Photos of Planes and Contrails (That you took yourself)
- Thread starter Mick West
- Start date
cloudspotter
Senior Member.
Bruce Lansberg
Member
I woke up to an amazing sky this morning, covered with contrails. Amsterdam, 2015-01-06.
A scribbly wind-blown trail over London Bridge this morning.
The only potential plane I can see on FR24 was this one, which passed over a few minutes earlier just to the south. The angle of the trail doesn't look quite right (this one was aligned closer to NE-SW) but the wind was pretty strong so could easily have rotated it a bit.
Edit: in fact I think that was it. By the time I took the photo, the plane had turned so the track was exactly as I saw it. The strong SW wind would have blown that section of it directly over my head:
The only potential plane I can see on FR24 was this one, which passed over a few minutes earlier just to the south. The angle of the trail doesn't look quite right (this one was aligned closer to NE-SW) but the wind was pretty strong so could easily have rotated it a bit.
Edit: in fact I think that was it. By the time I took the photo, the plane had turned so the track was exactly as I saw it. The strong SW wind would have blown that section of it directly over my head:
Last edited:
Don Gisselbeck
Member
There's some cold air over the UK at the moment, allowing contrails to form at quite low levels. This plane flying almost overhead is at 29,000ft. Also a very spread-out older trail to the right.
And here's one even lower. This flight, also passing right overhead, left a short section of contrail as it climbed through about 25,000 feet. That's the lowest I've ever seen.
And here's one even lower. This flight, also passing right overhead, left a short section of contrail as it climbed through about 25,000 feet. That's the lowest I've ever seen.
Last edited:
Some more pictures from this afternoon. Sorry for the poor framing, these were snapped out of a moving car and I then couldn't reshoot because my phone memory was full!
This contrail had a very defined shadow, and if you look closely it's actually doubled.
Is this a normal shadow plus a volumetric shadow? As you can see in this rather blurry pic I took a few seconds earlier, this trail was almost perfectly aligned with the sun.
Edit: just looking through my photos and here's
an effect I've never seen before. The pendules of the middle contrail are casting shadow rays onto the thin cirrus sheet.
This contrail had a very defined shadow, and if you look closely it's actually doubled.
Is this a normal shadow plus a volumetric shadow? As you can see in this rather blurry pic I took a few seconds earlier, this trail was almost perfectly aligned with the sun.
Edit: just looking through my photos and here's
an effect I've never seen before. The pendules of the middle contrail are casting shadow rays onto the thin cirrus sheet.
Last edited:
A nice sunset contrail. It's been trail-free with crystal clear skies almost all day, but just before sunset moister air began to push in from the west. This one really stood out (and yes I know it's not sharp!)
A few from the archives. These are from a round-the-world trip I took in 2002-2003.
Contrails above California. Taken when I was driving from San Francisco to LA, but I have no idea where exactly! Possibly somewhere on I-5? March 30, 2003:
The same day and similar location, a sundog which appears to be formed in contrail cirrus:
And the following day, March 31, 2003, flying on Mexicana from LAX to Mexico City. Contrails above, Palos Verdes below. Note the funky rainbow colours caused by shooting through an aircraft window with a polarising filter
Contrails above California. Taken when I was driving from San Francisco to LA, but I have no idea where exactly! Possibly somewhere on I-5? March 30, 2003:
The same day and similar location, a sundog which appears to be formed in contrail cirrus:
And the following day, March 31, 2003, flying on Mexicana from LAX to Mexico City. Contrails above, Palos Verdes below. Note the funky rainbow colours caused by shooting through an aircraft window with a polarising filter
Last edited:
Trailspotter
Senior Member.
Crossing out the Sun:
View attachment 11243
DLH942 and AFR636 crossing their trails near the Sun today, 23-Jan-2015, at 10:55 GMT. Viewed on Google Earth from the camera's exact location, the FlightAware tracks are in an excellent agreement with the Sun position at the time:
Note how the trails deviate from the flight tracks due to the wind.
View attachment 11243
DLH942 and AFR636 crossing their trails near the Sun today, 23-Jan-2015, at 10:55 GMT. Viewed on Google Earth from the camera's exact location, the FlightAware tracks are in an excellent agreement with the Sun position at the time:
Note how the trails deviate from the flight tracks due to the wind.
Last edited:
Trailspotter
Senior Member.
A test of Canon PowerShot SX60 HS. AFR1486 Embraer ERJ-190 from the direct distance of 15 km (9.3 miles) at full optical zoom of the camera (click on the image to enlarge it):
The aircraft was sufficiently lit from below by the setting down Sun to confirm its livery:
EDIT
Here is a crop from the full size image, as the original image size was reduced by the Metabunk software.
The aircraft was sufficiently lit from below by the setting down Sun to confirm its livery:
EDIT
Here is a crop from the full size image, as the original image size was reduced by the Metabunk software.
Last edited:
SR1419
Senior Member.
I was skiing on Pebble Creek trail over the New Year...always like the dark rocks of Barronette peak et al...
You need a picture of a contrail and a wolf together for the win!
NoParty
Senior Member.
I generally wait 'til the "'New Year' Massive Crowd"
dissipates...I camped in Pebble in June...and yes, almost went skiing there a week a ago,
but eventually decided to snowshoe nearer my base camp in Mammoth.
(there were 4 snowshoers [below] just setting out on Pebble, and I can't stand crowds)
I didn't have much luck with wolf photography this month...
but lots of howling of the Lamar Canyon pups...and plenty o' coyotes...
cloudspotter
Senior Member.
Well that's a bit spooky. I'd never even heard of Hop! before and yesterday I spotted this flight passing (almost) overhead. No pics though
NoParty
Senior Member.
I liked these wispy, ethereal little clouds... [11/29/14 East County of San Diego 4:17pm]
and was asking myself if my cloud fetishist buddies would appreciate me snapping a pic...
and then this bonus contrail began to scroll...sealing the deal (but now to the "contrails" file, instead of "clouds")
[Which turned into this, 34 minutes later: 4:51 pm]
[...and then another minute later, pulled in slightly...no enhancement of color...]
and was asking myself if my cloud fetishist buddies would appreciate me snapping a pic...
and then this bonus contrail began to scroll...sealing the deal (but now to the "contrails" file, instead of "clouds")
[Which turned into this, 34 minutes later: 4:51 pm]
[...and then another minute later, pulled in slightly...no enhancement of color...]
Last edited:
Don Gisselbeck
Member
Trailspotter
Senior Member.
Such a separation of contrail in two parts is not uncommon, I've seen a similar effect before:
https://www.metabunk.org/threads/hy...on-of-symmetric-and-asymmetric-contrails.929/
The separation is initiated by the bottom section of exhaust contrails falling into the wake vortices. The fates of top (exhaust contrail) and bottom (hybrid contrail) sections depend on the relative humidity. In the case like in your photo, it should be sufficiently high for both sections to persist, but not very high so they won't spread quickly and have merged together again. A substantial wind shear also can help to keep them apart.
See also:
https://www.metabunk.org/threads/crow-instability-hybrid-contrails-and-pendules.1571/
https://www.metabunk.org/threads/th...ntrail-hybrid-contrail-crow-instability.2990/
Last edited:
See my post earlier in this thread: https://www.metabunk.org/threads/ph...hat-you-took-yourself.1487/page-9#post-122713
This trail:
Separated into this:
Trailspotter
Senior Member.
Two consecutive long-haul flights passed almost overhead this morning:
Air Canada Airbus A330-343, Flight ACA833, registration number C-GFAF.
Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-432(ER), Flight DAL419, registration number N826MH. A question to the pilots: what is the red light at the bottom of the plane?
Different aircraft, different altitudes, different gap lengths between engines and contrails.
Air Canada Airbus A330-343, Flight ACA833, registration number C-GFAF.
Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-432(ER), Flight DAL419, registration number N826MH. A question to the pilots: what is the red light at the bottom of the plane?
Different aircraft, different altitudes, different gap lengths between engines and contrails.
I'm not a pilot but I believe that is the rotating beacon which is illuminated while the engines are running?
https://cpteg.wordpress.com/tag/rotating-beacon/
Trailspotter
Senior Member.
Could be the beacon. I've taken six shots of this plane and the red light was seen only in one on them. Interestingly, in the next shot five seconds later there were lights at the wingtips:I'm not a pilot but I believe that is the rotating beacon which is illuminated while the engines are running?
View attachment 11329
https://cpteg.wordpress.com/tag/rotating-beacon/
I first thought these could be sunlight reflections, but now they may well be the navigation lights or strobes. However, why all these lights were on in broad daylight and apparently just for a brief moment?
Last edited:
Whitebeard
Senior Member
Taken in rear car park of The Lower George Inn, Westgate Street, Gloucester, UK. GL1 2PG @ approx 4.30pm on Sat 24th jan. Looking west.
map ref 51°52'01.40" N 2°15'03.29" W
I think the longer of the two trials is UA941 Heathrow to New York Boeing 767-322,, reg -N655UA @30,000ft
The short is likely to be BA297, Heathrow to Chicago. Boeing 777-336, reg G-STBI also at 30,000ft
(although I may be wrong as there was a Lufthansa Airbus 330 also around at the time and this is my first attempt at this kind of identification. So If I'm wrong feel free to correct me)
Trailspotter
Senior Member.
I think the longer of the two trials is UA941 Heathrow to New York Boeing 767-322,, reg -N655UA @30,000ft
The short is likely to be BA297, Heathrow to Chicago. Boeing 777-336, reg G-STBI also at 30,000ft
(although I may be wrong as there was a Lufthansa Airbus 330 also around at the time and this is my first attempt at this kind of identification. So If I'm wrong feel free to correct me)
The filename of the photo, 20150124_163416, provides its exact date and time. Looking at the FlightAware tracks of the above planes on Google Earth from the nearest StreetView point verifies BA297 (orange track) as the candidate flight for the short trail. The longer trail, however, is probably left by Lufthansa DL412 flight (green track).
The right ends of the thicker parts of the tracks correspond to the positions of the planes at the time of the photo. The left ends of the trails in the photo would be lower than the corresponding tracks because of the Northerly wind, forecasted for the date and time.
You have asked for it
Last edited:
Whitebeard
Senior Member
thanks mate, half right, so not bad for a first attempt.You have asked for it
derwoodii
Senior Member.
Over township of Bright mid north Victoria Australia 30/1/15 about 745 pm looking south as on the Sydney Melbourne route so always busy. What was interesting apart from the evening light & various types of clouds & the serenity was ( thou not captured in picture) another jet not leaving a trail was going south beside the contrail.
bah i'm trying to get my head around UTC conversions,,,, give us a mo be back with the answer
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/timezone/utc
bah i'm trying to get my head around UTC conversions,,,, give us a mo be back with the answer
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/timezone/utc
Balance
Senior Member
For some reason since joining this site, I tend to look-up(!) most times I step outside and as a result have begun to capture a few snaps of clouds on a not-so-hot smartphone.
I've still yet to develop the habit of reviewing said snaps so have here my entire collection to date.
I believe this is a distrail. 18 Oct 2014
31 Oct 2014 11:30
(this missing one sitting in attachments)
31 Oct 2014 13:25
Ooops @Mick West I got the wrong thread? Should this actually go here instead? https://www.metabunk.org/threads/photos-of-clouds-and-skies-that-you-took-yourself.2900/
I've still yet to develop the habit of reviewing said snaps so have here my entire collection to date.
I believe this is a distrail. 18 Oct 2014
31 Oct 2014 11:30
(this missing one sitting in attachments)
31 Oct 2014 13:25
Ooops @Mick West I got the wrong thread? Should this actually go here instead? https://www.metabunk.org/threads/photos-of-clouds-and-skies-that-you-took-yourself.2900/
Attachments
Last edited:
Nah, there's some overlap. I get confused at the which thread to use myself.
Balance
Senior Member
Ahh, so "photos of Planes and contrails..." was not created with your programmer hat on then
Cheers.Just realised I messed up the photos - deleted one and wrongly re-added the last instead. Not sure how to edit it without making it worse.
M Bornong
Senior Member.
Delta Airlines Flight 199A, Los Angeles to Seattle must have had a nice view of this virga.
Too bad people like Michael J. Murphy can't enjoy virga for what it is. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10204691423019097
Trailspotter
Senior Member.
cloudspotter
Senior Member.
Looks like I got a little drain action there
Is that not from the APU?
I don't think it's APU exhaust, as it was only there for a few seconds. In a sequence of photos from 1:36:47, 1:36:57, 1:37:01, and 1:37:15, it only appears in the middle two photos, so it was leaving a trail for between 4 and 30 seconds
Here's the full set of photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/metabunk/sets/72157650213360930/
M Bornong
Senior Member.
After a full month of waking up to fog or low clouds, it was nice to see the sunrise yesterday morning. When I noticed the vertical looking trail (circled, just left of the sun),
I thought of Mick's challenge (https://www.metabunk.org/threads/whats-the-farthest-distance-a-contrail-is-visible-at.5628/), but was disappointed to learn it was only 60 miles away. My line of sight is not obstructed much by the line of Cypress Trees this contrail seems to be rising above, as the Tehachapi Mountains line up almost perfectly with their tops and are nearly 3000 feet higher than where I was standing about midway between me and where this plane was.
I have another photo taken just less than 2 minutes earlier without that contrail showing, so even at it's most distant point, I don't think the trail is more than 75 miles away. I've been wanting to see a Virgin Galactic flight test, they have never given more than an hour notice. At least I now know I can see the air space over the Mojave Space Port, and if conditions are correct, I might be able to see some of a test, once they get in the air again.
I thought of Mick's challenge (https://www.metabunk.org/threads/whats-the-farthest-distance-a-contrail-is-visible-at.5628/), but was disappointed to learn it was only 60 miles away. My line of sight is not obstructed much by the line of Cypress Trees this contrail seems to be rising above, as the Tehachapi Mountains line up almost perfectly with their tops and are nearly 3000 feet higher than where I was standing about midway between me and where this plane was.
I have another photo taken just less than 2 minutes earlier without that contrail showing, so even at it's most distant point, I don't think the trail is more than 75 miles away. I've been wanting to see a Virgin Galactic flight test, they have never given more than an hour notice. At least I now know I can see the air space over the Mojave Space Port, and if conditions are correct, I might be able to see some of a test, once they get in the air again.
Similar threads
