Contrailocopter

It is rare for contrails (streaks of condensed water vapor created in the air by an airplane or rocket at high altitudes) to form behind a helicopter. Our spike field camp at Graphite Peak was at a high enough altitude (> 9000 ft) and the air was cold enough that each time our helicopter took off the rotating blades created these amazing contrails. This helicopter is plowing through air at a temperature of -40F and an altitude of 12,000 ft, 270 miles from the South Pole.