Contrails.

[RedhillPhil]

I suppose it just must be the perfect atmospherics for them to-day but looking up from time to time whilst doing my Sunday afternoon gardening stint here in sunny-with-occasional-showers Redhill I noticed that there's an amazing display of long lasting contrails, both north to south and east to west ( and vice-versa).
Just thought I'd mention it.

[crippen]

http://www.pprune.org/jet-blast/451974-end-world-nigh.html


Lot of people going to 'Rapture" today.:)

[treadigraph]

Certainly were a lot, some great crosses in the sky as well.

I left home in Purley for a walk at 4:30pm with a lovely great "Union Jack" pattern just to the south west - as I crossed Kenley Aerodrome about an hour and half later, it - or one astonishingly like it - was still visible away to the east.

Blowing a bloody gale on the ground though, no gliding on the field.

[DX Wombat]

no gliding on the field.I should hope not, gliders do it much better when airborne. ;)

[treadigraph]

DX :ok:

Mind you, they get good launches when a stong breeze favours the longest runway (03/21?).

Seen some beautiful cirrus formations overhead today and just saw something I've never noticed before: the shadow of a vapour trail actually extending down to ground level just to the west of us, preumably abetted by the slight haze. There may be gold at the end of the rainbow, but I'm afraid there was only the Croydon Fiveways Homebase at the end of that shadow...

[TEEEJ]

RedhillPhil,

I also noticed those conditions at the Duxford Spring Airshow on Sunday with the airliners transiting over the top. Quite spectacular with long ribbons off the wing tips of some types along with the engine contrails.

This one set the conspiracy buffoons off, but the Met Office are seeking observations in a continuing survey. Remember to get keep your bubble making mixture at hand!

Plane spotters needed for climate survey - Met Office (http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2011/OPAL-climate-survey)

There are four main things to do in the survey

Spot plane trails, known as contrails, as a measure of air temperature and humidity

Watch cloud movement to record wind direction in the sky

Blow bubbles to measure wind speed and direction near the ground

Record how hot or cold you feel

Flightglobal have some interesting contrail correspondence during WW2 in their archives. The contrail phenomenon was a bit of a puzzle to many aircraft enthusiasts during that period.

visible vortices | white sky | seen | 1940 | 2045 | Flight Archive (http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1940/1940%20-%202045.html)

economic war | air blockade | power | 1940 | 2235 | Flight Archive (http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1940/1940%20-%202235.html)

There are lots of other correspondence on the subject within the archives. Even Geoffrey R. de Havilland Jr. penned a letter in 1942

war effort | square-cube law | wo flight | 1942 | 1208 | Flight Archive (http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1942/1942%20-%201208.html)

TJ