Ground effect alters the aerodynamic forces on an aircraft when its wings or rotors operate within about one wingspan's length of the ground. The surface interrupts the formation of wingtip vortices and reduces downwash, which significantly decreases induced drag. This causes the aircraft to float or glide further during landing, requiring pilots to carefully manage speed to avoid overshooting the runway.
Heard on the job
She held it in ground effect to build up airspeed before pitching up to clear the obstacles at the end of the strip.
Do not mix it up with
- Wing in ground effect: Ground effect is the aerodynamic phenomenon itself, while a wing in ground effect is a specific vehicle designed to exploit it continuously.