Holding Pattern Entry Calculator
Direct, parallel or teardrop — from your heading to the fix and the inbound course.
How this is calculated
How it works
The AIM's 70° rule divides arrivals into three sectors, measured between your heading to the fix and the inbound course: a 180° direct sector, a 70° teardrop sector on the holding side, and a 110° parallel sector on the other. Left-turn patterns mirror the teardrop and parallel sectors.
The part the calculator cannot see
The sectors are recommendations, not regulation. The AIM itself allows any entry that keeps you within protected airspace, and within about 5° of a boundary either adjacent entry is fine — pick the one that is easier from your cockpit flow. What is not optional is slowing to holding speed within 3 minutes of the fix and getting the EFC readback right.
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For planning and study, not for operational use. Aircraft performance comes from your POH, not from a generic formula.