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Weather -
Air Turbulence
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Thursday, 14 June 2012 16:19 |
Dear Capt Lim,
I have planes flying over my house where I walk every day. Many times, 30 seconds and sometimes it seems longer, after the plane passes over me, I can hear and feels air turbulence that last from a few seconds to almost 30 seconds.
What is this and what is the cause?
Thanks
Jimmy
Hi Jimmy,
What you hear and feels is known as wake turbulence. It is generated by the plane flying low overhead your house, especially when the trails are affected by the winds. (See video above)
Briefly from Wikipedia, “Wake turbulence is turbulence that forms behind an aircraft as it passes through the air. This turbulence includes various components, the most important of which are wingtip vortices and jet wash. Jet wash refers simply to the rapidly moving gasses expelled from a jet engine; it is extremely turbulent, but of short duration.
Wingtip vortices, on the other hand, are much more stable and can remain in the air for up to three minutes after the passage of an aircraft. Wingtip vortices make up the primary and most dangerous component of wake turbulence. “
The wake turbulence generated by an Airbus A380 is the worst and can affect planes flying behind it. See video below:
PS. To check for any latest updates or postings, you can follow my new Twitter at @CaptKHLim
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