Russell here, I shot this today October 13, 2012 about 3 to 3:30 p.m.; from Northeast Tennessee. I thought it was an interesting formation so wanted to share it with those on Aeroscale.

I don't know who it was, Air Force, Navy, Marines, but I am guessing from the single contrails these were fighters flying somewhere in formation. Interesting how the fifth one is lagging behind. Anyway, take a look, sort of neat. Russell

The fifth one is not lagging behind, he is being pulled along by the other four like a wagon behind a four horse span.

Of course, you can't see the cables becasue the planes are very high and the distance is too large

I suspect that it is actually a 5-engined spy plane travelling in "cloaked" mode, they just forgot to cloak the contrails !

Possible explanation:
It's a flight instructor teaching 4 students how to fly in formation.
More likely boring mundane explanation:
It's a flight of 4 much lower than a larger aircraft that just happened to be flying in the same direction at the moment the picture was taken.

Pffff, Jessie, you must be able to do much better, the other explanations are much more creative

Oh, okay, it's a MIRV attack. The re-entry vehicles contain a virus which eats polystyrene. We have just witnessed the end of our hobby and nobody but us knows it.

There, how's that?

Lmfao she does have an imagination

Wow Jessica! That is imaginative. Russell

Finally! The Autobots have finally arrived to save us from Ourselves!

Naaaah - you`re all wrong !,it`s the escort for Dragon`s latest shipment of kits.For what they charge you need an armoured car full of cash to afford one !!