Wake Turbulence.

[Guest DJH]

I had my first encounter with it yesterday, quite a thrilling and dangerous up wind ride for a little while until I got clear. I was amazed how long it had stayed around, there was no breeze to dissipate it I guess.

 

 

[Ultralights]

what was the situation? if you complete a level steep turn, you can be lucky enough to fly through your own wake turbulence. or with 4 in the circuit, it can be quite easy to hit the turbulence from the aircraft in front of you.

 

 

[Guest DJH]

I did a touch and go after a large single engine aircraft had departed and copped his prop wash and wake. Very turbulent cork screw effect. It won't happen again, I've learned something from the experience.

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

Watch out for trikes too. You may think they are very light and therefore innocuous, however I have copped the wake turbulence from my CFI's trike once when crossing behind at over a mile distant on a still evening. Certainly got my instant attention as the trike went from level flight to a steep banked dive in about a second. It only lasted a couple of seconds before I got it back to straight and level, but It wasn'tt an experience I will forget easily. More recently I caught some wake turblence from a Piper Tomahawk that was on final ahead of me. Quite a turning moment, but not such a big deal on that occasion. It does however serve to keep it in the back of your mind, as with bigger aircraft or close proximity it could be quite serious. On this occasion I was thinking about it but thought it would have dropped below my flight path in time.

 

Those experiences made me very cautious when performing a lead change in formation, requiring me to cross behind and below the aircraft I was formating on at a distance of less than 100'. At that proximity, I wouldn't want to misjudge and cop the full wake. By the way, the manoeuvre went like clockwork.