# Holding Pattern Trainer

> Mobile trainer for mastering IFR holding pattern entries and calculations. (iPhone/iPad app by FLEMINGER MEDIA LLC.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/holding-pattern-trainer/id456327713 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [FLEMINGER MEDIA LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/427480054)
- Category: Navigation, Education
- Price: $4.99
- Rating: 4.10/5 from 114 App Store ratings · 91 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 11.0 · 10 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2011-08-16
- Data updated: 2026-09-04
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/holding-pattern-trainer/id456327713/reviews.md

## What is Holding Pattern Trainer?

Save time and money on your instrument flight training by mastering IFR holding pattern entries at the comfort of your own mobile device.

Make IFR flight training easier!

Is the following scenario familiar? You receive a holding clearance from ATC, and only have a couple of minutes, sometimes only a few seconds, to choose the correct entry. By the time you've figured out what's going on, you've already passed the holding fix and don't know what to do next.

If this sounds familiar, then you need not to worry. Confusion during holding entries happens to practically almost every new instrument student. Even instrument-rated pilots occasionally have the same problem — when they don't get enough practice.

Holding Trainer solves this problem and as a result, cuts the time you have to spend on expensive flight and ground lessons. With Holding Trainer, you can practice on your own time and convenience, so that choosing the best holding entry in the air becomes a breeze. 


Features: 

-Entry Trainer - Drills you on choosing the best holding entry. Practice until choosing holding entries becomes second nature and impress your flight instructor with your skills.

-Holding calculator. Solve and visualize any holding scenario by entering your current bearing to the fix and a outbound or inbound holding radial. 

-Holding tutorial - learn how to choose the best holding entry quickly and easily.

Holding Trainer for iOS is a complete rewrite based on my popular Flash-based desktop Holding Trainer app available on pilotscafe.com.

***Don't get "stuck" next time you receive a holding pattern clearance!***
----------------------------------
For only a fraction of the cost of one ground lesson with your flight instructor, you can practice this important instrument skill at your own pace and save hundreds of Dollars on figuring out holding entries in the air.

This is a great tool for anyone training towards their instrument checkride, CFII, proficiency check, or simply trying to improve their holding patterns.
----------------------------------

## Key features

- Entry Trainer for holding pattern drills
- Holding calculator for scenario visualization
- Holding tutorial for quick learning
- Practice at your own pace
- Save on flight and ground lessons

## Chart rankings

- #31 in Top Paid · Navigation (US App Store)

## What do users think of Holding Pattern Trainer?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- 👍 Great for practicing holds
- 💡 Excellent visualization tool
- 🚀 Helps learn fast
- ✅ Accurate for many users
- 🧠 Reinforces knowledge
- 👨‍🏫 Useful for instructors
- 📱 Convenient practice tool
- 💯 Makes holds second nature
- ✨ Simple and effective
- 💡 Good for IFR training
- 🎯 Resolves confusion
- 👍 Helpful for refreshing skills
- 💰 Good value for money
- 😊 Fun study aid

**Cons**

- ❌ Incorrect entries/drawings
- ⚠️ Wrong answers/info
- 😞 Wastes valuable time
- 💸 Overpriced for some
- 🤔 Confusing for some users
- 🚫 Developer unresponsiveness
- 🪲 Bugs in visualization
- 📈 Outdated app
- 😵 Confusing terminology for some
- 😵‍💫 Difficult to grasp
- 📉 Not always accurate
- 😵‍💫 Makes understanding worse

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Entries are wrong for turns
- Plan view is incorrect
- App drawing entries in wrong directions
- Slicing the fix completely wrong
- Bearing questions are wrong
- App does not apply reciprocal track to 'pod'
- Giving wrong answers
- Visualizer is mirrored to map plan view (user confusion)
- Practice screen plan view incorrect
- App craps out and goes to a black screen
- Guide lines separating direct, parallel, and teardrop incorrectly in practice mode visualization
- Not updated for iOS 11
- App loads upside down
- Button sensitivity could be better
- Cannot change values on hold computer

**Most requested features**

- Include more methods in tutorial
- Add teardrop heading to fly
- Allow practice with bearings on/off
- Show outbound teardrop/inbound parallel correction headings
- Work in portrait mode
- Add voice ATC instructions
- More variety in questions
- Larger text for older users
- More tips for newbies
- Ability to fly the hold like a nav trainer
- Use real-life ATC phrases in exercises

## Recent user reviews (10 of 91)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/holding-pattern-trainer/id456327713/reviews.md

### 2/5 — Ap overall

*2026-06-07, version 1.4.0*

Does a good job at explaining the process. When you get one wrong there should be an explanation as to why it was wrong so you can learn how to do it better.

### 1/5 — Wrong Entries

*2026-04-18, version 1.4.0*

As a CFII, I thought this app would be great for practice for my students but it turns out that the Entries are wrong for the turns. I do not recommend.

### 1/5 — This app has mistakes!

*2026-03-11, version 1.4.0*

I even sent an email to the developer and they did not respond. I have decided they know and dont want to fix this. The practice screen seems ok, but then the plan view is incorrect.  It has wasted valuable time.  Do not purchase!

### 5/5 — Best Holding pattern trainer

*2025-10-30*

Excellent tool. I wish I had found this app before. After battling with different methods. This has been the best , and easiest for me to learn about holdings and holding entries

### 1/5 — Wrong answers

*2025-05-31, version 1.4.0*

At first I taught myself through this app, but soon realized after watching several YouTube videos and getting CFI instruction I realized this app is drawing the direct, teardrop, and parallel entries in the wrong directions. They’re slicing the fix completely wrong which has caused me so much confusion. I am having to unlearn some things.

### 5/5 — This will improve your Holds

*2025-05-15, version 1.4.0*

This app is an amazing tool to practice constructing holds. Simple yet very effective. I’d highly recommend it to anyone learning IFR

### 1/5 — Don’t Download

*2024-12-16, version 1.4.0*

Don’t Download, very frustrating.  Giving wrong answers.

### 1/5 — Wrong info

*2024-05-01, version 1.3.0*

The bearing questions are wrong. You’re supposed to apply the reciprocal track to the “pod”(70deg/110deg) used to figure out the hold entry. The app does not do that and gives you the opposite type of entry. 
The VOR questions are fine.

### 5/5 — Lmbex

*2023-11-10, version 1.2*

Great application!! Allows me to pre practice  hold procedures prior to flight training sessions.

### 5/5 — Great App

*2023-10-26*

I was skeptical at first. But, I bought the app because the pilots café has an amazing IFR prep summary available for free. And seriously, with all the money we spend training in aviation the cost of this app is a no brainer. The app was extremely helpful for me in learning the pen method as well as drawing the hold. I think the holds are more difficult than would be experienced in real life. They often use radials and bearings, such as hold on the 347 radial. I think in real life you would get 340 or 350.

Thanks for creating this awesome app!

Great job, it has absolutely helped me.
Bill

## Frequently asked questions about Holding Pattern Trainer

### What does the Holding Pattern Trainer app do?

This app helps instrument flight students and pilots master IFR holding pattern entries. It provides drills, a calculator for scenarios, and a tutorial to make learning quick and easy, ultimately saving time and money on flight training.

### What are the key features of the Holding Pattern Trainer?

The app includes an Entry Trainer for practicing holding entries until they become second nature, a Holding Calculator to solve and visualize any holding scenario, and a Holding Tutorial to learn how to choose the best entry quickly.

### How much does the Holding Pattern Trainer app cost?

The app is a paid application, offering a cost-effective solution for practicing holding patterns compared to the expense of ground lessons with a flight instructor.

### Who is the Holding Pattern Trainer app designed for?

It is designed for anyone training towards their instrument checkride, CFII, proficiency check, or simply looking to improve their holding patterns. This includes new instrument students and instrument-rated pilots who need more practice.

### Can I use this app to practice holding patterns in different aircraft?

The description focuses on mastering the entry procedures and calculations for holding patterns, which are standard across most aircraft. It provides the foundational knowledge and practice for choosing the correct entry regardless of the specific aircraft.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.4.0 — 2024-06-16

- Improved ATC instructions
- Removed setting to allow "TO" holdings over VORs

### 1.3.0 — 2024-03-28

- User can now disable and enable "BRG TO" ATC hold instructions, which are rarely used
- Bug fixes

### 1.2 — 2017-11-21

This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.

- Bug fix

### 1.1 — 2017-10-13

- iOS 11 and 64 bit support
- Enhanced high-resolution graphics
- New icon

### 1.0.3 — 2012-11-27

-iPhone 5 support

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All apps by FLEMINGER MEDIA LLC: https://appshunter.io/developer/427480054

## Related topics

[holding pattern trainer](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/holding-pattern-trainer) · [holding](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/holding) · [holding pattern](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/holding-pattern) · [ifr holding pattern trainer](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ifr-holding-pattern-trainer) · [hold trainer](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/hold-trainer) · [holding trainer](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/holding-trainer) · [holding trainer pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/holding-trainer-pro) · [holding pattern pro otto pilot](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/holding-pattern-pro-otto-pilot) · [holding pattern otto pilot](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/holding-pattern-otto-pilot)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-04.*