Just curious how wake turbulence time standards are applied in the rest of the world (outside Australia)?
some background: I trained as an ATC in New Zealand and the way it’s applied there is as follows (assuming a 3min standard is required) If an aircraft was to get airborne at time 00:00:13 (HH:MM:SS) the next aircraft isn’t allowed to get airborne until 00:03:13.
In Australia where I now work departure time is recorded rounded to the half minute. So until recently in the example above the first aircraft gets airborne at 00:00:13 (recorded as 00:00) and the next aircraft could get airborne at 00:02:46 (recorded as 00:03) which was deemed to be three minutes between departures. A standardisation directive has recently been issued to state that this is no longer acceptable and 180seconds must apply.
I have always done it this way (180seconds) and was surprised that my colleagues have been rounding. Some of them are upset about this new directive so it’s made me wonder how it’s done everywhere else?