Definition
In wake turbulence avoidance, a rotating point is a position on the runway — published in airport remarks or used by ATC — where pilots conducting intersection takeoffs are advised to begin their takeoff roll to remain clear of the wake vortices generated by a preceding heavier aircraft. It marks a location selected so that a following aircraft becomes airborne before reaching the rotation point of the preceding aircraft, reducing the risk of encountering its wingtip vortices.
Plain English
A spot on the runway where you should start your takeoff so you lift off before reaching the place where the aircraft ahead of you lifted off — keeping you above and clear of its wake.
Context Anchor
Seen in wake turbulence and vortex avoidance procedures, especially when picturing where the disturbed air from a preceding aircraft may be near a runway or flight path.
Derivation
From 'rotate,' the moment a pilot pulls back on the controls during the takeoff roll to lift the nose and become airborne. The 'rotating point' is the spot on the runway where that lift-off happens — yours, or the aircraft ahead of you.
Why Pilots Care
Wake vortices form starting at this point, creating a hazard for any aircraft that flies through the area shortly after a heavy departure.
Analogy
Think of a small whirlpool in water. The water circles around a center, and that center moves with the whirlpool rather than staying fixed in one spot.
Intuition Check
Do not picture a visible dot or fixed marker in the sky. The rotating point is an invisible center of spinning air that moves with the wake and the wind.
Example Sentence 1
Cleared for an intersection departure behind the heavy jet, the pilot noted the rotating point of the preceding aircraft and planned to be airborne well before reaching it.
Example Sentence 2
Avoiding the rotating point reduces the chance of encountering strong wake turbulence from a prior departure.