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AerodynamicsQuestion 441 of 934

A 10-knot wind blows across the runway behind a departing airplane. About how fast do the wingtip vortices drift?

  1. About 100 feet in a minute against the wind
  2. About 500 feet in a minute against the wind
  3. About 1,000 feet in a minute in the wind direction
  4. About 3,000 feet in a minute in the wind direction
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Correct answer: About 1,000 feet in a minute in the wind direction

Vortices drift with the wind. A 10-knot wind moves them about 1,000 feet in a minute.

Source: Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Chapter 5: Aerodynamics of Flight — Wingtip Vortices — Avoiding Wake Turbulence, page 106

Practice aerodynamics

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026