Replies

The plane was at 37,000 feet, cruise altitude, flying to PHX, all the other planes in the area were either on final, or on climb out, so they would not be making contrails like US808 was that day, and the next day. Very simple answer to your question.

There are a couple things that confuse me about the airplane theory.

First of all, if you look at a map and draw a direct line between Honolulu and Phoenix, the first place that line touches the North American continent is the very northern part of Baja California. Assuming that US Airways would want to stay out of Mexican airspace, it seems more logical that the flight plan would take the plane over San Diego, rather than Los Angeles. Not only would Los Angeles be out of the way because it is latitudinally north of Phoenix, but Los Angeles has one of the busiest airspaces in the world. Why would a plane that wasn't going to land in LA fly over LA, especially if it would add to its' flight time and distance? And, while I realize the US Airways route map is probably not the most accurate depiction of their flight plans, it does show their non-stop flights from Honolulu to Phoenix passing over San Diego, not Los Angeles. Has anyone from US Airways confirmed that Flt 808 flies over LA?

Second, the photographer who filmed the footage said the object flew off towards the northwest. That would mean it flew away from the city, not over it, and certainly not to Arizona.

Third, there has been a lot of speculation that the verticle flight of the object was an optical illusion because the object was actually flying towards the camera. Yet that theory contradicts the photographer's report that the object flew northwest. In addition, if the object was flying from west to east (towards the photographer), we should have seen two contrails. I've never seen a commercial aircraft fly overhead with only one contrail.

Bottom line, I don't believe for a second it was US Airways Flt 808.

I think flight 808 normally does go just south of LA. Someone posted a flight map the other day. But there is some credible info that a NOTAM in effect in that area where the video was filmed at that time.

Here is a map of where flight 808 was supposed to be at 5:00 PM PST.

However, the video was taken at 5:15. One would think a jet would cover the 35 miles from Catalina Island in less than 15 minutes. Plus leave a contrail all the way to the coast and beyond.

There was also this posted on a news site forum by a traveler.

RAW VIDEO: Mysterious Contrail Off Calif.
Lorrie Laible
I find it intersting that no one “claims” to know about this. Yesterday we were returning from Honolulu on Hawaiian Airlines with an arrival time of 3:25 pm at LAX. Approximately 270 miles away our pilot came on the speaker and told us we would be rerouted over Big Sur California due to military maneuvers in our path. Maybe they should speak with the pilot of our flight.
November 9, 2010 at 2:44 pm

My bad. The flight finder is actually set for 4:45 PM PST not 5. That means it was supposed to be right over Catalina a half hour before the video was shot. But it doesn’t seem likely that it was there at all with a NOTAM in effect.

First of all, if you look at a map and draw a direct line between Honolulu and Phoenix, the first place that line touches the North American continent is the very northern part of Baja California.

The great circle course from HNL to PHX crosses the coast around Delmar CA.

First of all, if you look at a map and draw a direct line between Honolulu and Phoenix, the first place that line touches the North American continent is the very northern part of Baja California.

The flight doesn't take a direct line like that, the plane is vectored towards that area because that is the first landing opportunity if something goes wrong more than half way into the flight. 757 is ETOPS and has to fly a specific route. I have flown from Hawaii to Phoenix at least 2 dozen times, probably more, and that is where we intercept the mainland, every time. Drawing a direct line is not how air traffic works. If that were the case LA flights to Asia would be much longer, instead they go north to take advantage of the curve of the earth. It was an airplane, either a US 757, or a UPS MD-11, but it was a plane.

Second, the photographer who filmed the footage said the object flew off towards the northwest. That would mean it flew away from the city, not over it, and certainly not to Arizona.

Third, there has been a lot of speculation that the verticle flight of the object was an optical illusion because the object was actually flying towards the camera. Yet that theory contradicts the photographer’s report that the object flew northwest. In addition, if the object was flying from west to east (towards the photographer), we should have seen two contrails. I’ve never seen a commercial aircraft fly overhead with only one contrail.

Bottom line, I don’t believe for a second it was US Airways Flt 808.

Good explanation