Section 3-04 Wake turbulence Flashcards
Define wake turbulence and list the 5 sources
Turbulent air behind an aircraft caused by:
Wing tip vortices
Rotor tip vortices
Jet blast
Propwash
Rotor downwash
What things impact wake turbulence
Aircraft weight, speed and wing shape. (Heavy planes going slowly in clean air create the most wake turbulence)
What are the wake turbulence weight classes?
Light (up to and including 7000 kg)
Medium (7000kg to 136000 kg)
Heavy (more than 136000 kg)
Super (only Airbus A380)
What is the difference between heavy/super and the other weight classes from a communication standpoint?
You must include heavy/super in the initial transmission
when they are of similar weight, do helicopters or planes cause more wake turbulence?
Helicopters
QWhat is the document catalogueing aircraft weight class?
ICAO Doc 8463
What makes the Boeing 757 special from a wake turbulence perspective?
It is a medium but considered a heavy when it is the leading aircraft. (denoted with a slash in EXCDS)
How are ultralights and non motorized aircraft dealt with?
Ultralights are considered lights and anything infront of a non motorized airacft is considered a heavy
Whoes responsibility is it to correctly specify the aircrafts weight class?
The pilots
When does an airacft start/stop to produce a vortex?
Starts when the front wheel lifts off and finishes when it touches down.
At what speed roughly does waketurbluence spread out?
5 knots. Winds of roughly 5 knots could hold wake turbulence on the runway
What are the 4 situations for wake turbulence avoidance?
Behind a heavy departure, a departure could lift off before the rotation point and climb above the flight path of the leading aircraft
Behind a heavier departure, and arrival could touch down before the rotation point of the heavier aircraft
Behind a heavier arrival a departure could lift off after the touchdown point of the leading aircraft
Behind a heavier arrival and arrival could remain above the lifght path and touch down beyond the touchdown point of the leading aircraft
What is special about parallel runways closer than 2500’
They are treated as one runway from a wake turbulence perspective
Define cautionary
With respect to wake turbulence, information transmitted to an aircraft on one of the following:
POssible location of wake turbulence
The location of heavy or medium aircraft behind which it will pass or follow
Cautionaires are given when separation is not required but turbulence could exist
What are the 2 ways we deal with wake turbulence and the 2 ways we enforece wake separation?
We can issue cautionaries or provide separation.
We provide separation by time or distance
What is the benefit of visual separation for wake turbulence?
Once the pilot confirms a visual it is their responsibility to ensure separation. (we still issue a wake turbulence caution)
When a heavier arrival is on aproach ahead of a (blank) arrival or a (blank) arrival on a (blank)(blank), we issue a (blank”)
VFR arrival
IFR arrival on a visual approach
we issue a cautionary
We do this anytime we sequence behind heavier planes
we apply time separation for any aircraft following a heavy or a light following a medium when:
Following aircraft starts its takeoff roll from an intersection or from a point further along the runway than the preceding aircraft
The controller has reason to believe that the following aircraft will require more runway length for takeoff than the preceding aircraft
For a low appraoch less than 3 minutes after a departure what do we do?
Issue a cautionary
When we adivse a pilot that a takeoff clearance can not be issued solely due to wake turbulence what do we do?
Advise the pilot of the reason for the delay and pass the plane type and distance/location for wake turbulence. If applicable the pilot may choose to waive the wake turbulence delay
IF a pilot waives wake turbulence separation what do we do?
Reissue the cautionary and if appropriate, a takeoff clearance. (if not appropriate say unable and tell the pilot why)
True or false, a pilot can waive wake turbulence follow any medium weight class activity?
True
True or false: a pilot can never waive wake turbulence following a heavy/super
False a pilot can waive if they are departing from the same point or further back than the prior departure
If you judge it necessary you may do one of the following in regards to wake turbulence standards:
Increase a wake turbulence separation minima
Issue a caution
Apply a wake turbulence separation minimin for a situation that is not covered by a specific minima
Provide wake avoidance information to any lighter aircraft that is following a departure/arrival or that is following another aircraft
Issue a cautionary for helicopters that are within 2500 feet of the active runway where heavier aircraft are operating and either:
Operating entirely over the nonmanoeuvring area
Operation over the manouevring area and expected to avoid the vortex zone of a heavier aircraft
Apply wake separation for air taxiing, hovering, or departing helicopter that are both:
Operating over the manoeuvring area within 2500’ of the active runway
Expected to enter the vortex zone of a heavier aircraft
Whe operating behind a heavier aircraft, apply wake turbulence separation as indicated until visual separation is established, unless:
Trailing aircraft will remain above the heavier aircraft
Trailling aircraft will be 1000’ or more below the heavier aircraft at the point of crossing
You may approve an overhead break by an Aurora or an Orion provided:
No light or medium aircraft is in the circuit
You do not clear a light or a medium aircraft to lfy through the region where the break was performed until 2 minutes after the break is completed
Overhead breaks are large generators of wake turbulence
Name the 5 heavy aircraft that operate at march
MD11 (Mcdonnell douglas used by FEDEX)
B763 (Boeing 760)
A306 (airbus)
A310 (airbus)
A333 (airbus)
