Aerodynamics of Flight

V o r t e x vortices lead to a particularly dangerous hazard to flight, wake turbulence. Avoiding Wake Turbulence Wingtip vortices are greatest when the generating aircraft is “heavy, clean, and slow.” This condition is most commonly encountered during approaches or departures because an aircraft’s AOA is at the highest to produce the lift necessary to land or take off. To minimize the chances of flying through an aircraft’s wake turbulence: • Avoid flying through another aircraft’s flight path. • Rotate prior to the point at which the preceding aircraft rotated when taking off behind another aircraft. • Avoid following another aircraft on a similar flight path at an altitude within 1,000 feet. [Figure 5-13] • Approach the runway above a preceding aircraft’s Figure 5-12. Wingtip vortices. path when landing behind another aircraft and touch down after the point at which the other aircraft wheels As the air curls upward around the tip, it combines with the contacted the runway. [Figure 5-14] downwash to form a fast-spinning trailing vortex. These vortices increase drag because of energy spent in producing A hovering helicopter generates a down wash from its main the turbulence. Whenever an airfoil is producing lift, induced rotor(s) similar to the vortices of an airplane. Pilots of small drag occurs and wingtip vortices are created. aircraft should avoid a hovering helicopter by at least three rotor disc diameters to avoid the effects of this down wash. In Just as lift increases with an increase in AOA, induced forward flight, this energy is transformed into a pair of strong, drag also increases. This occurs because as the AOA is high-speed trailing vortices similar to wing-tip vortices of larger increased, there is a greater pressure difference between the fixed-wing aircraft. Helicopter vortices should be avoided top and bottom of the airfoil, and a greater lateral flow of air; because helicopter forward flight airspeeds are often very consequently, this causes more violent vortices to be set up, slow and can generate exceptionally strong wake turbulence. resulting in more turbulence and more induced drag. Wind is an important factor in avoiding wake turbulence In Figure 5-12, it is easy to see the formation of wingtip because wingtip vortices drift with the wind at the speed of the vortices. The intensity or strength of the vortices is directly wind. For example, a wind speed of 10 knots causes the vortices proportional to the weight of the aircraft and inversely to drift at about 1,000 feet in a minute in the wind direction. proportional to the wingspan and speed of the aircraft. The When following another aircraft, a pilot should consider wind heavier and slower the aircraft, the greater the AOA and the speed and direction when selecting an intended takeoff or stronger the wingtip vortices. Thus, an aircraft will create landing point. If a pilot is unsure of the other aircraft’s takeoff wingtip vortices with maximum strength occurring during or landing point, approximately 3 minutes provides a margin of the takeoff, climb, and landing phases of flight. These Nominally 500–1,000 ft AVOID Sink rate several hundred ft/min Figure 5-13. Avoid following another aircraft at an altitude within 1,000 feet.