This NASA photograph demonstrates that the wake generated by even a relatively light airplane like a cropduster can be very powerful.

by Pat Veillette

On a beautiful autumn day in the Northern Rockies, the Beech T-34’s pilot was returning to the scenic McCall, Idaho, airport after a two-hour flight. He began monitoring the CTAF a little over five miles from the airport and sequenced the airplane into traffic on a left downwind for Runway 34. He was following an Aviat Husky. Descending on final, the pilot noticed the Husky had slowed considerably before touching down right at the runway’s threshold.

The pilot continued the approach, but the Husky was slow on exiting the runway before he touched down, so he decided to execute a go-around. Just as he added power, the T-34 rolled to…