M20P PLT DID NOT ENTER THE HOLDING PATTERN IN THE CORRECT MANNER OR HOLD AT THE CLRED POINT IN WRI CLASS E.

Narrative

I WAS IN IMC FROM BINGHAMTON; NY; TO ALLAIRE; NJ (BLM); APCHING ROBBINSVILLE VOR (RBV) AT APPROX 175 KTS. HAD ASKED FOR THE GPS 14 APCH WITH RBV TRANSITION INTO ALLAIRE; AND WAS TOLD TO EXPECT IT. WHEN ABOUT OVER RBV (LESS THAN 30 SECONDS) MCGUIRE APCH SAID I SHOULD 'HOLD' AT RBV AS CHARTED. I DID NOT HAVE THE CHART IN MY LAP (IN MY NOTEBOOK ON THE FLOOR) AND ASKED FOR RADIAL. (BY THIS TIME I WAS ALREADY PASSING OVER RBV) MCGUIRE'S RESPONSE WAS GARBLED AND TOOK TWO SEPARATE REQUESTS TO GET 249 DEGS. I HAD ALREADY STARTED MY TURN BACK TOWARD RBV ON A 249 DEG HDG AND USING MY GPS TO KEEP SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. MCGUIRE APCH WAS VERY BUSY AND I WAS VERY BUSY. I SLOWED SPD TO 120 KTS AND CONTINUED ON THE HOLD -- BUT WAS HOLDING NE ON RBV 249 DEG RADIAL -- L TURNS. I KNOW THE TERRAIN (FLAT) AND WASN'T CONCERNED; UNTIL MCGUIRE ASKED ME TO CONFIRM I WAS HOLDING SW ON THE 249 DEG RADIAL. I TOLD THEM I WAS JUST TURNING INBOUND ON THE HOLD. (I HAD ALREADY MADE 3 CIRCUITS ON THE HOLD.) BEFORE I HAD TIME TO CHANGE THE HOLD PATTERN; MCGUIRE CLRED ME FOR THE APCH INTO BLM. AFTER REVIEWING THE EVENTS I HAVE MADE THE FOLLOWING ADJUSTMENTS: I WILL ALWAYS KEEP THE ENRTE CHART OPEN IN MY LAP TO THE PORTION FOR THE FLT; EG; THIS WOULD HAVE SHOWN THE PUBLISHED HOLD. WHEN IN IMC NEARING DESTS WHERE FLOW-CTL MAY BE USED; I WILL BRIEF AHEAD POSSIBLE HOLDS...AND KEEP THE VOR TUNED TO APPROPRIATE FREQ. I HAVE A GPS WHICH MAKES ENRTE FLT NAV VERY EASY. HOWEVER; I NOW KEEP THE SECOND VOR TUNED TO THE FREQ OF THE NEAREST/RELEVANT VOR FOR FALL-BACK OR OTHER NEEDS; SUCH AS AN UNEXPECTED HOLD. IF EVER AGAIN A HOLD IS GIVEN I DON'T UNDERSTAND; I WILL ASK FOR A CLR STATEMENT OF 1) RADIAL/VOR/FREQ; 2) POS OF HOLD; AND 3) TURN DIRECTION.