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E6B Calc

How to determine a holding pattern entry: direct, teardrop or parallel

Compare your heading to the fix against the inbound course. The angle between them puts you in one of three sectors, and the sector hands you the entry. Standard right turns, inbound 360°, your heading 150°: that's a teardrop entry, fly 150° after the fix. This one takes most pilots longer to get comfortable with than density altitude — the three-sector picture clicks once it's been drawn out on paper a few times. E6B Calc's free Holding Entry screen works it out and draws the sectors for you instead.

3 min read · Updated 2026-09-11

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The three entries and the 70° line

Picture the fix with the inbound course pointing straight into it, then draw a line through the fix at 70° to that course, cutting across the holding side. Measure your heading against the inbound course and that line splits the whole circle into three sectors:

  • Direct (180° wide): cross the fix and turn straight into the pattern.
  • Teardrop (70° wide, on the holding side): cross the fix, fly 30° off the outbound course into the holding side, then turn back to intercept inbound.
  • Parallel (110° wide, on the non-holding side): cross the fix, fly the outbound heading on the non-holding side, then turn back through more than 180° to the fix or the inbound course.

Right turns: subtract inbound course from your heading. 0°–110° or 290°–360° is direct, 110°–180° is teardrop, 180°–290° is parallel. Left turns mirror it, which is the part that's easy to get backwards doing it in your head under pressure — hence the app.

How to determine hold entry in E6B Calc

  1. On E6B, open Holding Entry under Navigation.
  2. Under Turns, pick Right (standard) or Left, as published or as ATC assigns.
  3. Type the Inbound course and Your heading as you fly to the fix, both magnetic.
  4. Type the Holding altitude.
  5. Read the Entry, Fly this heading after the fix, the Pattern outbound heading and the Leg time. The rose shows the three sectors and where your heading falls.

Worked examples

E6B Calc results
TurnsInbound courseYour headingHolding altitudeEntryFly this headingLeg time
Right360°150°8,000 ftTeardrop150°1 minute
Right090°300°16,000 ftParallel270°1 minute 30 seconds
Right270°250°5,000 ftDirect090°1 minute
Left360°210°6,000 ftTeardrop210°1 minute

Row one: heading 150° past the inbound course sits inside the 110°–180° teardrop sector, and the teardrop heading is outbound 180° minus 30°. Last row flips it for left turns: 180° plus 30° = 210°. Leg time is 1 minute at or below 14,000 ft, 1 minute 30 above — standard still-air timing either way.

Near the line: either entry is fine

Within 5° of a sector boundary, the app just says Near a sector boundary instead of forcing a single answer. The AIM allows either neighbouring entry there, so take the one that's easier to actually fly with the aircraft you're in.

Timing the legs

The Countdown under Time has 1-minute and 1:30 presets for the outbound leg. It buzzes at zero and keeps counting past it; there is no sound, so keep an eye on it.

What it does not do

  • No wind correction: the entry, outbound heading and timing are for still air. Adjust heading and leg time for the wind yourself.
  • No database of published holds: you type the inbound course.
  • Use magnetic values for both inputs. Mixing true and magnetic can put you in the wrong sector.

Questions and answers

What are the holding pattern entry types?
Three: direct, teardrop and parallel. Which one you fly depends on your heading to the fix relative to the inbound course.
What is the thumb or hand method?
A way to see the 70° line on your heading indicator with your hand. The app does the same sum from the numbers, which is useful for checking yourself while practising.
What leg time does the app use?
1 minute at or below 14,000 ft and 1 minute 30 seconds above. Where different rules apply, follow them.
Is the holding entry calculator free?
Yes, with no limits, as are all the navigation calculators.

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