How planes fly: what really keeps them in the air
Wake turbulence: why planes wait on an empty runway
The plane ahead of yours has taken off, and the runway is empty. Yet the tower makes you wait. Every plane leaves spinning air behind it. Behind a big jet, it can be dangerous, and you can't see it.
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1
A big jet took off from this runway a minute ago. Rono looks out: there is nothing on it. Still, the tower tells Miva to wait.
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2
Under each wing, the pressure is higher. Above it, the pressure is lower. At the tip of the wing, nothing stands between the two. So the air from under the wing slips around the tip, up to the top.
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