wrote in message
...
On Thu, 06 Jan 2005 16:38:45 GMT, "Hilton"
wrote:

I'll bite. What is a p-t-d entry? Parallel, Teardrop, Direct??? So
it's
now one entry? Or are you saying you can go fly holds and enter any
which
way you want? If so, you'll end up doing one of these (or some version
thereof) anyway.


I'm saying exactly that. The only requirement is to stay within
holding airspace.

The FAA finally wised up a few years back, and removed the requirement
from the PTS. Nevertheless, it remains a part of the written

It also remains a requirement on most FAA approved part 141 syllabi, so the
entries have to be taught to competency whether they are part of the PTS or
not. The standard entries do guarantee that you will remain in the protected
holding airspace and are recommended in AIM, the FAA Instrument Flying
Handbook, and the FAA Instrument Procedures Handbook, all of which is where
the FAA draws its test questions from. The operations manuals for FAA
approved commercial IFR operators also often specify what holding pattern
entries the operator's pilots will use. Since these are the standard methods
and many students will be required by their employers to use them, there is
little point in teaching anything else.

If you want to do something else, of course, you are perfectly free to do
so.