A question for ou aviation experts............

[3fan4life]

I saw these contrails on the way to work this AM:



It struck me as very unusual.

My first thought was that they had been created by several aircraft flying in formation.

Then I thought that it may have been created by a single 4 engine aircraft, but that it would have to have been a big one.

What do you guys think?

[Firefighter]

Looks like five aircraft flying together, not formation flying, maybe military, sometimes airshow aircraft will fly together.

[Patrick]

Contrails like that are normal, but, what about that UFO !  Whats with those weird condensation patches near that thing that looks like a flying cheese grater !

[baldo]

Chemtrails....

[Gavin_Sons]

I'm going with UFO

[Pappy!]

Those are most likely from different aircraft (Airliners) on the same flight path at different times but fairly close together. Usually if you know your geography and have a good sense of direction you can figure their depature and destination points.

I posted a very similar photo of the contrails above the Flight 93 Memorial during my visit in June and Inzane.

[John Schmidt]

The two in the middle are older trails, one on the right somewhat later, on the left is the most recent. Doesn't appear to be much wind up there today.

[3fan4life]

Contrails like that are normal, but, what about that UFO !  Whats with those weird condensation patches near that thing that looks like a flying cheese grater !

That would be the reflection of my radio and instrument panel.

I didn't take the time to roll the window down first. 

[Jess from VA]

I live in the (outward edge) Regan Wash Nat'l flight path.  It gets old.  The planes are much quieter than they used to be, but at night I think some uncap their headers, and some clearly come by lower than normal.

In the USAF, I liked jet noise as the sound of freedom.  Now I just think how nice it would be going somewhere far south with bikinis and margaritas.   

[Oldfishguy]

Odd, Chen trails and all. Nice spray pattern though. 

[art]

I live in the (outward edge) Regan Wash Nat'l flight path.  It gets old.  The planes are much quieter than they used to be, but at night I think some uncap their headers, and some clearly come by lower than normal.

In the USAF, I liked jet noise as the sound of freedom.  Now I just think how nice it would be going somewhere far south with bikinis and margaritas.   

Used to live near RR tracks and got to like the sound of trains. I miss that too.

[3fan4life]

I live in the (outward edge) Regan Wash Nat'l flight path.  It gets old.  The planes are much quieter than they used to be, but at night I think some uncap their headers, and some clearly come by lower than normal.

In the USAF, I liked jet noise as the sound of freedom.  Now I just think how nice it would be going somewhere far south with bikinis and margaritas.   

Earlier this week I was teaching a class when two Navy F-18's came over low and loud.

It was enough to interupt the class for a moment.

I looked at some of the younger students and said, "Do you know what that is?"

They looked slightly puzzled, I then told them "That's the sound of Freedom."

[Patrick]

That would be the reflection of my radio and instrument panel.

I didn't take the time to roll the window down first.  Embarrassed
end quote



 

[Patrick]

some uncap their headers
end quote




 

[hubcapsc]

I live in between Atlanta and Greenville SC. I see a lot of trails like that,
I always guessed it was just a bunch of airlines hopping between the
two, it goes on all day and all night. I usually try to fly out of Greenville,
its almost never direct, almost always a change in Atlanta.

-Mike

[Patrick]

I'd say those trails were made by different aircraft at different times and altitudes. Altitude is very deceiving.  Different engines make different trails and much depends on the type of air being chewed up and spit out.

[RP#62]

With the exception of areas around large airports, light aircraft can pretty much fly where they want, i.e. pick a destination and fly there directly.  Large commercial aircraft fly the airways, which are established routes between established checkpoints.  More likely than not you're seeing all the traffic on one of the airway routes.

-RP

[Patrick]

 More likely than not you're seeing all the traffic on one of the airway routes.
end quote




Yep. Airways, arrival/departure routes/procedures.
Small aircraft/piston engines usually don't leave trails.

[baldo]

In the summertime,  I like to sit outside with my laptop and figure out which plane is which when they fly over.

www.flightaware.com

www.flightradar24.com

These are both pretty good.

[wiggydotcom]

Here, I gots it all figured out....give it a couple seconds to load the planes.

https://www.flightradar24.com/41.72,-88.32/4

[Moonshot_1]

I recall a contrail pattern like that and it appeared as it was a small fleet of aircraft heading somewhere together. As in perhaps an airline getting their planes from the manufacturer.

[HayHauler]

Contrails like that are normal, but, what about that UFO !  Whats with those weird condensation patches near that thing that looks like a flying cheese grater !

That would be the reflection of my radio and instrument panel.

I didn't take the time to roll the window down first. 

Looks like an ICOM. 

Hay 
Jimmyt

[gordonv]

 

Little else to say.