In a holding clearance, when must the direction of turns be indicated?

In a holding clearance, when must the direction of turns be indicated?

• A. Left turns are to be made
• B. Right turns are to be made
• C. Turns may be left or right
• D. The direction of turns is not specified

Answer: (D)

In a holding clearance, you typically rely on the standard holding pattern unless ATC says otherwise. The clearance provides the fix, inbound course, altitude/Speed, and timing, not the turn direction. If ATC wants a non‑standard turn direction, they will explicitly specify it (for example, “left turns”). Therefore, the direction of turns isn’t required to be stated in every holding clearance—the default is the standard pattern, and only a non-standard direction would be indicated.

In a holding clearance, you typically rely on the standard holding pattern unless ATC says otherwise. The clearance provides the fix, inbound course, altitude/Speed, and timing, not the turn direction. If ATC wants a non‑standard turn direction, they will explicitly specify it (for example, “left turns”). Therefore, the direction of turns isn’t required to be stated in every holding clearance—the default is the standard pattern, and only a non-standard direction would be indicated.