Holding leg length above 14,000 feet is how many minutes?

• A. 0.5 minutes
• B. 1 minute
• C. 1.5 minutes
• D. 2 minutes

Answer: (C)

In a standard holding pattern, the outbound leg time is what sets how far you travel around the racetrack. For holds at or below 14,000 feet MSL, that outbound leg is one minute. When you’re above 14,000 feet MSL, the outbound leg is extended to 1.5 minutes to account for typical aircraft performance and to maintain proper spacing in the hold. So, holding above 14,000 feet uses 1.5 minutes for the outbound leg. The shorter option would not reach the standard hold distance at that altitude, and the longer option would be longer than the standard requirement for this scenario.