What's the deal with all the contrails?

[Judge Smails]

Really, I'm not generally a conspiracy theorist, tin-foil hat wearing, Lord Jezo motherfufucker, but seriously: what's up with these things? I recently watched some bullshit documentary on the Discovery Channel (and I agree with Ron when he says that alot of the stuff on Discovery is baseless pseudo-science) where these psychos are claiming that it's all a government plot.

Ordinarily, I'd just shrug it off but since I happen to live on an approach to Newark-Liberty Airport (like most people in Central and Northern New Jersey) there are days, like today, where the sky is completely filled with these things. I NEVER, EVER remember seeing so many of these when I was younger. If it's not a govenment conspiracy then can one of the super-smart people on here please explain this to me?

The sky over my house looked something like this, today:

http://www.scienceblog.org/images/contrails.jpg

[jauble]

I blame the whites

[zentraed]

"The federal government's decision to open military airspace to civilian aircraft over the recent Thanksgiving holiday is a nice gesture (related story: U.S to free up skies for holiday). The two "express lanes" opened for passenger traffic along the eastern seaboard are normally used by the military for training exercises,"

Yeah, I don't give any creedence to conspiracy theories, and I'm sick of the whole, "Teach the Controversy" stance that's polluting science education. Why not set up a camera one day?

[Recyclerz]

Well I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords. (Just in case.)

[MadMatt]

The increase in contrails is a combination of increased flight traffic (both locally and generally), and atmospheric conditions.

There may be more flights near or around your area (per Zen's comment), and there are definitely far more airplanes flying now than when we were kids. This part of the equation is sheerly a numbers game: more flights = more contrails.

Atmospherically, contrails are created through a combo of aircraft speed and humidity in the upper atmosphere. Per wikipedia:

Contrails or vapor trails are condensation trails and artificial cirrus clouds made by the exhaust of aircraft engines or wingtip vortices which precipitate a stream of tiny ice crystals in moist, frigid upper air. Being composed of water, the visible white streams are not, in and of themselves, air pollution. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrail)

Planes are generally flying at higher altitudes to decrease both fuel consumption and turbulence. Additionally, the more humid the air in the upper atmosphere the longer contrails will last. If it's a humid day and there are a lot of planes flying really high, you will inevitably see contrails criss-crossing across the sky like chicken scratch.

[SouthSideJohnny]

Thanks MADMATT. That IS a great explanatIoN, especially since there is so much confusiON about THE contrails. These CONSPIRACY nuts amaze me.

[Chigworthy]

MADMATT, It doeSn't explain just whAt iN sweet peArLy christ I saw a fEw weeks ago iN the California sky.

http://ronfez.net/forums/showthread.php?t=64917

[lleeder]

The only thing I know about Contrails is Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Select, Start

[Judge Smails]

MADMATT, It doeSn't explain just whAt iN sweet peArLy christ I saw a fEw weeks ago iN the California sky.

MADMATT IS A NAIENC?

[Chigworthy]

MADMATT IS A NAIENC?

Don't you know what an ALIENC is? Alliance? Get it, alliance with the reptilians under the Colorado sand and chemtrail mind control propagated by the NSA?

Actually, I should have just uncapitalized california.

[furie]

i grew up near grumman's plan on LI where i delt with high altitude tests of their aircraft. I remember seeing contrails as a kid. I remember my father explained what they were to me.

[Gvac]

What's the deal with all the contrails?

Who are these pilots?


http://www.hollywoodtoday.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/seinfeld-is-sort-of-back.jpg

[lleeder]

What's the deal with all the contrails?

Who are these pilots?


http://www.hollywoodtoday.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/seinfeld-is-sort-of-back.jpg

Hey...

[Chigworthy]

Has anyone ever pointed out that Seinfeld has the worst hair ever invented?

[fezident]

Well I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords. (Just in case.)

Perfect!!!!






--
I was in the infantry several years ago. I was in stationed Bosnia/Macedonia/Herzogovinia/Cougar/Mellancamp and we saw two or three of those trails over our OP.
My company commander wanted to call it in because he'd never seen plane trails before. I told him I grew near JFK and I've seen them a squillion times. He then told me that he grew up in Wyoming where "planes just don't do that kinda thing to the sky". He was kinda freaked out.


Good thing he was in charge.

[scottinnj]

I was in the infantry several years ago. I was in stationed Bosnia/Macedonia/Herzogovinia/Cougar/Mellancamp and we saw two or three of those trails over our OP.
My company commander wanted to call it in because he'd never seen plane trails before. I told him I grew near JFK and I've seen them a squillion times. He then told me that he grew up in Wyoming where "planes just don't do that kinda thing to the sky". He was kinda freaked out.


Good thing he was in charge.



Wyoming has air traffic above it? Huh, who'd uh thunk that?

[scottinnj]

We have the A.C. "International" (italics to punch up the joke) Airport which is home to the 177th Jersey Devils F-16 Squadron. And the Philadelphia International Airport is an hour from us by car, 5 minutes by jet.
So after 9/11 when everything was grounded, it kind of freaked us out that there was no air traffic whatsoever. The F-16s were doing circles over D.C. and New York City, so we didn't see them either for a few days. The quiet was creepy. We felt much better when the aircraft came back and started making noise again.

[patsopinion]

Has anyone ever pointed out that Seinfeld has the worst hair ever invented?

its like a jewish mullet

[Tall_James]

Follow the beams Gunslinger.

[MadMatt]

Just so you know, my people are on their way. :bye:

[Marc with a c]

The only thing I know about Contrails is Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Select, Start

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pBqxiEnn1Xo&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pBqxiEnn1Xo&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

[patsopinion]

conspiracy theories about contrails

"what substance are they spraying on us, the unsuspecting populous" (http://www.usatoday.com/weather/resources/basics/2001-03-07-contrails.htm)

fucking crazy dude (http://www.stuartwilde.com/Articles/SW_articles_contrail_update.htm)

fuck science
we've got crazy people to learn from

[Bellyfullasnot]

They were not contrails. You live in the middle of a Missle Command game.