Wierd Jet Trails

Reply's are getting crazy. Nobody has answered the question yet, same day, side by side same elevation, why is 1 jets trail disappearing as I would call normally and the other trail still there 1 hr later but drifted across the sky with definite "fallout". This jet is undisputedly flying a grid over the sky. We have watched and talked about many days over the year while on anchor, obviously day and sky must be clear. Maybe those in Vic could watch while fishing. I just want an explanation that is not conspiracy like, I don't own a tinfoil hat.

HM
 
Reply's are getting crazy. Nobody has answered the question yet, same day, side by side same elevation, why is 1 jets trail disappearing as I would call normally and the other trail still there 1 hr later but drifted across the sky with definite "fallout". This jet is undisputedly flying a grid over the sky. We have watched and talked about many days over the year while on anchor, obviously day and sky must be clear. Maybe those in Vic could watch while fishing. I just want an explanation that is not conspiracy like, I don't own a tinfoil hat.

HM
How can you be certain they're at the same altitude when you're +- 30 000' below them?
 
Cannot guarantee same height but I am saying is not so different that one can see a difference, I can guarantee that 1 jet is circling and leaving a specific different trail like no other. Guess I will tack up as an unknown. Just look when fishing in JDF, not every day but often enough to say WTH.

HM
 
You are seeing a combination of many things-wasn't really going to answer this but I will have a go. I flew jets for the armed forces for 20 years and then another 10 or so for a foreign power. First off the majority of what you see is straight con trails( jet exhaust) You will not get the same altitude for a con trail to happen 2 days in a row. It is a combination of exhaust gas temperature (600 F) hitting cold air usually in the stratosphere. When an aircraft cons also depends on the relative humidity of the air. If an aircraft starts to con at say 20000 ft( very low and not often) then he will probably con on all altitudes above that. That is why it is impossible to guess 2 aircrafts altitude based on con trails. If one is conning at 20000 ft another will still con at 35000 ft and from the ground you might think they are the same altitude. This also explains why one con trail has a different shape and might last longer than another. The wind may be way different in both direction and strength from one altitude to another and not by small amounts-possibly up to 80 knots over 15000 ft and 40 to 50 degrees different. Same example- A/C starts conning at 20K ft-the trail won't last long as all the temps and exhaust dissipate and equalize quickly but at the same time an A/C at 35K ft will leave a much heavier con trail . This may last for hours and spread by the Jetstream into what looks like wispy clouds. They do contain water and particles just like diesel exhaust does. Another consideration is the age and type of the jet( Props can con too by the way). Newer A/C con less than older- and Stealth A/C don't con at all (much). As for the funny patterns---well you have a radar gunnery school at Esquimalt and a range off the coast-plus Whidby, Nanoose and Comox are all relatively close-I flew radar targets for ships for 3 years off Vic and that's what we did-flew hi altitude patterns for the fire radar to track us.. Hope this helps.
 
Like Spring Fever I have extensive experience in this regard and feel like I should weigh in. I am a long haul pilot flying widebodies across the Pacific for close to 25 years. We generally follow a series of organized tracks called the NOPAC routes and as a result, West and East bound traffic can become quite stacked up. It’s not uncommon to be in the middle of the North Pacific (middle of nowhere) and be literally surrounded by other aircraft, only separated by 1000’ vertically.

What this concentration of aircraft allows, is a close examination of contrail formation and breakup. Contrails vary in intensity and sometimes won’t be forming at all. This will depend on environmental conditions, like temperature, relative humidity and upper level winds. One aircraft 1000’ above you will be leaving very distinct trails while another 1000’ below, won’t be leaving any trail at all. I have watched hundreds of aircraft ahead and above me for hours at a time, they will generate contrails for hours or minutes and the trails will abruptly terminate, only to start up again at some random time again. This is due to the variability of the environmental conditions. When you are traveling at 550 mph, you transverse various conditions quickly, which is not apparent from a ground perspective. Upper level winds regularily exceed 200 mph and will break up a contrail rapidly. This break up can take many forms and may appear as the OP suggests. Vortices are the result of the creation of lift on a wing and can cause issues, ranging from mild turbulence to aircraft upset close to the ground, resulting in a hull loss. The vortices can carry the contrails with them and descend at an average speed of 500 feet per minute and are usually benign within a couple of minutes (2000’) Just because the vortices aren’t a concern to us for safety anymore, doesn’t mean they don’t continue to descend for another few thousand feet, carrying with them the moisture in the contrails with them.

If I were to make an educated hypotheses, I would say the aircraft over Victoria are flying at an altitude and in conditions that promote a solid formation of contrails. At the same time, I would also assume the upper level winds were light and not prone to disrupting the contrails, thus allowing the trails to disperse and descend without breaking up.

Spring Fever, sounds like you and I would share a number of friends.
 
You might want to start using nano tecnology Sunsreen as the zink/titanium lasts for hours and might be picked up under infera red scope if you become lost.
 
How can you be certain they're at the same altitude when you're +- 30 000' below them?

Download the App - Flight Radar 24, you can find out all you want about the aircraft. Altitude, air speed, course of travel, etc.

I agree with Rain City, I think it's a pretty broad stroke to suggest that they are at the same altitude and side by side. There is no back drop to accommodate any depth perception and spatial relationship. It's like saying "the moon looks so much bigger when just above the horizon". It may appear larger but the size of the moon doesn't change in it's course of orbit on a given night.
 
This thread is a 1 old plus 2 weeks of this observation

This is click bait and you should consider removing this as you don't want to be part of the problem.
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