Wake Turbulence

[JRSLim]

I've avoided any major encounters so far, but my primary instructor had a story about being on final during his second solo and an OV-1D Mohawk (Relatively small military twin turboprop) flew unannounced above him. The wake was enough to upset the plane to something like a 70-80 degree bank. He always used this as an example of the 'step on the sky' lesson -- you keep the ailerons level and put in the apropriate (right bank - left rudder) --this got him of it. Ask you instructor about it if he hasn't taught it to you.
But the FAA recommendations for wake turbulence are wisely avoided.

 

[Bjammin]

In aerial refuling we have to be very carefull, especially on a KC-10 (DC-10) with a wing mounted refueling pod. You learn very quickly how to approach and plug without getting fliped or get pushed into the tanker. When in the basket we usually have a boot full of rudder and a bunch of aileron trim in the oppisite direction to counter the wing tip vortices from the tanker acting on your outboard wing.