Bizarre question of the day: Jet trails

**chris jordan** · 29-Nov-2006, 12:29

Hi guys, wierd question of the day: I'm looking for a place I can go and photograph lots of jets flying over at high altitude with jet trails. I'm doing a new photo project that will require a few hundred shots of jets and jet trails, all taken on a sunny day. I'd like to go somewhere for the shortest possible time and get the largest possible number of jets with trails. Maybe Las Vegas, or Los Angeles? Denver? Is there anyone here who lives in one of these places who can confirm whether lots of jets fly over there at high altitude? Any other suggestions reasonably close to Seattle?

~cj

**Ralph Barker** · 29-Nov-2006, 12:45

My suggestion, Chris, would be to look for a convenient location that is between major airports on heavily-travelled routes, rather than near the large hubs. That way, you get them flying at altitude, rather than coming in for landings. For example, I often see multiple contrails here (near Albuquerque, NM), often going in different directions. But, usually only in the afternoons and with limited frequency.

**Steve Hamley** · 29-Nov-2006, 12:51

Chris,

Anywhere I'm at trying to shoot a sunrise or sunset.

Steve

**tim atherton** · 29-Nov-2006, 12:53

Is there an easy way of finding out where the navigation beacons are located? We used to have one located in the woods (far from a major airport) about half a mile away from our house. There was a regular stream of high flying airliners with con-trails using the beacon as a marker...

The other thing is you need to place yourself on a major route from a-b - trans pacific/trans-alaskan/trans-polar etc...?

Maybe there's an anorak plane-spotters list somewhere where they would known this stuff?

**Donald Qualls** · 29-Nov-2006, 13:02

Oh, boy. Watch the Homeland Security guys swarm around the VORs and newer equivalent, now...

**Marko** · 29-Nov-2006, 13:02

Denver should do fine, it's a major air "crossroads". Most coast to coast flights pass there.

**Eric Biggerstaff** · 29-Nov-2006, 13:10

I can agree with Denver, they are all over the place.

**Mark Sampson** · 29-Nov-2006, 13:15

It's really a question of having the right temperature/humidity conditions at altitude (usually over 20,000ft) to produce the ice crystals we see as contrails. They aren't guaranteed on any given day. A meteorology site or perhaps a pilot's site like AOPA could explain it better. That said, I've often seen contrails heading in directions I couldn't figure out- great-circle transcontinental or transoceanic routes perhaps.

**Michael Gordon** · 29-Nov-2006, 13:15

Chris: LA isn't the place (planes are too low on approach to the airports)! I would recommend the California desert as a great place to shoot (especially anywhere off of Hwy 10 or Hwy 15 which x-country planes tend to follow) - you won't be encumbered by people and structures. As you likely know, you need the right amount of vapor and cold temperatures at altitude for maximum contrails. You won't find such contrails daily; time your trip appropriately. Good luck.

**Ben Hopson** · 29-Nov-2006, 13:18

Hi Chris, Best of luck on your new project. I was at Zion NP from late Oct through mid Nov this year and there was no shortage of contrails, especially late afternoon. I have also noticed on several trips to Death Valley that on some days there was plenty of air traffic leaving its vapor art in the sky. I can not say if this is a regular occurance in either location, but the flights I saw probably originated in, or were destined for Las Vegas.