I'm not currently familiar with the 3min rule but it helps to have a clear
picture of where the turbulence is and what you need to avoid it independent
from ATC. Whatever ATC does or says, you are the one that has to decide
what to do. And you have to know what to do when ATC isn't there.

Taking off from the same point as a preceding 'heavy', your 172 is always
able to get off before the heavy can start generating turbulence (at
rotation), so time doesn't really factor in. But the turn away from the
heavy's flight path is important because you will fly thru his path during
climb if you don't.

Intersection takeoffs are another matter. Here you need to make sure you
can get off before their rotation point or that you wait '3 mins'.

You also want to stay aware of wind drift since the wake gets blown.\

On approach and landing, you have even more responsibility because you have
to choose to stay above their glide path and land beyond their touchdown
point. Easy to do but all ATC can consistently do is spread out the traffic
and tell you to be aware.

"Peter R."
My question has to do with the ATC's wake turbulence procedures. At the
class C airport where I am based, I constantly hear about the 3 minute
rule
from ATC. In other words, if I am departing from an intersection mid-
field, tower will say that they are required to make me wait three minutes
for wake turbulence avoidance (unless I wave it, which I normally do not).

In the case of Boston's tower, did her "wake turbulence caution" and/or
right turn heading allow her to clear me sooner than the three minutes?

BTW, the DC9 ahead of me took at least three quarters of the runway to
lift
off, then turned left. When I departed, I dropped a notch of flaps to
lift off very quickly, climbed a few hundred at Vx as per the obstacle DP,
then turned the 90 degrees right as per the instruction to be well away
from the previous two aircrafts' wake turbulence.


--
Peter












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