Wake Vortex Research—A Retrospective Look

Abstract

During the 1970’s and the early 1980’s, the FAA and NASA conducted extensive wake vortex research programs with the goal of safely increasing airport capacity. The FAA program focused on developing an extensive data base, the technology for predicting and/or detecting the presence of a vortex, and advising controllers when aircraft separations could be safely reduced. The NASA program emphasized reducing the wake hazard through changes to the aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft. Both programs made significant technical progress, even though neither program resulted in an implementable solution.Research in the 1990’s has the same goal and many of the same challenges as the earlier research. However, now both the FAA and NASA programs are focused on wake detection/avoidance. The primary difference between the FAA and NASA programs is the time scale, with the NASA program emphasizing technology for a future automated ATC system and the FAA program emphasizing enhancements to today’s system. This paper discusses the most important lessons learned from prior research by both the FAA and NASA and, in particular, how prior research has shaped the issues, requirements, and constraints which will affect any proposed solution.