I think we've discussed this before Gonzo but I'm still not convinced.
The initial impression it gives to the industry is that it is a clever way of closing up the traffic distance-wise without suffering the erosion in W/T separation because the time remains the same.
That is clearly not the case.
Using the analogy in one of the articles, of trying to walk down an upwards moving escalator, the parcel of air the wake is generated in, is akin to one of the escalator stairs. It makes no difference the escalator/wind speed, the following aircraft will arrive at that parcel of air at the same time for a given spacing.
If you shorten it, you will hit it earlier.
Now, someone in NATS has realized that this "relativity" oversight was not going to pass scrutiny so has had to assume that the wake will always be dissipated quicker in a stronger wind. That would depend on the wind gradient and terrain which would cause mixing one would assume. Its not a given that the wake will disspate quicker. Indeed, the wake does not even "know" there is such thing as wind. Its just generated in a parcel of air that may or may not be moving.
I will be interested to see if you have a significant increase in W/T occurrences.
Last edited by bekolblockage; 9th Feb 2015 at 12:31.