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[Tony H]

Hi all this morning I observed two airliners overhead flying a similar course and as far as i could make out the same altitude and at one point they were side by side one was giving out the usual vapour trail but the other one had no trail what so ever got me puzzled.  anyone shed any light

[Doctor Gollum]

One was alot lower than you thought 

[Raeturbo]

Agree 100% unless one was 100 higher than you thought.

[Sir Tigger KC]

One was spraying sedatives the other wasn't. 

[zirk]

One was Flying, the other one was trying to restart its Engines, read about it in tomorrows News

[LC0112G]

Con trails form as the water in the exhaust of the jet engine freezes. This is dependent on the humidity and temperature of the surrounding air, and both of these things vary with altitude. In general, aircraft don't trail below about 30000ft. In early morning the air is colder, so the con-trail level is quite low. As the day progresses the sun heats the atmosphere the level at which con trails form generally rises. So you tend to see a lot more con trails early in the morning.

[Doctor Gollum]

One was Flying, the other one was trying to restart its Engines, read about it in tomorrows News

Another money saving tip brought to you free* of charge by Ryanair...

*once you've paid your £15 access fee and £10 per view subscription 

[biggriffin]

I thought this was about the amount of vapour that comes out of the V6.

[Lizzie Zoom]

I thought this was about the amount of vapour that comes out of the V6.

 

I wonder though if aircraft can ever slip stream like we can in motor vehicles?

[henryd]

I thought this was about the amount of vapour that comes out of the V6.

 

I wonder though if aircraft can ever slip stream like we can in motor vehicles?

They can but it doesn't end well with big planes .wake turbulence has been blamed for a few crashes

[Doctor Gollum]

That's why they tend to clump similar size aircraft together along flight paths.

Quite entertaining* to watch an RJ100 land close behind a B747 take off... Basically get it halfway down the runway and cut the throttles. Three bounces later and it's down.

*until you remember that mother is on it

[Lizzie Zoom]

That's why they tend to clump similar size aircraft together along flight paths.

Quite entertaining* to watch an RJ100 land close behind a B747 take off... Basically get it halfway down the runway and cut the  throttles. Three bounces  later and it's down.

*until you remember that mother is on it

Thanks DG and Henyrd.  Always wondered about that.

I may be dreaming, but in the past I think I heard US 8th Army Air Force WW2 bomber crews mention about their aircraft coming back from a raid and assisting another, badly damaged, hardly flying bomber (B17's I think) by flying above that aircraft and 'holding it up' with their slip stream suction until it could land on the runway. Has anyone else, like Shackeng or LC0112G heard this one?

[Kevin Wood]

I thought this was about the amount of vapour that comes out of the V6.

 

I wonder though if aircraft can ever slip stream like we can in motor vehicles?

They can but it doesn't end well with big planes .wake turbulence has been blamed for a few crashes

Given my "other" hobby I have spent quite a signlificant part of my life flying along tethered behind light aircraft. I can assure you that the slipstream is not a pleasant, nor an efficient place to fly. Just above or below it are fine, though.

It's probably partly down to those noisy, spinny things on the front, that some people need to remain airbourne.

[Doctor Gollum]

A couple of RB211s next to the winch and you wouldn't need the winch at all 

The spinny brigade could then go and do something useful like crop dusting... 

[TheBoy]

that some people need to remain airbourne.

And you need to get airbourne in the first place.  Engines are a must