Section 6. Holding Aircraft
4-6-1. CLEARANCE TO HOLDING FIX
Consider operational factors such as length of delay,
holding airspace limitations, navigational aids,
altitude, meteorological conditions when necessary
to clear an aircraft to a fix other than the destination
airport. Issue the following:
a. Clearance limit (if any part of the route beyond
a clearance limit differs from the last routing cleared,
issue the route the pilot can expect beyond the
clearance limit).
PHRASEOLOGY-
EXPECT FURTHER CLEARANCE VIA (routing).
EXAMPLE-
"Expect further clearance via direct Stillwater V-O-R,
Victor Two Twenty-Six Snapy intersection, direct Newark."
b. Holding instructions.
1. Holding instructions may be eliminated when
you inform the pilot that no delay is expected.
2. When the pattern is charted, you may omit all
holding instructions except the charted holding
direction and the statement "as published." Always
issue complete holding instructions when the pilot
requests them.
NOTE-
The most generally used holding patterns are depicted on
U.S. Government or commercially produced low/high
altitude en route, area, and STAR Charts.
PHRASEOLOGY-
CLEARED TO (fix), HOLD (direction), AS PUBLISHED,
or
CLEARED TO (fix), NO DELAY EXPECTED.
c. EFC. Do not specify this item if no delay is
expected.
1. When additional holding is expected at any
other fix in your facility's area, state the fix and your
best estimate of the additional delay. When more than
one fix is involved, state the total additional en route
delay (omit specific fixes).
NOTE-
Additional delay information is not used to determine pilot
action in the event of two-way communications failure.
Pilots are expected to predicate their actions solely on the
provisions of 14 CFR Section 91.185.
PHRASEOLOGY-
EXPECT FURTHER CLEARANCE (time),
and if required,
ANTICIPATE ADDITIONAL (time in minutes/hours)
MINUTE/HOUR DELAY AT (fix),
or
ANTICIPATE ADDITIONAL (time in minutes/hours)
MINUTE/HOUR EN ROUTE DELAY.
EXAMPLE-
1. "Expect further clearance one niner two zero,
anticipate additional three zero minute delay at Sweet."
2. "Expect further clearance one five one zero, anticipate
additional three zero minute en route delay."
2. When additional holding is expected in an
approach control area, state the total additional
terminal delay.
PHRASEOLOGY-
EXPECT FURTHER CLEARANCE (time),
and if required,
ANTICIPATE ADDITIONAL (time in minutes/hours)
MINUTE/HOUR TERMINAL DELAY.
3. TERMINAL. When terminal delays exist or
are expected, inform the appropriate center or
approach control facility so that the information can
be forwarded to arrival aircraft.
4. When delay is expected, issue items in
subparas a and b at least 5 minutes before the aircraft
is estimated to reach the clearance limit. If the traffic
situation requires holding an aircraft that is less than
5 minutes from the holding fix, issue these items
immediately.
NOTE-
1. The AIM indicates that pilots should start speed
reduction when 3 minutes or less from the holding fix. The
additional 2 minutes contained in the 5-minute requirement are necessary to compensate for different
pilot/controller ETAS at the holding fix, minor differences
in clock times, and provision for sufficient planning and
reaction times.
2. When holding is necessary, the phrase "delay
indefinite" should be used when an accurate estimate of the
delay time and the reason for the delay cannot immediately
be determined; i.e., disabled aircraft on the runway,
terminal or center sector saturation, weather below
landing minimums, etc. In any event, every attempt should
be made to provide the pilot with the best possible estimate
of his/her delay time and the reason for the delay.
Controllers/supervisors should consult, as appropriate,
with personnel (other sectors, weather forecasters, the
airport management, other facilities, etc.) who can best
provide this information.
PHRASEOLOGY-
DELAY INDEFINITE, (reason if known), EXPECT
FURTHER CLEARANCE (time). (After determining the
reason for the delay, advise the pilot as soon as possible.)
EXAMPLE-
"Cleared to Drewe, hold west, as published, expect further
clearance via direct Sidney V-O-R one three one five,
anticipate additional two zero minute delay at Woody."
"Cleared to Aston, hold west on Victor two twenty-five,
seven mile leg, left turns, expect further clearance one
niner two zero, anticipate additional one five minute
terminal delay."
"Cleared to Wayne, no delay expected."
"Cleared to Wally, hold north, as published, delay
indefinite, snow removal in progress, expect further
clearance one one three zero."
4-6-2. CLEARANCE BEYOND FIX
a. If no delay is expected, issue a clearance beyond
the clearance limit as soon as possible and, whenever
possible, at least 5 minutes before the aircraft reaches
the fix.
b. Include the following items when issuing
clearance beyond a clearance limit:
1. Clearance limit or approach clearance.
2. Route of flight. Specify one of the following:
(a) Complete details of the route (airway,
route, course, fix(es), azimuth course, heading, arc, or
vector.)
(b) The phrase "via last routing cleared." Use
this phrase only when the most recently issued
routing to the new clearance limit is valid and
verbiage will be reduced.
PHRASEOLOGY-
VIA LAST ROUTING CLEARED.
3. Assigned altitude if different from present
altitude.
NOTE-
Except in the event of a two-way communications failure,
when a clearance beyond a fix has not been received, pilots
are expected to hold as depicted on U.S. Government or
commercially produced (meeting FAA requirements)
low/high altitude en route and area or STAR charts. If no
holding pattern is charted and holding instructions have
not been issued, pilots should ask ATC for holding
instructions prior to reaching the fix. If a pilot is unable to
obtain holding instructions prior to reaching the fix, the
pilot is expected to hold in a standard pattern on the course
on which the aircraft approached the fix and request
further clearance as soon as possible.
4-6-3. DELAYS
a. Advise your supervisor or flow controller as
soon as possible when you delay or expect to delay
aircraft.
b. When arrival delays reach or are anticipated to
reach 30 minutes, take the following action:
1. EN ROUTE. The center responsible for
transferring control to an approach control facility or,
for a nonapproach control destination, the center in
whose area the aircraft will land shall issue total delay
information as soon as possible after the aircraft
enters the center's area. Whenever possible, the delay
information shall be issued by the first center
controller to communicate with the aircraft.
2. TERMINAL. When tower en route control
service is being provided, the approach control
facility whose area contains the destination airport
shall issue total delay information as soon as possible
after the aircraft enters its approach control area.
Whenever possible, the delay information shall be
issued by the first terminal controller to communicate
with the aircraft.
3. Unless a pilot requests delay information, the
actions specified in subparas 1 and 2 above may be
omitted when total delay information is available to
pilots via ATIS.
PHRASEOLOGY-
(Airport) ARRIVAL DELAYS (time in minutes/hours).
4-6-4. HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS
When issuing holding instructions, specify:
a. Direction of holding from the fix/waypoint.
b. Holding fix or waypoint.
NOTE-
The holding fix may be omitted if included at the beginning
of the transmission as the clearance limit.
c. Radial, course, bearing, track, azimuth, airway,
or route on which the aircraft is to hold.
d. Leg length in miles if DME or RNAV is to be
used. Specify leg length in minutes if the pilot
requests it or you consider it necessary.
e. Direction of holding pattern turns only if left
turns are to be made, the pilot requests it, or you
consider it necessary.
PHRASEOLOGY-
HOLD (direction) OF (fix/waypoint) ON (specified radial,
course, bearing, track, airway, azimuth(s), or route.)
If leg length is specified,
(number of minutes/miles) MINUTE/MILE LEG.
If direction of turn is specified,
LEFT/RIGHT TURNS.
NOTE-
It is mandatory for the controller to issue left or right turns
every time a holding pattern is issued for MLS.
f. Issue maximum holding airspeed advisories
when an aircraft is:
1. Approved to exceed the maximum airspeed
of a pattern, and is cleared into a holding pattern that
will protect for the greater speed; or
2. Observed deviating from the holding pattern
airspace area; or
3. Cleared into an airspeed restricted holding
pattern in which the icon has not been published.
EXAMPLE-
Due to turbulence, a turboprop requests to exceed the
recommended maximum holding airspeed. ATCS may
clear the aircraft into a pattern that protects for the
airspeed request, and shall advise the pilot of the maximum
holding airspeed for the holding pattern airspace area.
PHRASEOLOGY-
"MAXIMUM HOLDING AIRSPEED IS TWO ONE ZERO
KNOTS."
4-6-5. VISUAL HOLDING POINTS
You may use as a holding fix a location which the pilot
can determine by visual reference to the surface if
he/she is familiar with it.
PHRASEOLOGY-
HOLD AT (location) UNTIL (time or other condition.)
REFERENCE-
FAAO JO 7110.65, Para 7-1-4, Visual Holding of VFR
Aircraft.
4-6-6. HOLDING FLIGHT PATH DEVIATION
Approve a pilot's request to deviate from the
prescribed holding flight path if obstacles and traffic
conditions permit.
4-6-7. UNMONITORED NAVAIDs
Separate an aircraft holding at an unmonitored
NAVAID from any other aircraft occupying the
course which the holding aircraft will follow if it does
not receive signals from the NAVAID.
4-6-8. ILS PROTECTION/CRITICAL AREAS
When conditions are less than reported ceiling
800 feet or visibility of 2 miles, do not authorize
aircraft to hold below 5,000 feet AGL inbound
toward the airport on or within 1 statute mile of the
localizer between the ILS OM or the fix used in lieu
of the OM and the airport. USAF. The holding
restriction applies only when an arriving aircraft is
between the ILS OM or the fix used in lieu of the OM
and the runway.
REFERENCE-
FAAO 7130.3, Holding Pattern Criteria.
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