What happens when an aircraft generates wake turbulence?

When an aircraft generates wake turbulence, it creates rotating air masses known as vortices that form at the wingtips due to the airflow around the wings. These vortices are a natural byproduct of lift generation; as air moves over the wings, it creates a pressure difference, resulting in the creation of these swirling patterns.

As the aircraft flies, these vortices tend to descend toward the ground while spreading outward from the wingtips. This is a critical phenomenon for pilots to be aware of, especially during takeoff and landing phases, as the vortices can linger in the air and pose significant hazards to following aircraft. Understanding this behavior helps pilots maintain safe separation from other aircraft to avoid wake turbulence encounters.

Other options suggest scenarios that do not directly result from the effects of wake turbulence. For example, increased lift, loss of control, and uncontrollable climbing are not direct consequences of the wake turbulence itself. Instead, they might describe other flight situations or pilot responses unrelated to the vortices generated by a preceding aircraft.