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Planes clouds and vortices

flugsnug
Demos
YouTube
2 HN users recommended this demo2 months2017–2026 score 2
Years with an HN recommendation, 2007–2026

HN commenters link it as a visual illustration of wingtip vortices and wake turbulence when discussing lift and aircraft wakes.

A short compilation of aircraft flying through clouds and moist air, showing the spiraling vortices that wings leave behind. The footage shows wingtip vortices and the way planes disturb cloud layers.

“the spiraling wingtip vortices which can be observed in this neat video” (HN, 2021)

2 recommendations · 2 citations · Demos

4 Hacker News comments

From the HN archive; up to 20 kept per video, favoring different commenters. Recommendations first.

@phumbe Mar 2017 Recommends
on HN thread Enroute Airbus A380 wake flips Challenger business jet upside down
For anyone interested, there are several great youtube videos[1-4] that show the wakes (the wingtip vortices in particular) created by various aircraft. This incident brings the Reduced Vertical Separation Minima (RVSM)[5] into question. Strategic Lateral Offset Procedure (SLOP)[6] can be used used to avoid such incidents. [1] [link] [2] [this video] [3] [link] [4] [link] [5] [link] [6] [link]
Shows wingtip vortices created by various aircraft.
@ertemplin Oct 2021 Recommends
on HN thread Incorrect Lift Theory
Regarding your 2nd answer, taking off quickly after another aircraft has departed is difficult because of wake turbulence. The most hazardous part of wake turbulence is the spiraling wingtip vortices which can be observed in this neat video: [this video] One notable wake turbulence incident was in 2006 at Boeing Field in Seattle where a Cessna 172 and Boeing 747 were both on final approach for parallel runways. The Cessna 172 got flipped almost upside down and recovered 150 feet over the terrain: [link]
Shows spiraling wingtip vortices, the hazardous part of wake turbulence.

Citations, criticism and jokes

@mncharity Jan 2026 Cites it
on HN thread Show HN: Interactive physics simulations I built while teaching my daughter
Two quick errata: In Sound / Biology, a control inversion: low pitch (slider and sound) animates blue short hairs, and high pitch animates long red. In the windtunnel > Wing, lift is reported but the airstream remains undeflected.[1] [1] randomly, fwiw, I've used cloud deck slicing to illustrate downdraft, eg [link] [link] . Or perhaps moments of "yoink" like... err, [this video] .
Cited as a moment of cloud deck disturbance by a plane.

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