Section 3-04 Wake turbulence

Question 1

Define wake turbulence and list the 5 sources

Answer 1

Turbulent air behind an aircraft caused by:

Wing tip vortices
Rotor tip vortices
Jet blast
Propwash
Rotor downwash

Question 2

What things impact wake turbulence

Answer 2

Aircraft weight, speed and wing shape. (Heavy planes going slowly in clean air create the most wake turbulence)

Question 3

What are the wake turbulence weight classes?

Answer 3

Light (up to and including 7000 kg)
Medium (7000kg to 136000 kg)
Heavy (more than 136000 kg)
Super (only Airbus A380)

Question 4

What is the difference between heavy/super and the other weight classes from a communication standpoint?

Answer 4

You must include heavy/super in the initial transmission

Question 5

when they are of similar weight, do helicopters or planes cause more wake turbulence?

Answer 5

Helicopters

Question 6

QWhat is the document catalogueing aircraft weight class?

Answer 6

ICAO Doc 8463

Question 7

What makes the Boeing 757 special from a wake turbulence perspective?

Answer 7

It is a medium but considered a heavy when it is the leading aircraft. (denoted with a slash in EXCDS)

Question 8

How are ultralights and non motorized aircraft dealt with?

Answer 8

Ultralights are considered lights and anything infront of a non motorized airacft is considered a heavy

Question 9

Whoes responsibility is it to correctly specify the aircrafts weight class?

Answer 9

The pilots

Question 10

When does an airacft start/stop to produce a vortex?

Answer 10

Starts when the front wheel lifts off and finishes when it touches down.

Question 11

At what speed roughly does waketurbluence spread out?

Answer 11

5 knots. Winds of roughly 5 knots could hold wake turbulence on the runway

Question 12

What are the 4 situations for wake turbulence avoidance?

Answer 12

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

Question 13

What is special about parallel runways closer than 2500’

Answer 13

They are treated as one runway from a wake turbulence perspective

Question 14

Define cautionary

Answer 14

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

Question 15

What are the 2 ways we deal with wake turbulence and the 2 ways we enforece wake separation?

Answer 15

We can issue cautionaries or provide separation.
We provide separation by time or distance

Question 16

What is the benefit of visual separation for wake turbulence?

Answer 16

Once the pilot confirms a visual it is their responsibility to ensure separation. (we still issue a wake turbulence caution)

Question 17

When a heavier arrival is on aproach ahead of a (blank) arrival or a (blank) arrival on a (blank)(blank), we issue a (blank”)

Answer 17

VFR arrival
IFR arrival on a visual approach
we issue a cautionary

We do this anytime we sequence behind heavier planes

Question 18

we apply time separation for any aircraft following a heavy or a light following a medium when:

Answer 18

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

Question 19

For a low appraoch less than 3 minutes after a departure what do we do?

Answer 19

Issue a cautionary

Question 20

When we adivse a pilot that a takeoff clearance can not be issued solely due to wake turbulence what do we do?

Answer 20

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

Question 21

IF a pilot waives wake turbulence separation what do we do?

Answer 21

Reissue the cautionary and if appropriate, a takeoff clearance. (if not appropriate say unable and tell the pilot why)

Question 22

True or false, a pilot can waive wake turbulence follow any medium weight class activity?

Answer 22

True

Question 23

True or false: a pilot can never waive wake turbulence following a heavy/super

Answer 23

False a pilot can waive if they are departing from the same point or further back than the prior departure

Question 24

If you judge it necessary you may do one of the following in regards to wake turbulence standards:

Answer 24

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

Question 25

Issue a cautionary for helicopters that are within 2500 feet of the active runway where heavier aircraft are operating and either:

Answer 25

Operating entirely over the nonmanoeuvring area
Operation over the manouevring area and expected to avoid the vortex zone of a heavier aircraft

Question 26

Apply wake separation for air taxiing, hovering, or departing helicopter that are both:

Answer 26

Operating over the manoeuvring area within 2500’ of the active runway
Expected to enter the vortex zone of a heavier aircraft

Question 27

Whe operating behind a heavier aircraft, apply wake turbulence separation as indicated until visual separation is established, unless:

Answer 27

Trailing aircraft will remain above the heavier aircraft
Trailling aircraft will be 1000’ or more below the heavier aircraft at the point of crossing

Question 28

You may approve an overhead break by an Aurora or an Orion provided:

Answer 28

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

Question 29

Name the 5 heavy aircraft that operate at march

Answer 29

MD11 (Mcdonnell douglas used by FEDEX)
B763 (Boeing 760)
A306 (airbus)
A310 (airbus)
A333 (airbus)