Super King Air wake

Windchill

Windchill

Well-Known Member
Does a Super King Air put out enough of a wake to concern a C-172 operator?

The reason I ask is the wife and I flew down to see the family in No. VA, and they're right up the road from KHEF so that's where we fly into.

Anyhow, tower told me to contact when on an extended base, and after I did I was told to look out for and follow Super King Air to final . . . makes sense he's much faster than me

. . . "I'm bigger than you, I'm higher on the food chain . . . get in my belly!"

Well that's what seemed to almost happen as I'm scanning, I couldn't pick him up until he was right off my nose, right THERE!

Wasn't too fond of following him fearing there may be some wake to contend with, would that have been the case?
 
You know in steep turns when you hit your own wake? It's a pretty good jolt... multiply that a few times and that's what you would get if you hit the king air's wake.
 
I do remember that jolt, worried me the first time I experienced it . . . fun after that.

Enough to endanger the flight?

I wasn't ready to find out though, which is why I went to clean up for a go around, made for an interesting time at KHEF that afternoon.
 
I don't think its anything to worry about. Not saying you wouldn't feel it, but its not going to be anything dangerous.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I don't think its anything to worry about. Not saying you wouldn't feel it, but its not going to be anything dangerous.

[/ QUOTE ]

ESF is right, it might rock you a bit, but nothing that would even come close to putting you into an uncontrolled situation...

Most King Air's are under 12,500 lbs (and WELL under that when landing)... Typically the heavier the airplane, the stronger you can expect the wake to be (because it is creating more lift)...

Hope this helps...
 
Good decision to go-around, too many pilots forget that's an option.

In that situation just remember to stay above his flight path and touch down beyond his touchdown point ... if runway length permits.
 
I've dealt with wake turbulence off of a Beech 1900 plenty of times here at PRC. You'll feel a jolt or two, but there's no danger in landing behind him.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I don't think its anything to worry about. Not saying you wouldn't feel it, but its not going to be anything dangerous.

[/ QUOTE ]

ESF is right, it might rock you a bit, but nothing that would even come close to putting you into an uncontrolled situation...

Most King Air's are under 12,500 lbs (and WELL under that when landing)... Typically the heavier the airplane, the stronger you can expect the wake to be (because it is creating more lift)...

Hope this helps...

[/ QUOTE ]

Also, the size of the voritce may be the more important issue. Large transport aircraft can create a vortice equal to the wing span of a smaller airplane. If this happens your aircraft's roll rate may be inadequate to counteract the vortice. Got rolled to about 45 degrees climbing out 20 MN behind a 777. And I was in an MD-88.
 
[ QUOTE ]
....Got rolled to about 45 degrees climbing out 20 MN behind a 777. And I was in an MD-88.

[/ QUOTE ]
What's 20 MN?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top