Strange 'event' off the Eastern Coast of Sicily.

reply to post by silo13


Tomorrow, there's an air show in Catania (the Acireale Air Show). It might be planes practicing for that.

timming,,silo13 big kiss,,,

that picture of the barn swallow in flight,,
$1,000,000.00 easy,,
wow what an eye.

For 25+ years they have the air and water show in Chicago on a Saturday and Sunday. On the Thursday and Friday before, they do an almost full run through. Invariably, as soon as the jets fly over the city on Thursday morning, everyone downtown panics because they have no idea, after 25+ years, that this is how they practice.

that said, if there is an air show coming up it could very well be practice runs!

These look almost like the exhaust from a rocket still lingering in the sky. The explosions could have been a few different things, but probably nothing to worry about. Although, military usually doesn't do stuff this close to civilian populations...I asked to be assigned to Italy when I was in the air force, but got stuck in the states for most of my time. Keep your eyes open, and maybe you can find some more information.

reply to post by CLPrime


www.milavia.net...

Which is in the Sicily region.

errr wrong thread

is it at all possible that the trails are going down not up? as in dropped from an extremely fast craft of some kind. eg. Aurora or SR-71 type? I know its a long shot but I am very doubtful that it would be a sub "test" launch that close to a populated area unless it was an extremely serious situation and then its doubtful we'd even be able to talk about this on ATS.

reply to post by TreehouseIndustries

Compare this image (from the OP) to this video. Note in particular the thickening of the smoke trail at the top.


What do you think? Do you think an Italian aerobatic team might be showing up at the airshow?

reply to post by kosmicjack


Indeed. In fact, it's in the region Silo circled here (which I just noticed).

I live near Hartsfield Jackson Int'l airport and it's fairly well known that the illusionary appearance of contrails compared to the horizon often can be mistaken for a missile launch or similar.

reply to post by kosmicjack

But these trails clearly originate from in front of the horizon, not beyond it.

reply to post by TreehouseIndustries


The SR-71 wasn't noted for maneuverability so much as screaming velocity. I'd think something like the Aurora would be the same, especially if it's ramjet-powered. And besides, the Blackbird usually cruised at 80,000 feet or more. Why would something like it be flying that low?

Originally posted by bluemooone2
Here is the best that I can do attempting to bring out some detail in Silo`s photos.

Looks very much like an aerial demonstration team display. Along with this: www.sicilydistrict.eu... n-sicilia/1893

I'd say it's probably practice to familiarize the pilots with the local area.

Originally posted by _Del_

Looks very much like an aerial demonstration team display. Along with this: www.sicilydistrict.eu... n-sicilia/1893

That about sews it up.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Another possibility...


Italian Navy Subs/NATO, launching missiles into Syria?

reply to post by CodyOutlaw


withdrew......

Originally posted by ShadeWolf
reply to post by TreehouseIndustries

 

The SR-71 wasn't noted for maneuverability so much as screaming velocity. I'd think something like the Aurora would be the same, especially if it's ramjet-powered. And besides, the Blackbird usually cruised at 80,000 feet or more. Why would something like it be flying that low?

True, but I've seen a n SR-71 take off after landing at Blytheville AFB for emergency maintenance, and when it took off it shot down the runway and before the end of the runway it was in the air and vertical.

Only time I've ever seen them open hanger doors and a bird taxi itself out of the hanger.

Originally posted by Phage

Originally posted by _Del_

Looks very much like an aerial demonstration team display. Along with this: www.sicilydistrict.eu... n-sicilia/1893

That about sews it up.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

I would say a fighter jet...F-16 or the likes. Just my guess, but the photo reminds me of one at an air show. Can anyone isolate the object in that photo? Enlighten me

Woa... if that ain't a photoshop, this looks petty much like large rockets being launched.

Secret ICBMs test lauches?

Space rockets?

If it didn't happen already, can somebody who's in the Air Force can give his/her impressions about this?

reply to post by Phage


That is exactly what it looks like to me, and if the humidity conditions were right, the flight surfaces could have created a contrail from the maneuver. I see at least 5 trails in the pictures, and some appear to be contrails, while a couple are odd, but if there was a flyover and vertical maneuver, then the trails make more sense.

As to the noise, if they are traveling at high speeds you never hear them until they are going away from you. If one flew over low and fast and then pulled up abruptly, you probably would not see it unless it happened to pick up a glare or reflection from the sun.

I used to LOVE watching them do this at Eglin. The first time I saw it, I was delivering pizzas near a flight line and I stopped to watch a jet coming in for a landing, and just when I thought it might touchdown, instead it pulled up and went vertical, and the noise was deafening, my van shook, my head rattled, and the jet was gone out of sight before I could even think.