Page 46 - Volume 20 Number 9

about thirty years if it’s a radial/ DME fix holding pattern. If ATC gives you a short-notice hold, one that is close, you may wish you were flying something slow. But flying your jet at 250 kts ground, or faster, makes things happen fast. When we were issued the nearby holding fix by RDU approach, I quickly recognized our time- crunch dilemma and instinctively fell back to the old-school, tried- and-true method. I switched my NAV from GPS to VOR, set in the radial and checked the DME. I did a quick fix-to-fix calculation the way they taught us in the Air Force, using DME and the VOR bearing pointer on the RMI (Radio Magnetic Indicator). The holding pattern was close: twenty degrees to the right and four miles away – too close to load the GFMS.
We were at 6,000 feet and 250 kts, so I called for slats, pulled the throttles to idle, slowed to about 200
kts and turned a bit to the right. I pictured the hold using T-D-P on the HSI, and at 35 DME, entered the hold via a parallel entry and watched the DME increase. My FO created a GPS waypoint at the radial/DME clearance fix, used that point as the holding fix, and built the holding pattern in the GFMS. At 45 DME I turned right onto the protected side of the radial and headed back to the radial at a 40-degree intercept. I tracked the radial inbound and at 35 DME turned left into the hold – just the way the picture appeared on the NAV display a couple seconds later. Whew, we got it right. After just two turns in the hold, and after the autopilot failed during the approach, I hand-flew the ILS through the rain, wipers at medium speed to a 400/2 landing. Once parked at the gate we looked at each other and chuckled as we had a moment of “holy cow” about the holding pattern and the ILS. It was work ... but fun!
Another Sticky Note
Holding is a part of instrument procedures, just as much as an approach, but the frequency of a holding event is extremely low. And lack of frequency causes lack of proficiency. The same is true of non-ILS approaches: R NAV, GPS, VOR, ADF and LOC BC. In the Part- 121 world, we fly an ILS 99% of the time and we are very proficient. A non-ILS, not so much. And we are issued holding perhaps two or three times per year and are probably not so proficient at that either – especially if referenced to a VOR, NDB or clothes-line pole. I’m moving from the MD-80 to the 737 soon with all of its modern avionics, a HUD and other magical approach and holding capabilities. But, I bet it doesn’t have an RMI – guess there’ll be another sticky note on my forehead.
44 • TWIN & TURBINE
SEPTEMBER 2016