Wingtip Vortices

They’re present whenever a wing generates lift. As with real estate, the keys to avoidance are location, location, location.

Jim Wolper

Saturday, July 06, 2024 at 08:26 AM ET

Verified

Edited By: Omar Filipovic

Key Takeaways:

Wingtip vortices are an invisible form of wake turbulence created by an aircraft's wings generating lift, posing a significant and potentially dangerous hazard, particularly from heavy aircraft to lighter ones.
They are strongest when an aircraft is heavy, clean (gear/flaps retracted), and slow, often during takeoff and approach phases, and are especially perilous near the ground where they cannot sink and spread laterally.
Pilots must actively expect and avoid vortices by adjusting takeoff and landing procedures, considering crosswinds, and recognizing the limitations of ATC separation and realistic training in simulator environments.

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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” sounds 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.”