Using Ground Effect

Ever watch an airplane float down the runway before the wheels touch? Mooneys and other clean, long-winged planes are prone to this, especially when their pilots carry a little too much airspeed down the final. How about someone doing a soft-field takeoff, who staggers into the air, nose-high, while bystanders start taking bets on whether the plane will end up in the trees? Both are encountering ground effect, which is basically some free lifting energy produced when an airfoil-whether fixed, as with an airplane or glider, or rotating, as with a rotorcraft-is within a certain distance from a surface, but both also are mishandling it.

Key Takeaways:

• Ground effect is a phenomenon where an aircraft experiences increased lift and reduced induced drag when flying within approximately one wingspan of a surface, caused by higher air pressure beneath the wing and diminished wingtip vortices.
• Pilots can strategically use ground effect during takeoff, especially from soft fields, by lifting off early and accelerating within ground effect to achieve a safe climb speed before initiating a full climb, thereby minimizing ground roll and overcoming surface drag.
• For landings, ground effect can be anticipated and managed to assist in the flare, allowing pilots to reduce airspeed and ensure a controlled, gentle touchdown at the desired spot.

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