Holding (aeronautics)

For the novel, see Holding Pattern (novel).
This article is about the flight maneuver. For a definition of the idiom "holding pattern", see the Wiktionary entry holding pattern.
A standard holding pattern. Shown are the entry (green), the holding fix (red) and the holding pattern itself (blue)

In aviation, holding (or flying a hold) is a maneuver designed to delay an aircraft already in flight while keeping it within a specified airspace; i.e. "going in circles."[1]

  1. ^ "Instrument Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-15A), Chapter 10" (PDF). U.S. Department of Transportation. 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 11, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2014.