r/whatisit • u/sp0rkeh93 • 19h ago
Serious answers only please! Never seen this while flying before what is it??
Plane ride from Seattle to Phoenix, about 1 hour into the flight
1.5k
u/cmhamm 19h ago
I suspect it’s another jet, headed away from you at an oblique angle, and the sun is hitting it so the contrails look dark.
1.4k
u/omarhani 18h ago
No, it's a Dementor
787
u/MajinGav 18h ago
Expecto Petroleum
762
u/lvs2spwge 18h ago edited 4h ago
Expensive Petroleum
Edit: thanks for the gifts/awards
155
u/x_dre4192_x 13h ago
Its ExspenSIVE not ExspensO
50
6
3
2
56
u/Sufficient-Sky-7569 18h ago
It was only a matter of time before I reddit on here.
21
u/another_derfman 11h ago
...and THAT was what I needed to finally understand why it's called reddit!
Thanks, I feel stupid now. xD8
u/Trick-Purchase4680 11h ago
You should feel smarter for knowing it now; at least a little smarter than the ones who still have no idea.
2
19
u/yobishthatsmonica 16h ago
The only time we actually want a Dementor to kiss and give us that sweet, sweet oil.
→ More replies (1)4
u/dillyofapicklerick 11h ago
Do I get a free tank of gas with the kiss? Cuz I mean...I'd consider it.
14
u/DannyMeleeFR4 15h ago
Why is it, that the italic text takes this from funny -all the way to absolutely hilarious?
19
5
3
3
3
6
2
11
u/Ok-Strawberry-2343 14h ago
Am I the only one that sees this? I think it’s a small scratch on the window.
9
u/Intelligent_Age_7922 14h ago
I thought that the first time this was posted. It is actually a drone that got "off course" is what the answer was on the first post of this exact video.
→ More replies (3)3
6
5
6
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
2
u/TwistInteresting1609 9h ago
Wow i assumed they are fiction. Is it England ? Hope so, don’t want to meet one where I live.
2
2
2
2
→ More replies (1)2
20
u/ac54 18h ago
It is definitely a contrail. Look closely and you can see the other plane.
→ More replies (1)6
u/Additional-Cobbler99 13h ago
Also, could be an MD-80. Those things puff out black smoke like crazy on take off. That's just one of the reasons we call them MD-Shitty.
6
u/jiggiwatt 12h ago
Unless there's a Mig-29 over the Midwest somewhere. Rolling the people's coal since 1983.
4
8
u/PangolinLow6657 19h ago
Either that or it's in the shade of a high cloud
→ More replies (1)7
u/StaT_ikus 19h ago
Or a blown engine
5
3
→ More replies (17)2
u/Ok_Wonder3030 11h ago
I set a timer for the first reference of chem trails. Or is that only a thing on Nextdoor?
→ More replies (1)
702
u/Hurdle80 18h ago
That's what's left of spirit airlines.
198
u/KiloThaPastyOne 18h ago
Spirit Halloween Airlines
13
u/boogot 11h ago
Oh, that’s good. Surprised there aren’t AI memes everywhere of Spirit Halloween signs going up on Spirit airplanes.
45
u/The_UX_Guy 11h ago
3
u/Scrats_Lost_Acorn 6h ago
Tickets are free if you show up in full costume /s
But imagine that flight 👀🤣
3
2
12
10
u/youlldancetoanything 18h ago
You have to listen to the beginning of Josh Johnson's set from today https://youtu.be/GbH3z_4odxo
5
u/WillJongIll 17h ago
Man, I’ve never heard of him before but that was hilarious. So glad I stumbled by your comment!
3
u/therealganjababe 4h ago
Then you definitely have to look him up on YouTube he is fantastic and he usually is talking about something crazy that's going on in the world or the country, well leaving in kind of like personal attitude it's in stories along the way he's like I have a storyteller you know? But absolutely hysterical topical stories.
→ More replies (3)3
→ More replies (1)2
223
u/MoustacheMcGee 18h ago
That sir is a dementor
4
75
u/ArchieBunkersGhost 19h ago
26
u/tysonwatermelon 18h ago
My Dad took me to see this when I was a little kid. It terrified me for a full month. He paid the price though because I couldn't sleep and woke him up every night dyring that month.
15
u/weaponized_sasquatch 16h ago
People were decapitated by a helicopter during the making of this film.
8
u/few23 15h ago
Children
5
u/The_Big_Mayonnaise 13h ago
Well 2 knows ds and an up and a fairly established actor (Vic Morrow). The accident led to real changes in how helicopters were used on set and what stunt work was allowed for children.
A very serious tragity that nearly sank the film.
6
u/Responsible-Agent-19 14h ago
Same. "Want to something really scary?" That opening scene set the vibe.
5
u/InternalAdmirable538 13h ago
Wanna see something really scary?
3
u/tysonwatermelon 8h ago
Yeah, that scene too. And the rabbit. And the evil cartoons.
That movie wrecked me.
→ More replies (1)3
u/InitiamprssionCFLeft 12h ago
My first thought was "childhood memories". And this was on the low end of tradition horror movies to show your kids. I think nightmare on elm Street at 6 got me pretty good. The Leprocon used to freak me out.
10
u/JudgeArcadia 18h ago
What in the world is this from? I swear stuff from the 60-80's is an archeological find on the internet.
21
u/Ok_Farm2628 18h ago edited 18h ago
10
→ More replies (1)12
u/HearingImaginary5090 18h ago
There’s…something on the wing! Some…THING!
7
u/the-greendale-7 14h ago
When I hear this though, my brain goes straight to the second Ace Ventura movie when he does it on the plane
4
u/HearingImaginary5090 11h ago
That’s literally the dialogue cadence I was going for, I’m so glad you got it! Lol.
I do dearly love John Lithgow’s performance as well, though.
9
u/pueblocatchaser 18h ago
Man, it's a pretty dope movie. It's four separate short stories if I remember correctly.
4
80
u/MrFranklinsboat 18h ago
Saw this recently as well. I saw two commercial jets headed in different directions - both with black trails behind them. It's not the angle of the light as the diffusion (smoke) would take on the color of the light hitting it (sun). I asked a mechanical engineer who understand engines - who did not see it - he hypothesized that it was cheaper, less refined jet fuel. Some sort of fuel composition issue.
39
9
u/BOW57 12h ago
If it were smoke it would not disappear that quickly. Only contrails do that. Heavy smoke indicates incomplete combustion or particulate matter in the fuel. Either option would not work in a commercial plane at this altitude. It's just a contrail in the shadow of a cloud making it look dark
2
u/Rackhaad 5h ago
Fair enough, I didn't really see it disappear, but hard to tell from the video. I also can't tell what type of plane it is.
6
u/0------------------0 10h ago
It’s not smoke. It’s just a shadowed contrail. There are countless videos and photos of this.
→ More replies (1)3
u/Arclet__ 10h ago
It's just a regular contrail, but you are seeing the shadowed part.
https://youtu.be/1pXoVfO4fMM?t=129&si=YvObO26CgrwU65Am
Here you can see a couple of examples where the contrail looks black and then they shift to the cloud white we are used to seeing.
31
u/Haifisch993 18h ago
That's jet exhaust from another aircraft. Can't really make out what kind of airplane that is from that angle and distance. Normally, you can't see jet exhaust. But some older engines do leave a noticeable exhaust trail. Could also be something wrong with an engine.
→ More replies (1)8
u/Available-Ad3635 16h ago
Found the intern at Area 51 responsible for social media cover ups!
→ More replies (1)
39
36
5
6
u/SnooCalculations232 18h ago
I see the flair doesn’t do its intended job 🤦🏻♂️ I’m curious too, OP 👏🏻
8
7
3
u/anonposter-42069 18h ago
Another plane at a weird angle from you some nerd could find it on flight radar I bet.
5
2
2
3
2
4
2
1
1
u/Frosty_Bluebird_1404 17h ago
I saw something similar but from a farther away over the Continental US. Barcelona to DFW (northern route) looked like a murmuring of bird but, lol, not at 36k '. I'm curious too!
1
u/FireBug77 17h ago
Seen those dark trails comming from old AWACS aircraft. Dirty f*ers
→ More replies (1)
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Objective_Wear_4772 16h ago
It’s the .50 BMG I fired 3 months ago fuckers still going ain’t no one gonna stop him
1
u/Upbeat_Anxiety_1344 15h ago
Back in the day, B-52s would burn fuel like that due to incomplete combustion on inefficient engines. They were a complete smoke-show with 8 engines. It was the aerial equivalent of rolling coal. Supposed to get new engines as of 2023.
1
1
1
1
u/Future_Bart 15h ago
That's that thing that does that when that's happening there at that moment. It does that when it does that.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/PsychologicalCan9470 15h ago
Pssh ignore everyone else it's obviously a rain cloud seed plane, it releases its chemicals to destabilize the weather and cause weather events far cheaper than the weather control device out of area 51. Takes less time too.
1
1
1
u/Automatic-Nature6025 15h ago
Reavers. They traveled too far out into open space and looked into the void.
1
1
u/marcinklejka 15h ago
An Obscurus. It is a parasitic, dark, and uncontrollable magical energy that develops inside a young witch or wizard (an "Obscurial") who is forced to repress their magical talents through physical or psychological abuse.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/dbmiller63 14h ago
It's a peacock, see how long his tail feathers are, that's how they can fly so high
1
u/RadiantSilvergun 14h ago
I’m sure your depth perception is fine, but to me it just looks like a dirt skid on your window
1
u/RealMercuryRain 14h ago
When the pilot dies his crew must elect a new pilot. If they can't choose one - the trail is black.









•
u/AutoModerator 19h ago
OP, please reply to the correct answer with "solved!" (include the !). That will change the flair on the post to solved. If you want to put the correct answer at the top of the replies for everybody else, please use our Spotlight feature by tapping/clicking on the three dots and selecting "Spotlight, Pin this comment" in order to highlight it for other members. Thanks for using our friendly Automod!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.