Following aircraft can be endangered by what phenomenon behind a leading aircraft?

• A. Wake turbulence
• B. Boundary layer separation
• C. Icing
• D. Turbulent gust

Answer: (A)

Wake turbulence is produced by the lifting wings of a leading aircraft, creating a pair of counter-rotating vortices that trail behind it. These vortices can be strong, especially behind heavy airplanes, and they sink and drift with the air. If a following aircraft flies into that wake, it can encounter sudden rolling and altitude changes, potentially leading to loss of control. Because of this risk, following aircraft must maintain appropriate separation, particularly during takeoff and landing when they are close to the lead aircraft’s path. The other options describe different aerodynamic or weather phenomena that aren’t generated by the lead aircraft’s wake. Boundary layer separation is about flow near surfaces, icing concerns moisture freezing on surfaces, and turbulent gusts are general atmospheric turbulence, not the wake of a preceding airplane.