In a standard holding pattern, which leg is the inbound leg?

In a standard holding pattern, which leg is the inbound leg?

• A. The leg toward the fix or runway
• B. The leg away from the fix
• C. The entire pattern is inbound
• D. The leg perpendicular to the fix

Answer: (A)

In a holding pattern the key idea is that the inbound leg is the segment that takes you toward the holding fix. You fly along the inbound course straight into the fix, then make a 180-degree turn to fly the outbound leg away from the fix on a parallel path, before turning back toward the fix to re-enter the inbound leg. So the leg that moves toward the fix is the inbound leg, while the leg that goes away from the fix is the outbound leg. The pattern isn’t all inbound, and a leg perpendicular to the fix isn’t part of the standard hold.

In a holding pattern the key idea is that the inbound leg is the segment that takes you toward the holding fix. You fly along the inbound course straight into the fix, then make a 180-degree turn to fly the outbound leg away from the fix on a parallel path, before turning back toward the fix to re-enter the inbound leg. So the leg that moves toward the fix is the inbound leg, while the leg that goes away from the fix is the outbound leg. The pattern isn’t all inbound, and a leg perpendicular to the fix isn’t part of the standard hold.