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Near the ground, a wing feels like it rides on a cushion of trapped air. What is this called?

Ground effect, which can make an airplane float during landing.

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  1. Wake turbulence
  2. Ram air
  3. Ground effect ✔

Why: Close to the ground, air trapped between the wing and the surface acts like a cushion. The wing needs a lower angle of attack and makes less induced drag, so the airplane floats.

Huh, didn't know that: Near the ground, the wing needs a lower angle of attack for the same lift, according to the FAA.

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What was the first cat to fly? Kitty-Hawk.
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References

Answer: Ground effect. Close to the ground, air trapped between the wing and the surface acts like a cushion. The wing needs a lower angle of attack and makes less induced drag, so the airplane floats.

  1. FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 5 www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/07_phak_ch5_0.pdf
    the air that is trapped between the wing and the landing surface, as if there were an air cushion.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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