Contrail Spotting

omag · Post by **omag** » 21 Jun 2006, 21:25

Hey epsilon... don't worry about the lense... I'm shooting with a panasonic Lumix FZ5 and that's not even a dSLR... but it gets the job done and it's a friendly bunch around here!

Isn't it great when you can identify the planes that pass over your head?

Omag

contrailwatcherUK · Post by **contrailwatcherUK** » 21 Jun 2006, 23:43

Hi,
those shots are fine epsilon, theyre as good as mine and im using a 73-300 lens!
anyway......
saw this rainbow contrail yesterday, and contrails coming off of wing tips - never seen that before!
heres some pics:
Martinair 767 heading W around 13:30bst:

also, does anyone know much about VOR/Waypoints/airways etc..? I think i see contrails crossing over these but not sure

Thanks
CWuk

jessy · Post by **jessy** » 22 Jun 2006, 13:39

contrailwatcherUK wrote:also, does anyone know much about VOR/Waypoints/airways etc..? I think i see contrails crossing over these but not sure
Thanks
CWuk

waypoints, VOR's and airways: the waypoints are coördinates with a name where planes can fly to. The VOR is something like waypoints but only that it has its own morse code and frequency, and looks like this

or this

.
And the airways are like lines between those points or VOR's.
So how will the aircraft fly: let's asume that I'm taking off 25R with SN A330 at EBBR for Dakar:after departure with the SID I'm going for CIV (Chièvres) VOR with frequency 113.20 and own morse code _._. .._. ..
When I'm overhead CIV i go to KOVIN waypint via the UN872 airway (before I'm at KOVIN I'll alo pass MEDIL and LESDO waypoint, so this means that airways cover more points or VOR's before you are at the one in the flightplan). After Kovin i continue according to my flight plan.
If you're interested this is a route from EBBR to LEMD (Madrid Barajas) operated by IBERIA:
CIV UN872 KOVIN UY317 RESMI UN857 SAU UN10 BAN
And before you ask: I'm not a reallife pilot but a flightsimmer enjoying the realisme of real life procedures on the IVAO network (http://www.ivao.aero

Hope it helps

Grtz Jessy

epsilon · Post by **epsilon** » 22 Jun 2006, 22:18

Made another two today.

SN Avro (A lot of those descending into EBBR

)
Flight# TV 787 VEX 737-400 arriving from Milan.

Regards,
Tom

contrailwatcherUK · Post by **contrailwatcherUK** » 24 Jun 2006, 11:49

Thanks Jessy, i now have a better undestanding of these navigational points. There are only 2 airways that cross near my house, "UR37" and "UN20", which both go to the "SAM" VOR (Southampton International Airport). I still see lots of contrails on them airways and thats only on 2 airways!
I suppose if you live right next to a VOR, you have contrails crossing in all directions directly over your head every minute or so

epsilon · Post by **epsilon** » 24 Jun 2006, 12:27

contrailwatcherUK wrote:Thanks Jessy, i now have a better undestanding of these navigational points. There are only 2 airways that cross near my house, "UR37" and "UN20", which both go to the "SAM" VOR (Southampton International Airport). I still see lots of contrails on them airways and thats only on 2 airways!
I suppose if you live right next to a VOR, you have contrails crossing in all directions directly over your head every minute or so

Yep, I live close to FLORA VOR which is the initial approach fix for Brussels Airport. In the summer during rushhour there is one every minute or so.
And when they are holding over the VOR there is even more traffic

omag · Post by **omag** » 24 Jun 2006, 21:55

can someone explain the presence of this Srilankan Airlines A340 over Ruiselede at this low altitude? ( 24/06/06)

I also spotted OO-RBB this evening... seems to visit my area often...

Doesn't have to be jets all the time...

Cheers,

Omag

jessy · Post by **jessy** » 24 Jun 2006, 22:15

@ Omag, most likely they are on a SID or star because cruising so low isn't done normally, and pls say position and time of pictures

regards jessy

omag · Post by **omag** » 24 Jun 2006, 22:20

The A340 was spotted at 12:45 over Ruiselede, going eastbound, on the 24th of june....

jessy · Post by **jessy** » 24 Jun 2006, 22:22

well my geography isb't 100%, which is the first "big" airport in the neighbourhood

jan_olieslagers · Post by **jan_olieslagers** » 24 Jun 2006, 22:54

jessy wrote:well my geography isn't 100%

hope you know about mappy, map24, viamichelin &C &C?

jessy wrote:which is the first "big" airport in the neighbourhood

Ruiselede is roughly halfway Tielt & Aalter, closest main airport is EBOS but that would be an unusual destination for this A340, besides the local spotters would surely have mentioned it.

omag · Post by **omag** » 24 Jun 2006, 23:18

Actually, the closest is Ursel, but if an A340 lands there, you'll see it on the news!

the general direction was towars EBBR, but I don't think Srilankan lands there...

jan_olieslagers · Post by **jan_olieslagers** » 24 Jun 2006, 23:48

omag wrote:Actually, the closest is Ursel, but if an A340 lands there, you'll see it on the news!

Agreed! But you will allow I said "the closest main airport" - that doesn't really fit good old EBUL!

jan_olieslagers · Post by **jan_olieslagers** » 24 Jun 2006, 23:53

jessy wrote:
waypoints, VOR's and airways: the waypoints are coördinates with a name where planes can fly to. The VOR is something like waypoints but only that it has its own morse code and frequency, and looks like this
** image snipped **
or this
** image snipped **

Jessy, which VOR's are these? They are quite different from any I saw yet! For info, some are visible near airfields, like ANT or BUB, others can be clearly seen "in the wild"', like NIK or COA. They all look look alike, rather like your second photo, but different still!

jessy · Post by **jessy** » 24 Jun 2006, 23:55

to jan:

even bub is uchj a vor ( for ex: used for traffic coming from dik or lno viaz bub to helen for eham, so it doesn't matter where you fibnd it, it's still the same, it's a vor

regards jessy

P.S. just searched these photo's on google so i don't know the name

jan_olieslagers · Post by **jan_olieslagers** » 25 Jun 2006, 00:11

I'm afraid my question was not very clear, sorry! I was wondering WHERE your photographs were made, the VOR's they picture look very different from those I mentioned and saw.

jessy · Post by **jessy** » 25 Jun 2006, 00:13

to jan:

even bub is uchj a vor ( for ex: used for traffic coming from dik or lno viaz bub to helen for eham, so it doesn't matter where you fibnd it, it's still the same, it's a vor

regards jessy

P.S. just searched these photo's on google so i don't know the name

Post by **Bottie** » 25 Jun 2006, 01:09

omag wrote:can someone explain the presence of this Srilankan Airlines A340 over Ruiselede at this low altitude? ( 24/06/06)

There were quite a few of these 'low passes' around Ruiselede and Ursel, I've seen the Sri Lankan when flying over Maria-Aalter at 2.500 ft (my alt not the Sri Lankan's

), and just before landing back at EBUL there was another one (don't know the company, was a 747) heading to Costa at +/- the same alt.

contrailwatcherUK · Post by **contrailwatcherUK** » 26 Jun 2006, 17:15

Hi,
I just found this excellent website for flight tracking, it gives the flight plan for particular flights.
www.flightaware.com

epsilon · Post by **epsilon** » 26 Jun 2006, 18:08

Another few ones:
Corendon 733

Tunisair 736

Mvg,

Tom