Wichita UFO report draws wide attention (pics)

The Wichita Eagle/KansasCity.com ^ | 2/10/2009 | TIM POTTER

[SonOfDarkSkies]

It flew fast like a jet, made a whirling sound and left an odd glow.

That's how an amateur photographer described a flying machine he spotted in the skies near Rose Hill on Friday. The UFO world is now paying attention to his photograph.

On Monday, the photo appeared under the headline "Weird Object in Wichita," on UFO Digest, a Canadian Web site.

The object looks like some kind of new-technology fighter jet, possibly a prototype, said UFO Digest editor and publisher Dirk Vander Ploeg.

Jarrod Bartlett, spokesman for Boeing Integrated Defense Systems-Wichita, said in an e-mail that he checked with flight operations staff "and they were not able to identify the aircraft. We do not often get calls regarding unidentified aircraft."

[Tennessee_Bob]

Someone threw their cat up in the air.

Obviously not high enough.

[MeanWestTexan]

It’s the Orbitz hovercraft guy.

[Daus]

My guess.. The UCAS X-45 with some type of radar dome on top.

[Pontiac]

Why are UFO photos ALWAYS out of focus??

Simple

The object is always far way.

Further away than the lens on the camera permits clear focus.

Very few people have an expensive telephoto lens. Even those who do, do not walk around with them mounted on their camera. Even if you have one you need a tripod in most cases to take a clear picture. By the time you mount your telephoto lens mount the camera on your tripod the object is gone.

[JRios1968]

[ThomasThomas]

[SonOfDarkSkies]

IIRC, both McConnell AFB and Boeing Wichita are refueling-oriented operations. I would guess this UFO is either radar or refueling related.

[FroggyTheGremlim]

Am I hurtin’ ya, baby?

[johnny7]

“It's the mothership... fer'sure!”

[GonzoGOP]

Looks like a recon drone. The french have one that looks just like that with canard and delta wings and a jet engine stuck on the top. But what it is doing over the middle of the US is another issue. I wonder the UASF loast a drone or if AQ has built themselves a cruise missile.

[JRios1968]

[Pylon]

And Whiteman AFB where the B2’s are based is what, maybe about 200 miles away, not far or a long trip for a B2

[mountainlion]

Looks like a black helicopter to me.

[scooter2]

The tail silhouette does resemble that of a B-2

A B-2 doesn't have any tail surfaces.

[DJ MacWoW]

I knew a man that worked on new stealth aircraft projects. He said that everytime they took one out for a ride there was a flood of UFO calls.

[al baby]

ask Obama to tell you what it sounded like when he hit his head on Marine One

[bubbacluck]

Weather balloon flying through swamp gas.

[al baby]

Why are UFO photos ALWAYS out of focus?? HHmmmmmm.. Because the aliens have advanced photo blurring shield technology.

Like nice Prop Blur

[Daus]

The X-45 would be a cool platform for a “distributed” AWACS setup. Replace one big, manned, vulnerable AWACS jet with 10 networked X-45’s that can be up indefinitely....

[Tatze]

It looks like the Space Shuttle piggy backed on a 747.

Was it in transit on Friday?