Most “chemtrail” conspiracy theorists admit that contrails are indeed a real and innocuous phenomena, but they also insist that chemtrails are different and that they can be distinguished from contrails. Many claim that contrails are wispy, thin and disperse quickly, while chemtrails are longer lasting and hang in the air in a manner that water vapor would not. They also claim that it can be demonstrated by the fact that multiple aircraft may be seen at the same time, with some leaving trails and others not doing so. This, they claim, proves that the trail is not being caused by atmospheric conditions, but rather by the aircraft emitting something.

The truth is that the nature of an aircraft’s contrail depends on a number of factors. These include the relative humidity of the air, the temperature, the altitude the aircraft is traveling at as well as the type of engines the aircraft has. Contrails can be formed by the rapid cooling of the exhaust from both piston and jet engines, which contains water vapor from combustion. Much like one’s breath shows up on a cold day, the engine exhaust condenses in the cold high altitude air. It forms microdroplets of water, and in many cases this will freeze into tiny particles of ice. Contrails can also be formed from moisture within the air which is condensed by the pressure from the aircraft and may form trails from wingtip vortices or around other areas of the aircraft that develop turbulence. The particulates in exhaust from aircraft can also serve to ’seed’ the consation of atmospheric moisture.

Lets take a look at some historical images, presumably before the alleged “chemtrail conspiracy” started:

Claim number 1: Chemtrails are more persistent than contrails. Contrails don’t maintain their definition. They disperse quickly like a wispy cloud of steam: If the trail is narrow and well defined, it must be a contrail.

1940: Battle Of Britain. Shortly after a dogfight.

1944: Battle of the Bulge:

1955: Nuclear Test
(The bomber that delivered the nuclear weapon left contrails. The weapon was parachute retarded and did not detonate until after the plane had passed. This image was taken at least 5 minutes after the aircraft has passed through.)

Claim Number 2: Basically the opposit of claim 1 (These guys are not consistant) Contrails are straight and well defined and they hang in the air in about the same shape. Chemtrails are made of heavy chemicals that are “sprayed” or “dusted” and therefore they don’t hang in the air and maintain their shape. Instead they fall quickly down to earth where they can contaminate humans. Therefore, they are seen in a more fan-like pattern that is short lasting.

1943: 100th Bomber Group over Germany

Circa 1955: B-36 Peacemarker

Claim 3: Chemtrails look like a mist or spray, If it appears to be a misty pattern that is wide yet low density, it is a chemtrail

Second World War: Flight of B-24 Liberators

Claim Number 4: If you see multiple aircraft and they look like they’re at about the same altitude and one is producing trails and another is not then it proves that they’re not condensation and that one of the aircraft has its sprayers on.

(note: altitude is extremely hard to judge)

1944: B-17 over Germany. Contrails seen in background

B-17 Formation, 1943:

Circa 1944: B-17 Flight

Claim number 5: If you see multiple aircraft their contrails should be identical. If some are whispy and others are narrow or if some appear immediately and others are delayued then this is proof that it is not contrail and is really a chemtrail.

Early 1960’s: US F-106 Intercepts And Follows Soviet Tu-95 Over International Waters

Early 1960’s: Canadian Air Force Exercises

Claim Number 6: Chemtrails are very thick and high in density. Contrails should be very low density If it’s thick and smokey looking, it must be a chemtrail!

1952: De havilland Comet

Circa 1943: B-17

Claim Number 7: Contrails only come from engines. If the trail is coming from the wingtips or tail, then it must be from a spray nozzle.

Early 1960’s: Convair 990
(note wingtip contrail)

Date Unknown: Prop tip Condensation
(Caused by the high pressure vorticies at the prop tips)

Claim Number 8: Chemtrails have weird shapes or look distorted

Early 1960s: Soviet Tu-95
(note: In this case the turbulence from the props is distorting the contrails into a spiral-like pattern, but this can also happen from wing vortacies or wake turbulence.)

1957: NB-36H Nuclear Aircraft Research Program
(The United States tested the operation of a nuclear aircraft in flight on a modified B-36. The reactor did not power the aircraft)

Claim Number 9: There should not be so many contrails. If you see them snaking all over the sky that’s very suspicious and it means they’re probably chemtrails.

1953: “Rails and Jet Trails” Photograph by Ansel Adams

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 at 6:40 pm and is filed under Bad Science, Conspiracy Theories, Culture, Good Science, History. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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