posted 10-01-2000 10:41 PM            

The morning started with one of those deep blue Sierra mountain skies... not a cloud to be seen.

At 10:00 AM a single plane made a pass moving from North to South, laying a trail down the length of the lake...and then it abruptly stopped.

At 10:45 we were in a boat out in the middle of the lake, with a panoramic 360 degree view.

Another plane began a pass similar to the first, moving from the North to the South end of the lake. A billowing white trail extended from the northern mountain rim of the lake.

What was amazing was that as it passed overhead, a second plane-smaller and black- appeared immediately adjacent to and/or at times within the lead plane's trail. It was pacing the first plane exactly in speed and direction, following perhaps 300 yards astern. As others in the boat looked up, one commented on the small black plane's trail...that it was PINK!! I observed the same thing (polaroid glasses on). Also, the second plane's trail dissipated rapidly.

The trails from the 10:00 and 10:45 AM passes were still visible at 2:00 PM.

NO OTHER PLANES LEFT ANY OBSERVABLE CONTRAILS DURING THE ENTIRE DAY!

Given that such close proximity flying would clearly be in violation of FAA regulation, it is safe to assume that the two planes flying in tandem were military.

The question remains...just what was going on?

A binary system?