Holding pattern reporting

"Now" is fine, providing that you are a good enough multitasker to be on top
of any required turn. However, because timing is one of the requirements of
a holding pattern (adjust outbound to make inbound one minute), "now"
suffers in comparison to "at oh-five past the hour," which should trigger a
stop-watch hack by the pilot. "Now" certainly serves the purpose of letting
the controller clear the next guy.

Bob Gardner

"Stubby" wrote in message
...
What is the "time". "Now" that is, the time of my utterance, seems
sufficient. What am I missing in your AIM quote?


Bob Gardner wrote:
AIM 5-3-3 says that the "time and altitude of flight level upon reaching
a holding fix or point to which cleared" should be made without ATC
request. In some cases, ATC may be waiting for your report of crossing
the holding fix to enter the hold before issuing a clearance to another
aircraft...if you wait until you have completed an entry, or a turn in
the hold, you are just screwing up the timing for someone else.

Bob Gardner

"Yossarian" wrote in message
. 97.142...

At what point do you report holding to ATC? Upon reaching the holding
fix,
or when you are established in the hold and again crossing the fix? For
example, your direction of flight makes a parallel entry appropriate.
You
cross the fix and turn outbound. Should you report then or wait till you
have turned and crossed the fix again? My instructor and I disagree on
this.

The only thing I can find is in the AIM, 5-3-7-f which states "Pilots
should report to ATC the time and altitude/flight level at which the
aircraft reaches the clearance limit and report leaving the clearance
limit." To me that means you report upon crossing the fix the first
time.

Or is this a difference between what the AIM says and what actual
practice
is?





__________________________________________________ _____________________________
Bill Plummer, BBN 1971 - 1980