What is the separation for a Cat I aircraft departing behind a Cat III?

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Multiple Choice

What is the separation for a Cat I aircraft departing behind a Cat III?

When a Cat I aircraft departs after a Cat III, wake turbulence is the main safety concern. A Cat III lead can produce stronger vortices and descending wake that may linger in the takeoff path and early climb area. To give the trailing Cat I aircraft enough room to clear those vortices and establish a safe climb, air traffic control uses a defined separation that provides a solid safety margin against wake effects, even under the challenging conditions that Cat III operations can introduce (such as low visibility and reliance on instruments). That margin must be large enough to cover worst‑case wake behavior, wind variability, and performance differences between individual aircraft, but not so large as to cause unnecessary delays. The other options either don’t provide sufficient clearance or are more conservative than necessary for typical operations. This balance is why the chosen separation is the best fit for this situation.

When a Cat I aircraft departs after a Cat III, wake turbulence is the main safety concern. A Cat III lead can produce stronger vortices and descending wake that may linger in the takeoff path and early climb area. To give the trailing Cat I aircraft enough room to clear those vortices and establish a safe climb, air traffic control uses a defined separation that provides a solid safety margin against wake effects, even under the challenging conditions that Cat III operations can introduce (such as low visibility and reliance on instruments).

That margin must be large enough to cover worst‑case wake behavior, wind variability, and performance differences between individual aircraft, but not so large as to cause unnecessary delays. The other options either don’t provide sufficient clearance or are more conservative than necessary for typical operations. This balance is why the chosen separation is the best fit for this situation.

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