Holding Pattern Timing & Wind Correction Calculator
Outbound timing for a one-minute inbound in wind, plus the triple-drift outbound crab — the two corrections that keep holds from wandering.
Why triple? The turns drift too: doubling corrects the outbound leg itself, the third unit pre-pays the two turns' downwind sag. It's a starting recipe — each circuit's inbound timing then refines the next outbound.
Formula
⚠️ For flight planning and education only — verify with current charts, AFM and ATC clearances. Not for primary navigation.
Outbound timing for a one-minute inbound in wind, plus the triple-drift outbound crab — the two corrections that keep holds from wandering.
About Holding Pattern Timing & Wind Correction Calculator
A textbook hold in wind flown with textbook timing returns you to the fix early, late and displaced — the wind works on both legs and both turns. The standard corrections are asymmetric on purpose: time the outbound so the inbound (the leg that matters) runs its required minute, and crab outbound at triple the inbound drift to pre-compensate the turns. This calculator computes both from the wind triangle, giving each circuit a numerical starting point that observation then refines.
How to use Holding Pattern Timing & Wind Correction Calculator
- 1Enter — sensible defaults are pre-filled so you see a worked result immediately.
- 2Read the live results: .
- 3Check the "With your numbers" line to see the formula outbound secs ≈ 60×leg × GS_in/GS_out; outbound crab = 3 × inbound WCA (triple drift) substituted step by step.
- 4Adjust inputs (or flip the unit toggle) until the scenario matches yours, then copy or share the result.
Why use Holding Pattern Timing & Wind Correction Calculator?
- ✓Instant, free and private — every calculation runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded
- ✓Built on the published formula outbound secs ≈ 60×leg × GS_in/GS_out; outbound crab = 3 × inbound WCA (triple drift) with sources cited on the page
- ✓Why triple? The turns drift too: doubling corrects the outbound leg itself, the third unit pre-pays the two turns' downwind sag. It's a starting recipe — each circuit's inbound timing then refines the next outbound.
- ✓Switch units, tweak any input and watch every result update live
Frequently asked questions
Why is the inbound leg the one that's timed?+
Because it's the leg with a job: arriving at the fix aligned, stabilized and on time for the EFC or approach clearance. Regulation specifies the inbound duration (1 minute at/below 14,000 ft, 1.5 above); the outbound exists only to set it up, which is why all the correction effort — timing and triple-drift alike — gets spent outbound.
Where does the triple-drift rule come from?+
Bookkeeping the whole circuit: one unit of drift correction handles the outbound leg (same air as inbound, opposite sign), and the two 180° turns — during which the wind pushes you the entire time without any crab defending — cost roughly one more unit each in displacement. Three units outbound roughly squares the account by the time you roll out inbound. It's an engineering heuristic with decades of empirical polish.
How do I refine the numbers after the first circuit?+
Fly the computed outbound, time the resulting inbound: 50 seconds instead of 60 means shorten... no — lengthen the next outbound proportionally (inbound short = you're tight = more outbound time), and adjust the outbound heading if the inbound roll-out keeps requiring a big intercept. Two circuits converge for steady wind; the calculator's value is making circuit one close.
What about DME or RNAV legs instead of time?+
Distance-defined holds (e.g., '10 DME legs') replace the timing problem entirely — fly outbound to the boundary distance and turn — but the triple-drift crab logic still applies to stay on the protected side. FMS holds compute all of this continuously, which is exactly why hand-flying one timed hold per IPC keeps the underlying skill from evaporating.
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