PDA

View Full Version : Wake turbulence


Mariner9
18th May 2001, 19:20
What should be the minimum seperation for a Fokker 50 after a 737?
I was a pax on a Fokker 50 on monday at LHR, and we started our takeoff roll about 30-40 seconds after the 73 started rolling (same departure point).
It seemed way too soon to me, but then I'm only a low-hour ppl.

Al Titude
18th May 2001, 19:37
If there was a decent crosswind, might not have been a snag at all.

fly4fud
18th May 2001, 20:11
Well, the 737 is in the medium and the F50 in the small weight category, so, normally 1 minute...

But, the final decision lies with the CMD:
- Al Titude has a point
- the point of T/O on the rwy is also an important factor. The F50 you were on surely had a shorter T/O run and therefore would be airborne and pass above the wake turbulence

------------------
... cut my wings and I'll die ...

ATCO Two
19th May 2001, 02:03
Hi Mariner9,

Separation is 1 minute which means that the FK50 would be cleared for take off as soon as the B737 was airborne. In this case as the B737 is significantly faster, the FK50 would be launched 1 minute after, even if it was on the same departure route. (Same speed group, same route would be 2 minutes).

Mariner9
21st May 2001, 12:24
Thanks for the replies guys

The weather was pretty crappy, with a stiff breeze from the NW. I wasn't questioning the decisions of the flightcrew (or indeed the ATCO), but if I'd been drivin' we'd have sat on the tarmac for a little longer.