The FAA requires 6 nautical miles of separation when a Heavy category aircraft follows a Super category aircraft in terminal airspace. ICAO's global baseline for the same pairing is 5 nautical miles. The one-mile difference is real — but the…

Under federal aviation rules, the pilot-in-command retains final responsibility for wake turbulence separation even after air traffic control applies mandatory minimum spacing. But no current FAA guidance gives pilots a concrete, instrument-based method to confirm that spacing is actually safe.…