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Laser System Could Warn of Wake Turbulence

by Mike on October 8th, 2005

Flight Safety Technologies demonstrated yesterday a laser-based device at Denver International Airport that spots wake turbulence, vortexes and other dangerous air movement near airports, and reports it to ATC and pilots.

But the device could also enable towers to group landing airplanes closer together. Because the system shows the dissipation of wake turbulence in real-time, controllers could clear airplanes for landing based on actual conditions, rather than the conservative guestimates of three or four minutes currently used.

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POSTED IN: aviation