Strange 'event' off the Eastern Coast of Sicily.

reply to post by silo13


If there is an airshow today, make sure to get good pictures to see how they compare to yesterday's! You might be able to totally rule out the airshow angle if they don't do anything similar today in the actual show.

reply to post by Myendica

I would have nevr posted the pics if it woulda been jets, and so I cant imagine jets duped the op. I dont buy jets.. I may have to call some relatives.

Spot on! I never would have posted pics if I had even the slightest idea what I saw was caused by fighters. And no, I'm not allowing the general consensus here to change my mind - completely at least and not yet.

Do I still think there's more to the story?
Yes.

One of the biggest reasons? The tone of voice my long time friend used when saying to me 'What in the hell was that'! (She's lived here all her life on the coast).

Do I take into consideration if there was a jet coming straight at me (let's say from 12'clock like) and it took the upward turn into my face so to speak - that I wouldn't see the curve and only something looking remarkably like a rocket shooting out of the water? Yes, I consider that. But again. I saw no planes. I heard no noise like a jet.

Atmosphere? Pressure? A new 'secret' missile test during a planned 'fly over'? Wax in my ears? We may never know. But I know I've got clean ears.

Listen, I've lived here a long time and heard lots of jets, seen lots of fighters fly over (in fact two just the day before this 'incident') and again - NOTHING ever like this.

So, I'm waiting for the airshow today with my camera ready. We'll see what we see. But I know what I saw yesterday and it's going to take a lot to make me believe it was 'only jets'.

peace

Added Note: The 'show' was supposed to start at 1400 - 15 minutes ago. Nothing yet. Still ready.

reply to post by getreadyalready

If there is an airshow today, make sure to get good pictures to see how they compare to yesterday's! You might be able to totally rule out the airshow angle if they don't do anything similar today in the actual show.

You bet I'm ready! Charged camera battery, etc. Pins and needles time. I'll let you know as soon as I do.

One problem though? I read they will be using the 'Three Colors' today (white, red and green). That leaves us a one out of three chance to see something like yesterday.

Be back when I know more - Thanks.

peace

reply to post by 303inMyBrain

Let's not forget what might have gotten lost in the shuffle. That great big coincidence of an air show scheduled in tandem with a military exercise coinciding with something out of the ordinary.

There’s really nothing more I need to say - or there shouldn’t be should there.

Thank you to 303inmyBrain for the link!

Bilateral training exercises between the Italian and Tunisian Navies will take place between June 11 and 15 in the waters of eastern Sicily.

The "Oasis" exercise has this year been planned, organized and coordinated by the Italian Navy.

Oasis? That's an interesting term.

Now in its tenth year, the training is "led" on an alternate basis by the Italian and Tunisian Navies and is part of a series of international cooperation activities that the Italian Navy carries out with a number of Mediterranean nations.

Interesting it comes right at the same time as the 'air show' - which hasn't been here for 6 years. Hmmm...

This year, for the first time, cooperation will stretch to the underwater sector, with the development of activities concerning techniques and procedures for the search and removal of devices from the seabed.

Wow...

Tunisia will be represented by two patrollers from the Albatross division, Annon and Hamilcar, an inspection team and a team of submarines.

link

*Heavy sigh*...

peace

I haven't read through all of the comments, so I don't know if anyone has touched on this yet, but this looks like the same sort of thing that one sees often while looking over a flat land or seascape. While the trails do look like rocket launches what you see may not be what is really there. Due to the curve of the earth and winds at higher altitudes even contrails from airplanes can give the impression that they are going straight up and/or making sharp turns. Due to the sounds that you heard I would guess that they are indeed missle tests and that weather conditions helped to carry the sound to shore.

If there is a military exercise scheduled then the time and place is always subject to change. Considering that Russia was doing some missile tests the other day (UFOs over the mid-east) it wouldn't surprise me to know that the "other guys" bumped up their timetable to make a statement.

Since you guys are all still there this morning I would guess the answer to the question of "what the hell was that?" is a pretty mundane, although sad one.

Well... No noise. No planes. Nothing. Nothing I can SEE or HEAR from here - looking right out over the sea where the pics in this thread were taken and where this 'display' is supposed to be taking place. Is it too early? That wouldn't surprise me as things here often are not on time - but - an hour and a half late and still nothing?

Hmmm...

peace

Originally posted by silo13
reply to post by cavtrooper7

 

Maybe sub launched cruise missiles.

I've no idea - I'm still checking the photos in 'huge' form (like 59x39 inches) and see nothing yet.

Question though: Do jets (?) exist able to make those types of maneuvers? From flying flat over the water into and absolutely STRAIGHT UP position - that kind of incredible angle instantly?

You mean, like this?

Where were the noises coming from? Because I've seen a lot of videos lately regarding weird sounds coming from the sky.

Originally posted by silo13
reply to post by Myendica

 

One of the biggest reasons? The tone of voice my long time friend used when saying to me 'What in the hell was that'! (She's lived here all her life on the coast).

...

I heard no noise like a jet.

May I ask what kind of jets you are familiar with? Do you mean passenger jets or military jets? I suspect you will have heard military jets previously if you are located near one or more airbases.

I was under the impression that military jets will usually abide by certain regulations in populated areas relating to height and speed, etc, to limit the nuisance problem. Is it possible that this was a jet that sounded different because it wasn't going as easy on the throttle as the ones you usually hear?

An intruiging incident that you have documented well and explained thoughtfully. Even if this does simply turn out to be a jet I still think you've set a good example of how to run a thead, kudos to you!

reply to post by cavtrooper7


Shooting at what ? Folks say missles which is alarming enough but no one says what is being shot at. What would they be shooting at ? This looks like contrails from airplanes to me but this being ATS I'd better say they are either chem trails or trails from a missle launch. But they really look like ordinary contrails to me.

Originally posted by CLPrime
reply to post by silo13

 

Tomorrow, there's an air show in Catania (the Acireale Air Show). It might be planes practicing for that.

You mean for the M'Fing Catania Wine Mixer?

sorry - couldn't resist :-)

Originally posted by silo13
reply to post by cavtrooper7

 

Missile launches.That is what I see.

Glad you said it first.

I still don't know what's going on but there is is. I'm not finding anything out with the pics yet (before resizing).

I'll post if I do for sure - but honestly what gets me? There's NOTHING I can see in the water - NOTHING - but the trails are definitely going from water to air not the other way around - unless I'm just not seeing something???

peace

Very interesting and worth watching ... have you ever had missile launches in your area before ?

Woody

reply to post by silo13


Starred & Flagged.

Looks like missile launches to me as well but I just don't know, not enough film footage.

What you do have is good............beautiful beautiful scenery.

Don't have much to add but looks like it's quite exciting where you are at right now.

Stay safe Silo.

Safe journey.

The ‘show’ started (from my view) around 1800.

Here’s a collection of the closest pics to replicate what I saw yesterday - but it was not at all the same. Not at all.

Today? I heard and saw planes without a doubt. There was no ‘strange noise’. Also, though similar? The ‘show’ today was nothing in scope, size, sound constancy or repetition of what I saw yesterday.

Ultimately? Your opinion is yours and I’m not about to try and sway you.

My opinion - and with an open mind?

What I saw yesterday was not the same as what I saw today. Some similarities? Sure. But the same? Nope. Just not the same at all.

I’ll sum it up with this... I guess you had to be there (here).













* The only Photoshop used on the above pics = sizing and ‘auto tone’.

peace

reply to post by EvillerBob

May I ask what kind of jets you are familiar with?

Good question!
Nearly every day there's 'something' flying overhead - military, civilian, Caribinieri’s looking for whatever it is they look for with their helicopters. Military helicopters. Oh yeah, lots of traffic here.

Around 0645 the civilian plane from Catania airport flies out over the water then heads back up towards Rome. I've been in it and I know these civilian planes well above and below - there‘s no mistaking them.

Then there's the Military.

From my experience I'd have to relate the ‘flight habits’ of these fliers are a lot like how we drive here. The rules are only a suggestion. I've had 'military jets' fly over so close I can feel them. I'm the little person waving with both arms and they're the ones tipping their wings. I love them. I have no idea what model they are, who's flying or who they belong to - Italy, Tunisia's the USA etc - All I know is they’re a RUSH and I adore them.

Then there’s the HUGE Military cargo planes - wow - those are sweeeet! So huge I can’t help but think they’re about to fall right out of the sky those fatties. The 'fast ones' though? They're just that - they SCREAM by too fast for me to get a good wave in.

Long story short? Again - I know the sound and looks of the civilian planes, the huge cargo beasties, Canada Air (That's easy they're yellow and I'm in love with them) and the 'fast' military.

What I heard and did not see yesterday falls into no category above. Not yesterday. Today? Yes. The ‘fast fliers’ I heard today - and saw. Yesterday. Nope.

peace

reply to post by woodwytch

Very interesting and worth watching ... have you ever had missile launches in your area before ?

Not that I know of or that I've seen but that doesn't rule out it hasn't happened of course. I am looking into the possibilities big time though.

I've not had the time to do much research yet but I want to find out as much as a civilian can about 'rocketry' in the area - including submarine info.

peace

Originally posted by nuttin4nothin

Originally posted by silo13
reply to post by cavtrooper7

 

Maybe sub launched cruise missiles.

I've no idea - I'm still checking the photos in 'huge' form (like 59x39 inches) and see nothing yet.

Question though: Do jets (?) exist able to make those types of maneuvers? From flying flat over the water into and absolutely STRAIGHT UP position - that kind of incredible angle instantly?

You mean, like this?

Are you serious with this post? I hope so, because that video is so fake it's not funny.

reply to post by silo13

Don't know about you region of the world. I do know that sometimes when air shows come to town, the first day can be for practice (for pilots to familiarize with terrain and landmarks in order to make calls during their routine) For instance, they may fly abreast over the field and the commander will say, I'll call "break" over the end of the runway or hanger, etc. That way the next day they are all on the same page as to when to perform certain maneuvers. So the practice session the day before the show for the public will appear different in that regard.

The other thing they do is show off any new tactics or capabilities for base personnel or visiting commanders and dignitaries. They may break the sound barrier or perform "classified" maneuvers that the general public won't see on show day. That also could contribute to the difference you saw between yesterday and today.

reply to post by silo13


Hi Silo13!
I'm a new member here on ATS and I hope I can help with your question about the odd clouds or trails over the water in your photos and video.
I have a friend that is very good with things like this and had him have a look at your photos here on ATS and to let me know what he thinks they could be.
His responce was :
1. Definately not an aircraft of any kind that he knows of can leave a trail at that angle from that close to the water.
2. It IS possible that the trails could be from missiles launched from under the water and the sound was from the missiles themselves as they were launched.
3. It could also be smoke plumes from possible small open vents. The area you circled on the map happens to be close to the Hyblean Escarpment Fault line to the east and the Pernicana Fault line to the north. Some small vents may have opened in the ocean floor causing some of the smoke plumes and the sounds. Sicily lies totally on the Eurasian plate, although right on its boundary with the African plate. The African plate is subducting under the Eurasian plate. A small sudden shift may have caused both the sound and the smoke plumes.
Did you happen to feel any small vibrations when this event happened? If so, then its possible that a small earthquake caused the small vents to open releasing the smoke plumes and the sound.
I hope this opinion is of some help, you may want to look into those options listed above for further information.

The pics from yesterday and today reveal some similarities. I don't think there is any doubt about that. They aren't exactly the same though are they?

It is my opinion that with the similarity that does exist that yesterday was probably a practice run that perhaps varied from the actual "show" run today for whatever reason. Maybe they only felt the need to practice a particular part of a routine, or allowed themselves to not follow through as they normally would during a show.

As far as the sound of aircraft goes I had a terribly frightening experience once. I was a teenager at the time and I was deer hunting along the bottom of a ridge looking over a field. The ridge must have masked the sound of the aproach because out of nowhere a frighteningly loud (I really cannot describe how loud it was, I felt it all inside my body and in the ground) noise scared me. I looked up to see a B1 bomber flying no higher than 1,500 feet. I know it was that low because where I live we have a huge C130 training base and C130s flying at 1,500-2,500 ft is a regular part of the scene in our skies every day. By the way I have seen C130s buzz by waaaay below 1,500 ft, regardless of what the law is. At 1,500 ft you can see surprising detail in an aircraft, such as tail numbers, doors, glass, etc. I could almost see the rivets in that big loud bird.