Missile launch from California a Mystery

[AVION1]

Ok...anyone has an answer to that mysterious launch from California?
CNN just said it appears to be an airplane, but the FAA can not confirm that, the Pentagon said they didn't launch any missile.
Well, now I need your input, take a look at the video:

[AVION1]

After watching the video, I believe it is in indeed a missile, you can see the rocket engine (flames), and could be a secret test from the Navy, so they are not obligated to disclose it to anyone.

[AVION1]

a NOTAM, kind of weird, why the Pentagon is denying it?

KZLA LOS ANGELES A2832/10 - THE FOLLOWING RESTRICTIONS ARE REQUIRED DUE TO NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER WEAPONS DIVISION ACTIVATION OF W537. IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY, ALL NON-PARTICIPATING PILOTS ARE ADVISED TO AVOID W537. IFR TRAFFIC UNDER ATC JURISDICTION SHOULD ANTICIPATE CLEARANCE AROUND W537 AND CAE 1176. CAE 1155 WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR OCEANIC TRANSITION. CAE 1316 & CAE 1318 WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR OCEANIC TRANSITION. CAE 1177 WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR OCEANIC TRANSITION. W537 ACTIVE, CAE 1176 CLOSED. SURFACE - FL390, 09 NOV 20:00 2010 UNTIL 10 NOV 01:00 2010. CREATED: 08 NOV 20:52 201

[twagenknecht]

The NOTAM might have been for another test. W537 is the area extending from Vandenberg AFB's SW area and goes out a couple hundred miles in a WSW direction. The plume supposedly was seen originating on the surface somewhere near Catalina island. Now then, that being said, the plume did go into the general direction of W537, but if this was missile, then the area covered by W537 would be crossed on the short side very quickly, and going into W532 and then into other airspace. For a reference, see these charts: http://skyvector.com/#13-24-2-3720-3153

[AVION1]

The NOTAM might have been for another test. W537 is the area extending from Vandenberg AFB's SW area and goes out a couple hundred miles in a WSW direction. The plume supposedly was seen originating on the surface somewhere near Catalina island. Now then, that being said, the plume did go into the general direction of W537, but if this was missile, then the area covered by W537 would be crossed on the short side very quickly, and going into W532 and then into other airspace. For a reference, see these charts: http://skyvector.com/#13-24-2-3720-3153

You are right, in any case the launch would be done in the airspace of W290 as per the chart you provided, and not W537.
Kind of weird.

[Evan]

Aircraft contrail + atmospheric duct:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_duct

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fata_Morgana_(mirage)

Or maybe not....

[AVION1]

Aircraft contrail + atmospheric duct:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_duct

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fata_Morgana_(mirage)

Or maybe not....

Take a look at the above video again, can you see the rocket engine? can you see the flames?

[twagenknecht]

3 more things:
1) Perhaps one of the many pilots could chime in here: The NOTAM is usually written with the times stated for the GMT zone. In this case then, the times should have been for today, not yesterday.
2) In these times with really spectacular cameras, and great chase helicopters (we have seen enough of that here in LA with car chased in HD), why is this video such crap. Or is it because the object is so far away that the atmospheric distortion occludes it?
3) Looking closer at the pictures and videos, I could see this being a really high aircraft, perhaps originating in Hawaii, or other parts west, that hit the right mix to cause a really great contrail plume, which dissipated when it got closer to land. In any case, the 'fire' that is seen could also be the angle of the craft in relation to a sun which has set already, resulting in this as a reflection.

In any case, if this was a missile launch, someone has some 'splainin' to do. If it was another aircraft, why did no one else snap off some shots? That the news focuses more on speculation really bugs me. Get a reporter over to a radar station...they would certainly have something more concrete to talk about...wait...then the news would not be fun to watch anymore.

[Evan]

Take a look at the above video again, can you see the rocket engine? can you see the flames?

I think that is due to reflection from the sun. You'll note that it comes and goes. If the location is anywhere near accurate it could be coming in along the 234 radial from LAX. If that area ( CAE 1318 ) is open for business...

[Peter Kesternich]

(...) Our government wants to reassure us that this missile was no threat; yet supposedly they do not know the origin or type of missile, so how do they know it’s no threat if they don‘t know exactly what it was and why? As usual the statements from the government seem to be dishonest rhetorical contradictory psychobabble.

Well - calm down everyone... Remember the old adage "The easiest explanation is almost always the most likely explanation." (Hercule Poirot)

Furthermore, everybody thinking about conspiracies should think about the following: People are much more likely to believe something very improbable that supports their general views, than to believe something probable that contradicts their views.
Especially everybody critical of government - no matter whether the Bush or the Obama administration - should consider that.

[Peter Kesternich]

(...) Could this be a Chinese (or North Korean, or Iranian, etc…) submarine launch of a missile?! (...)

Extremely unlikely - and in the case of North Korea and Iran impossible.

(...)Could this be a response from the Obama world apology and submission and concession tours? (...)

Hmmmmmm - talking about possible apology and submission and concession on behalf of the US administration takes us somewhat off-topic, but suffice it to say, after 8 years of being bullied and threatened by the Bush administration, the rest of the world, at least most of it, is relieved that cooler heads prevail now in Washington. For the time being we get a short break from the old administration's "Shoot first, ask questions later" policy, and I for my part don't long for the old days... *lol...

(...)Could this be symbolic of hostile powers as a threat and a warning; (...)

What hostile power? I wouldn't consider China a hostile power since they are wayyyy to eager to do business with the US and the rest of the West to threaten us. And launching an ICBM off a submarine off the CAlifornia coast is way beyond the capabilities of everybody that's really hostile to the US.

(...)that the US no longer is an economic superpower because of what Obama and his regime has done to the US economy? (...)

Well - whatever responsibilty the Obama administration has in the current economic situation, they were standing on the shoulders of giants... *lol... And I am sorry, AFTS_Crash, but EVERY American should absolutely resent your use of the word "regime".

(...)Is the symbolic of things to come, that the US will not be a military superpower much longer, and will not have the ability to keep world peace much longer? (...)

Well - for the past 200 years it has not been so much a question of the US' ability to keep world peace but of their willingness. There have been good times (e.g. 1910s, 1940s, 1980s and 1990s) and bad (1960s and 2000s).
As for being a superpower, the wars in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan should have shown CLEARLY by now that being a superpower doesn't help you at all when dealing with a guerilla war and an insurgency from within the population.

[Peter Kesternich]

Just prior to World War II there were people telling people to calm down that there was nothing to worry about from Germany and Japan. We were told not to worry about rumors of concentration camps, military buildups, economic problems, etc….

You're right we should put our blind faith in politicians.

Well - it wasn't rumors at that time, and nobody said there was nothing to worry about... not even Neville Chamberlain. If he hadn't been worried, he wouldn't have gone to Munich. But the situation today is VERY different. The Allies in the 1930s were dealing with a hostile government and a hostile country of a comparable size and strength. Today the US and the Western world are dealing with an attack on our way of life by a group of individuals.

I never said to put blind faith in a politician, but I say you should put faith in a politician, because what's the alternative? Putting faith in a general? Good Lord... No.

[Evan]

Could this be a response from the Obama world apology and submission and concession tours?

You decide!

[mzk49o1]

It was the Soviets.

[KMRY_Executive]

If it was a plane couldn't they back track and see what exact plane it was(ie Airline,Jet type, Destination),then present the information to the public?(Hell...You can use fight aware for that) Something is fishy here. No, I don't think the north koreans are launching rockets at us. I do however, think that someone, somewhere royally screwed up and the pentagon is trying to clean it up, or they are simply not going to give us the truth, and it was in fact just another test.