Conspiracy circles have been saying it for several days: a video would prove the existence of “chemtrails”, this conspiracy theory which considers that the trails left in the sky by planes are in fact chemicals dropped on the population.
Shared by several accounts on social networks, the video in question has accumulated several million views in recent days. One of them assures for example that “the pilot forgets that his screen is set to the “chemtrails” option”.
The people in the video, filmed in what looks like an airplane cockpit, are French-speaking. We hear a woman speaking to a man, seated at the controls. “But then, coming back to the instruments, what are they for,” she asks, pointing to a screen on which we can read “Chemtrail mode/On”. The information displayed on the screen then suddenly changes, while the man responds: “Oh that’s nothing… No, uh…”. Before telling the woman that it is forbidden to film in the cockpit.
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This video does not prove that planes have a functionality that would allow them to activate a “chemtrails” mode on their control panel. The screen visible in the video is in reality a communication tool, on which any text can be displayed. “We see that there is “telex” and “send” written on the screen. It is a satellite communications system, between the aircraft and airline operations. It’s free text,” explains 20 minutes Iza Bazin, aeronautics specialist and pilot.
“The device visible in the video is an FMS, for Flight management system, a place where we can send and receive telexes, which are a kind of SMS,” adds Xavier Tytelman, former military aviator and aeronautics consultant. This interface allows for example to exchange information with the control tower, such as weather updates, or the closure of an air zone. “We write absolutely what we want,” continues the specialist. “It’s not an order to the plane or a function of the machine, it’s just a message that anyone can type by hand.” Conclusions which leave the two experts thinking of a joke.
A video that has been circulating for several years
If the video has gone viral for a few days in conspiracy circles, it is not recent. The oldest trace that it has been possible to identify dates back to 2018. An Italian conspiracy blog specializing in “chemtrails” devotes an article to it and concludes… that it is false. “This is a well-orchestrated fraud whose aim, paradoxically, is to divert suspicion from civilian companies, […] to prove that those who denounce [les] “chemtrails”, are gullible, imbeciles”, the blog had to conclude.
It should also be noted that not all airlines allow passengers to enter the cockpit. “It depends on the companies,” explains Iza Bazin, “except in the United States where it is prohibited. » Xavier Tytelman also indicates: “Until recently this was the case at Air France, on the condition of not filming. There are no universal rules. »
A well-known and controlled phenomenon
The “chemtrails”, which so worry conspiracy theorists, are in reality condensation trails, or “contrails” in English, that is to say the clouds which sometimes form after the passage of a plane in the sky.
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“When a particle of fuel combustion residue finds itself in a humid atmosphere and at -50°C for cruise flights, water droplets will aggregate around the particle to form a cloud,” explains Xavier Tytelman. In the same way as the smoke that appears at the exit of a gas fireplace, especially when it is cold.” In fact, condensation trails also depend on the climatic conditions of the day, as well as altitude. “Since jet engines have existed, we have known exactly how it is generated,” explains the specialist.