On Tuesday!
Please welcome Christine Hollingsworth for an education on Contrails and more...
What is a contrail?
There are two main types of contrails: Aerodynamic and Exhaust.
Aerodynamic contrails happen when the air pressure decreases enough that the temperature drops to the dewpoint, so the air condenses and the moisture becomes visible. These are short-lived; sometimes you’ll see them when the air enters a jet engine on takeoff, as a wingtip vortex on landing, or when planes like fighter jets take extremely sharp turns.
Exhaust contrails tend to last longer. The water vapor in the engine exhaust creates a local rise in relative humidity that brings the air to its saturation point, and since it’s so cold, the water freezes and becomes visible. These are the kind you’re more used to seeing.
Unfortunately, these explanations aren’t good enough for some people. Many believe that contrails are actually “chemtrails” – that they contain harmful substances used to do everything from fighting global warming (by spraying aluminum and barium in the air to reflect the sun's heat away from the earth) to controlling the population (by making everyone sick, somehow).
The most common pictures that will be shown as “evidence” of chemtrails are as follows:
Myth: This is one type of sprayer device used to spread chemicals.
Fact: This is atmospheric sampling equipment.
Myth: This is a plane spraying chemtrails.
Fact: This is a Cessna 172 flying over morning glory clouds in Australia.
Myth: These are the chemical barrels on commercial aircraft!!!
Fact: These are ballast tanks full of water to test different weight and balance profiles on experimental aircraft.
Some guys even crashed a meteorology conference and left brochures all over the tables.
Love the patent number they zoom in on… “Systems and Methods for Aerial Dispersion of Materials”…it’s the firefighting Evergreen 747 Supertanker!
There are two main types of contrails: Aerodynamic and Exhaust.
Aerodynamic contrails happen when the air pressure decreases enough that the temperature drops to the dewpoint, so the air condenses and the moisture becomes visible. These are short-lived; sometimes you’ll see them when the air enters a jet engine on takeoff, as a wingtip vortex on landing, or when planes like fighter jets take extremely sharp turns.
The most common pictures that will be shown as “evidence” of chemtrails are as follows:
Fact: This is atmospheric sampling equipment.
How can it be a “sprayer” if it points both
into and away from the wind?!
Fact: This is a Cessna 172 flying over morning glory clouds in Australia.
I don’t think I can make this one much clearer.
Fact: These are ballast tanks full of water to test different weight and balance profiles on experimental aircraft.
If passenger jets are the ones spraying these things…
Where are all the seats?!
Some guys even crashed a meteorology conference and left brochures all over the tables.
Many of my pilot friends and I thought this conspiracy was getting funnier and funnier. Then we found this, from WhyInTheWorldAreTheySpraying.com:
Look closely at the awards. It hasn’t actually won anything, nor has it been acclaimed by any critics or broken any ground.
They have a shirt!
Now, I thought this was pretty funny. So we were going to buy a bunch to support their cause, but sadly, they’re sold out. Not wanting to be a poor sport, I decided to make my own.
And now it’s on a shirt (both men’s and women’s). And coffee cups, mouse pads, and even a flask, thanks to CafePress.com. If you want to get yours:
And now it’s on a shirt (both men’s and women’s). And coffee cups, mouse pads, and even a flask, thanks to CafePress.com. If you want to get yours:
Not sure about you... but I'm getting the shirt! And a mug... and contributing to the humor. While there are all sorts of conspiracy theories out there, not often you find a pilot taking action like this. Christine... thank you for a great post and for the continued smiles along this journey we call life!
UPDATE!
Christine, This photo was on the internet.
It must be true!
Enjoy the Journey...
XO Karlene
Author of Flight For Control and Flight For Safety,
If you haven't read them...it's time!
Did you see that there was just a hearing in arizona about this? The public comments were crazy... things like "they've been spraying us like bugs for years and it's simply not ok!" I think if anyone asks I'm going to tell them all about the tanks we carry and how flights are never really oversold, but we have to bump people because of the weight of the fluid.
ReplyDeleteLol... yes, that would be a great briefing item...and going in the movie! Thanks for the great idea. I love it. Being a bug is not okay! :)
DeleteContrail = alto stratus cloud (or have I been duped?)
ReplyDeleteIt's all about the dupe. I'm just saying...
DeleteGreat jumpin' Jehosephat! I KNEW you were one of the members of the conspiracy!
ReplyDeleteLOL, thank you for this. Although I had a grand time a few weeks ago on Twitter lampooning a couple chemtrail conspiracy nuts and shredding their "facts," the joke is getting mighty tired.
Yes, I had no idea the feelings behind this and people believed it. But you have to admit, miss Christine is pretty funny. And she does her research. If we can just enlighten one bug...we'll be doing great!
DeleteNo worries, I know you pilots are not part of the conspiracy... You just follow the check list and leave the switch in "NORM" position without thinking about it and the system handles the spaying automagicly! ;)
ReplyDelete(hope you get the irony, otherwise I'm busted! :)
/ Staffan
We know nothing. We just read the checklist and move switches. Normal. Lights out. OMG...if we go to drones, they might put chem tanks in the cockpit in our seats. Another reason to stop drones.
DeleteI used to monitor the spraying done by a cloud seeding company in Colorado, so there is some basis for this "conspiracy." I also grew up in Florida where they do spray for mosquitos by air and by ground (trucks). I am sure there have been experimental trials done with some of the metallic particles, but nothing to support this huge conspiracy theory that has taken root.
ReplyDeleteWhat did you seed clouds with... salt? Carbon dioxide? Yes... cloud seeding is true. As bug spray... they even spray(ed) the crops, but I don't think they did that at altitude with the contrails. Not very effective up there. I'm wondering if this is where the conspiracy started? Could be.
DeleteBut I think the contrails are just that... contrails and not chemtrails. But there are many out there who believe otherwise. Maybe we need to get the shirt.
The most fun thing is knowing Christine, can you hear her talking about this? :)
Love the last pic. Bwahaha!
ReplyDeleteI know. It's awesome. lol
DeleteI've been a chemtrail fan for some time. Of course it's the government spraying "mind control" chemicals on the unsuspecting population.
ReplyDeleteSuch evidence as "a plane flies over with a con/chem trail and only 30 minutes later fine fibers can be seen blowing in the wind (spider threads).
This gem was on a page titles "how do eletes escape chemtrails"
the real purpose of the chemtrails. It is mind control. It is done by delivering a high level of metals to all the people of earth. The aim is to turn each one of us into a walking antenna. Human beings are electrical in nature. In addition to our complex electrical makeup, we have an energetic side as well. Our meridians and chakras are only the most basic component of this hidden side. This energetic side is very sensitive to electro magnetic and scalar magnetic signals reaching into the terrahertz band. Saturating humans with metallic compounds makes them more sensitive to man made signals in these ranges. Much research has been conducted and many patents have been awarded relating to remote influence, electromagnetic telepathy and mind control.
There may be other reasons for chemtrails in addition to this, but we believe this is a major reason.
Ok, yeah,
For hours and hours of fun, go to YouTube and search "chemtrails", you will not be disappointed!
This explains so much! lol. Next time I write something I shouldn't, I will blame it on mind control. Thanks for the fun time suggestion on Youtube!
DeleteBill Palmer, you might be right, as I am the Borg and resistance is futile.
ReplyDeleteLol.... how does one become a Borg? Thanks for the comment Kevin
DeleteMany things in life need to be in the public domain,so to speak,but contrails?
ReplyDeleteThey've been part of our lives for as long as aircraft have been able to fly high enough.They are what they are,exhaust gases from jet engines.Why does everything have to be a conspiracy theory?
I'm not sure... but I think people just want drama? Maybe they live in so much fear... not sure. When you figure it out, let me know. :)
DeleteBill Palmer, great explanation!
ReplyDeleteI only have 2 concerns: 1.) Governments are too incompetent to keep a "vast conspiracy" such as this under wraps; 2.) Why do we still have people slaughtering each other in the Middle East in Africa? If chemtrails truly turned us into walking, pacifist zombies...sign me up, LOL!
You're right, great fodder for entertaining reading!
Thanks Eric! Good luck on your shirts too.
Delete