I wonder how clear the skies would be if there were no aircraft high above. It appeared to me that all the 'cloud' seen in that picture was in fact the vapour trails from passing aircraft spreading out across the heavens. Even in the far distance little 'real cloud' was to be seen. Those planes leaving their trails here are dropping down slowly to land at Stansted Airport or passing high above from Luton Airport. High above we often notice those making their way to and from North America from Europe. London has Heathrow, Gatwick, and Stansted airports, plus Luton and the London City Airport providing this are with a constant stream of air travel. Only a short time ago plans for a second runway at Stansted were dropped, and the people in their expensive houses round about relaxed. I suspect that soon enough this plan will be resurrected at some point. In spite of those complaining about the pollution most people appear keen to travel vast distances and leave the pollution to others. There is of course no way we could avoid using aircraft in today's world. In the UK business men could not operate by train travel alone. When British engineering invented railways they laid tracks almost overnight throughout the nation and indeed the Empire. However as the population has grown and towns and cities have spread the amount of land available for developing rail lines has almost disappeared. A new fast line up the west coast is now to be begun but even that could never take business people from north to south and back in one day, only aircraft, apart from delays, can suffice.
Since moving here I have become a cloud follower. I often stand staring into the skies, very much to the annoyance of bus drivers on this road, fascinated with the shapes clouds offer, the shades available and the colours available at different times of the day. Hence the pictures taken in today's sunshine. Hence my observation of 'Easyjet' and 'Ryanair' (who charge me extra to observe them) as they pass by. It sometimes amazes me how quickly these craft move. Several flights a day can take one plane from Edinburgh to Stansted, then on to Belfast, back to Stansted and possibly out to Scandinavia somewhere next. One day, several cities, several countries. Try walking that in a day! Before railways were developed the only way to get about was to walk, ride a horse or take some sort of carriage. Fast walking could not only wear you out but still reached only three miles an hour or thereabouts. Horse can gallop, but not for ever, and what speed do they reach? Two or three times the humans possibly? The fact that Stephenson's 'Rocket' could reach a speed of thirty miles an hour caused wise men to say "You are all going to die!" They reckoned the air would be sucked out of the body. Trains today go somewhat faster, although commuters could claim this to be false!
Using a system called 'Flightradar24' I was able to follow a friend as he flew one night to Nepal. I traced his plane as it left Heathrow and within ten minutes crossed the coast and headed into Europe. Driving could take around three hours to cover the distance, and would be troubled somewhat by the English Channel when it attempted to cross. Half an hour after take off my mate was deep into German territory and heading south. I took the only option, I forgot all about him. The world is shrinking. When I were a lad Brazil and those other American land masses were on the other side of the world. My first job entailed writing chits for lorry drivers headed to places like Liverpool docks where a thousand cases of whisky, some lighter than when they left the Bothy, would take several days to travel across the Atlantic. Only the rich and famous could afford to fly and enjoy several hours of flight to a new world. Today people can spend a weekend in New York and can travel to Brazil in less than a day! We take this for granted and the many nations walking our streets make us forget just how far away places used to be. Rumour has it that Heart of Midlothian wished to bring the Brazilian Vava to Tynecastle. People laughed at the idea. Not only was he part of Brazil's World Cup winning squad but Brazil was so far away, indeed on the other side of the world. Now even Dunfermline have had Brazilians playing for them, and that in the lower division. How times change and that air pollution following the jets is having an effect on us all.
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