WTT Wake Turbulence Timer

Yep. It's an egg timer. But an egg timer built to drop into an Air Traffic Controller's work flow to provide the time intervals between planes on takeoff as required by FAA Order JO 7110.126B

You have more important things on your mind than watching the second hand sweep around a clock or grains of sand fall through a timer. The independent dual timers of the Wake Turbulence Timer app provide a two or three minute countdown at the tap of a button. Less common four and five minute countdowns are initiated by a slightly longer time. The remaining time is shown in large LED-type digits; when zero is reached, the display will flash a large "complete" banner and a pleasant, distinctive tone will sound. A new countdown may be initiated immediately on completion of the first to keep planes moving.

If a pilot waives wake turbulence, the countdown in progress may be canceled by one press and a new countdown initiated immediately.

The Wake Turbulence Timer is just a timer; the Air Traffic Controller selects the appropriate separation interval depending on the aircraft involved and the takeoff scenario. Its intent is to let the Air Traffic Controller focus on the important details and to make things a little less hectic.

This app is based on hardware WTT4 & WTT5 Wake Turbulence Timers installed in the Northwest Mountain Region starting in 2016, and benefit from Air Traffic feedback to fit smoothly into work flow. The WTT4 & WTT5 replaced worn out, obsolete timers used for many years prior to 2016. Timers are in daily use at SeaTac, Boeing Field, Paine Field and many smaller airports in the Northwest Mountain Region.

Operation

The Wake Turbulence Timer has been designed to integrate into Air Traffic Controller workflow, and refined by seven years of hardware timer operation in the Northwest Mountain Region. A quick tap on the 2/4 Minute button will start a two minute countdown while a tap on the 3/5 minute button will start a three minute countdown. A longer press will initiate a four or five minute countdown. The LED-like display shows the time remaining. At the end of the countdown, 0:00 and a green "complete" bar will flash for several seconds, and a distinctive tone will sound briefly.

A new countdown may be initiated immediately upon completion of the first, even while the display is still flashing, to keep traffic flowing. If the pilot waives wake turbulence, a countdown may be canceled by a long press on the cancel bar. The display will flash ̶ ̶ ̶ along with thee cancel button for several seconds. A new countdown may be initiated immediately.

Touching the ? in the black bar separating the timer section will bring up an about/operation page.

The timer may be used in a horizontal format, emulating the WTT4 hardware timer or a vertical format, emulating the WTT5 hardware timer.

Click here for information about the WTT4/WTT5 Wake Turbulence Timers in use in Northwest Mountain Region control towers.