Chemtrails: Understanding Contrails and Aviation Misconceptions
For more than twenty years some conspiracists have been pointing the finger at commercial airplanes and military tankers, accusing them of destroying the planet and poisoning the population with their trails in the sky: but what is true in these very risky statements?
"By spreading tons of particulate matter through airplanes, the planet's atmosphere becomes electrically charged and suitable for military projects. The air we breathe is full of asbestos fibers and toxic metals, including barium salts, aluminum, and reportedly radioactive thorium. These substances act as electrolytes to improve air conductivity for military radars and radio waves. As poisonous as arsenic and debilitating to the immune system, barium weakens muscles, including the heart. Inhaled aluminum goes directly to the brain, and doctors confirm that it causes degenerative processes in brain tissues, leading to the onset of Alzheimer's. Radioactive thorium causes leukemia and other cancers." (Amy Worthington, Idaho Observer 2004)
Frankly, something strange happening to the atmosphere is evident to everyone. Climate changes, sudden storms, increasing tornadoes, and hurricanes are all warning signs that global changes are occurring on Earth. For some, like the U.S. government, these are natural phenomena; for others, it is a sign that the introduction of billions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by humans has altered the natural cycle and created the so-called Greenhouse Effect, overheating the planet and changing the entire global ecosystem. In both cases, solutions to the problem are problematic and honestly dubious in their feasibility. However, it should be noted that on other planets in the Solar System, primarily Mars, there is an ongoing polar ice melt similar to that on Earth, suggesting that if it is a global problem, it might be due to increased solar activity rather than human pollution.
Therefore, blaming all the planet's woes on our species seems reductive, even though daily news is certainly full of infamous environmental disasters. However, for about twenty years, a new defendant has been cited: commercial airplanes and in-flight refueling aircraft of various countries' air forces are accused of releasing highly polluting substances into the sky to destroy Humanity and all living species. The fanatic proponents of these purely conspiratorial theories support their claims in the most absurd ways, pointing to the governments of various world states as a satanist elite whose goal is to slowly kill the world population to subjugate the planet to a mass of enslaved and globalized humans. To this end, they have secretly modified passenger and refueling aircraft to spread tons of poisonous agents over cities through the condensation trails we see in the sky every day, including metallic substances such as aluminum, barium, arsenic, thorium, and cesium.
In addition to various pathogens that, according to them, cause a chronic flu-like illness resistant to antibiotics, known as "Flu-like Syndrome." Moreover, the chemtrails generated by airplanes are also said to be the cause of a new disease, discovered by the American doctor Mary Leitao in 2002 and called Morgellons Disease, which causes the growth of intramuscular fibroids that are currently incurable. The disease is extremely recent, and scientists have only been studying it for a few years. However, the issue seems extremely clear to conspiracy theorists, who unequivocally accuse governments of genocide and hurl insults and defamatory remarks at those who try to understand the true nature of the phenomenon. In reality, chemtrails as such do not exist: instead, they are contrails left in the air by the hot exhaust of jet engines flying in the stratosphere.
The phenomenon first manifested on a large scale during World War II when American B-17 and B-24 bombers flying over Germany left long trails of water vapor at high altitudes. This was a problem for the pilots, making them visible from long distances. It all depended on the air temperature: at low temperatures, water vapor condenses and forms a gas-colloidal compound of microscopic ice crystals, very similar to fog and clouds. Artificial clouds can persist for minutes or longer, depending on the amount of wind present. With the advent of jet aircraft, flight altitudes increased from the 5,000 meters of piston-engine bombers to the 10,000-12,000 meters of modern jets. A military jet reaches 15,000-18,000 meters, while only a few aircraft, including the Russian MiG-25 and the American SR-71, can exceed 20-25,000 meters.
The Earth's atmosphere is essentially composed of a series of layers, like the skin of an onion. The layer we live in is called the troposphere and is home to winds, storms, hurricanes, thunderstorms, and all the weather phenomena we know. Its extent varies, but an average height of 10-11 km is generally agreed upon: beyond this lies the stratosphere, with a fixed temperature of -56°C, extending up to 50 km. Between 16 and 40 km is the ozone layer, threatened by chlorofluorocarbon pollution and essential for protecting life from ultraviolet rays. According to fanatic conspiracists, commercial airplanes are responsible for the erosion of the ozone layer; at the same time, they also fly at very low altitudes, 4,000-5,000 meters above cities, effectively spreading their deadly content.
Passenger planes are said to have been modified to disperse poisonous substances through special surfaces on the wings and tail. Additionally, governments have supposedly equipped white, unmarked planes, modified refueling aircraft to act as sprayers, piloted by clandestine Russian and Chinese pilots. According to conspiracists, these are the true poisoners of the planet!
From the data we have cited, it seems to us that the theories of chemtrail fanatics collapse on their own.
What is the truth in all this?
Conspiracy theorists argue for the existence of chemtrails based on their persistence: essentially, a contrail "evaporates" in a few minutes, at most fifteen, while chemtrails persist for many hours. Is this true? And what is the reason?
This question presents a basic inaccuracy, associating short-duration trails with normal contrails and long-duration trails with chemtrails. Formulated in this way, it assumes the existence of trails of non-aviation/motoristic nature (called "chemtrails"), when in reality, this is not an issue at all. Chemtrails do not exist; they are always, only, and exclusively contrails.
As we know, contrails are composed primarily of water in the form of tiny ice crystals. Jet engines emit a large amount of water vapor during their operation, along with particles from combustion. These act as condensation nuclei, allowing the formation of small water droplets which, due to the low temperatures at high altitudes, immediately transform into small ice needles forming the trail we see. They can last for several hours, expand, and change shape due to high-altitude winds, becoming very similar to natural cirrus clouds. Therefore, even long-lasting contrails are entirely normal contrails. The reasons why a contrail may be long or short, persistent or not, are not simple to explain in a few words as they depend on various factors, both aeronautical (type of aircraft, type of engine, flight altitude) and atmospheric (weather conditions, humidity levels, temperature at that altitude, etc.). The atmosphere is a vast stage where continuous interactions of parts, forces, pressures, temperatures, and air masses occur—essentially all the elements commonly referred to by the generic term "meteorology." And meteorology is a science that still partially eludes us. We can study it and try to predict the weather, but they are always and only "predictions," never 100% concrete facts.
To better understand, let's take an example: despite the sophisticated instruments available today, we can at most establish and predict that there will be thunderstorms in the Po Valley in the afternoon, but asserting that a lightning bolt might strike location X or that a hailstorm might hit location Y is pure science fiction. No one in the world will ever know and predict such things; the only fairly certain thing we can know is that there might be thunderstorms today. But once the thunderstorms have formed, no one (and by no one, we mean absolutely no one) can tell us what they will do, in what way, how much they will develop in height and size, whether they will generate 100% certain windshear, how much rain they will dump, how much hail, how much wind, etc. So, it should not be surprising that it becomes difficult to explain why an airplane contrail might be short or long depending on the case: we will never know for sure because meteorology itself does not allow us to establish things, but only to make predictions. Therefore, the question should be posed differently: are there tanks of toxic chemicals (barium, aluminum, thorium, etc.) on airplanes not verified by aviation? The answer is an absolute NO, they do not exist! Civilian and military airplanes have been using the same engines and fuel for many years, which is the only true and indisputable fact. Those engines burn that fuel and only that. There is no way to make engines emit substances other than the normal products of combustion without immediately destroying the engines themselves.
Another issue for chemtrail proponents concerns the flight altitude of commercial aircraft. According to them, planes flying over cities are at extremely low altitudes, so the temperature of the atmosphere would not allow the development of a contrail. Is this possible? And what is the normal flight altitude of commercial airplanes?
Near cities, it is absolutely normal to observe airplanes flying at low altitudes simply because there are almost always airports nearby, and wherever there is an airport, there are planes that need to take off and land, thus appearing at low altitudes. However, we challenge anyone to see contrails from those airplanes at low altitudes!
The only trails possibly visible (even a few meters above the ground) are the so-called "Berenice's braids," which are condensation trails caused by the aerodynamic surfaces of the airplane that create vortices (such as wing tips and flap edges). These are still short-duration trails (water vapor) and are not to be confused with contrails (water vapor in the form of ice crystals). So, it is possible to see airplanes flying over cities at low altitudes, and it is natural because airplanes just taking off or landing must fly low. The normal cruising altitude of airplanes is around 10,000 meters, but this depends on the type of airplane and the type of route. A turboprop, such as an ATR 72, will not go to 10,000 meters and usually flies "short" routes at altitudes even of 6,000 meters (altitudes are always determined by air traffic controllers). A B777, however, on an Atlantic route will fly above 10,000 meters. Generally, on long-haul flights, there is a tendency to climb to higher altitudes (higher altitudes offer advantages in terms of fuel consumption), while on short flights, it is intuitive that one cannot climb to very high altitudes. Therefore, it is not possible to give a standard flight altitude as it is variable. The flight altitude is established in the flight plan and can be changed during the flight based on orders from the base tower or the pilot's requests.
Another topic concerns the alleged tanks of chemical substances and sprayers that commercial airplanes supposedly have secretly mounted on their wings and tail. Is such a thing possible from an engineering standpoint, or is it a blatant ignorance on the part of the conspiracy theorists?
This is the nonsense at the heart of the chemtrail theory. There are no secret tanks, secret buttons, or secret sprayers on airplanes. Airplanes are designed by highly reputable companies with highly serious engineers. Every airplane undergoes rigorous certification tests by global aviation authorities, all for one sole purpose: safety! The word "safety" is the foundation of every airplane, and if engineers meticulously plan even the routing of a fuel line to prevent potential hazards, imagine whether they would design (and authorities certify) airplanes full of chemical tanks! Only a fool would ever believe such nonsense. Ask any conspiracy theorist if they have ever seen such tanks or sprayers on an airplane. The answer will be "no"! Often, conspiracy theorists (either in bad faith or out of ignorance) mistake some aircraft components for "chemical spray" devices: these are actually normal components with specific functions essential to the aircraft's operation, such as aerodynamic fairings for hydraulic flap actuators, APU exhausts, winglets, static dischargers, etc. They have been invited many times to see for themselves how airplanes are built on airport ramps, but of course, they have never shown up. The truth is that all these devices do not exist.
Is it possible to make modifications to airplanes subjected to rigorous checks like passenger planes?
It is absolutely not possible to introduce modifications to the systems of a commercial aircraft: every system is designed and certified for its specific purpose, essential to the functionality of the machine. Any modification or repair must be approved by the airframe or engine manufacturer and by various control and certification authorities. The systems, described in the Aircraft Maintenance Manual of the aircraft, are checked daily by many specialists who certify their perfect functionality. It would be impossible to introduce unapproved modifications or hide something.
Another strand of the conspiracy concerns the use of military in-flight refueling aircraft. Can they be used to release toxic substances?
Tankers have flexible hoses and/or rigid booms to refuel other airplanes in flight. They do not carry chemical substances; as their name suggests, they are "tankers," or "flying refueling stations." There are very few tankers compared to civilian flights. The ratio of the number of civilian airplanes flying every day in the sky to tankers is at least 500 to 1, if not 1000 to 1.
In a world like the present where air traffic is so monitored, is it possible for there to be clandestine flights without markings and without a registration number?
There are no airplanes that are not under radar control. Military radar controllers sit in the same room as civilian controllers because both must always know where the airplanes are going. If there were an unidentified airplane in the sky, an alarm would immediately go off, and fighters would be immediately alerted to intercept it and force it to land for verification and inspection. With the amount of air traffic every day, one "ghost" plane, unidentified, is enough to trigger the security system. Therefore, it is absolutely not possible for there to be clandestine flights. Every aircraft, civilian or military, displays its registration number prominently.
Other controversies concern air shows organized by military aviation, hosting aerobatic teams such as the Frecce Tricolori, the British Red Arrows, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, etc. Is it possible that the colored smoke released by these aerobatic planes is toxic, as detractors claim?
The smoke used in air shows is based on Vaseline oil and is absolutely harmless to health (otherwise, all the spectators would be exterminated). In terms of toxicity, they can be compared to "disco smoke," which is used in nightclubs and pop concerts to enhance the effect of the lights.
According to a Canadian scientist, Neil Finley, both air traffic and space rockets are disintegrating the ozone layer "with their chlorine-based exhausts," although, as we mentioned, the ozone layer extends between 16 and 40 km altitude, well above commercial flights. Is what the Canadian claims true?
It is true that ozone is greatly affected by Chlorofluorocarbons, which is why their use has been banned in refrigerators and spray cans. However, chlorine is not present in airplane fuels.
A document dated August 1997 and attributed to physicist Edward Teller, the father of the atomic bomb, stated that it would be possible to block the increase in solar radiation causing global warming by increasing the reflection of incoming light by 1%. If the conspiracy theorists are clearly in bad faith, is it possible, however, that contrails are a studied method of controlling such excess solar radiation? Otherwise, could they negatively affect the environment?
That contrails are the subject of studies to verify their long-term environmental impact is a fact, as they tend to slightly shield solar light. However, this is a negligible "damage," less than 1%. Nevertheless, even that "less than 1%" should be studied to understand how this phenomenon might lead to environmental problems in the long term (especially since air traffic is expected to increase over the years). The aviation world is well aware of this and applies all the necessary and professional scientific attention to the matter. What is completely wrong is to think that these trails are deliberately formed for specific purposes. There are no secret purposes, no conspiracies; there are only airplanes flying to provide a public service, and if those airplanes leave trails in the sky, there is nothing we can do about it. It is a completely natural phenomenon that has existed in aviation since the first plane began flying at high altitudes. Naturally, fewer airplanes mean fewer visible trails and less pollution. More airplanes mean more visible trails and increased pollution. But the same can be said about cars: the fewer there are, the better off we are!
So, what is the hidden purpose of the smear campaign against commercial and military aviation? Who benefits from instilling such alarmism in the population? And what truth could there be in accusing world governments of attempting the genocide of billions of people?
The answer is undoubtedly publicity. Conspiracy theories are a huge money-making machine, involving audience engagement, selling various items, DVDs, tapes, T-shirts, books, and gadgets of all kinds for the gullible. Behind these theories lies a very particular market maintained and supported by charlatans who have no qualms about spreading panic and unfounded theories to get noticed and make considerable profits. However, they do not realize that such behavior is legally punishable. Crimes like "causing public alarm," "abusing popular credulity," and selling associated objects constitute outright fraud, and we hope that one day all these actions will be severely punished. But there's more. The most absurd thing about this farce, and what clearly indicates that it is indeed a farce, is that if, hypothetically (we repeat "hypothetically" and "absurdly"!!), such a secret murderous plan existed, anyone promoting these things would risk their life immediately.
Another thing that can be observed is that unfortunately, many completely false "phobias" are flourishing today, thanks also to charlatans operating on the internet, but many people believe in them. Some end up being afraid of everything, from microwave ovens to the normal electromagnetic emissions of common household appliances. There are people, perhaps already somewhat insecure and easily influenced, who tend to see health hazards in everything around them and are further alarmed by these false truths, quickly believing them and falling into the trap. This phenomenon is also compounded by the enormous scientific ignorance existing in Italy, which leads to a lack of basis for proper scientific discernment, revealing the unfoundedness of these alarmist theories immediately. Hence, the growing importance of proper and serious scientific information.
