# What is this trail in the sky? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 17, 2013, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-trail-in-the-sky/676522 "2013-12-17T02:35:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-trail-in-the-sky/676522/21 "2013-12-18T06:52:29Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > I was skeptical that it was a wind blown contrail at first because I’m a bit of a skywatcher and have never seen one distorted quite like that, but the first hit in a google image search for “squiggly contrail” is [almost its twin](http://geekswithblogs.net/jjulian/archive/2007/12/17/117790.aspx), and they have two photos taken some seconds or minutes apart showing it get more squiggly too. How many synonymous search terms did you try before lucking into “squiggly”? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-trail-in-the-sky/676522/22 "2013-12-18T06:56:23Z")
If anybody says a plane can’t do that, then a plane did it. (Cite: **Exapno Mapcase** , Post #5.) A plane can’t do that. (Cite: **Xema** , Post #10.) * * * Therefore, a plane did that. (Posts #5 and #10; _Modus ponens_) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-trail-in-the-sky/676522/23 "2013-12-18T07:46:17Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > As soon as you see anybody write “surely a plane can’t do that” the answer is always, 100% of the time, “a plane did that.” Except on the Straight Dope where the answer is always, 100% of the time “Don’t call me Shirley” ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_York](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_York](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_York)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-trail-in-the-sky/676522/24 "2013-12-18T09:51:47Z")
Are chemtrails the same thing we called vapour trails in the 60’s ? ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-trail-in-the-sky/676522/25 "2013-12-18T09:58:31Z")
> [@Duke\_of\_York](#): > > Are chemtrails the same thing we called vapour trails in the 60’s ? Yes and no: [Chemtrail conspiracy theory - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemtrail_conspiracy_theory) ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-trail-in-the-sky/676522/26 "2013-12-18T11:02:28Z")
> [@Duke\_of\_York](#): > > Are chemtrails the same thing we called vapour trails in the 60’s ? Chemtrails is the word morons use to describe contrails, basically. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-trail-in-the-sky/676522/27 "2013-12-18T11:08:21Z")
Could be ghost riders. Have you checked for ghost riders? ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-trail-in-the-sky/676522/28 "2013-12-18T13:20:59Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > As soon as you see anybody write “surely a plane can’t do that” the answer is always, 100% of the time, “a plane did that.” And when anyone says, “What could have done this?” the answer is almost always, “An uncommon variant of an ordinary thing” rather than “An extraordinary thing.” ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-trail-in-the-sky/676522/29 "2013-12-18T15:21:51Z")
> [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > And when anyone says, “What could have done this?” the answer is almost always, “An uncommon variant of an ordinary thing” rather than “An extraordinary thing.” This is true by definition. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-trail-in-the-sky/676522.md?page=1)