Virgin Atlantic Airbus - Different coloured contrails, Kernersville, North Carolina 16th March 2016

[TEEJ]

The following video was uploaded by Michael Rutledge of Kernersville, North Carolina. The video has the following description.

Published on 18 Mar 2016
Notice the difference between colors from each side. I also have several stills and video of planes spraying while flying the opposite direction the dark trail always comes from the right side.
After I lose the Plane in this one I follow the trail back to where it starts and you can see it mixing before it spreads.

Content from external source

Michael lives in Hendrix View Lane which he openly reveals in the video comments.

Screenshot from Planefinder. Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330, registration G-VINE.



Posted on Facebook Page



https://www.facebook.com/mike.rutledge.796/videos/10207388436888000/

There was another Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330 that passed over further to the west at 23:55 GMT, but I think the first one, G-VINE, is the one in the video.



It appears to me to be a simple case of the darker contrail in shadow. The starboard (right) hand side of the Airbus is shadow.

It also crossed my mind that it might possibly be a variant of the same engine Rolls Royce Trent 772-60?

See thread on likely intermixed engines.

https://www.metabunk.org/white-grey...likely-intermixed-engine-configuration.t3246/

Trent 772-60
Certified in March 1994, rated at 71,100 lbf (316 kN) for take-off.Used on the Airbus A330-342 variant.
Trent 772B-60
Certified in September 1997, rated at 71,100 lbf (316 kN) for take-off, produces additional thrust compared to the 772-60 between 610m (2,000ft) and 2440m (8,000ft).Used on the Airbus A330-243 and Airbus A330-343X variants.
Trent 772C-60
Certified in March 2006, rated at 71,100 lbf (316 kN) for take-off, produces additional thrust compared to the 772B-60 above 2440m (8,000ft).Used on the Airbus A330-243 and Airbus A330-343X variants

Content from external source

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_Trent_700

Possibly just the lighting on the following image but the starboard (right) engine appears to have a differently coloured front part of the engine cowling? This is G-VINE which I believe features in the video?




2015 image of G-VINE



https://www.planespotters.net/photo/640325/g-vine-virgin-atlantic-airways-airbus-a330-343

Michael also filmed this airliner minutes after the Airbus flyover. Clearly the light is coming from the left with the darker trail in partial shadow of the other. Michael is claiming that following

One spraying with the Sun on the right side and the right side is spraying the dark part of the S*** they are spaying us with.

Content from external source

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...74123111987.2049454.1199070566&type=3&theater

 

[Mick West]

It appears to me to be a simple case of the darker contrail in shadow. The starboard (right) hand side of the Airbus is shadow.

There's certainly a very significant shadow in that direction.

2015 image of G-VINE

Another of uncertain date showing different engines http://www.ryan-douglas.co.uk/virgin-atlantic.html

 

[Spectrar Ghost]

Another of uncertain date showing different engines http://www.ryan-douglas.co.uk/virgin-atlantic.html

I'd opine that they are differently painted, but likely identical engines. The surface details look identical.

 

[Mick West]

Jan 28, 2015

 

[TEEJ]

G-VINE is still operating with the different coloured cowling. Video from 20th March 2016

 

[Mick West]

Seems like the mismatched cowlings were only from Jan 2015 to March 2015, based on flickr images.

However, after that the engines are still not matching, with different logos:
May 16, 2015

Source

 

[Trailspotter]

He also posted this photo on his Facebook page as a counterargument to @TEEJ's comments on the youtube video:

One spraying with the Sun on the right side and the right side is spraying the dark part of the Shit they are spaying us with.

Content from external source

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10207388454728446&set=ecnf.1199070566&type=3&theater

However, the photo clearly shows that the aircraft is lit up on the LEFT (port) side and its right (starboard) side in the shadow. Therefore, the dark right contrail must be in the shadow of the left one.

PS Apologies for repeating the picture and the argument from the end of OP, I've missed it somehow at the first read. Probably, I've just scrolled the page down too far.

 

[Mick West]

G-VINE is still operating with the different coloured cowling. Video from 20th March 2016

View attachment 18174

On March 20 VS109 was G-VGEM, not G-VINE

 

[TEEJ]

Thanks, Mick.

G-VGEM also flew close to the filming location on 16th March. Judging by the video the Airbus A330 doesn't appear to have the starboard white cowling?

 

[Mick West]

I suspect the different engine showing up on different planes indicated that they swap individual engines out as needed for maintenance or repair, and that the G-VINE engine ended up on G-VGEM

It might even be that the white-banded engine is the "spare" engine - an older one they use while others are being serviced.

 

[Clunk]

Virgin engineering will be unlikely to have many, if any, spare cowlings like this in the stores that are painted up. I guess there's probably not much need for them. Should one get damaged and they haven't got a red one in stock, they'll just get one off the shelf from wherever is convenient at short notice and replace with a red one in due course. It's very unlikely that it's an indication that the engine itself has been changed. I have a contact and can probably find out if it's important.

 

[Mick West]

Virgin engineering will be unlikely to have many, if any, spare cowlings like this in the stores that are painted up. I guess there's probably not much need for them. Should one get damaged and they haven't got a red one in stock, they'll just get one off the shelf from wherever is convenient at short notice and replace with a red one in due course. It's very unlikely that it's an indication that the engine itself has been changed. I have a contact and can probably find out if it's important.

I'm thinking that the cowling stays with the engine when they swap them out. Seems rather an odd coincidence otherwise, the same cowling swap on two planes a year apart.

 

[Clunk]

Not at all, Mick. Time before overhaul on a Trent 700 engine is 30-36000 hours, whereas it's very common to see mis-matched temporary cowls as they're quite vulnerable to damage.

 

[Trailblazer]

A friend who is a pilot sent me this photo, taken from the cockpit. This is a Cathay Pacific 777, and the difference in colour between the sunlit and shadowed contrails is obvious.