What is wake turbulence?
Every aircraft generates rotating air vortices from its wingtips during flight. These vortices - called wake turbulence - can be dangerous to following aircraft, especially smaller ones behind larger ones.
Wake categories
Aircraft are classified by weight into wake turbulence categories:
| Category | Code | Example aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| Super | J | A380 |
| Heavy | H | B747, B777, A340 |
| Medium | M | B737, A320 |
| Light | L | Cessna, Piper |
Required spacing
Controllers must apply increased separation behind heavy and super aircraft:
- Heavy behind super: 6nm
- Medium behind heavy: 5nm
- Light behind heavy: 6nm
- Light behind medium: 4nm
- Same category or larger behind smaller: standard 3nm (terminal) or 5nm (en-route)
Why controllers care
During approach sequencing, wake turbulence spacing often determines the minimum gap between arrivals. A runway handling mostly B737s can land one every 90 seconds. Mix in a few heavies and the gaps grow, reducing throughput.
In radarcontrol.io
Aircraft have wake turbulence categories (visible in the data block as L/M/H/J). The simulation uses these for realistic traffic generation. Wake spacing is part of what makes sequencing a challenge - you can't just stack everyone 3nm apart when heavies are in the mix.