An aircraft departing behind a Category B or D on the same runway or parallel runways separated by less than 2,500 feet requires ___ minute(s) of wake turbulence separation.

• A. 1
• B. 2
• C. 3
• D. 4

Answer: (B)

Wake turbulence separation is the time or distance you must allow between departing or arriving aircraft to let the lead aircraft’s wake vortices dissipate. When the aircraft ahead is in Category B or D and the latest departure is on the same runway or on parallel runways spaced less than 2,500 feet apart, the required spacing is two minutes. The stronger vortices from heavier aircraft can linger and drift into the path of the following airplane, so a two‑minute gap provides a safety margin while still allowing efficient use of closely spaced runways. If the lead were lighter or the runways were farther apart, the separation requirements would differ, but for this scenario two minutes is the standard rule.