ATC provided wake separation

Well the times vary depending on the airliner weight class and what type of departure you’re doing. Sometimes ATC is providing wake turbulence timed separation on departure / arrival, while other occasions it’s simply runway separation (6,000 ft) from an airliner.

Some times can be waived by the pilot, other times are not waived. Lots of variables involved (intersection, full length, opposite direction, etc). Some wake turbulence calls are required (wake sep), some wake turbulence calls are given and not required (no wake sep).
 
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In my experience in my Warrior they’re pretty consistent with at least noting the risk (“Caution, wake turbulence”). Occasionally, and appropriately, they’ll hold me for wake turbulence. If so, and if I’ve seen where the airliner rotated and can easily get off the ground and clear their path, I’ll waive it and they’ll let me go. Sometimes they’ll say to hold for x minutes and I’ll waive it (if safe) and have never had them refuse me.
 
After being caught in wake turbulence a few times, when I get a ''delay for wake turbulence'', I say no problem. Folks behind me may get impatient and antsy, but who cares...

If I only get a ''caution, wake turbulence'', I drag out getting into position, if possible, or I'll ask for a wake turbulence delay.

Wake turbulence scares me more than a fed with active hemorrhoids...
 
My last departure out of KBED was behind a departing BizJet with no appreciable wait for wake turbulence. One of the larger ones, but not airline size. I was in a C-182T. I noted the wind direction, watched where he rotated, and took off. I stayed to the upwind side of the runway, rotated way be for the jet did and climbed at Vx for the first 200ft, then Vy at the reduced climb power while making sure I stayed to the upwind side of the runway. At about 500ft AGL the tower cleared me for a right turn out, there was no traffic on the right downwind. I had taken off on a west runway and my on course heading was to the northeast. Tower made no mention of the departing jet and caution turbulence in the takeoff clearance to me.
 
The one time that ATC did not offer me a delay for wake turbulence when I thought it was needed was when I was taking off after a B-29. I told tower I wanted to wait.
 
If there's any crosswind, I ask for an upwind sidestep or early turn.
 
Caution wake turbulence works for me.
 
Usually, they do. Cannot remember anytime I was not given a warning but must admit after losing a colleague to a wake turbulence accident (one which has been used as a poster child for avoiding wake turbulence) I am very careful about watching for it anyhow.
 
BillTIZ said:
My last departure out of KBED was behind a departing BizJet with no appreciable wait for wake turbulence. One of the larger ones, but not airline size. I was in a C-182T. I noted the wind direction, watched where he rotated, and took off. I stayed to the upwind side of the runway, rotated way be for the jet did and climbed at Vx for the first 200ft, then Vy at the reduced climb power while making sure I stayed to the upwind side of the runway. At about 500ft AGL the tower cleared me for a right turn out, there was no traffic on the right downwind. I had taken off on a west runway and my on course heading was to the northeast. Tower made no mention of the departing jet and caution turbulence in the takeoff clearance to me.
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I get that at Bedford a lot, "caution wake turbulence" . It depends on how soon after the jet takes off whether I go or not, plus how big the jet is. They have no problem if you tell them you want to delay for wake turbulence. But once they give you the warning, it's up to you whether you take off. Or land for that matter.
 
One time I was waiting to take the runway for an intersection takeoff at Boeing Field while a jet airliner was landing. I had been taught that the wake turbulence stops when the nose wheel touches the pavement, and I saw that it did so well before the part of the runway that I would be using. After the jet cleared the runway, tower told me "Cleared for immediate takeoff or hold short," so I took off immediately.
 
So far, ATC always warns me of wake turbulence and either tells me to wait for takeoff or extends my downwind for landing behind bigger planes. Except once, total a**hat controller gives me a "no delay" takeoff right behind a 737. I told him that my little airplane (back then I had an Ercoupe) couldn't handle the wake turbulence of that plane. He came back and yelled "cleared for takeoff, no delay". I responded "unable" continued to hold short, waited two minutes and told him when I was ready. There was no other plane on approach, just a few planes lined up behind me. He didn't report me or anything but he totally was an a**hat.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Do you find atc is always providing (or offering) time separation between your departure, and a preceding airliner departure or arrival - or do you find you have to ask for it?
How much time, in either case?

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Here's ATC's rules. I can't remember the last time, if ever, I was in these situations so I can't speak to how many Controllers are or are not doing it. There is another rule about intersection departures. I'll paste that in in another post.

f. Separate aircraft taking off from the same runway or a parallel runway separated by less than 2,500 feet
1. Heavy, large, or small behind super − 3 minutes.
2. Heavy, large, or small behind heavy − 2 minutes.

g. Separate a small behind a B757 aircraft by 2 minutes when departing:
1. The same runway or a parallel runway separated by less than 700 feet.
2. A parallel runway separated by 700 feet or more if projected flight paths will cross.

h. Separate aircraft departing from a parallel runway separated by 2,500 feet or more if projected flight paths
will cross.
1. Heavy, large, or small behind super − 3 minutes.
2. Heavy, large, or small behind heavy − 2 minutes.

i. Separate aircraft when operating on a runway with a displaced landing threshold if projected flight paths
will cross when either a departure follows an arrival or an arrival follows a departure by the following minima:
1. Heavy, large, or small behind super − 3 minutes.
2. Heavy, large, or small behind heavy − 2 minutes.
3. Small behind B757 − 2 minutes.

j. Separate an aircraft behind another aircraft that has departed or made a low/missed approach when utilizing
opposite direction takeoffs or landings on the same or parallel runways separated by less than 2,500 feet by the
following minima:
1. Heavy, large, or small behind super − 4 minutes.
2. Heavy, large, or small behind heavy − 3 minutes.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Do you find atc is always providing (or offering) time separation between your departure, and a preceding airliner departure or arrival - or do you find you have to ask for it?
How much time, in either case?

Click to expand...
I have been in this situation many times at many airports. I cannot remember a time the Controller failed to do it.

a. Apply the following wake turbulence criteria for intersection departures:
1. Separate a small aircraft weighing 12,500 lbs. or less taking off from an intersection on the same runway
(same or opposite direction takeoff) behind a departing small aircraft weighing more than 12,500 lbs. by ensuring
that the aircraft does not start takeoff roll until at least 3 minutes after the preceding aircraft has taken off.
2. Separate a small aircraft taking off from an intersection on the same runway (same or opposite direction
takeoff) behind a departing large aircraft (except B757) by ensuring that the aircraft does not start takeoff roll
until at least 3 minutes after the preceding aircraft has taken off.
3. Separate a small aircraft taking off from an intersection (same or opposite direction takeoff) behind a
preceding departing B757 aircraft by ensuring that the small aircraft does not start takeoff roll until at least 3
minutes after the B757 has taken off from:
(a) The same runway or a parallel runway separated by less than 700 feet.
(b) Parallel runways separated by 700 feet or more, or parallel runways separated by 700 feet or more
with the runway thresholds offset by 500 feet or more, if projected flight paths will cross.
 
douglas393 said:
Usually, they do. Cannot remember anytime I was not given a warning but must admit after losing a colleague to a wake turbulence accident (one which has been used as a poster child for avoiding wake turbulence) I am very careful about watching for it anyhow.
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A few people who used to run the company I work for died in a wake turbulence accident in the 90s. I avoid it like the plague because of that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
I learned to fly under the SFO class B (which was then called a TCA). My instructor taught me to stay at least 500 feet below the TCA in order to avoid wake turbulence. It also helps avoid airspace busts, since my flying is not very precise, and in any case, altimeters are not perfect.
 
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