Plain English Meaning

It is one lap around a holding pattern. The aircraft starts at a specific point, flies one full loop, and the loop ends when it returns to that same point — then it moves on to the next part of the procedure.

Full Definition

An HF leg is a path-and-terminator code used in RNAV procedure design that defines a single, complete holding-pattern circuit which begins and ends at a designated fix. The aircraft crosses the fix, flies one full racetrack-shaped holding circuit (outbound turn, outbound leg, inbound turn, inbound leg), and the leg terminates the moment the aircraft crosses the same fix again. Unlike continuous holding, the HF leg is flown once and then the procedure sequences to the next leg.

Context Anchor

Seen in RNAV instrument procedure design and -management- leg descriptions, especially where a procedure uses a holding-pattern-style turn but only one circuit is .