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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/sport-ground-effect

Ground effect is caused by what?

The ground (or water) surface interfering with the airflow around the wing.

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  1. Hot air rising from the runway
  2. The ground interfering with airflow around the wing ✔
  3. Engine exhaust bouncing off the pavement

Why: When a wing flies close to the ground or water, the surface interferes with the airflow around it, which changes lift and drag. Pilots notice it just after takeoff and just before landing.

Huh, didn't know that: Ground effect works over water too, not just over land.

The dad joke
What did the pilot say after a rough landing? Sorry, it wasn't my fault. It was the asphalt.
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References

Answer: The ground interfering with airflow around the wing. When a wing flies close to the ground or water, the surface interferes with the airflow around it, which changes lift and drag. Pilots notice it just after takeoff and just before landing.

  1. FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 5 www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/07_phak_ch5_0.pdf
    interference of the ground (or water)
    Checked 2026-10-11.
  2. FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 5 www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/07_phak_ch5_0.pdf
    capable of takeoff well
    Checked 2026-10-11.

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