Contrails or 'Chemtrails' - what is going on in our skies?

As it is you can look at a contrail in the sky and match it to scheduled flights undertaken by well scrutinised aircraft. The criss crossing effect is due to different flight paths at different altitudes. For example to avoid an aircraft travelling north potentially hitting one travelling west, they are routed at different altitudes. From the ground these altitude differences are difficult to discern. And from time to time these flightpaths are changed, often to minimise impacts upon those below. So you might have several days of quite heavy activity, followed by less and so on.

This is the first big hurdle for the chemtrails conspiracy theory – how do you get lots of specially equipped aircraft up in the air without attracting any attention from anyone involved in aviation? Since that would be undeniably next to impossible, the claim is often made that commercial aircraft are being used. But that in turn would mean that you would have to somehow hide the chemtrails apparatus from maintainers and engineers; you'd need to be able to hide the chemical storage tanks on commercial airports, and you'd need every last pilot in on it. For example they would have to compensate for the extra weight and so forth. People who work at commercial airports will tell you that it just isn't possible. Pilots are notoriously individualistic, and can be difficult enough to manage. Maintainers and engineers would have to be involved in maintaining and concealing the chemtrails apparatus, which would be next to impossible during 'heavy maintenance'. 'Plane spotters' who literally spend days at commercial airports have never once spotted activity or infrastructure that doesn't correspond to known use. Walk up and down as many commercial aircraft wings as you like and won't see any nozzles.

If the intention of chemtrails was 'geo engineering' then you require huge coverage for it to make any sense. Once you get above and beyond a major urban centre you get a sense of how very big the sky is. You might see lots of criss crossed contrails over Melbourne or Sydney, but thereafter it is open skies. If the intention is to spray some kind of chemical upon the population then this is not the best delivery mechanism. Adding it to the water supply would seemingly be a far better option in terms of controlling dose and ease of concealment, to cite just one possibility. For the reasons I have outlined an airborne delivery mechanism is rife with issues and would pose a big risk of being brought to public attention.

In the course of writing this article I have looked at countless pictures and videos of perfectly normal aviation phenomena. I have been sent pictures of the interior of aircraft outfitted for the transportation of various liquids – pictures which you can see in countless public domain publications. I have even corresponded with a former US Air Force member who has some notoriety for making claims about chemtrails. This individual seems to like being a conspiracy theory 'pop star' but never provides any actual evidence. For the chemtrails conspiracy to have any traction the first step would be to explain how aircraft outfitted for this purpose manage to get into public air space, and no one in the aviation industry ever notices, let alone the ever present 'plane spotters'.

Having said that there is no argument that aircraft pollute. You don't move that amount of steel through the sky without burning a LOT of fuel, and this does create emissions that are not healthy for humans. An article in 'Aviator' entitled 'Planes and pollution' spells out the problems. Firstly a UN report has found that aircraft are responsible for over half the emissions created by transportation, emitting 'huge amounts of carbon dioxide……..studies have shown that emissions are generally spread over an area 12 miles long and 12 miles wide on takeoff or landing.

The list of ailments resulting from exposure to the chemicals emitted from aircraft is also long and distinguished……." Jet aircraft also emit nitrogen oxides which contribute to the formation of ozone. which is said to be a 'greenhouse gas'. The "…persistent formation of contrails is associated with increased cirrus cloud cover, which also warms the Earth's surface……..a report by the UK Royal Commission on Environmental Protection (states)…..the net effects of ozone, contrail and aviation-induced cloud cover is likely to triple the warming effect of aircraft emitted CO2 alone…" The aviation industry is very aware of this and over coming years new models will see improved fuel efficiency and the use of lighter materials.

On the flipside air travel is increasing all the time and the air will only get busier. Expect to see a lot more criss crossing patterns over cities as more and more budget airlines make it increasingly easy for people to drop by Fiji for a week. It could be observed that a cheap holiday overseas isn't so cheap in terms of planetary health. The article in 'Aviator' finishes by stating that 'sustainable aviation may be a matter of life and death'. There isn't a conspiracy here but it is no less concerning.

It's good to have an open mind, but ideally it should be tempered by a critical one as well. If there is a conspiracy involved with chemtrails it may be the fact that it takes a lot of attention away from the very real and varied excesses of government and corporate bodies worldwide, and detracts from the well understood problems associated with aviation pollution. I am sure the 'Illuminati' would enjoy the irony of a literal 'smokescreen'.