I was so fascinated by whatever this is
Posted by _DoIReallyNeedTo_@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 45 comments
I am sorry if this doesn’t belong here the mods can delete it.
This was such a cool moment I captured on one of my past flights. Would love to know the science behind this and what this phenomenon is called.
Thankyou!
navierstokd@reddit
From an engineers perspective, that’s what we call vortex shedding. Specifically von karman vortex street. That occurs when the flow separates off a bluff body
Coomb@reddit
This is....not remotely a von Kármán vortex street. Nor is the wing of an airplane a bluff body. Nor are you an engineer -- at least not one in a relevant field.
navierstokd@reddit
Uh what? There’s clearly alternating vortices there and the flaps are deployed therefore creating essentially a bluff body. Explain otherwise
Apprehensive_Cost937@reddit
When the air is very humid (high relative humidity), the difference between the temperature and dew point is very low, which means that if the air cools down to the dew point, it will reach 100% saturation, and condensation (water vapour in the air turning into actual water droplets) will occur.
As air passess around the wing (and other parts of the aircraft), the local air pressure will decrease, which in turn also reduces the temperature. If the pressure reduction, and the related temperature reducton is enough to cool down the air to the dew point, you will start seeing that condensation around the airflow.
Chemical_Name9088@reddit
What’s funny to me about these explanations is that I’m always like “ohhhhh I see” but if someone were to ask me why that happens just right now after reading this, I’d be like… “because um, air pressure and condensation temperature and like causing stuff to… you know physics and stuff, it’s.. you wouldn’t understand but I totally know how it works”
ManyPandas@reddit
It’s one thing to understand something. It’s an entirely different thing to understand it such that you can explain it in a way to make another person understand it.
coolassdude1@reddit
No lie, one of the most effective study techniques I had when taking inorganic and organic chemistry classes was thinking how I would explain concepts to my science naive friends and family. It really works.
azswcowboy@reddit
You’re in good company. Einstein and Feynman basically embraced the idea that if you couldn’t explain it to a child you didn’t fully grasp the concept. It’s a very high bar.
amcoll@reddit
When you think about Einstein, Feynmann, Hawkins, Sagan, and a whole host of others, it's not (only) that they were incredibly smart, but they were also experts in science communication.
I mean, Hawkins had a #1 bestseller with a book about black hole physics, that doesn't happen if you cant make it fascinating
showMeYourPitties10@reddit
In my aircraft dispatchers class, they had us do this often as a technique, "explain this concept to the class if they were all 5". Simular to how they toughtbus to answer how a jet engine works "suck, squeeze, bang, blow"
Burty-Burtburt4420@reddit
I once asked a Harvard MD/MIT PhD brainiac what genius is. He replied that true genius is making the complex, simple.
The reverse is what corporations do in my profession all too often. #dummies
donwb@reddit
This is 1000% me. I can be so sure I have a solid grasp of a concept but as soon as I start to explain it I’m all over the place lol
_DoIReallyNeedTo_@reddit (OP)
Exactly me right now lol. But it is always nice to know such things
schmigglies@reddit
Is this MEM?
_DoIReallyNeedTo_@reddit (OP)
IST
ScruffGraber@reddit
Istanbul Airport?
_DoIReallyNeedTo_@reddit (OP)
Yes
Aerofirefighter@reddit
From an engineers perspective, that’s what we call vortex shedding. Specifically von karman vortex street
TheG00dF1ght@reddit
That's a vortex coming off the wing. It's a low pressure area that causes the water vapor in the humid air to precipitate out and create fog/clouds.
LearningDumbThings@reddit
It’s there all the time, you just can’t usually see it.
TheG00dF1ght@reddit
I mean it's not there when the plane is parked. It's caused by airflow over the wing, which creates the low pressure area.
Chappo5150@reddit
Pedant.
Roger_Freedman_Phys@reddit
It’s very common, completely normal, but also quite awesome!
Porxis@reddit
Whoa, that runway glowaup is straight out of a sciafi flick!
Wavebuilder14UDC@reddit
They left the chemtrail generator on
Frank_TJMackey@reddit
The uneducated call those chem trails. People who know how to tie their shoes without hurting themselves know that's moisture being crushed out of the air at the low pressure point behind the wing.
x60pilot@reddit
It’s obvious the pilot forgot to turn off chemtrails
lord_flashheart2000@reddit
Trainee chemtrail
cybermage@reddit
Flying high in the atmosphere, sometimes planes can attract space worms.
Big_Fat_Dave@reddit
Chemtrails have not been switched off....bad pilots!!
NotOptimal8733@reddit
That is the flap edge vortex coming off the high-lift system used at takeoff and landing. When the flaps are stowed and the aircraft is cruising, the main vortex comes off the wing tip and is always there (it's sometimes visible if the air is humid or weather conditions are ripe). When the high lift system is deployed and the flaps are extended, the wing loading moves inboard, and the flap edge generates a pretty strong vortex. That is what you saw here.
youlikeblockingsodoi@reddit
shamiamiam@reddit
Chemtrail
FancyRainbowBear@reddit
Now illegal in the state of Florida
chillflyer@reddit
Low pressure air causing the saturated air to condense
rostov007@reddit
It’s that guy that disappeared into the lavatory over the Rockies and disabled the smoke detector. It’s got to go somewhere. #hotboxin
ObjectiveAny8437@reddit
It is super cool to watch, I used to have a job site right next to pdx and i would stop working every time a plane flew over and just watch this happen lol
Caramel-Secure@reddit
Oh cool! A major fuel leak off the right wing!
Jk. Great night video.
rockknocker@reddit
They clearly forgot to turn off the chemtrail machines. The secret's out!
wunderkit@reddit
These are the chemtrails we all hear about. You can see how much damage they are causing to the surroundings. I've been watching these for 50 years. So far no side effects.
elkab0ng@reddit
Others have explained well, I’ll just add that it’s a fascinating way to see how lift starts to develop on the wing as the plane gets up speed, made visible by the right amount of moisture in the air. Night flights are my favorite too :)
Loose-cannon1954@reddit
As others have said. A pocket tornado that is always present but only visible when the relative humidity is in a narrow range.
ungodguy@reddit
It looks like you’re seeing airflow interacting with the wing and becoming visible because humid air compresses and expands as the wing creates lift. It’s a completely normal aerodynamic effect, especially in humid or rainy conditions.
YMMV25@reddit
Vortex
maloikAZ@reddit
A tornader