Triple Threat-Why Should I Triple the Correction on the Outbound Leg of a Hold?
Hi Mom,
I really enjoy reading your blog. I’m a private pilot with 267 hours who has been working on my instrument rating for a while now. I own a Cherokee that I fly for fun. I look forward to finishing my instrument rating so that I’ll feel more comfortable going on longer cross countries, the kind where my wife and I can stay for a few days without having to worry quite as much about how the weather might change during that time and how we’ll get back home again. Anyway, my question has to do with the reason that I’m supposed to make the correction on the outbound leg of a holding pattern three times as great as the inbound correction. It seems to pretty much work but it doesn’t make sense to me. I know I need to turn into the wind whether I’m flying inbound or outbound, but why triple the correction on the outbound part?
Thanks for helping me understand,
Going Around in Circles Over This
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Hey Circling,
The answer is surprisingly straightforward. Consider this:
1) The inbound is easy. Once you get the needle centered and figure out what heading to hold to keep it centered, you have the number you need. Let’s say you have to turn 10 degrees to the left on your inbound to continue tracking your course. Good. 10 degrees to the left. Hold that thought, pardon the pun.
2) Now you cross the station and make your outbound turn at a sedate and predictable 3 degrees per second, our familiar standard rate turn. Guess what? That’s approximately one minute where the wind is blowing you off course and there’s not a thing in the world you can do about it.
3) Ok. So here you are on your outbound leg, turning 10 degrees to the right to counter the wind. Works beautifully, EXCEPT THAT YOU AREN”T MAKING UP ANY OF THE GROUND YOU LOST during that outbound turn. You’re getting no further off course, to be sure, but neither are you gaining back what you lost in the turn due to the crosswind.
4) And then for the inbound turn. Yup, that’s another 60ish seconds where the wind continues to push and you, my friend, continue to drift off course.
The long and short of it is that the outbound heading is not only about the outbound. You’re also making up for the effects of the crosswind in the turns where you dutifully maintained standard rate and thus lost ground. That’s effectively 3 legs out of the 4 you find yourself having to correct for in one fell swoop. Triple correction, baby, right there. Get my drift? Now, keep practicing. Round and round and round you go…
Expect further clearance at 18Z (you DID report established and jot down that EFC time, right? RIGHT?!?),
Mom
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