Flying Holding

Hi everyone, looking for a bit of help flying holding just before getting vector to final, not sure if anyone on here fly around the UK area but my question relate to EGPH approach from South, normally I would fly the PMDG just using route planner and just listen to p3d atc for atis information, recently got Pro Atc X and done the same route but using Pro Atc X, I was descending down to 3000 and it come on atc to hold, now I never done any flights with hold so was bit new to me, had to do a quick reading how to fly the holding, now what was strange that after about 15 min atc come back to me and said to fly heading xxx but that was away from the airport then 2 min later give my instruction to turn heading xxx towards airport? Is this normal to get send away from holding area? also can someone please explain can you exit the holding at any giving time regardless of current heading? Let's just say a rwy at heading 241 and I'm flying holding heading away from rwy at 061 should I wait till I make right turn in holding then heading back towards rwy before proceeding on to heading giving by atc for final?

I hope someone can understand what I mean.

Thanks in advance

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You don't mention which approach you're trying, nor where you were in the holding pattern when you were given that heading. But in general, you fly the clearance given by ATC unless you have a (usually safety) reason to refuse the clearance. So you stay in the holding pattern until ATC clears you for something else. Usually they'll clear you for the approach, though. However you apparently are using an add-on I know nothing about, so I can't speak for what it may do.

I also am unfamiliar with the Edinburgh area and normal procedures there, so I suppose it's possible there's some special procedure you don't find at other places. Still, you normally fly the ATC clearance, so it could be possible to receive the kind of clearance you describe, especially if you were on the inbound leg of the hold and close to the normal turn point when that clearance was issued, but a human controller would likely wait until you were on the outbound leg to clear you for the approach, thus obviating the need for the turn clearances you received.

http://www.pointsoftware.de/proatcxforum/forum/index.php

If you have not done so already join the forum at ProAtc and submit this question along with a copy of the log text from the flight. They will analyze it and tell you exactly what is going on.

Thanks for reply, will update with the approach details and will draw a picture where I was at the holding when received information once I get back home later.

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A holding pattern is not an absolute as long as you have radio contact. When they want you to hold, the reason they have to give you an expected approach time and you have to fly the approved pattern is in case you loose comms. That way, they and you have an "agreement "as to what will happen and they have planned accordingly.

Otherwise, ATC can change anything at anytime in order to sort out traffic separation, radar vectors (including speed and altitude changes as they deem necessary) being the obvious and most expeditious method.

For ATC things are constantly changing as planes make missed approaches, pop up from VFR asking for IFR approach handling, etc. I was never a controller, just a dumb Navy / commercial pilot, but have great appreciation for their workload.

A holding pattern is not an absolute as long as you have radio contact. When they want you to hold, the reason they have to give you an expected approach time and you have to fly the approved pattern is in case you loose comms. That way, they and you have an "agreement "as to what will happen and they have planned accordingly.

 

Otherwise, ATC can change anything at anytime in order to sort out traffic separation, radar vectors (including speed and altitude changes as they deem necessary) being the obvious and most expeditious method.

 

For ATC things are constantly changing as planes make missed approaches, pop up from VFR asking for IFR approach handling, etc. I was never a controller, just a dumb Navy / commercial pilot, but have great appreciation for their workload.

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