Definition 1 of 2
Definition
The disturbed, swirling region of air left behind an aircraft or component as it moves through the airflow. In supersonic and transonic flight, a turbulent wake forms behind shock waves and areas of separated flow, where the smooth airstream breaks down into chaotic, energy-losing eddies that increase drag and can buffet downstream surfaces.
Plain English
The messy, churning trail of air left behind something moving through the air. Instead of flowing smoothly past, the air tumbles and swirls, which slows the aircraft down and can shake parts of it that sit in that disturbed air.
Context Anchor
Seen in aerodynamics discussions about airflow over wings, drag, stalls, and airflow at speeds below or near the speed of sound.
Derivation
‘Wake’ comes from Old Norse ‘vök’, meaning a hole or track left in water — the same word used for the trail behind a boat. ‘Turbulent’ comes from Latin ‘turba’, meaning a crowd or commotion. Together they describe a chaotic, churned-up trail of air, just like the rough water behind a boat.
Why Pilots Care
It adds to total drag and can create hazardous turbulence for any aircraft flying behind.
Analogy
Picture the frothy, churning water trailing behind a speedboat. The boat moves smoothly, but the water it leaves behind is broken up and chaotic. A turbulent wake in air does the same thing — invisible, but equally messy.
Intuition Check
Do not read wake here as “waking up,” and do not read turbulent only as rough weather. In this context, turbulent wake means disturbed air left behind a body after the airflow has been broken up.
Example Sentence 1
As the aircraft accelerated through the transonic range, shock waves caused flow separation and a turbulent wake formed behind the wing.
Example Sentence 2
The controller cautioned the following aircraft to allow extra spacing because of the turbulent wake from the departing jet.