Reduction of Uncertainties in Prediction of Wake-Vortex Locations

Abstract

Lift-generated vortex wakes of subsonic transport aircraft are known to pose a rolling-moment hazard to in-trail following aircraft. Hazardous wake encounters are now avoided by maintaining in-trail separation distances that are larger than needed for other operational considerations. To increase airport capacity, considerable effort has been devoted to the development of techniques and procedures by which vortex wakes can be accurately located as a function of time, so that following aircraft can avoid them with less in-trail spacings. To improve the accuracy with which vortex wakes can be located, a study of the uncertainties associated with the determination of the time-dependent location of vortex wakes and on ways to reduce the uncertainties are reported