What is the required separation in minutes when a heavy aircraft precedes the departure of a medium aircraft?

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Multiple Choice

What is the required separation in minutes when a heavy aircraft precedes the departure of a medium aircraft?

Explanation:
Wake turbulence from a heavy aircraft can linger near the runway and affect the following aircraft. To reduce that risk, controllers use separation minima based on the categories involved. When the lead is a heavy and the following is a medium, the standard separation is two minutes. This interval gives enough time for the vortices to move away from the takeoff path of the medium aircraft, balancing safety with efficient traffic flow. Shorter gaps, like one minute, could increase the chance of a wake encounter, while longer gaps would unnecessarily slow operations in typical traffic conditions.

Wake turbulence from a heavy aircraft can linger near the runway and affect the following aircraft. To reduce that risk, controllers use separation minima based on the categories involved. When the lead is a heavy and the following is a medium, the standard separation is two minutes. This interval gives enough time for the vortices to move away from the takeoff path of the medium aircraft, balancing safety with efficient traffic flow. Shorter gaps, like one minute, could increase the chance of a wake encounter, while longer gaps would unnecessarily slow operations in typical traffic conditions.

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