Background:  Aircraft wake re-categorization is the safe decrease in separation standards between some aircraft types. Worldwide collaborative research by experts in wake turbulence, extensive safety and risk analysis, and over six years of wake re-categorization operational experience at major U.S. airports has shown the required separation criteria between certain aircraft could be safely decreased. Consolidated Wake Turbulence (CWT) will take advantage of the continuing evolution of wake mitigation strategies to consolidate the benefits of previous efforts along with the standards of FAA JO 7110.65. Aircraft are grouped into nine (9) Wake Categories based on the following definitions:

Category A – A388/A225
Category B – Upper Heavy aircraft.
Category C – Lower Heavy aircraft.
Category D – Heavy aircraft not included in Category B or C.
Category E – B757 aircraft.
Category F – Upper Large aircraft excluding B757 aircraft.
Category G – Lower Large aircraft.
Category H – Small aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of more than 15,400 pounds up to 41,000 pounds.
Category I – Small aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of 15,400 pounds or less.

Implementation:  Effective, May 03, 2022, Northern California TRACON (NCT) will be designated a CWT facility and will separate arrivals and departures using the CWT aircraft separation standards located in FAA JO 7110.126. Refer to FAA Order JO 7360.1 Aircraft Type Designators for information on all aircraft designator types and wake turbulence separation tables.

The following Air Traffic Control Towers (ATCTs) and Federal Contract Towers (FCTs) located within NCT airspace will also be designated as CWT facilities and will separate arrivals and departures using CWT aircraft separation standards.

Beale ATCT
Hayward ATCT
Livermore ATCT
Castle FCT
Mather FCT
Modesto FCT
Monterey ATCT
Moffett ATCT
Oakland ATCT
Palo Alto ATCT
Reid Hillview ATCT
Reno ATCT
Sacramento Executive ATCT
Sacramento International ATCT
Stockton ATCT
San Francisco ATCT
San Jose ATCT
Salinas FCT
San Carlos FCT