Holding Pattern Entry Calculator: Direct, Teardrop, Parallel

Quick Answer: Per AIM 5-3-8j, if your position on arrival is on the holding side within 70 degrees of the inbound course, fly a teardrop entry. If you're on the holding side beyond 70 degrees from the inbound course, fly a direct entry. If you're on the non-holding side, fly a parallel entry.

How do you determine a holding pattern entry?

Your entry depends on where your arrival course places you relative to the inbound course and the holding side, per AIM 5-3-8j. The AIM defines three sectors: a teardrop sector on the holding side within 70 degrees of the inbound course, a direct sector on the holding side beyond that 70-degree line, and a parallel sector covering the entire non-holding side. Which side counts as "holding" flips with turn direction: it's to the right of the inbound course in a standard right-turn hold, and to the left in a left-turn hold.

This is one of the few IR checkride topics a DPE can test with no chart in front of you. An examiner states an inbound course, a turn direction, and the heading you're flying on arrival, and expects an immediate, correct answer: direct, teardrop, or parallel, with a one-sentence explanation of why. There's no partial credit for getting the entry roughly right, since flying the wrong entry can put you outside the holding pattern's protected airspace. Drilling the sector logic until it's automatic, rather than re-deriving it from a mental diagram every time, is what separates a confident oral answer from a hesitant one.

How long is the outbound leg in a holding pattern?

The outbound leg should be timed to 1 minute at or below 14,000 feet MSL, and 1.5 minutes above 14,000 feet MSL, per AIM 5-3-8. Timing starts when the aircraft is abeam the fix, or, if abeam position can't be determined, when the outbound turn is complete. The goal is an inbound leg of the same target duration, so you adjust the outbound leg's length on subsequent circuits, not your airspeed, to correct for wind drift and land on that target time.

How do you correct for wind in a holding pattern?

Triple the wind correction angle you used on the inbound leg, and apply it in the opposite direction on the outbound leg, per AIM 5-3-8. This compensates for the additional wind displacement that accumulates during the outbound turn and leg, which is longer in track-miles-affected than the inbound leg under most wind conditions. As you fly successive circuits in the hold, refine both the outbound leg length and this correction angle based on how well you're actually tracking the inbound course.

What is the maximum holding airspeed?

Maximum holding airspeed is 200 KIAS at or below 6,000 feet MSL, 230 KIAS from 6,001 to 14,000 feet MSL, and 265 KIAS above 14,000 feet MSL, per AIM 5-3-8. These limits apply to civil aircraft holding in the U.S. National Airspace System and exist to keep holding patterns within their charted protected airspace, which is sized around an assumed maximum speed for each altitude band. Exceeding the limit for your altitude risks flying outside that protected area, particularly on the outbound leg and turns.

Practice Questions

1. Inbound course 090, right-turn hold, arriving on a heading of 200. Which entry do you fly, and why?
2. Inbound course 270, left-turn hold, arriving on a heading of 300. Which entry do you fly, and why?
3. You're holding at 11,500 feet MSL. What's your target outbound leg time, and what's your maximum holding airspeed?
4. Your inbound wind correction angle is 8 degrees left. What correction do you apply on the outbound leg, and in which direction?
5. You're holding at 16,000 feet MSL in a piston twin. What's your target outbound leg time, and what's your maximum holding airspeed?

Frequently Asked Questions

What if my arrival course falls exactly on a sector boundary?

AIM 5-3-8j draws the 70-degree line as the boundary between the teardrop and direct sectors, and the inbound/outbound course axis as the boundary between the holding side and the non-holding side. An arrival that lands exactly on either line is a judgment call. Most pilots fly the more conservative option, teardrop over direct, or parallel over direct, since it keeps you inside protected airspace with a simpler turn back to the inbound course.

Does turn direction change which side is the holding side?

Yes. In a standard right-turn hold, the holding side is to the right of the inbound course. In a left-turn hold, it's mirrored to the left. This tool asks for turn direction for exactly that reason: the same arrival course can require a direct entry in a right-turn hold and a parallel entry in a left-turn hold, depending on which side of the course you're on relative to the turn.

Does this tool replace checking the chart or AIM in actual IFR flying?

No. This tool applies the AIM 5-3-8j entry-sector rule to the numbers you enter, but it can't verify your actual position, the published hold's protected airspace, or any nonstandard entry instructions ATC or a chart note might specify. Always fly the entry as depicted on the approach chart or as assigned by ATC, and use this tool for study and drills, not as a real-time cockpit reference.

Does gusty or turbulent wind change which entry sector I'm in?

No. The entry sector is determined purely by the geometric relationship between your arrival course and the inbound course, per AIM 5-3-8j. Wind doesn't move the sector boundaries. What wind does affect is how well you fly the entry once you've picked it, particularly the parallel and teardrop entries, which both require a turn back to intercept the inbound course. Expect to correct more aggressively for drift on a gusty day, but don't second-guess the entry sector itself because of wind.

Does an ATC-assigned nonstandard (left-turn) hold change how I calculate the entry?

It changes the turn direction input, not the underlying rule. AIM 5-3-8j applies identically to left-turn and right-turn holds. Set the turn direction to left-turn when your clearance specifies a nonstandard hold, and the tool mirrors the holding side accordingly. Left out of habit when you should have entered right, or vice versa, is one of the more common entry errors on a checkride.

What altitude do I use for the outbound timing and max speed calculators?

Use your pressure altitude in the holding pattern, which for most training flights is close enough to your assigned altitude MSL. AIM 5-3-8 sets the outbound timing break and the max holding speed bands at fixed MSL thresholds (14,000 feet for timing; 6,000 and 14,000 feet for speed), so entering the correct holding altitude is what determines which rule applies.

Sources

• AIM Chapter 5, Section 3: En Route Procedures (5-3-8 Holding)

This article was researched from FAA primary sources (AIM 5-3-8) and reviewed against the current Aeronautical Information Manual by MockDPE Editorial Team. Last reviewed: August 2026. If you spot an inaccuracy, email corrections@mockdpe.org.