eli5: Why do airplanes have a cloudy trail behind them?

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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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6 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

The engines are super hot and the air at cruising altitudes is really cold so when the air passes through the jet engine it is heated and then instantly condenses when re-exposed to the high altitude air into a cloud. So you are seeing a cloud trail behind the plane

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