Ken Norton wrote:
>
> Monday 1:30 pm, somewhere at 35,000 feet...
>
> I'm looking out the window of the Boeing 757 at a "wrinkle" in the air.
> Over the years I've seen it maybe a couple dozen times, but I finally grab
> the OM-2S and snap a picture. Sitting in my preferred window exit seat
> (more leg room), I notice this strange anomaly in the air. Is it a shock
> wave, or a "hole" in the air caused by the extreme rarification over the
> wing? Focusing on the anomaly I finally determine that it is approximately
> 5-6 feet (2 meters) outside of my window and moves back and forth with the
> slight variations in speed/movement of the jet. The strange "wavefront"
> even casts a shadow on the wing.
I have seen this on other wings of highspeed, subsonic aircraft. I
believe it is where the airflow over the wing suddenly goes from laminar
flow to turbulent flow. The sudden change will cause a small difference
in refraction and produce your "wrinkle in the air."
Jerry Liles
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