YOUR correspondent Mr Pantling (Gazette letters, April 30) suggests a rather sinister explanation for the trails of condensation over Wiltshire. The explanation is quite simple.
The world’s airliners are controlled in their movement by channelling them down airways, which extend from about 3,000 feet up to about 30,000 feet.
They are about ten miles wide and permit aircraft travelling in both the same and different directions to maintain safe separation and avoid collision.
The number of aircraft lost in collision in an airway is infinitesimally small compared with the number of aircraft movements.
The main air route from Western Europe to North America, Green 1, extends west into the Atlantic from the London Heathrow terminal control area and passes directly over Wiltshire.
Yes, aircraft exhaust emissions do have an impact on climate change but seeding clouds is not on the agenda.
NIGEL CARTER
Great Western
Close Devizes
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article