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 VOR, 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 CFR Part 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 -
"Expect further clearance one niner two zero, anticipate additional
three zero minute delay at Sweet."
"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 subparagraphs 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 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 VOR 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.
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.
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 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).
{New-98-3 Revised February 26, 1998}
When issuing holding instructions, specify:
a. Direction of holding from the fix.
b. Holding fix.
NOTE -
The holding fix may be omitted if included at the beginning of the
transmission as the clearance limit.
c. Radial, course, bearing, 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 or you consider it necessary.
e. Direction of holding pattern turns only if left turns are
to be made, the pilot requests, or you consider it necessary.
PHRASEOLOGY -
HOLD (direction) OF (fix) ON (specified radial, course, bearing, 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.
{New-98-3 Added February 26, 1998}
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 a 210 KIAS pattern whose icon has not been published.
{New-98-3 Added February 26, 1998}
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.
{New-98-3 Added February 26, 1998}
PHRASEOLOGY -
"MAXIMUM HOLDING AIRSPEED IS TWO ONE ZERO KNOTS."
You may use as a holding fix a location which the pilot can determine by visual reference to the surface if he is familiar with it.
PHRASEOLOGY -
HOLD AT (location) UNTIL (time or other condition).
REFERENCE -
FAAO 7110.65, Visual Holding of VFR Aircraft, paragraph 7-1-4.
4-6-6 Holding Flight Path Deviation
{New-98-3 Revised February 26, 1998}
Approve a pilot's request to deviate from the prescribed holding flight path if obstacles and traffic conditions permit.
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 and/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, paragraph 54 and Figure 20.