Wake Turbulence Flashcards
What is wake turbulence?
Disturbance in atmosphere that forms behind an aircraft as it passes through the air
How many wake turbulence causes are there and what are they?
- Five main causes
- Wing-tip vortices
- Rotor-tip vortices
- Jet engine thrust stream
- Rotor downwash
- Prop wash
What is wing-tip vortices?
Created as air flows outward from body of aircraft to wing tip then when the air reaches wing tip, high pressure underneath rotates upward towards low pressure
What is rotor-tip vortices?
Similar to wing-tip vortices but they are created by rotor blades of helicopter
What is jet engine thrust stream?
The area of turbulence created behind aircraft’s jet engines
What is rotor downwash?
Downward turbulence created by helicopters hovering or in forward flight
What is prop wash?
Turbulence created by any propeller-driven aircraft
Wing-tip vortices effects on fixed-wing aircraft
- Induced roll
- Ground effect
What is induced roll?
Aircraft flying directly into core of a vortex will tend to roll with vortex
What is ground effect?
The effect wing-tip vortices has on the ground
