Wake turbulence behind a heavy aircraft is most likely encountered

• A. Taxiing
• B. Developing lift
• C. On the runway it took off from
• D. On final approach

Answer: (C)

Wake turbulence is created by the wingtip vortices shed by a heavy aircraft. These vortices linger in the same airspace near the runway and tend to stay in the takeoff/departure corridor immediately behind the aircraft that produced them. Because the heavy aircraft leaves strongest vortices on and just after lift-off, a lighter follow-on aircraft on the same runway is most likely to encounter this wake turbulence as it attempts to depart. The other situations are less likely because taxiing doesn’t place you in the heavy’s departure path, developing lift is a momentary phase rather than a sustained encounter, and while wake turbulence can be a factor on final approach, the most direct, common exposure is on the runway from which the heavy took off.