Busted IFR Checkride

Andrew Sarangan wrote:
I never understood why holding patterns are so damn important. I have
received a holding clearance only once in my life. Why are they required
for the recency experience and the checkride? Also, why are the entry
procedures so important? Is there any example where an incorrect entry
procedure would have caused an accident?

My instructor told me I needed to learn the proper entries to keep the
DE happy, but in the real world the issue was to remain on the protected
side of the pattern and within the distance limits of the fix.


Matt