When flying under visual conditions, how can you avoid wake turbulence?

To avoid wake turbulence while flying under visual flight rules, it is essential to understand the nature and behavior of wake turbulence produced by larger aircraft. This turbulence is generated at the wingtips of an aircraft during flight, particularly during takeoff and landing phases. The wake consists of rotating air masses known as vortices, which can be particularly hazardous to smaller aircraft.

Maintaining a flight path that avoids being directly behind and below a large aircraft is crucial. This choice helps ensure that you do not fly into the vortices created by the larger aircraft, which typically sink and drift laterally with the prevailing winds. Flying below or directly behind can increase the risk of encountering this turbulence, which can lead to loss of control, especially for smaller aircraft that are more susceptible to such disturbances.

This concept is fundamental in flight safety, and pilots are trained to maintain safe separation distances from larger aircraft. The recommended practice is to wait until the larger aircraft has taken off or landed and to ensure sufficient lateral and vertical spacing to mitigate the effects of any wake turbulence produced. This understanding helps pilots make informed decisions in maintaining flight safety in the vicinity of larger aircraft.