Definition
A spiraling mass of air that forms at each wingtip in flight, created when higher-pressure air beneath the wing rolls up and around the tip into the lower-pressure air above. Tip vortices are a direct consequence of lift production and are the primary component of wake turbulence trailing behind an aircraft.
Plain English
A swirling tube of air that spins off the end of each wingtip whenever the wing is making lift. Bigger and heavier aircraft create stronger swirls, which can hang in the air behind them and upset smaller aircraft that fly through them.
Context Anchor
Seen in aerodynamics discussions about lift, wingtip airflow, induced drag, and wake turbulence.
Derivation
‘Vortex’ comes from the Latin vortex/vertex, meaning ‘a whirl’ or ‘something that turns.’ It’s the same root as ‘vertical’ and refers to anything spinning around a center. ‘Tip’ simply means the end of the wing — so ‘tip vortex’ literally means ‘the whirl at the wingtip.’
Why Pilots Care
These vortices add drag and leave disturbed air that can affect aircraft flying behind.
Analogy
Similar to the whirlpool that forms at the end of a boat's oar when moving through water.
Grounding Statement
Picture the wing pushing air down to make lift; at the tip, the high-pressure air underneath sneaks around to the low-pressure air on top, and that sneaking motion winds up into a horizontal tornado trailing behind the wing.
Intuition Check
A tip vortex is not just air located at the wingtip. It is the rotating swirl created as air curls around the wingtip.
Example Sentence 1
The tower extended our spacing on final because of the tip vortices from the heavy jet that had just landed.
Example Sentence 2
Winglets help reduce tip vortices and improve how efficiently the wing produces lift.