Flight in Ground Effect Dramatically Reduces Aerodynamic Costs in Bats
Most flying animals, from insects to seabirds [1], perform flights close to ground or water when taking off or landing [2], drinking, and feeding [3-5] or when traveling near water surfaces [1, 6, 7]. When flying close to a surface within approximately one wingspan, the surface acts as an aerodynamic mirror, interrupting the downwash [8, 9], resulting in increased pressure underneath the wing and
