dust vortices from low flying jet

similar effect might result from low flying superwomen
 

similar effect might result from low flying superwomen

Probably not, actually.  Those vortices are a consequence off how planes fly; high pressure under the wings and low pressure above.  I don't know how superheroes fly, exactly, or how they propel themselves forward, but it sure doesn't look like a difference in air pressure.  There'd be turbulence behind them, but not these organized vortices.

Cool video, though.

Thanks for the insight.
 
 
 

Clearly superhero’s aren’t using airfoils to create lift, but rather some form of “levitation”, which of course is deep in the weeds of comic book science. 

But some things are predictable… the effects of supersonic flight. Shockwaves. Sonic Booms. Whatever you want to call them. 

Interesting that I’d just written this excerpt for a story in the works that goes like this:

“And with that promise floating on the air, and the sensation of her kisses still thrilling him to his toes, she slipped from his arms to to float upward and disappear into the night sky.
 
Everyone stared slack-jawed up after her until an incredibly sharp and loud BOOM KABOOM BOOOOMMMM shook the air around them, spilling drinks and knocking many people off their feet. Jarod just smiled. Nancy had just flown low over them at several times the speed of sound, trailing a sonic boom louder than any firework.
 
Everyone was shouting and cheering like they really were at the finale of a fireworks show. Those standing closest to Jarod slapped him on the back to congratulate him as they forced beers into his hands. He just stood there, overwhelmed and turned on and thinking only of Nancy as his ears rang so badly from her sonic booms that he could barely hear.

Soon, one of his younger cousins proudly began telling everyone who would listen about his favorite factoid: “Did you know that Supergirl’s characteristic triple sonic boom comes from shockwaves first from her shoulders, then from her boobs and finally her hips. Boom, KABOOM and Boooommmm.” 

Jarod couldn’t help but laugh. Of all the myriad little known facts about Krypts, this was the one his cousin was into? But he’d gotten it exactly right.”


Shader

For amusement she learned how to fly slowly down a dusty road with just enough heat vision at the right power and wavelength to make surface dust sparkle glow and burn.   A gentle steady superbreath cooled the hot surface to a hard pavement like layer.   The unheated dust on either side blew away from the center.  To an observer above it looks like a low flying plane, other than the sparkling area on the road trailed by the rolling dust clouds on either side.

Winter snowfall could be more entertaining.   Just superbreath was sometimes enough to clear the snow away.