FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Practice Exam

Which of the following components is most significant in wake turbulence?

1. Ground veer

2. Wingtip vortices

3. Cloud turbulence

4. Airframe interference

The correct answer is: Wingtip vortices

The most significant component in wake turbulence is wingtip vortices. When an aircraft flies, the air pressure difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the wings generates swirling air patterns at the tips of the wings, known as vortices. These wingtip vortices are a crucial factor in wake turbulence because they can persist in the air for a considerable distance and pose a risk to following aircraft. When another aircraft encounters these vortices, particularly during takeoff or landing phases, it can experience unpredictable yawing moments or loss of control, especially if the aircraft is smaller or lighter than the one creating the vortices. This phenomenon emphasizes the importance of maintaining safe separation distances between aircraft during operations. Other options, while they do relate to turbulence or effects of flight, do not represent the primary concern in terms of wake turbulence as wingtip vortices do. Ground veer refers to how an aircraft might deviate on the ground due to crosswinds or other factors, cloud turbulence involves turbulence experienced in or around cloud formations, and airframe interference may occur when one aircraft interacts with another, but none of these present the same hazard associated with the persistent presence of wingtip vortices in flight operations.