A chemtrail is a term used by many observers to describe the persistent white trails left behind by aircraft in the sky. While officially classified as condensation trails (contrails) formed when hot jet exhaust meets cold atmospheric air, a growing community of concerned citizens questions whether all trails can be explained this simply. ChemTracker lets you investigate for yourself by showing you exactly which aircraft are leaving trails, at what altitude, and under what atmospheric conditions — so you can draw your own conclusions based on real data.

How does ChemTracker work?

ChemTracker combines real-time ADS-B flight data with atmospheric science to show you every aircraft in your area. It uses your location, live weather data including humidity and temperature at cruising altitude, and the known science of contrail formation to predict which planes are likely producing visible trails. You can point your phone at the sky and see overlaid flight information in real time.

Can I track chemtrails in real-time?

Yes. ChemTracker provides real-time tracking of all aircraft in your vicinity and highlights which ones are currently producing visible trails. Using live ADS-B transponder data and atmospheric readings, the app updates continuously so you can monitor exactly what is happening in the sky above your location at any moment. You can also set up alerts to be notified when trail-producing aircraft enter your area.

What is the difference between a chemtrail and a contrail?

A contrail (condensation trail) is the official explanation for the white lines left by aircraft — formed when water vapor in jet exhaust freezes in cold, humid air at high altitudes. The term chemtrail is used by researchers and observers who believe some trails may contain additional substances beyond normal water vapor, noting that some trails persist and spread for hours while others disappear quickly. ChemTracker helps you study these differences by showing atmospheric conditions, aircraft identity, altitude, and trail persistence predictions for every flight overhead.

March 28, 2026 · ChemTracker Team

Introducing ChemTracker

We built ChemTracker for everyone who looks up and wants real answers — not arguments, not theories, but actual atmospheric data for every aircraft visible in the sky above them. Today, we are making it available to the public.

Why We Built This

The chemtrail debate has been running for decades. Millions of people look up and see persistent trails that linger for hours, spread across the sky, and appear to follow patterns. They ask reasonable questions: why do some aircraft leave long trails while others leave nothing? Why do trails sometimes cover the entire sky? Why does this seem to be happening more than it used to?

The standard responses have been dismissive. “Those are just contrails. It's perfectly normal.” But a dismissal is not an answer. The people asking these questions deserve data, not reassurances.

The atmospheric science to answer these questions exists. The Schmidt-Appleman criterion has been the standard model for contrail prediction since the 1950s. Weather model data showing upper-atmosphere temperature and humidity is freely available. ADS-B flight tracking data covers virtually all commercial aviation. What was missing was a tool that combined all three in real time, for anyone, on their phone, pointed at the specific aircraft they were watching.

That is what ChemTracker is.

What ChemTracker Does

At its core, ChemTracker answers one question: for the aircraft currently above your location, are atmospheric conditions consistent with visible trail formation?

To answer that question, the app combines three data streams in real time:

1. Live ADS-B Flight Data

Every aircraft in range, updated every 5–15 seconds. Position, altitude, speed, heading, flight number, aircraft type, registration. This is the same data used by professional flight tracking services — we receive it from a network of ADS-B ground receivers covering Europe and North America.

2. Atmospheric Data at Altitude

For each aircraft, we retrieve temperature, relative humidity, and pressure at its exact reported altitude from numerical weather prediction model outputs. This is updated hourly. We interpolate across 8 pressure levels to get the most accurate representation of the air the aircraft is actually flying through.

3. Schmidt-Appleman Criterion

We apply the Schmidt-Appleman criterion to each aircraft using its altitude-specific atmospheric data and standard engine parameters. The result is a trail probability score calculated via Monte Carlo simulation, accounting for atmospheric measurement uncertainty. This gives you a probability range rather than a false binary answer.

The output is displayed on a live map, colour-coded by trail likelihood, updated continuously as aircraft move and atmospheric conditions evolve.

Key Features

Live Trail Map

Every aircraft above you, colour-coded by trail likelihood. Red = active trail producer.

Sky Scanner

Point your phone at any aircraft and see its trail prediction, flight details, and atmospheric conditions instantly.

Contrail Forecast

48-hour forecast of trail formation conditions for your location, updated hourly.

Trail Alerts

Get notified when high trail activity is detected above your location.

Atmospheric Data

Temperature, humidity, and pressure at 8 altitude levels — the actual conditions aircraft are flying through.

Stats Dashboard

Daily trail activity counts, peak hours, and atmospheric condition trends.

Our Vision

ChemTracker is not pro-chemtrail and it is not a debunking tool. It is a data tool. We believe that the best contribution we can make to this conversation is to put real atmospheric data into the hands of the people who are asking real questions.

If you look up, see a persistent trail from an aircraft, open ChemTracker, and find that atmospheric conditions fully support trail formation at that altitude — that is useful information. If you find that conditions do not support trail formation and yet a persistent trail exists — that is also useful information, and you can report it.

We want to grow a community of careful observers who use data rather than speculation. Every data point from every user contributes to a better understanding of what is actually happening in the atmosphere above us.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ChemTracker?

ChemTracker is a real-time flight tracking app that overlays atmospheric science on every aircraft above your location. It uses the Schmidt-Appleman criterion to predict which flights are currently producing visible trails, and provides a sky scanner to identify any aircraft you point your phone at.

Who is ChemTracker for?

ChemTracker is for anyone who looks up at the sky and wants to understand what they are seeing. Whether you are concerned about chemtrails, curious about atmospheric science, or simply want to identify flights overhead, ChemTracker gives you the data to answer your own questions.

How is ChemTracker different from other flight trackers?

Standard flight trackers show where aircraft are going. ChemTracker shows what aircraft are doing to the atmosphere — specifically, which are producing visible trails and why. The key addition is real-time atmospheric data at each aircraft's exact altitude, processed through the Schmidt-Appleman criterion.