Glossary
Prop wash
Turbulent, disturbed air left behind by spinning propellers, which can cause a drone to bounce or shake when flying through it.
Prop wash is the turbulent air that a drone's own propellers leave behind, especially noticeable during descents, hard braking, or tight turns when the aircraft flies back into air it has just disturbed. It shows up as a sudden shake or bounce that can feel like the drone briefly loses its stability.
Every propeller-driven aircraft produces some prop wash, but how noticeable it feels depends on flight controller tuning, propeller design, and flying style. Aggressive descents straight down through disturbed air tend to trigger it most obviously, which is why pilots are often taught to descend at an angle rather than straight down.
Prop wash is sometimes confused with a hardware problem like a bent prop or a loose motor, but it is a normal aerodynamic effect rather than a defect. Adjusting flight controller tuning can reduce how much it affects handling, and changing the angle of descent during flight avoids triggering it in the first place.