Wingtip Vortices: They’re One of the Costs of Lift

Swirling columns of air slowly trail downward behind an airplane—yours included.

Jim Wolper

Friday, August 15, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Wing tip vortices exist any time an airplane’s wing is generating lift.[Courtesy: Bernal Saborio]

Key Takeaways:

Wingtip vortices, also known as wake turbulence, are rapidly rotating air generated by aircraft wings whenever lift is produced, posing a significant hazard to other aircraft, particularly smaller ones.
These vortices are strongest when an aircraft is heavy, clean, and slow (e.g., during specific phases of takeoff or approach), and near the ground, they sink and spread laterally.
Pilots must actively consider the spatial and temporal dynamics of vortices, especially near the ground, employing strategies like adjusted takeoff/landing points or sidestepping to avoid them, as realistic training is often limited.

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When people want to talk about something unpleasant, they often invent nicer-sounding phrases to disguise what’s really going on. “Wake turbulence” is the kind of term that can bring to mind vague, unpleasant imagery. “Wingtip vortices” sound nicer—more refined, perhaps—but actually may be more frightening.

The FAA’s definition in its Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK, FAA-H-8083-25C) doesn’t help much: “The rapidly rotating air that spills over an airplane’s wings during flight. The intensity of the turbulence depends on the airplane’s weight, speed, and configuration. Also referred to as wake turbulence. Vortices from heavy aircraft may be extremely hazardous to small aircraft.”