Contrails signs of fighter jets training in skies over Port

Port Washington residents who looked heavenward on Monday may have been surprised to see concentric circles in the sky above and wondered if Ozaukee County was under attack from UAPs, or Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena.

Not to worry, however,

The wispy circles were created by the contrails of F16 and F35 jets conducting training exercises from Volk Field, a Wisconsin Air National Guard base in Juneau County.

The exercises began Monday and will continue every day through June 12, according to the base’s social media page.

“Residents of the following counties may see and/or hear participating aircraft during the exercise: Adams, Brown, Calumet, Clark, Columbia, Dodge, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Jackson, Juneau, Manitowoc, Marquette, Monroe, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Portage, Sheboygan, Trempealeau, Washington, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago and Wood,” the post states.

The exercise is focused on combat-ready training “in simulated contested environments and is specifically designed to enhance readiness, interoperability and capability in an air-to-air simulated combat environment.”

During the exercise, known as Sentry North, “F-35s, F-16s and other military aircraft are scheduled to train between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. each day,” the post states.

“Aircraft flying above 30,000 feet are authorized by the FAA to operate at supersonic speeds within the Volk Military Operating Area, which may be audible at ground level.”

The Volk Military Operating Area extends across central Wisconsin and into Lake Michigan airspace.

“You may have noticed some ‘thunder’ in the sky,” reads another Facebook post. “Volk Field offers 30,000 cubic miles of airspace, which is why people from all over the globe choose to train here. This training is crucial to the success of our military units.

“As we continue training to uphold our nation’s defense within the United States and around the world, the Wisconsin Air National Guard appreciates your continued support!”