Something interesting just flew over

a reply to: Zaphod58

I wouldn't use it all the time especially If it's just gunna blend together with all the other contrails. but in contested areas, yeah, I wouldn't want a contrail. good thing to be able to turn on n off.

originally posted by: Sammamishman
a reply to: punkinworks10

Interesting that a direct flight from Edwards to N. Korea and China crosses over Fresno and has a SE to NW track.

Just throwing that out there, not saying that it was an aircraft from Edwards but who knows.

I'm glad someone else brought that up.

There are almost no flights that follow that flight path, other than Edwards or tonapah or Vegas there is nothing in that direction to come from, but more importantly there is not much to be flying to.

a reply to: BASSPLYR

There is one really really simple way to stop contrails.

Know the altitude they form at and not fly there. That's why contrail forecasting has been so important.

a reply to: Barnalby

I can only imagine... There are already enough noise abatement areas to deal with.

a reply to: punkinworks10

Interesting observation indeed mate. Much the same conditions where I live in northern New South Wales, Aussie, 2 days ago. I was out in the garden and happened to glance up. Very little air traffic where I live and generally to the west.

It was about midday and I saw this jet hooting across the sky and I'm sure it had to be at 40,000 to 50,000 feet leaving similar contrails as you described. It was actually a speck but the 2 spikey contrails gave it away. It covered half of the visible horizon in a less than 30 seconds . I guess at that height it was moving. The contrails faded quite quickly. No noise.

The aircraft was travelliing south to north and I observed it high in the sky looking east. Which in all likelyhood would place it over the far north coast perhaps out over the ocean. Fastest aircraft I've seen traverse the sky at that height.

Saw your post and thought I'd chime in.

Kind regards,

Bally

a reply to: punkinworks10
Didn't catch what time you had your sighting Punkinworks.
Probably unrelated, but two F-18s flew over the bay area this afternoon at 2:25.
Heading east to west at a low(~5,000 ft) altitude.
They were hauling tail.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Cynic

PDE/PDWEs only really work for cruise missiles. The bigger the platform the less effective they get.

And bicycles

Colin Furze

a reply to: HomeyKXTA
It was about 3:30 pm, one other odd thing, usually at any given time there are more than one aircraft flying over, but at that time there was no traffic at all.

a reply to: bally001
My impression was that this jet was very high as well, I have freakishly good distance vision, and I can usually see the fuselage of a passenger jet when they pass over, but this was up there and I could not see any fuselage or wing detail at all only the conic spikey contrail, that didn't linger at all.
I've only seen one thing faster, and one other of comparable speed and both of those were inbound from the pacific, but headed in the same general direction as what yesterdays plane was coming from.

a reply to: punkinworks10

Glad to have some eagle eyes over fresno, punkin. Ive heard there is alot of interesting air traffic around those parts!
Did you happen to hear any engine noise after this fast mover passed overhead?

originally posted by: HomeyKXTA
a reply to: punkinworks10

Glad to have some eagle eyes over fresno, punkin. Ive heard there is alot of interesting air traffic around those parts!
Did you happen to hear any engine noise after this fast mover passed overhead?

It is a little too noisy where I was at to be able to hear it, but I was able to hear a an airliner that passed several minutes later.

a reply to: punkinworks10

If it's what I think, you wouldn't have heard it no matter how quiet it was around you. That's the point of it.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Am I right to guess that this is sounding like our favorite emerald-hued female friend?

a reply to: Barnalby

No, it's most likely one of the tech demonstrators.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: punkinworks10

If it's what I think, you wouldn't have heard it no matter how quiet it was around you. That's the point of it.

Zaph,
Would I be correct in assuming that certain entities or agencies that can temporarily clear airspace , so that something may pass ?

Today on the way home from work I saw a very fast streak of light heading S/SE over Atlanta. It was very fast covering my visible horizon very quickly and left no trail that I could see though it was pretty dark. Definetly not a meteor, much cooler methinks...

a reply to: punkinworks10

Depending on the area, the military can do that. If it's an MOA then the airspace is only open as long as they aren't using it. There are several around California and just off shore.

a reply to: Bfirez

What time, and what color?

a reply to: Zaphod58

Bright green, say between 6:00-6:300 pm

a reply to: Bfirez

laser like streak or almost like a flare? maybe some yellow ting at the front end?

if so....



like zaph say look up more often.