I feel like when I look up, 9/10 time there’s going to be a trail behind the plane, but if I go on a flight I never see it happen. Is it a specialty plane or something?
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It’s a condensation trail, or contrail.
They are created by jet engines compressing and heating the air traveling through them. As the exhaust expands and cools any moisture in the exhaust quickly condenses and forms a cloud.
Whether or not a jet engine produces a contrail depends on the amount of humidity in the air. It may also depend on the type of jet engine and the fuel its burning. There are many ways in which military jets reduce or even eliminate contrails.
When you travel on a jet, you may not see the contrail because it is forming well behind the airplane. You also just don’t have a very good angle from the passenger compartment to see much of anything.
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