Yes – people have seen the plane coming in.
The 757 generates a noticeable wake when it flies at low airspeed.
At 400 mph the amount of air encountered per minute is so large that the wing imparts only a small movement on the affected air. This entails a long and ‘thin’ wake. Think of a water skier going fast vs. slow.
Also, the big engine fans can ‘blow’ enormously when the airplane is stationary on the ground. But a fan that moves forward itself at 400 mph can’t add much ‘blow’ to the (in fact stationary) air that enters the engine at a relative 400 mph already.
Last edited by Plumb Bob; 20th Mar 2007 at 07:35.