F-16s Pursue Unknown Craft Over Region

Washington Post ^ | Saturday, July 27, 2002 | Steve Vogel

[Pro Consul]

"It was this object, this light-blue object, traveling at a phenomenal rate of speed," Rogers said. "This Air Force jet was right behind it, chasing it, but the object was just leaving him in the dust. I told my neighbor, 'I think those jets are chasing a UFO.' "

Military officials confirm that two F-16 jets from Andrews Air Force Base were scrambled early yesterday after radar detected an unknown aircraft in area airspace. But they scoff at the idea that the jets were chasing a strange and speedy, blue unidentified flying object.

[Gunrunner2]

Now, to muddle the waters a bit:

1. The “government” (whoever that is supposed to be) don’t scoff at reports of UFO’s, they merely look first towards what would be the most logical explanation. . .as this usually accounts for over 95% of reports. The remaining reports may be classified as “unresolved.” But, no matter, the USG is not in the business of taking UFO reports anymore. NIDS (National Institute of Discovery Science (http://www.nidsci.org/) has that mission, as described in FAA manuals.

2. As a Forward Air Controller with the 101st Airborne Division, in Saudi back in August of ’90, I was in a OH-58 helicopter, playing radio relay during an exercise we were conducting. It was almost noon and a clear day. I saw a rapidly approaching (800-1,000kts) shadow approaching from the southeast, moving northwest. That was all I saw---a shadow---and it was elliptical in shape (parallax error?). Anyway, the shadow was dark and sharp, indicating the object must be close to the ground. However, neither the pilot nor I could actually see the object casting the shadow as it passed our location within a half-mile or so. Strange, and we talked about it and forgot about it.

Then, about 15 minutes later it came back on reverse course. Now, this time we saw it early enough to react, and we did what any fighter-type guys would do (the helo pilot was also an Apache pilot and I was, at that time, an A-10 pilot). We put ourselves on an intercept course to get in front of this shadow. As we approach the intercept point the shadow stopped---instantaneously---and the helo pilot instinctively banked the helo to the left to fly towards it, and as we rolled out, the shadow was instantly at full speed and went by us, disappearing to the southeast.

We looked at each other and wondered, “What the h*ll was THAT?!” Now, I don’t know what it was that caused that shadow, but I am not going to call it “alien” or anything like that. It is simply something I can’t explain. That is all.

When we landed about 45 minutes later we went to the TOC to de-brief the training mission, and let me tell you, all that B.S. about pilots swearing never to talk abvout such things as we saw, no way did that happen. . .We told EVERYBODY we could find. This, my friend, led to some other stuff. . .but that is for another time and place. . .

When it comes to UFO sightings and such, Occam’s razor usually works best. Basically the simplest explanation is best, and stories of super-secret double-inverted conspiracies and shadow governments are nothing but nonsense, as the US government can’t keep secrets worth a darn, especially something as complicated and involved as “the alien conspiracy.”

[carenot]

dare I say, missile??

No you dasen't

[Almondjoy]

Next we will be hearing about some brave souls squirting head and shoulders up a giant anus in the desert.

[MissAmericanPie]

A Watcher, according to scriptures. But who knows, it could be a special test aircraft, anything really. Something out of wack with the radar, interference from a sun spot.

[FormerLurker]

An interesting video..

Click on the image to view the MPEG video

[carenot]

Like most stories of “UFO’s,” it will take on a life of its own, as those that want to believe will, and those that offer explanations are one of “those” that are hiding the secret, and the lack of proof jusy goes to show ya just how good the cover up really is.

I remember the '50s when the pilots were asking what they were seeing.

They were told they didn't see anything. They said, "OK".

[FormerLurker]

I thought also of the reports from 1952 over D.C. and thought it beyond co-incidence that they occurred on July 26-27.

I didn't even notice the dates until after I had posted the info on the 1952 incidents. I wonder if this is the last we'll hear about these matters THIS time..

[carenot]

But I think that turned out to be an array of flares or something.

Yup, just citizens shooting off flares or something.

[Khurkris]

roger that G2

[carenot]

Hehee!

[carenot]

. If it is US military, then they have some very interesting toys that they aren't sharing with the rest of us kids.

My brother in law,in WW2 or Korean War, I don't remember which, was on watch and saw a bright light, streaking across the sky.

He reported it and his superiors reported his report.

Orders came back to forget it.

His name is Alvin C. Lee. He drew cartoons for--I can't remember.

Oh! Yes I do. Stars and Stripes!

[carenot]

They were delayed by some hours in their mission to Beam UP Jim Trafficant?

Have you checked out the evidence?

Feel free if you have about 30 hours.

I am re-listening to how Traficant was--I don't know a word that will describe what they have done to Jim Traficant.

http://www.c-span.org/state_local/archives.asp?Recordset12_Next=Next&Recordset12_Action=++&Recordset12_Position=FIL%3AORD%3AABS%3A11KEY%3APAR%3A&Recordset12_Looper1_State=10

[carenot]

The page cannot be found

[AxelPaulsen]

"It was this object, this light-blue object,

Were they near a K-Mart?

[demlosers]

UFOs better watch-out in the near future; multi-megawatt lasers are going to take them out! ;-)

[carenot]

Like I said, this is a strange one indeedy. Love to hear what the pilots in the planes, chasing the object, have to say, but somehow, I don't think they're going to be holding a press conference anytime soon. Bet there was an interesting debriefing.

Yeah. About like the pilots that saw Flight 800 get blown up.

They were called away from the news conference and when they came back said they didn't see anything.

[carenot]

Oh Lana. Why are you trying to flame people.

Be nice.

[Check6]

Carl Sagan and a Russian astronomer long ago wrote a book about the probability of "alien" (extraterrestrial) life. Their conclusions (arrived at long before any planetary systems other than our own were demonstrated) were the result of ... mainly ... guesswork, albeit highly educated guesswork. The number they settled on was 10,000 advanced civilizations in the visible universe. The formula to arrive at this was simple, just a multiplication of all the various probability estimates. They were careful to use conservative "guesses" for all the factors, resulting in a very conservative number.

 

Their definition of "advanced technical civilization" was one that had progressed at least to radio. They pointed out that many of the ten thousand civilizations would be tens of thousands of years old. Consider that we are very young. When was it that Marconi sent the signals? Although Sagan was a lifelong poo-pooer of the UFO phenomena, he did a great job of convincing the reader that visiting life was likely, if only a means of transport could be conjured. Now try and picture yourself explaining the space shuttle to General Robert E. Lee.

 

Considering how far our civilization has progressed since the invention of the radio, how short a time that has been, how old many of the civilizations must be, and the improbability that life is unique to the earth ... considering all of this, it seems to me that the burden of proof is on those who insist that we are and have been alone. I am very comfortable with my "belief" that we are probably life in a universe teeming with life. I don't lay awake thinking about it any more. It never surprises me to hear stories of strangeness in the sky, though I have a strong curiosity about the stories and the stories behind the stories. I believe in God, and I'm not sure how my acceptance of the size of the biosphere figures with that belief. I do not try to reconcile them.

 

I long ago lost interest in pursuing the phenomena called UFOs. I didn't lose interest. I lost interest in pursuing them. If you encounter an anthill during a walk in the woods, do you stoop and try to talk to the ants? Of course, the other possibility is that the entire culture clash on this planet is only a seventh graders social studies project. If someone could explain to me the things I observed, I would be embarrassed, but I would probably still believe that WE ARE NOT ALONE. And I would still believe in God. So go figger. :) That's all for me tonight...time to turn in.

 

 

[_Jim]

"It was this object, this light-blue object, traveling at a phenomenal rate of speed," Rogers said. "This Air Force jet was right behind it, chasing it,

It only *appears* to this civilian that the jets were "chasing" something. Getting up bleary-eyed he probably saw moonlight reflecting off something else in the distance - like another aircraft in the distance?

This is how this nonsense gets started - incomplete facts, half-baked observations by a witless member of the public and a LEAP to an erroneous conclusion ...

[_Jim]

Can anyone tell me what type of aircraft can outrun an F-16?

Gross assumption of facts NOT in evidence ...

(THIS kind of "leap of logic" is what's taking this site down.)