Contrail spotting (Condensation trail spotting) is a hobby that everybody can do and is in fact the spotting of high altitude flying airplanes. Mostly you can see a condensation trail. Condensation trails are no natural phenomena but are artificial cirrus clouds between 7000 and 12000 meter. Due to the burning of kerosine the air after the plane is added with water vapor and heath. This is mixed with the surrounding air with it's own temperature and relative humidity. If this last one is high and the temperature is very low, this water vapor transforms into tiny ice crystals.
To practice contrail spotting you only need a binocular. If you want to see the plane type or the operator you'll need a binocular with a high magnification factor. The bigger this magnification factor is, the more stable you have to hold the binocular. You can use a tripod for this. Some spotters are using telescopes to do contrail spotting. On these telescopes they mount a digital camera to take contrail pictures. Have fun watching contrailing airplanes !
My material :
| Log van 28 juni 2008 : | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Between 19:45 and 20:15 local time near Schellebelle, no contrails. | |||
| north | east | south | west |
| A320 Air France | A319 Easyjet | B737 Transavia | - |
| - | - | A320 Air France | - |
| - | - | A320 TAP | - |
| - | - | B737 KLM | - |
| - | - | B737 Transavia | - |
| From and to Brussels National (EBBR) | |||
| Departure | Arrival | ||
| A319 Brussels Airlines to ? | B737 RAM from Casablanca | ||
| - | A320 Clickair from Barcelona | ||
| - | B737 Atlas Blue from Marrakech | ||
| Log of 9 februari 2008 : | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Between 14:30 and 17:00 local time near Schellebelle, whilst gardening ;-) | |||
| north | east | south | west |
| B737 Transavia | B777 Emirates | B737 Norwegian | B747 British Airways |
| A320 Alitalia | B777 Emirates | B737 Norwegian | A320 Thomas Cook |
| MD82 Alitalia | B747 British Airways | B757 ? | A319 British Airways |
| B737 Transavia | B777 Emirates | A320 ? | A321 Lufthansa |
| MD82 SAS | - | B737 Transavia | A340 Lufthansa |
| - | - | A321 ? | B777 ? |
| - | - | - | B737 Lufthansa |
| - | - | - | A321 ? |
| - | - | - | B767 Delta |
| - | - | - | A319 British Airways |
| - | - | - | A310 Jordanian |
| - | - | - | B747 ? |
| - | - | - | B757 Monarch |
| - | - | - | A310 ? |
| - | - | - | A319 British Airways |
| - | - | - | F70 Austrian |
| - | - | - | B747 MK Airlines |
| - | - | - | A320 ? |
| - | - | - | B737 Pegasus |
| - | - | - | A321 Lufthansa |
| - | - | - | A320 Lufthansa |
| - | - | - | B737 Lufthansa |
| - | - | - | F70 Austrian |
| - | - | - | A330 Lufthansa |
| - | - | - | B737 Ryanair |
| - | - | - | A320 Thomas Cook |
| - | - | - | A320 ? |
| - | - | - | B737 British airways |
| - | - | - | A320 British Airways |
| - | - | - | B737 ? |
| - | - | - | A310 Jordanian |
| - | - | - | B737 Ryanair |
| - | - | - | A320 Lufthansa |
| - | - | - | A320 Thomas Cook |
| From and to Brussels National (EBBR) | |||
| Departure | Arrival | ||
| A319 British Airways to London Heathrow | B747 Asiana from Anchorage - New York | ||
| A319 British Midland to London Heathorw | - | ||
| B747 Singapore Airlines to Chicago - Los Angeles | - | ||
| Log of 8 februari 2008 : | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Between 15:30 and 16:30 local time near Schellebelle, finally nice weather and some free time ... | |||
| north | east | south | west |
| MD82 Alitalia | - | B777 JAL | A319 Easyjet |
| A319 Easyjet | - | B747 ? | B747 MK Airlines |
| - | - | A320 Air France | B737 Ryanair |
| - | - | B737 Transavia | B737 ? |
| - | - | - | A320 Air Berlin |
| - | - | - | A319 Easyjet |
| - | - | - | A330 Lufthansa |
| - | - | - | A319 British airways |
| - | - | - | A321 Lufthansa |
| - | - | - | B737 British Airways |
| - | - | - | A319 Easyjet |
| - | - | - | B737 Ryanair |
| - | - | - | B737 Lufthansa |
| - | - | - | A330 Lufthansa |
| - | - | - | A320 Germanwings |
| - | - | - | A321 British Airways |
| - | - | - | A319 British Airways |
| - | - | - | B737 ? |
| From and to Brussels National (EBBR) | |||
| Departure | Arrival | ||
| A319 British Airways to London Heathrow | ERJ145 Flybe from Manchester | ||
| B707 NATO | - | ||
| A319 British Midland to London Heathrow | - | ||
| B747 Saudi Cargo to Houston - New York | - | ||
| A320 Aer Lingus to Dublin | - | ||
| Bae146 Brussels Airlines to Birmingham | - | ||
| Log of 19 december 2007 : | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Between 08:45 and 09:10 local time near Schellebelle | |||
| From and to Brussels National (EBBR) | |||
| Departure | Arrival | ||
| - | RJ85 Brussels Airlines from Birmingham | ||
| - | RJ85 Brussels Airlines from Oslo | ||
| - | B767 Delta from New York | ||
| - | B747 Singapore Airlines Cargo from Chicago O'Hare | ||
| - | B767 Ethiopian from Addis Ababa | ||
| - | B737 Brussels Airlines from Parijs | ||
| - | Jetstream Eastern Airlines from Southampton | ||
| Log of 18 december 2007 : | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Between 08:45 and 09:00 local time near Schellebelle | |||
| From and to Brussels National (EBBR) | |||
| Departure | Arrival | ||
| - | B777 Jet Airways from New York - Newark | ||
| - | B767 United Airlines from Chicago | ||
| - | B747 ? | ||
| - | B767 American Airlines from New York | ||
| - | RJ85 Brussels Airlines from Birmingham | ||
| - | A319 British Midland from London Heathrow | ||
| - | B737 ? | ||
| - | B767 Delta from New York | ||
| Log of 18 november 2007 : | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Between 10:00 and 11:20 local time near Schellebelle | |||
| north | east | south | west |
| A319 Air France | B777 United Airlines | B737 Norwegian | B747 Air India |
| B737 Air Berlin | A319 British Airways | A320 Air Berlin | A320 Lufthansa |
| MD82 SAS | B767 American Airlines | - | ARJ85 Swiss |
| A320 ? | A320 Wizz Air | - | B737 Ryanair |
| - | A321 Lufthansa | - | A330 Turkish Airlines |
| - | A330 ? | - | B767 American Airlines |
| - | A330 ? | - | A321 British Airlines |
| - | - | - | B757 Continental |
| - | - | - | A330 MEA |
| - | - | - | B737 Ryanair |
| - | - | - | B737 Ryanair |
| - | - | - | B747 Lufthansa |
| - | - | - | A320 Lufthansa |
| - | - | - | A320 Wizz Air |
| From and to Brussels National (EBBR) | |||
| Departure | Arrival | ||
| B777 Jet Airways to New York | B767 US Airways from Philadelphia | ||
| B747 Singapore Airlines Cargo to Chicago - LA | - | ||
| B747 Cargo all white colorscheme ? | - | ||
| A319 British Midland to London Heathrow | - | ||
| B767 American Airlines to Chicago | - | ||
| B767 Delta Airlines to New York | - | ||
| Log of 16 october 2007 : | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Between 16:20 and 17:20 local time near Schellebelle | |||
| north | east | south | west |
| B737 KLM | - | A320 Vueling | A330 Lufthansa |
| MD82 Alitalia | - | B737 XL Airways | A321 Lufthansa |
| - | - | A320 Vueling | B737 Air Berlin |
| - | - | B737 Transavia | A340 Lufthansa |
| - | - | A321 SAS | B737 Ryanair |
| - | - | B737 Transavia | A319 British Airways |
| - | - | A320 Air France | B737 Ryanair |
| - | - | A319 Air France | A340 Lufthansa |
| - | - | B737 KLM | A319 Easyjet |
| From and to Brussels National (EBBR) | |||
| Departure | Arrival | ||
| Embraer ERJ135 British Midland to East Midlands | - | ||
| Embraer ERJ145 British Midland to Manchester | - | ||
| Dornier DO328 British Airways to Leeds | - | ||
| Log of 7 october 2007 : | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Between 18:00 and 19:00 local time near Schellebelle | |||
| north | east | south | west |
| MD11 Martinair | A319 Austrian | B737 KLM | B747 Lufthansa |
| B737 Transavia | B747 ? | B737 Transavia | B777 Jet Airways |
| B767 Kenya Airways | A319 Easyjet | - | B737 ? |
| A320 ? | A310 PIA | - | B737 Ryanair |
| - | - | - | B737 Ryanair |
| - | - | - | A320 British Airways |
| - | - | - | A319 Swiss |
| - | - | - | B767 ? |
| - | - | - | A340 Lufthansa |
| - | - | - | A319 Easyjet |
| - | - | - | A319 British Airways |
| Log of 9 september 2007 : | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Between the clouds at 17:50 and 18:15 local time near Schellebelle | |||
| north | east | south | west |
| - | F100 Austrian Arrows | B737 KLM | B737 Ryanair |
| - | B777 British Airways | B737 Transavia | A330 Lufthansa |
| - | A319 Easyjet | B747 ? | B737 British Airways |
| - | - | B737 Transavia | A319 Easyjet |
| - | - | - | A319 Easyjet |
| - | - | - | B737 Ryanair |
| - | - | - | A319 Lufthansa |
| - | - | - | A319 ? |
| From and to Brussels National (EBBR) | |||
| Departure | Arrival | ||
| Embraer ERJ145 British Midland to Leeds | - | ||
| Log of 1 august 2007 : | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Between 17:00 and 18:00 local time near Schellebelle | |||
| north | east | south | west |
| - | A340 Gulf Air | A319 Air France | B737 Ryanair |
| - | A300 DHL | B737 Transavia | A340 Lufthansa |
| - | MD11 ? | B737 Norwegian | A319 British Airways |
| - | B757 British Airways | B767 ? | A321 Swiss |
| - | B777 El Al | A319 Air France | Avro RJ85 Brussels Airlines |
| - | B737 British Airways | Bae146 Air France | B747 ? |
| - | A320 Luftansa | B737 Transavia | A300 Lufthansa |
| - | A320 British Airways | A300 Beluga | A319 Easyjet |
| - | - | B737 Transavia | A320 XL Airways |
| - | - | B737 Transavia | A319 British Airways |
| - | - | A320 TAP | B757 First Choice Airways |
| - | - | - | A340 Kuwait Airways |
| - | - | - | A319 Lufthansa |
| - | - | - | B767 ThomsonFly |
| - | - | - | B757 Thomas Cook |
| - | - | - | B737 Ryanair |
| Log of 31 july 2007 : | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Between 16:00 and 18:00 local time near Schellebelle | |||
| north | east | south | west |
| - | A330 Emirates | B737 Transavia | A330 Lufthansa |
| - | B757 British Airways | B737 Transavia | B737 Ryanair |
| - | B767 British Airways | B737 KLM | C-17 Globemaster |
| - | A340 ? | A320 Iberia | A320 British Airways |
| - | A320 Air Berlin | B737 KLM | A319 British Airways |
| - | B747 El Al | - | B737 Ryanair |
| - | A319 Easyjet | - | A319 British Airways |
| - | - | - | B737 Ryanair |
| - | - | - | B737 Ryanair |
| - | - | - | A321 First Choice Airways |
| - | - | - | B737 Thomsonfly |
| - | - | - | A320 Lufthansa |
| - | - | - | B757 Thomas Cook |
| - | - | - | A320 MyTravel Airways |
| - | - | - | B757 First Choice Airways |
| - | - | - | A320 MyTravel Airways |
| - | - | - | A319 Easyjet |
| - | - | - | A319 British Midland |
| - | - | - | A320 Thomas Cook |
| - | - | - | A321 Monarch |
| - | - | - | A319 British Midland |
| - | - | - | B737 Ryanair |
| - | - | - | B757 Monarch |
| - | - | - | A330 Lufthansa |
| - | - | - | B757 XL Airways |
| Log of 18 july 2007 : | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Little contrails between 19:00 en 20:00 local time near Schellebelle | |||
| north | east | south | west |
| B737 KLM | A319 EasyJet | B737 KLM | A300 Lufthansa |
| - | - | B737-800 Transavia | B777 Emirates |
| - | - | A320 TAP | B737 Ryanair |
| - | - | B737 Norwegian | A319 Easyjet |
| From and to Brussels National (EBBR) | |||
| Departure | Arrival | ||
| Embraer ERJ145 British Midland to East Midlands | B737 RAM from Casablanca | ||
| Avro RJ85 Brussels Airlines to Manchester | A319 British Airways from Londen Heathrow | ||
| Log of 17 july 2007 : | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Little contrails between 20:00 en 21:00 local time near Schellebelle | |||
| north | east | south | west |
| - | A319 EasyJet | A321 Iberia | A330 Cyprus Air |
| - | B737-800 Air Berlin | B737-800 ? | - |
| - | A320 Air Berlin | F100 KLM CityHopper | - |
| From and to Brussels National (EBBR) | |||
| Departure | Arrival | ||
| Avro RJ85 Brussels Airlines to Birmingham | A319 Aer Lingus from Dublin | ||
| - | B737-800 RAM from Oujda | ||
| - | A319 British Midland from London Heathrow | ||
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Content - Airplanes : Contrail Spotting - Stego