Only On 6: Chemtrails Controversy

We have all seen planes flying here in Texoma, leaving white lines in the sky.  Many call them contrails, but conspiracist believe they are chemtrails.

"I see them everyday in the sky.  I just figured they were ice crystals," said Clyde Harms, a Texoma resident. 

"I've given it some thought, I have read up on them.  So that has put a little bit of thought in my mind that it could be something else," said Juniper Harms, a chemtrail theorist.

The debate between the two terms has long been debated, but with the increase in conversation, Newschannel 6 wanted to look into the subject and ask military and aviation specialists to see what their thoughts were on the theory.

We first search to define what contrails are and how they are formed.

The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration defined contrails as the condensation trail that is left behind a passing jet plane.

Derek Krahn, Technical Sergeant and Aviation Meterologist at Sheppard Air Force Base explained how contrails are formed.

"At certain levels in the atmosphere, the temperature, the pressure, where the relative humidity are in favorable amounts, contrails can easily form if aircraft pass through," said Sgt. Krahn.

Krahn also said, "Some of the contrails can last for a few minutes and some of the contrails can actually last.  If the conditions are favorable they can last for several hours.  They can become stretched and they can become miles wide and takes them a long time to dissipate, but again, the're still just vapor and ice crystals."

However, chemtrail theorist said they are not so sold by the scientific rhetoric of military personal.

Instead, they believe the government could be spraying toxic chemicals in the atmosphere.

"I don't put anything past the government to do any testing on us without us knowing it to see how we react to it," said Juniper.

Juniper said she has done some research on chemtrails.  She believes it isn't far fetched if the government is using people to test its military options.

"When I look back over the years and when soldiers have gone into battle, I know they have used  chemicals to test," said Juniper.

When Sgt. Krahn at SAFB was asked what  the difference between contrails and chemtrails were, he replied "the only thing i am aware of are contrails and that is the meteorological phenomenon."

Gary Walker, a pilot and Project Manager of Seeding Operations and Atmospheric Research said, with thousands of hours of experience in air, all he knows of are contrails, but acknowledged the term chemtrails.

"I know that there are some conspiracy theories about the chemtrails and the fact that the federal government are putting things out," said Walker.

Walker said chemtrail theories have been around for a longtime, but says he puts his belief in science.

"When you see a trail of something up in the air, it's not logical that it can fall to the ground like something that falls to the ground like out of an agricultural plane, that sprays a crop or mosquito," said Walker.

Juniper Harms says the possibility still is there.

"Why couldn't that be a possibility?  To see what takes place, to maybe use it in chemical warfare," said Harms.

Walker explained why it seems impossible for the government to spray toxic chemicals and for it to have an effect on people if dispersed at such high altitudes.

"It couldn't fall here to earth when those jet planes are flying at 24,000 to 30,000 feet, because that just continues to be carried on with the jet streams," said Walker.

However, the idea of chemtrails still has some Texomans thinking twice when looking up.

"So now when I take a look at them, when I see them, I kind of think of that," said Juniper.

Jimmie Johnson, Newschannel 6