AIM
4/20/23
5
−
3
−
30
En Route Procedures
l.
Radar surveillance of holding pattern airspace areas.
1.
Whenever aircraft are holding, ATC will usually provide radar surveillance of the holding airspace on
the controller’s radar display.
2.
The controller will attempt to detect any holding aircraft that stray outside the holding airspace and will
assist any detected aircraft to return to the assigned airspace.
NOTE
−
Many factors could prevent ATC from providing this additional service, such as workload, number of targets, precipitation,
ground clutter, and radar system capability. These circumstances may make it unfeasible to maintain radar identification
of aircraft to detect aircraft straying from the holding pattern. The provision of this service depends entirely upon whether
controllers believe they are in a position to provide it and does not relieve a pilot of their responsibility to adhere to an
accepted ATC clearance.
3.
ATC is responsible for traffic and obstruction separation when they have assigned holding that is not
associated with a published (charted) holding pattern. Altitudes assigned will be at or above the minimum
vectoring or minimum IFR altitude.
4.
If an aircraft is established in a published holding pattern at an assigned altitude above the published
minimum holding altitude and subsequently cleared for the approach, the pilot may descend to the published
minimum holding altitude. The holding pattern would only be a segment of the IAP
if
it is published on the
instrument procedure chart and is used in lieu of a procedure turn.
m.
For those holding patterns where there are no published minimum holding altitudes, the pilot, upon
receiving an approach clearance, must maintain the last assigned altitude until leaving the holding pattern and
established on the inbound course. Thereafter, the published minimum altitude of the route segment being flown
will apply. It is expected that the pilot will be assigned a holding altitude that will permit a normal descent on
the inbound course.