Holding Pattern Calculator (Direct, Parallel or Teardrop Entry, Wind-Corrected Legs & Fuel)
Work out the holding pattern entry from your heading to the fix, the inbound course and turn direction, then the outbound heading and timing corrected for wind so the inbound leg is one or one-and-a-half minutes, the teardrop heading, and the fuel burned while holding.
How it works
entry sectors (relative to the inbound course, holding-side turns): direct = within 110° on the holding side and 70° on the other; teardrop = 110–180° on the holding side; parallel = the remaining 110° on the non-holding side · WCA = asin(wind × sin(wind − course) ÷ TAS); GS = TAS cos(WCA) − wind cos(wind − course) · outbound heading = outbound course − 3 × inbound WCA · outbound time = inbound GS × leg time ÷ outbound GS
A holding pattern is a racetrack flown around a fix: an inbound leg of one minute (at lower altitudes), a standard-rate turn, an outbound leg and another turn. How you join it depends on where you arrive from, which the AIM splits into three sectors — direct, parallel and teardrop — measured against the inbound course and the side the turns are on. Wind then decides the headings and the outbound time: correct the inbound leg by the drift, triple that correction outbound so the turns bring you back onto the course, and time the outbound leg so the inbound one comes out at a minute.
Worked example
Holding east of a fix on an inbound course of 090° with right turns, arriving on a heading of 220°: that is 130° from the inbound course — a teardrop entry; cross the fix, turn to about 240° (30° off the outbound course toward the holding side) for a minute, then right to intercept 090°. With a 100 kt TAS and wind 150° at 20 kt the inbound heading is about 100°, the outbound about 240°, the inbound groundspeed about 88 kt and outbound about 108 kt, so fly the outbound leg about 49 seconds. Fifteen minutes in the hold at 8.5 gal/h burns about 2.1 gallons.
Frequently asked questions
Which holding entry do I use?
Draw the 70° line through the fix from the outbound end on the holding side. Arriving from the holding side of that line (within 110°), use direct; from the 70° wedge on the holding side behind the fix, teardrop; from the non-holding side, parallel. Approximate is acceptable — the entries are recommended, not mandatory, as long as you remain in protected airspace.
Why triple the wind correction outbound?
Because the two turns spend time drifting with the wind too. Tripling the inbound drift correction on the outbound leg (applied in the opposite direction) roughly compensates, so the inbound turn rolls out on the course rather than inside or outside it.
How do I fix the timing?
Start timing the outbound leg when abeam the fix (or wings level, whichever is later), fly the calculated time, then time the inbound leg. If it took 1:15 instead of 1:00, shorten the next outbound leg by 15 seconds; if 0:45, lengthen it by 15.
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For training, planning and education only. The aircraft's approved flight manual (POH/AFM), current charts, NOTAMs, weather and regulations govern every real flight. Verify with your instructor and official sources.