Unusual vapor trail causes speculation[Top-Secret 'pulse jet' tests]

Dayton Daily News ^ | 08 Jan 2007 | Jim DeBrosse

[txroadkill]

I suspect it's this guy.

[fso301]

I need a sound bite of the loading zone is for drop off ony, no parking. Do you have one?

Sorry but I don't think so.

[kylaka]

That's a sweet runnin' Merlin.

[TWhiteBear]

What I saw, up here in the great NW, was like the pix only a lot more closely spaced donuts, regular appearing plane but way up high, two spotter planes, all going like a b outa h.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

You are correct. I have seen a couple other pics. Being a tin-foil hatter and lsitening to C2C I've run across a few photos at their website of similar donut on a rope vapor trails.

Interesting none-the-less.

[petertare]

I have seen the unusual donuts on a rope (twice) when at altitude and it did not look like that. I suspect it is a test propulsion system. I would venture it is not produced by any atmospheric condition as it was very precisely uniform and extensive--at least several miles as I recall. My observations were both made while over the southwest US.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

ping.

[oldbill]

"the SR-71 left them when it flew"

Your source for that?

[alaskamomma]

I have seen those here in Northern Alaska..

[Stegall Tx]

There's always "The white zone is for the immediate loading and unloading of passengers only." from the movie Airplane (4th from the bottom):

http://new.wavlist.com/movies/001/index.html

[Raycpa]

Beavercreek 'pulse jet'

Sounds like a new battery operated device.

[Strategerist]

I have seen vapor trails criss-crossing the sky and then the sky is completely hazey so there is something to it.

"It" being completely routine air traffic and given certain fairly common upper level conditions of temperature and humidity, their vapor trails will spread out and persist for many hours, which in a high air traffic area will essentially cover the entire sky.

[Eye of Unk]

I wish I did, I'm near Wasilla. I bet its a "pulse-detonation" exhaust plume by the mach 5 jet being discussed on the net.

[ErnBatavia]

This is a P51

No...that's the Waste Management trash truck missing my curbside can once again. I live in one of our few "cellular friendly" blip areas, so all the drivers use my block to do the Friends And Family thing....sigh.

[dljordan]

I've got some photos of the same thing I took in Longmont, Co. back in 2000. I've seen them twice coming out of Utah and climbing East. Very fast.

[Uriah_lost]

Oh yeah!!
http://www.mojonixon.com/elvis.ram

Sorry it's Real Media...

[lepton]

That doesn't look much like the other pictures I've seen. The pulses are very irregular both in size and spacing here.

[gonzo]

Aurora

You'reWe're not supposed to know that.

What?

Nothing! ....... FRegards

[Arcy]

This is nothing more than a jet in need of a tuneup and some higher octane fuel. The puffs of vapor are miniature backfires from the jet engine.

[Myrddin]

I saw what I'm pretty sure was a passing "Aurora" over Poway, CA one afternoon. The aircraft went horizon to horizon in about 10 seconds and left distinct, round white puffs behind it. There wasn't a continuous contrail as shown in the photograph.