Clouds are so damn inspirational, all those rows and floes of angel hair way up yonder. Always something to look at. In fact, in recent years I’ve found the the sight of a stark blue cloudless sky to be a bit disconcerting. Maybe it’s the memory of the morning of September 11th, 2001 around here. Not a cloud in the sky. Just one big plume of smoke.
Not to worry. Looking up, I’ve been observing many a threatening clear sky has been fluffed up by some thoughtful planes. Have you ever noticed too? Sometimes a deep blue morning sky turns into a criss-crossed haze by mid-afternoon, all thanks to some kind of airplane “exhaust.”
The picture here, as well as these shots here and here, were all taken late aftrnoon in Brooklyn last Sunday. And here’s one of the planes in action that day, lacing the sky with some feathery manmade garlands.
Sure it’s pretty, but what’s really going on here? Art? Darned if I know.
In glossary of conspiratorial lingo, they’re called “chemtrails” and there’s a lotta tinfoil hat wearin’-black helicopter fearin’ folks out there who have been sounding the alarm about these nefarious lines in the sky for years now. (Here’s a whole world of paranoia on this subject, if you go for that sort of thing). Not unexpectedly, It’s been a regular topic on Art Bell’s “Coast to Coast” overnight talk show for a while.
As a regular listener to Bell’s program, I had to laugh when I first heard about these things. I mean, I’ve seen jets leave contrails in the sky before. What’s the big deal? People are so damn conspiratorial. And then one day, driving down the Taconic Parkway, I saw a bunch of unusual cloudy lines (from thin to fat white trails) in the sky. And THEN I noticed that there were two planes going BACK AND FORTH leaving these "clouds," like some damn giant tic tac toe pattern. I watched it happen for over an hour. These “trails” just hung in the sky, gradually expanding into big hazy fat lines as they fell into the lower atmosphere.
For the first time, I had to wonder if I should go home and fashion a nice aluminum foil cap for myself.
I know, plenty of you are going to laugh. In fact, just showing some of these pictures around the station yielded plenty of scepticism. But, I’m not out to prove anything. And I certainly, DON’T claim to know what these things are, or who’s making these funny clouds. But I can tell you that since that day upstate I’ve seen this same phenomenon over and over again. AND I’ve seen real contrails too. And it ain’t the same thing. Real contrails occur far up in the sky, thin vapor trails behind jets. Usually you see them around sunrise or sunset, and typically they disappear not far behind the speeding jet. Or at least they leave skinny white lines way up there.
These chemtrail things are different. These sky wakes aren’t so high up in the sky, and they do NOT just disappear. They get fatter, and often cross each other. Eventually the whole pattern usually morphs into a hazy afternoon sky
The internet is rife with theories about this stuff, along with plenty of photos and videos. Just type “chemtrails” into Google and take a look. But be prepared to see a lot of crackpot ideas and paranoid rants when you do. But remember, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean it’s all in your mind. I don’t pretend to understand what’s going on, and at this point I don’t stand behind any explanation or theory I’ve heard so far. I’m just passing along eyewitness experience of a phenomenon. When I see planes go back and forth in the sky, leaving big billowy trails in their wake-- Or when I see a plane retrace the exact smoke trail it had just left behind minutes before, as I did last Sunday in Brooklyn, it’s my guess that it is probably not just normal point-a-to-point-b air traffic. Beyond that, I don’t have a clue what’s going on.
While Dennis Kucinich did mention chemtrails as an “exotic weapons system” in this House Resolution from 2001, the subject of chemtrails has remained at the fringe of the media sphere. Perhaps the most plausible theory going lately is that it’s a secret government program to slow global warming. (Gosh, I hope they’re doing something.) Or maybe it also explains all that mind control fairy dust you’ve been brushing off your car in the morning.
Personally, I always advise skepticism. Whether it’s an article in the New York Times, a blog post, or a far out theory presented on a late night talk show, I wouldn’t be sure of anything these days. But if you do happen to notice that a mostly clear sky has been filled with white fluffy lines, take a look and see if you notice a couple of planes going back and forth making the mess.
Am I paranoid? Sure. After all there’s a war on. However, I still enjoying looking at the sky...
A caller to a recent show of mine weighed in at length on chemtrails and other similarly compelling subjects. He's also apparently been abducted by aliens.
He's the second caller, about 5.5 minutes into the MP3 of this show: A Sense of Recognition (4/12/05)
There were a LOT of callers into this show, which managed to stray into biblical talk later on. Ah, the joys of Texas. Full sample listing is here.
- Ken's Last Ever Radio Extravaganza
Posted by: Kenzo | May 12, 2005 at 02:53 PM
Whoops, the alien-abduction tin-foil-hat wearing recombinant DNA guy doesn't actually mention chemtrails until he calls back at around the 33.5 minute mark, well into the Jesus Christ fest already underway.
- Ken's Last Ever Radio Extravaganza
Posted by: Kenzo | May 12, 2005 at 04:11 PM
Kenzo, I was just about to post that correction. Ah, well, if listeners choose to listen through to the 33 1/2 minute they will learn what the answer is. Shocking! Fun stuff.
Living in the Seattle area where it is often overcast I just can't tell if there are any planes criss-crossing chemtrails above me most of the year. I'll have to wait until July to look for this. Single propeller planes do fly about regularly. I haven't decided if they are targeting me or providing traffic coverage for the freeway that is next door.
Posted by: Intern Patrick | May 12, 2005 at 04:20 PM
Planes fly back and forth and in grids for aerial photography and probably communications, like those big military planes built around a big circular antenae. Maybe They multitask mind control/ survalence / weather alteration.
Posted by: jay | May 12, 2005 at 05:20 PM
My 6 year old has been bugging me every time he sees a plane in the sky.... Mum what's that smoke???
After seeing your site I can now finally answer him!
Many Thanks
Posted by: Emma Mckenzie | June 25, 2006 at 05:01 AM