Holding Pattern
What is holding pattern?
A holding pattern is a racetrack-shaped flight path—made up of two turns and two straight legs—used to keep an aircraft within a defined area relative to a geographic fix. Air traffic control assigns holds to delay or sequence aircraft, such as when waiting for an approach clearance or for traffic to clear. There are three standard entry procedures (direct, teardrop, and parallel) depending on your inbound heading to the fix. Think of it as flying laps in a holding "racetrack" until ATC lets you proceed.
Also known as: hold, holding
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