Identification of Flight Holding Pattern

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Hello,
I need to find a flight holding pattern from a longitude/latitude vector. The pattern always have the behavior below. The pattern follows a standard. The aircraft flies straight for 1 minute, then it turns for 30 seconds, again straight for 1 minute and completes a cycle with a 30 seconds turn.
I have been able to identify this patter, however I have been finding some approach maneuvers, like the one below.
Can anyone help on this subject? regards, Bruno

Accepted Answer

Star Strider
Star Strider on 16 Apr 2014
While in the air, aircraft on Instrument Flight Plans [operating under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR)] are directed interactively by Departure Control after takeoff, En-Route Air Traffic Control, and then at their destinations, Approach Control and the Airport Control Tower (on final approach). En-Route or Approach holds are usually ‘as published’ in the relevant charts and approach plates. Air Traffic Control (ATC) ‘vectors’ (gives magnetic compass flight headings, altitudes, and airspeeds to) aircraft under its control.
In the top figure, the aircraft was told to hold ‘as published’ [probably at the Initial Approach Fix (IAF), a waypoint defined by radio navigation aids, or these days, also GPS coordinates] according to the holding pattern established for that airport and runway. After at least one complete circuit of the holding pattern, the aircraft was cleared for the approach, and then cleared to land. (There are four published ways to enter a holding pattern, depending on the direction the aircraft is approaching it. These would readily lend themselves to classification.) With all due respects to that crew, the top figure seems to me to depict a botched parallel entry.
In the lower figure, the aircraft was probably vectored to cross the IAF, and then was vectored to turn right to a particular heading to the northeast, then after a short time was vectored east, then told to turn right to join the localizer, and cleared to land. It was vectored as far east as it was, likely to join a long queue of a number of other aircraft on approach to the same airport and runway. There is probably no way to actually ‘identify’ such patterns as the one in the lower figure, because those flight paths are dictated by traffic, weather, and other considerations.
I suggest you find an Instrument Flight Instructor in your area to discuss this with, and ideally also tour a local Air Route Traffic Control Center to understand everything that goes into flying under Instrument Flight Rules, especially in Class C airspace near airports. It took me a year and over 100 flight hours with an instructor to earn my Instrument Rating, so all the details are more than I can describe here.

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