When an airplane leaves ground effect, what effect does this have on induced drag?

When an airplane leaves ground effect, induced drag increases due to several aerodynamic principles related to how lift and drag interact in different flight phases. Ground effect occurs when an aircraft is close to the surface, where the presence of the ground alters the airflow around the wings. This alteration reduces the induced drag by increasing lift efficiency because the proximity to the ground restricts the wingtip vortices that are responsible for generating induced drag.

As the aircraft ascends and moves out of this beneficial ground effect, the wingtip vortices are allowed to spread further into the air, leading to an increase in induced drag. This is because the drag associated with the creation of lift becomes more pronounced at higher altitudes where the aircraft operates without the compensatory ground effect. Consequently, the transition from ground effect to free air results in a noticeable rise in the induced drag experienced by the aircraft.