PLT296: Holding and Circling
What code PLT296 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Holding and Circling before your checkride.
Recall instrument procedures - holding / circling
What this means for your checkride
A holding pattern is a racetrack the airplane flies to wait: an inbound leg to the fix, a standard right turn unless charted left, an outbound leg, and a standard entry (direct, teardrop, or parallel) chosen by your inbound heading. A circling approach maneuvers the airplane visually from the instrument approach to a runway not aligned with the final approach course.
Holding and circling are demanding IFR procedures, so the FAA tests holding entries and timing and the limits of a circling approach.
Pilots pick a holding entry by guesswork. The entry is set by your heading relative to the holding course; flying the wrong entry can put you outside protected airspace.
Where to study it
A code on your test report is an area of deficiency. An authorized instructor must review it with you and endorse that review before you take the practical test, and the examiner may revisit it during the oral. Study it until you can explain it out loud, not just recognize the answer.