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Post by alf1951 on Feb 28, 2016 15:28:10 GMT
This appeared yesterday morning. At first glance there is obviously a contrail here from an aircraft which had passed over a while before - we get a lot being located under a busy flight path. It's the very thin wavy line which puzzles me - I've never seen anything like it before. The sky was otherwise clear at the time with just some cirrus visible to the East. It appears to be at lower level than the other contrail and didn't widen and disperse like one might expect. It just slowly faded away while I was looking at it. Sorry it's not that clear even after trying to increase the contrast of the photo. Has anyone seen this before?  Thanks Alf |
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Post by teasel on Feb 28, 2016 17:36:05 GMT
drone trail? Fascinating!
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Post by ayjay on Feb 28, 2016 22:18:36 GMT
It appears to be at lower level than the other contrail and didn't widen and disperse like one might expect. It just slowly faded away while I was looking at it. Sorry it's not that clear even after trying to increase the contrast of the photo. Has anyone seen this before? No, but it's interesting. I'm pretty sure you need to be at fairly high level to have the low temperatures required to create a contrail. Aliens !!  Edit: I'll ask my son, he's an aeroplane nutter, so he might have some idea. |
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Post by ayjay on Feb 29, 2016 22:08:25 GMT
I sent my son a copy of the pic and his response was that a drone of some sort is the most likely culprit, but it's difficult to be sure without knowing the area covered by the pic and the height of the contrail, (the higher it is the tighter the line can appear to be), he said he couldn't rule out a missile or plane evading one! He thinks these people are likely to know something about it:- www.raf.mod.uk/rafspadeadam/ |
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Post by rowanberry on Feb 29, 2016 22:43:53 GMT
...he said he couldn't rule out a missile or plane evading one!  Good heavens! |
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Post by alf1951 on Mar 1, 2016 8:20:56 GMT
Teasel, Ayjay, Thanks for your suggestion. A drone seems the most likely - perhaps the only explanation. My searches on the internet produce mostly military sources and nowhere have I been able to find an image which matches my photo. There is someone locally who has a small, noisy thing which made a brief appearance above the tops of nearby alder trees a few months ago. Perhaps they were trying to see how high they could get the thing to fly. I've emailed the image to Spadeadam which is not far from me and will let you know the outcome if they respond.
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Post by snowlynx on Mar 1, 2016 9:35:03 GMT
There were strange lights over Scotland last night that was thought to be a meteor (or maybe a bolide)? Perhaps we are going through a cloud of these things. An irregularly shaped rock could weave a curvy path during the day and leave a trail. Here someone caught one on his dash-cam. Quite spectacular!
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Post by ayjay on Mar 1, 2016 9:41:16 GMT
...he said he couldn't rule out a missile or plane evading one! Good heavens! His thinking was that one or the other could be a ground based simulator linked to a computer in the airborne half of the duo - pure speculation, (don't panic just yet). In case you didn't look at the RAF Spadeadam link, it says on there:- " RAF Spadeadam is the only facility in Europe where aircrews can practise manoeuvres and tactics against a variety of threats and targets that they face in contemporary warfare. This fascinating facility attracts aircraft from the RAF, Army, Navy and NATO Forces".
So, basically, there's a lot of boys, playing with lots of toys.
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Post by accipiter on Mar 1, 2016 18:38:47 GMT
Hmm yes well, personally I think this is quite clearly Puff the magic dragon that lived by the sea who frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honahlee, if you look “very closely” you can just about make out its head!  Alan |
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Post by alf1951 on Mar 2, 2016 8:02:49 GMT
Good suggestion ash but there was only one wiggly trail and (thankfully) all the planes I've been on have had 2 wings! It also seems unlikely if Wikipedia are right - "Contrails produced from jet engine exhaust are seen at high altitude, directly behind each engine. By contrast, the visible cores of wingtip vortices are usually seen only at low altitude where the aircraft is traveling slowly after takeoff or before landing, and where the ambient humidity is higher." It will be interesting to see what Spadeadam have to say if they ever respond. Meanwhile this is what we usually, and all too frequently, see over here weather permitting  |
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Post by NellyDee on Mar 2, 2016 9:56:31 GMT
Gosh fascinating. line seems to be further behind contrail, so maybe higher. Could someone messing about with laser cause that? Or maybe the plane discharged something. I have seen a photo of someone throwing hot water up into freezing cold air and causing snow drops to fall.
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Post by teasel on Mar 5, 2016 22:29:10 GMT
wow - and I thought I was only joking!!
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Post by alf1951 on Mar 9, 2016 7:31:46 GMT
Over a week since I emailed Spadeadam but no reply - I think either they're not interested, don't know or maybe just too busy with their toys!
Alf
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Post by NellyDee on Mar 9, 2016 9:17:49 GMT
Shame it would have been nice to know, how about trying the weather people?
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Post by accipiter on Mar 9, 2016 19:06:29 GMT
Over a week since I emailed Spadeadam but no reply - I think either they're not interested, don't know or maybe just too busy with their toys! Alf It is so annoying when one does not receive a reply, could it be just bad manners hmm but then again may be I am just being old fashion. Alan |
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Good heavens!
