When winds get strong, a “normal” hold can stretch, skew, and chew up protected airspace—but RNAV(RNP) RF-style turns can keep the ground track racetrack-clean by varying bank angle continuously. This paper walks through the VTR method, the math behind it, and what real-world FMS/autopilot behavior suggests. Download the PDF to see the figures, example case, and validation discussion.
Wind doesn’t just change your crab angle—it can reshape the entire holding pattern. This white paper compares three turn strategies (STR, DTR, and VTR) and shows how wind strength/direction affects turn geometry, leg parallelism, outbound timing, and protected airspace. Download the PDF for the diagrams, example wind cases, and the equations.
Elevate your flying experience with Version 3.0 of our holding pattern app, now featuring intuitive turn-by-turn directions for entry procedures, enhancing navigational precision and pilot confidence. Coupled with advanced High Precision Entry (HPE) and Holding Pattern Solution (HPS) algorithms, this update significantly reduces pilot workload and optimizes flight path accuracy. The innovative Hybrid Parallel/Teardrop entry method, alongside refined dialog boxes for crucial flight data input, guarantees efficient airspace management and seamless integration into your flying routine.
We excited to announce version 2.0 of our popular Holding Pattern Computer, now with a patent-pending analytic solution that for the first time, calculates everything a Pilot will need to roll out precisely onto the inbound leg and fly it for exactly the prescribed time or distance, regardless of wind direction or speed.
It’s fair to say that instrument pilots are most confident with holding procedures on the day of their instrument rating checkride, and the knowledge and skills slowly fade over time as unexpected holding is rarely required during normal IFR flying. Sure, many RNAV instrument approaches are now using holding patterns as the primary method for course reversal, but there isn’t much for the pilot to think about since the GPS does all the work.
This short Prezi presentation will highlight the steps in calculating a holding pattern.
Prezi is a visual storytelling software alternative to traditional slide-based presentation formats. Prezi presentations feature a map-like, schematic overview that lets users pan between topics at will, zoom in on desired details, and pull back to reveal context.
Used by pilots in their pre-flight briefing, a METAR report contains pertinent information including winds, visibility, clouds, temperature and other observed weather conditions useful for flight planning.
METARs.com collects weather reports from a worldwide network of aviation weather stations and color codes them to the appropriate flight category and displays them in a calendar-style format, helping you to see trends at a glance.
