As you can see, the contrails are visible to the passengers in the back rows of the 747.
I wonder, has any of you ever had the same opportunity, i.e. to see the contrails of the aircraft you're in? It must be an awesome sight, being able to see the contrails, right?
Vafi88 From United States of America, joined Apr 2001, 3116 posts, RR: 19 Reply 1, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 1435 times:
Yeah they should be able to see faint contrails because afterit passes the a/c it developes more of a white form, but yeah they do see the contrails. Unless they're in a 727 or MD80/MD90/DC9.
I'd like to elect a president that has a Higher IQ than a retarted ant.
9V-SPJ From United States of America, joined Dec 2000, 740 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 1417 times:
Yes I saw contrails on SQ12 from SIN-NRT in 1998. I was in 54A and if I looked all the way back, I could see the contrails. Looks pretty nice!
9V-SPJ
Modesto2 From United States of America, joined Jul 2000, 2628 posts, RR: 6 Reply 3, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 1398 times:
Interesting topic! In September 2000, I flew SFO-LHR on UA954, a 744. I walked to rear lav and looked out the 5R window. Sure enough, there were the FAT contrails. It was certainly an amazing sight!
Ikarus From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 3524 posts, RR: 2 Reply 4, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 1384 times:
Numerous times. I have noticed them for the first time in an A340 and I've spotted them on all of my last four 747 flights. You can see them best the further you sit in the back of the plane. Unfortunately, they are not usually very clear. In sunset / dawn they can illuminate a bit better than the ground, making them easier to spot. However, even then they cannot really be photographed. I like seeing them (unless they obstruct my view of another plane or something interesting on the ground), and I have even seen them in a 738, once. All you need to do it look carefully. Too bad hardly anyone ever notices them...
Similarly: Who can claim to have looked out of the windows and seen the tailplane of their own planes? I can (because I always make an effort if I sit in the back of the plane), but who else ever tries?
Continental From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 5476 posts, RR: 21 Reply 5, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 3 days ago) and read 1383 times:
I have once, it was this year. I was on a Lufthansa A340-300 going from FRA-ORD. We were over Greenland, and I looked out the window. I was in seat 38. I looked out and saw the contrail.
Strickerje From United States of America, joined Feb 2001, 723 posts, RR: 1 Reply 6, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 1349 times:
From ATL-LAX in seat 46A of a DL 767-400 and from LAX-ATL in seat 54A of a DL MD-11, both the contrails and the horizontal tail were easily visible. The contrails were especially visible in the MD-11 at dusk.
This photo was rejected by Airliners.net due to low quality, but I decided to post a link to it here since it shows what the starter of this thread was asking about.
Keesje From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 7, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 1318 times:
On a PC3 Orion you have a spherical windows for observation. When to aircraft is in a steep turn you can see the smoke of all four engines behind the aircraft. Spectacular.
AAtripleseven From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 324 posts, RR: 1 Reply 8, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 17 hours ago) and read 1303 times:
I can usually see the reflection of the tail on the engine of a Southwest Boeing 737-200.
FSPilot747 From United States of America, joined Oct 1999, 3599 posts, RR: 14 Reply 10, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 1279 times:
On an LH 744 from LAX-FRA, I saw the contrails from the reflection of the engine nacelle. Very nice sight.
Rapo From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 395 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 1268 times:
In 30 years of flying (as a passenger only unfortunately) I have never been able to see the contrails of a flight I was on. I thought it was impossible until I saw this thread & especially Strickerje's photo. I'm very pleased to have been proven wrong & will try to crane my neck a bit further on future flights.
Redngold From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 6907 posts, RR: 51 Reply 13, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 1250 times:
No, but I've seen wingtip and fairing vortices, both times off 737 port wings.
Pilothica737 From United States of America, joined May 2001, 297 posts, RR: 4 Reply 15, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 1229 times:
Once on a flight from ATL to STL there was this not too bright girl sitting next to me, and she was looking at the shadow of our contrail..she asked me what it was, and I told her that it was the state line between GA, an MI.... Sho took me seriuosly and proceeded to use the airphone to call her mother and let her know what she had seen......
Pilotchica
KaiTakFan From United States of America, joined Oct 1999, 1585 posts, RR: 7 Reply 16, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 1217 times:
everytime I fly a 747-400 I will walk back into coach, all the way to the back door and take a good look there... some flights I will miss it though because im to comfortable and tired to even move. its an amazing site!
Apuneger From Belgium, joined Sep 2000, 3026 posts, RR: 13 Reply 17, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 1202 times:
Pilothica737:
That story is just way too funny man
To all the others: thanks for your replies...
Sometimes, I see pictures of aircraft whose contrails only seem to develop like 100 meters behind the engine. On other pictures, such as the one posted on top of this thread, the contrails already show up only a few meters behind the engine.
Strickerje:
Thanks for the picture. Very interesting. I'll put it once more underneath (resized):
To all of you that are going to fly within the next few days or so: if you have a digital camera, try to make a picture of the contrails from the inside of the aircraft, and send it to me or so...I'll put them on my webspace, so I can post them...
N509JB From United States of America, joined Nov 2007, 0 posts, RR: 2 Reply 18, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 1178 times:
And I got a photo of them from inside a BA 744. Ill have the photos up soon...Well, soon as in prolly 3 months at the rate things have been going around here.
Strickerje From United States of America, joined Feb 2001, 723 posts, RR: 1 Reply 19, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 1146 times:
I'm glad you enjoyed my photo despite its somewhat poor quality. Btw, thanks for posting it in here; I never could figure out how to get a pic to show up in the forum window.
In May of 2002 I'll be going to Europe on an AF 777-200, seated near the back row-- I'll try to get a better picture then.
Strickerje From United States of America, joined Feb 2001, 723 posts, RR: 1 Reply 21, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 1139 times:
Ok, thanks, I'll remember that for later!
Hmm... Belgium might be a bit out of our way, but hey, it doesn't matter to me where I go as long as I fly there.
USAFHummer From United States of America, joined May 2000, 10685 posts, RR: 54 Reply 23, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 1122 times:
I saw some form of contrail in an NZ 744, upon takeoff from SYD sitting in seat 34A, as we climbed out initially for the first 10 seconds or so they were clearly visible until we climbed into a low cloud layer...
Greg
Chief A.net college football stadium self-pic guru
SafetyDude From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 3795 posts, RR: 16 Reply 24, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 1119 times:
Yes, on my flight today! I will try to upload ASAP.
-Will
"She Flew For What We Stand For"
25 Continental: I have also seen wingtip vortices, and condensation forming over the wings. That was in a Continental 737 on August 12, 2001 going EWR-MSP. Right when
26 Strickerje: Alex- AF 777-200 from IAD-CDG (I live near Jackson, MS, and am going to ATL first, but ATL-CDG was full. But hey, no problem- one more leg for our tri
27 Apuneger: Hi everybody: Here's another picture of an aircraft with contrails. This pictures was taken from another aircraft (according to the photographer a Sab
28 Lehpron: That first picture looks like the 747 had a Concorde blast right over it, from a different altitude ofcourse.
29 Ganymed: I´ve seen contrails caused by the aircraft I was flyin´on only once - and rather briefly - FRA-JFK on a DL-Tristar 500 in Oct. 1995.
30 DaV: I've seen both the contrails and wingtip vortices of Volare Airlines A320-200 after a turn over southern Italy during my flight from Crete to Milan MX
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