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The Cessna 152 and Wake Turbulence
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- Written by Robbie
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How are wing tip vortices created and what flight hazard do they create?
Wing tip vortices, more commonly referred to as wake turbulence, are generated by an airfoil anytime lift is produced. All airplanes generate wake turbulence, even your Cessna 152. Anytime the wheels are on the ground, wake turbulence is not being generated. However, when the wheels leave the ground, lift is being produced, therefore wake turbulence is being created. Because high pressure always seeks low pressure, and the pressure distribution surrounding a wing is high pressure below the wing and low pressure above, the high pressure seeks the low pressure by 'spilling' outwards from the wing tips, moving upwards, and finally inwards, trailing behind the airplane in flight. This creates a 'vortex,' a column of rotating air. The most inherent danger of this vortex is that it can induce a rolling motion in other aircraft. Airplanes that are heavy, aerodynamically clean and slow generate the strongest wake turbulence.
Avoiding wake turbulence can be accomplished by altering course or touchdown/rotation point, or allowing a specified time to elapse. When taking off behind a departing airplane, begin your rotation before its rotation point and climb out above its departure path. Since this is not usually practical when departing behind a larger, jet airplane when flying a smaller, piston-powered airplane, you should wait approximately 2 minutes before attempting takeoff. When landing behind a larger, jet airplane, remain above its glidepath and touchdown beyond its touchdown point. Light quartering tailwinds are hazardous when discussing wake turbulence because they may 'push' the upwind wake vortex, which would normally dissipate, into the touchdown or departure point on the runway. Winds of any other kind will aid in blowing the vortex away from these points.
Aircraft Documents
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Use the acronym ARROW to recall the documents required to be onboard the aircraft at all times:
-A = Airworthiness Certificate: Issued without an expiration date, this certificate must be visible to all occupants and crew and is only valid if the aircraft is maintained appropriately.
-R = Registration Certificate: A certificate of aircraft registration expires three years after the last day of the month in which it was entered. There are other reasons why an aircraft registration certificate would expire, such as destruction of the aircraft, sale to another owner or death of the owner.
-R = Required Placards: As listed in Section 2 of the Airplane/Rotorcraft Flight Manual (a standardised format of publishing aircraft data adopted in the late 1970s). Normally displayed as stickers, usually with white on a red background, such as a baggage weight limitation or airspeed limitation.
-O = Operating Handbook, Pilot's -or- Airplane/Rotorcraft Flight Manual (POH or A/R FM) specific to that aircraft. The serial number and registration of the aircraft must be recorded in the handbook.
-W = Weight and Balance AND Equipment List: Again, specific to that aircraft. The most current and up-to-date weight and balance data, in addition the Equipment List, which lists all installed equipment on the aircraft, must be in the aircraft. The weight and balance and equipment list are normally located in the POH or A/R FM book/binder either at the back or in Section 6.