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Old November 23rd 06, 03:42 PM posted to rec.aviation.ifr
Nathan Young
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Posts: 108
Default Caution Wake Turbulence

On 22 Nov 2006 17:56:51 -0800, " wrote:

Hello,

Here you are tootling along on your IFR flight plan - maybe on
vectors - whatever, you're
exactly where you should be, following ATC's instructions to the
letter, and they then say


"35Siera, you have traffic at 10:00 east to west three miles 7000
feet a Boeing 737
CAUTION WAKE TURBULENCE".

So - besides looking for the Boeing, what do you do about the wake
turbulence? Tighten your seatbelt? Review your unusual attitudes
training? Prepare to kiss your *** goodbye?
Ask for a diversion? How do you know whether you need it?

- Jerry Kaidor


I have crossed wake turbulence once in the scenario described, and it
was startling. I would suggest buckling the seatbelt tight at a
minimum and perhaps slowing the aircraft as others suggested to Va.

In my case, I was flying VFR South from Chicago, listening to
approach, but not talking to approach. Arrivals into Midway were from
the West/Southwest towards the East/NorthEast. This made my
flightpath approximately perpendicular to a Southwest 737. The 737
was 1000 ft above me. I was at a cruise altitude, I believe 4500.

I watched the 737 cross ahead of my flightpath, and continue towards
Chicago. I did not think much of it, then about 30 seconds later as
I caught up to his flightpath, I hit the wake. It was a perfectly
still evening, but I thought I had a midair when I hit it. It was
quite a jolt, I hit my head on the cabin ceiling and stuff flew around
the cabin.

I never lost control of the aircraft, but it was alarming. The event
had a very short duration, kind of like hitting a massive pothole in
the sky.

Anyway, the experience made me much more aware the existence of
enroute wake turbulence. If you fly from an airport near a Class B
area, I don't know what can be done about it. Jets are everywhere,
and we are typically underneath them. There really is no way to leave
the area without crossing a jet's flightpath at some point.

-Nathan