If the holding fix is a VOR, you are abeam the fix when the aircraft passes a radial ____ off the holding course radial.

If the holding fix is a VOR, you are abeam the fix when the aircraft passes a radial ____ off the holding course radial.

• A. 90 degrees
• B. 45 degrees
• C. 180 degrees
• D. 270 degrees

Answer: (A)

Abeam means you are directly across from the fix, with your position perpendicular to the holding course. In a VOR hold, that moment occurs when you pass a radial that is 90 degrees off the holding course radial. Crossing this perpendicular line puts you abeam the fix, ready to roll onto the inbound course or begin the next leg. The 90-degree offset is the standard way to describe that abeam point. A 45-degree offset isn’t perpendicular, and 180 degrees would place you opposite along the same line, not abeam. The 270-degree option is the other perpendicular direction, but the conventional description uses 90 degrees.

Abeam means you are directly across from the fix, with your position perpendicular to the holding course. In a VOR hold, that moment occurs when you pass a radial that is 90 degrees off the holding course radial. Crossing this perpendicular line puts you abeam the fix, ready to roll onto the inbound course or begin the next leg.

The 90-degree offset is the standard way to describe that abeam point. A 45-degree offset isn’t perpendicular, and 180 degrees would place you opposite along the same line, not abeam. The 270-degree option is the other perpendicular direction, but the conventional description uses 90 degrees.