Flight Plan (FLIGHT series #01)

Flight 05 - Holding

Holding

Holding is the equivalent to temporary parking areas for aircraft awaiting for landing instructions. Resembling a race-track pattern, aircraft are 'stacked' up, one on top of another with the necessary vertical separation applied (1000 ft). As the bottom aircraft departs the holding pattern to fly the approach procedure for landing, the others above are 'shuttled' (descended in the stack) to a lower level one at a time.
The air traffic control (ATC) gives the command on where to hold.
Example: "RP-C3446, hold over radial 240. Maintain 4000'."
With the use of the necessary instruments for radio navigation and based on the aircraft's current position, determine the way of entry for holding that could either be a Teardrop Entry (current heading until 70° to the right in a standard pattern or current heading until 70° to the left in a non-standard pattern), Parallel Entry (current heading until 110° to the left in a standard pattern or current heading until 110° to the right in a non-standard pattern), and Direct Entry (71° to 109° from the current heading).
Each entry has their corresponding procedure, but upon establishing the ordered holding radial, continue maintaining altitude and the holding pattern or race-track shape until given clearance by the ATC to descend or to continue approach for landing.
Standard pattern is equivalent to a right-turn race-track pattern; while non-standard pattern is equivalent to a left-turn race-track pattern. ATC usually says what type of pattern is used, but when ATC doesn't say anything, the pattern is standard or a right-turn race-track.
Holding patterns could also be seen in published charts, especially for instrument approaches and radio navigation.

———

"6:30 na," Carina whispers. Kasama na namin ang iba naming mga ka-batch—mga kalahati na—na naghihintay sa may parking lot. "Si Madam pa nga ang siyang wala."

Tumingin ako sa ibang nandito na. Malapit kami sa may guardhouse, pero malayo-layo sa may ilaw kaya medyo madilim pa rin kung saan kami nagpulong-pulong. Sa amin din naka-assign ang parking slot na malapit sa guardhouse kaya ngayon, nakapila ang ibang mga sasakyan. Halos kalahati sa batch namin hindi nagstastay sa dorms, kaya pitong sasakyan pa lamang at puno na kaagad sa labing-isa na nagdadala ng sasakyan para makapunta sa WAA at sa tinutuluyan nila.

Pwera sa amin ni Carina na naka-dorm on-site, sila Kael, Spencer, Sage, Leo, Charles, Axel at Vincent lamang din ang naka-stay sa WAA. Itong si Vincent lang ang hindi pa sumisipot, sabi niya nandiyan daw ang parents niya kaya hindi siya pwedeng sumama. Si Nikki naman nagpaalam na hindi nga makaka-attend dahil hatid-sundo nga siya ng mama niya, and si Erick naman ay malapit lang daw ang bahay sa A.D's, kaya doon na lang siya didiretso.

Kani-kanina lamang ay dumating sila Philipp, Eli at Cristofer gamit ang isang sasakyan; mukhang magkakakilala na sila before pa ang training and magkakalapit lang ang bahay kaya ganoon. Natanong sila no'ng iba kung bakit sila sabay-sabay dumating at nasabi nga nila na along the way lang din ang bahay nila sa isa't isa.

Dumating na rin sila Rylie, Ange, Marcus at Zander. At maging si Venti Guy.

Actually, noong una, hindi namin inaakala na siya 'yon. And, to be honest, sinabi namin na pagmamay-ari siguro ng isa sa mga kapitan 'yong sasakyan. Pero noong nagpark sa isa pang vacant slot malapit sa guardhouse at siya itong bumaba... napamura lang kaagad si Sage.

"Tangina," he mutters under his breath.

"Tangina talaga," Kael agrees, hiding his surprise.

Hindi ako mahilig sa sasakyan—pwera lamang sa mga race cars, especially F1 cars... and the drivers?—kaya hindi ko alam kung ano ang ikinagulat nila. Well, totoo na mukhang mamahalin 'yong sasakyan at pamilyar sa akin 'yong logo. Audi. Kaso wala akong idea kung magkano or what. Basta ang alam ko sa sasakyan ay talagang mahal. Lalo na kung luxury car na tulad nga ng Audi.