Contrails generaly start at 25000 and over or so I have read. Could someone please explain to me why I am seeing these trails on a hot July afternoon in a grid formation at approx 5000 feet. i live by the airport btw and can see all planes landing and taking off. These trails do not coincide with any normal flight path. Some of them appear to hang vertically in the sky ike huge columns.
Contrails at 5000 feet?
- Thread starter pupa
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Hi Pupa.
Most likely the trails you see are not at 5,000 feet, and are more like at 35,000 feet. It's quite hard to tell.
It's easy to make the mistake that the apparent distance above the horizon is the same as altitude. It's not - especially when the planes are some distance away.
Consider for comparison the Everest View Hotel, which is at about 13,000 feet, and the view it has of Mt. Everest, which is at 30,000 feet.
(And notice Everest, the highest mountain in the world, actually looks a little lower than the surrounding peaks from this perspective.
Most likely the trails you see are not at 5,000 feet, and are more like at 35,000 feet. It's quite hard to tell.
It's easy to make the mistake that the apparent distance above the horizon is the same as altitude. It's not - especially when the planes are some distance away.
Consider for comparison the Everest View Hotel, which is at about 13,000 feet, and the view it has of Mt. Everest, which is at 30,000 feet.
(And notice Everest, the highest mountain in the world, actually looks a little lower than the surrounding peaks from this perspective.
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Jay Reynolds
Senior Member.
A contrail which "appears to hang vertically" is usually either going nearly straight away from you, or heading nearly straight at you.
That was the case with the famous Mystery Missile Trail incident discussed here:
http://contrailscience.com/los-angeles-missile-contrail-explained-in-pictures/
Perspective is interesting.
Hi Pupa.
Most likely the trails you see are not at 5,000 feet, and are more like at 35,000 feet. It's quite hard to tell.
It's easy to make the mistake that the apparent distance above the horizon is the same as altitude. It's not - especially when the planes are some distance away.
Consider for comparison the Everest View Hotel, which is at about 13,000 feet, and the view it has of Mt. Everest, which is at 30,000 feet.
(And notice Everest, the highest mountain in the world, actually looks a little lower than the surrounding peaks from this perspective.
Ok that makes sense. Thank you!
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Thank you . It makes sense to me now.
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