(- Drops in by parachute -)
HELLOOOO!!!
Yes Rachel, the trails are a height issue. At high altitudes, the air is very cold. The jet turbine engine exhaust gasses are very hot. Then they cool down immediatly, condensating any water that was in the air. So thats why you see the large trails. They are actually 'clouds' of water.
But:
Thats only on extreme heights (like passenger aircraft). On airshows, they put a smoke machine on the plane to produce visible trails. That gives more of a show effect. The planes fly waay to low to produce that naturally.
Voila
And Terry: Its AKSEL, not ASKEL!!! Why do all Americans always swap the k and the s????