 280 to the station but heading 310 after wind correction, are you in sector one or two?

[@bfrank7037]

I'm a new instrument student and this is beyond helpful. Thanks for making these videos. Cheers from Southern California

[@hamatoo911]

thank you very much your videos actually all of your videos were very helpful for me thank you for doing this you're the best

[@Klaviation]

That sounds interesting. Could you please expand more on how to use that technique? Thanks!

[@storyofwill]

Question. 10:25. Why would counteracting wind giving you 260 heading make you fall into Sector 1? You're still tracking 290 isn't it?

[@willliebhaber344]

Holding entry is based on your aircraft heading regardless of track. So if you have wind correction in to keep a track, it is actually the wind correction heading you would use.

[@robertmoore4933]

Really excellent series of lessons. Thanks so much. One small criticism - the strumming in the background while you were speaking was irritating and unnecessary. The human voice on its own is perfectly good. But I'm hanging on to the lessons nevertheless! Robert

[@Klaviation]

Robert Moore Thanks for the feedback!

[@yfo9966]

Why their call Teardrop entry, not Offset entry.? But i know its still same meaning.. Peace..

[@davidaranguren108]

Thank you so much for all the information shared!

[@wilburmccullough6336]

They might be recommended patterns but I wouldn't want to chance it on a checkride.

[@cungikhamkhachannel1204]

great man!!!! this is my test ^^ tks so muucchhhh

[@TheCanreme]

Could you do an arc dme tutorial please !!! I need it to learn more about dme arc

[@MalkiZee]

Because the flight path looks like a teardrop.

[@michaellaccabue6614]

At 3:36, I would say your method works if your aircraft position is south of the holding pattern, so you would essentially turn right to intercept the inbound course. However, if you were arriving at the fix heading 270, I'd teach a student that would fall under a parallel entry since you are going to end up on the non-holding side and want to establish inbound before making the right-hand outbound turn.

[@nickde6339]

I totally agree. I also got confused when he said direct, and started to question whether I really understand this or what is happening. I would also do a parallel entry in that scenario

[@edmundgreene1557]

Thanks! Great info!!

[@dramamanmac]

excellent, thanks

[@alancealance]

I 'm learning.