Post by: crt360 on January 15, 2008, 07:30:41 AM
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
STEPHENVILLE In the farming community of Stephenville, where nightfall usually brings clear, starry skies, residents are abuzz over reported sightings of what many think is a UFO.
Several dozen people in the town southwest of Fort Worth including a pilot, county constable and business owners insist that they have seen a large silent object with bright lights flying low and fast. Some reported seeing fighter jets chasing it.
"People wonder what in the world it is because this is the Bible Belt, and everyone is afraid it's the end of times," said Steve Allen, a freight company owner and pilot who said the object he saw last week was a mile long and half a mile wide. "It was positively, absolutely nothing from these parts."
Though federal officials insist that there's a logical explanation, locals swear that it was larger, quieter, faster and lower to the ground than an airplane.
They also said the object's lights changed configuration, unlike those of a plane.
People in several towns who reported seeing the object over several weeks have offered similar descriptions of it.
Ricky Sorrells said friends made fun of him when he told them that he saw a flat, metallic object hovering about 300 feet over a pasture behind his Dublin home. But he decided to come forward after reading similar accounts in the Stephenville Empire-Tribune.
"It feels good to hear that other people saw something because that means I'm not crazy," Sorrells said."
Sorrells said he has seen the object several times. He said he watched it through his rifle's telescopic lens and described it as very large and without seams, nuts or bolts.
Maj. Karl Lewis, a spokesman for the 301st Fighter Wing at the Joint Reserve Base Naval Air Station in Fort Worth, said no aircraft from his base were in the area Jan. 8, when many sightings were reported.
Lewis said the object might have been an illusion caused by two commercial airplanes. Lights from the aircraft would seem unusually bright and might appear orange because of the setting sun.
Fourteen percent of Americans polled last year by The Associated Press and Ipsos said they had seen a UFO.
Erath County Constable Lee Roy Gaitan, who said he isn't sure about the existence of UFOs, said that one night last week, he saw red glowing lights and then white flashing lights moving rapidly across the sky.
"I didn't see a flying saucer, and I don't know what it was. But it wasn't an airplane, and I've never seen anything like it," Gaitan said. "I think it must be some kind of military craft at least, I hope it was."
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/01/15/0115ufo.html
Post by: Paddy on January 15, 2008, 07:51:08 AM
Post by: MechAg94 on January 15, 2008, 08:15:13 AM
I guess if they don't know what it is, by definition, it is a UFO. Doesn't mean they believe in little green men.
Post by: Manedwolf on January 15, 2008, 08:15:20 AM
...nobody ever, EVER gets a good video or photo of a "UFO". Nothing beyond grainy footage that looks like it was taken with a broken 1986 VHS camera with a bad magnetic head.
Post by: 280plus on January 15, 2008, 08:23:23 AM
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"People wonder what in the world it is because this is the Bible Belt, and everyone is afraid it's the end of times," said Steve Allen
Does anyone else find this to be just a little bit, uh,,,troubling?
Post by: Manedwolf on January 15, 2008, 08:26:36 AM
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"People wonder what in the world it is because this is the Bible Belt, and everyone is afraid it's the end of times," said Steve Allen
Does anyone else find this to be just a little bit, uh,,,troubling?Not really. People like that have been around forever. The first smoke-belching trains were a harbinger of the end of times. The moving pictures of women with bared ankles showed it was the end of times. The cow having a deformed calf meant it was the end of times. Etc, etc...
Post by: Brad Johnson on January 15, 2008, 08:54:10 AM
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Erath County Constable Lee Roy Gaitan, who said he isn't sure about the existence of UFOs, said that one night last week, he saw red glowing lights and then white flashing lights moving rapidly across the sky.
"I didn't see a flying saucer, and I don't know what it was. But it wasn't an airplane, and I've never seen anything like it," Gaitan said. "I think it must be some kind of military craft — at least, I hope it was."
"I didn't see a flying saucer, and I don't know what it was. But it wasn't an airplane, and I've never seen anything like it," Gaitan said. "I think it must be some kind of military craft — at least, I hope it was."
Wow, ending the story with a statement that is non-presumptive, reasonably speculative, and at least moderately well informed. Are you sure a real newsie wrote this article? Maybe the reporter is a space alien...
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Not really. People like that have been around forever. The first smoke-belching trains were a harbinger of the end of times. The moving pictures of women with bared ankles showed it was the end of times. The cow having a deformed calf meant it was the end of times. Etc, etc...
That's been a constant throughout recorded history (and, presumably, the entire history of modern man). There has always been a group of people in every culture and country who firmly believe that Armaggeddon, or their cultural equivalent, is only moments away.
The first organization that comes to mind are the End-Timers.
www.etm.org
Brad
Post by: Chuck Dye on January 15, 2008, 09:18:10 AM
(and why can't I find a working ascii code for a "not equal" sign?)
Post by: CAnnoneer on January 15, 2008, 09:25:58 AM
I find it amazing that, in an age when there's a video camera or cellphone camera or digital camera within feet of most people, when people manage to capture YouTube video of their friends getting drunk and falling over a fence...
Precisely what I thought the minute I saw the article.
It must have been a real low-flying object because different people saw it at different angles - the hunter from directly under and the bearded git at 70deg from the horizon. But, as somebody else pointed out, UFO does not necessarily mean extraterrestrial.
Post by: Ex-MA Hole on January 15, 2008, 09:49:30 AM
Post by: Chuck Dye on January 15, 2008, 09:54:12 AM
Post by: Brad Johnson on January 15, 2008, 10:05:03 AM
You lost me, how come?
UFO = Unidentified Flying Object
Just because you can't tell what it is doesn't make it from another planet, it just makes it unidentified.
Brad
Post by: Ex-MA Hole on January 15, 2008, 10:06:10 AM
Thanks Brad.
That was probably the dumbest question I've ever asked....I'm so embarrassed.....
Post by: Chuck Dye on January 15, 2008, 10:24:41 AM
SATC
Post by: MechAg94 on January 15, 2008, 10:26:12 AM
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"People wonder what in the world it is because this is the Bible Belt, and everyone is afraid it's the end of times," said Steve Allen
Does anyone else find this to be just a little bit, uh,,,troubling?Not really. People like that have been around forever. The first smoke-belching trains were a harbinger of the end of times. The moving pictures of women with bared ankles showed it was the end of times. The cow having a deformed calf meant it was the end of times. Etc, etc...
Post by: 280plus on January 15, 2008, 12:11:57 PM
Post by: AJ Dual on January 15, 2008, 12:12:51 PM
We've been interested in long-loiter surveillance capabilities, and to fill an intermediate trade-off niche with the ability to move troops and equipment faster than ships, but with more capacity than aircraft with VTOL/STOL capability for unimproved landing fields for a long time. I think politically, maybe since France denied our F117's overflight to bomb Lybia we've been thinking hard about areas of the Earth that don't have easy access through international waters, or are landlocked by hostile or neutral third-party states.
And since a blimp or dirigible is a very big, slow, and very soft target, it makes sense to paint it black, stealth it, and use it at night only.
Looking forward, I could also see such a thing having utility as a carrier platform for cruise missiles, UAV's, or even UCAV's, extending their range, and giving them loiter capability. If the airship itself is unmanned as well, and has an operational ceiling high enough to allow it to hide in daylight, and is fuel efficient enough, one with cruise missiles or UCAV's could loiter in international airspace outside a potential enemy nation indefinitely.
I'd lay a smaller bet on such an airship having an ionic airmoving system with no moving parts for silent running, and more traditional ducted fans for lower risk flying.
Post by: 280plus on January 15, 2008, 12:38:47 PM
Post by: Regolith on January 15, 2008, 01:20:33 PM
(and why can't I find a working ascii code for a "not equal" sign?)
Just use != instead.
Post by: Tallpine on January 15, 2008, 02:05:15 PM
Post by: zahc on January 15, 2008, 02:08:00 PM
Post by: CAnnoneer on January 15, 2008, 02:28:50 PM
Ex-ma, the method is called "parallax". It is used for positioning as well as measuring distances. In astronomy, the half-yearly parallax from the Earth vantage point was historically used to determine distances to the nearest stars. Incidentally, the usual problem with footage evidence of flying objects is exactly for parallax reasons - if you do not know how big it is, you cannot know how far it is and vice versa. The solution is to have multiple cameras well-spaced. Then triangulation determines distance and distance determines size.
AJ, magneto-hydro-dynamic propulsion would require very large currents to create a magnetic field strong to produce any meaningful thrust. The fundamental problems are heat dissipation and the small value of the magnetic permeability constant. Even if you avoid the resistive heat generation by superconductors, you then have to cool them to liquid nitrogen temperatures. That would require a lot of mass and power. Even if all of that works, you still have to generate the power in some way, and normal diesel or gas generators will not be silent at all. Of course you can go with a nuclear power plant on board, but then the mass and therefore blimp size will just get silly. Finally, even if all of that works, to propel such a heavy beast at meaningful speeds you will have to move a lot of air, because of its low density; that will probably be only a bit less quiet than a jet engine. For all these reasons, NASA is playing with ion engines only for extremely small craft.
Post by: AJ Dual on January 15, 2008, 02:47:25 PM
AJ, magneto-hydro-dynamic propulsion would require very large currents to create a magnetic field strong to produce any meaningful thrust.
No, you're over thinking it. It's ionic. Think those internet vids of a tin-foil triangle with field wires held up on balsa sticks and a HV power supply. (I'm looking, I know they're out there...) Lots of voltage, but not lots of current. The same reason air blows out of that Sharper Image ionic air cleaner even though there's no moving parts.
It's been a known effect since at least the 1950's, it's not at all practical for a heavier than air craft, a couple billion of black budget money it might work well for an airship during calm weather.
(edit) here they are... http://youtube.com/results?search_query=ionic+lifter&search=Search
Ignore the tinfoil hat types who want to believe it's a field effect. The high voltage just carries air with it and creates thrust.
Post by: 280plus on January 15, 2008, 02:50:57 PM
Post by: grampster on January 15, 2008, 02:56:04 PM
Post by: lee n. field on January 15, 2008, 03:00:42 PM
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"People wonder what in the world it is because this is the Bible Belt, and everyone is afraid it's the end of times," said Steve Allen
Does anyone else find this to be just a little bit, uh,,,troubling?
Does anyone else find this to be just a little bit, uh,,,troubling?
Not in the slightest.
For an hour skirting at the edge of the deep end, along that line, see this.
Itching ears eavesdropping on war in heaven. I don't see much profit in it, spiritually speaking, myself.
--deleted gratuitous dig at dispensationalist premillenial chiliasts--
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(and why can't I find a working ascii code for a "not equal" sign?)
=/=
Post by: Chuck Dye on January 15, 2008, 03:26:35 PM
Post by: drewtam on January 15, 2008, 05:30:00 PM
Post by: Perd Hapley on January 15, 2008, 06:04:41 PM
Post by: Chuck Dye on January 15, 2008, 06:10:19 PM
Post by: French G. on January 15, 2008, 06:59:45 PM
Post by: RocketMan on January 15, 2008, 07:07:16 PM
So it is big, strange, and low-flying yet no one in Texas has shot it and mounted it on their wall? I find that a little dubious.
Good point, French, now that you mention it.
Post by: RevDisk on January 15, 2008, 07:38:13 PM
My money would be on DoD/Darpa project. UAV or Blimp like aircraft.
Or mil folks getting bored and messing with the locals. Did plenty of that back in the day. Getting some friends together, tossing on old MOPP gear, and 'detaining' a buddy in civvies in public. Course, it was usually even more entertaining if you don't tell your buddy beforehand. Hovering over random places in "black" helicopters (really just a dark green) can cause amusement too.
Post by: Snowdog on January 16, 2008, 10:24:07 PM
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Allen drew a sketch of the object, which he said traveled at amazing speed without making a sound. While drawing, Allen told Von Fremd that he saw "an arch shape converted in a vertical shape, and then it split and made two of them, and then these turned into just fire and it was gone."
( from http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=4142232&page=1)I definitely need a blimp like that!
Seriously, I have an open mind to just about any off-the-wall possibility. Maybe it was a top-secret government stealth blimp or perhaps it was a planetary surveyor belonging to a galactic star cruiser from the planet Xecton. Regardless, I'm not quite pretentious enough to decide for certain either way (being that I'm a little more than a smidgeon from being omniscient).
I'm sure there was quite a debate in the 16th century whether Copernicus was possessed by demons or if perhaps there really was something to this "heliocentric universe" idea.
Post by: grampster on January 17, 2008, 03:47:40 AM
Post by: Manedwolf on January 17, 2008, 03:49:43 AM
Perspective, or lack thereof against any other object, can fool people and make them think they saw something other than what was there.
Post by: seeker_two on January 17, 2008, 03:59:18 AM
So it is big, strange, and low-flying yet no one in Texas has shot it and mounted it on their wall? I find that a little dubious.
Good point, French, now that you mention it.
Stephenville is full of city folk....kinda like Dallas Lite.........
Now, most space aliens know not to fly over small, rural towns. It's an intergalactic fact that a .30-06 can take down most spaceships smaller than a Death Star......
Post by: 280plus on January 17, 2008, 04:04:06 AM
Post by: CAnnoneer on January 17, 2008, 04:08:45 AM
There's probably warnings about rural Texas in all the intergalactic travel guides...
Bah! Our entire planet's entry is: "mostly harmless".
Post by: Tallpine on January 17, 2008, 08:46:26 AM
Post by: HankB on January 17, 2008, 09:46:14 AM
A little bit of thought, and guesstimation of how high in the sky it was, led me to conclude it was a geostationary satellite. VERY unusual to see one, considering how much higher they are than the shuttle or ISS . . . but less unusual than a spacecraft full of ETs.
(Once I figured out what it was, it was no longer a UFO, but an IFO.)
Post by: crt360 on January 17, 2008, 10:01:32 AM
So it is big, strange, and low-flying yet no one in Texas has shot it and mounted it on their wall? I find that a little dubious.
Good point, French, now that you mention it.
Stephenville is full of city folk....kinda like Dallas Lite.........
Now, most space aliens know not to fly over small, rural towns. It's an intergalactic fact that a .30-06 can take down most spaceships smaller than a Death Star......
I'd bet more than a few were contemplating it.
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Sorrells said he has seen the object several times. He said he watched it through his rifle's telescopic lens and described it as very large and without seams, nuts or bolts.
Post by: Antibubba on January 19, 2008, 06:13:33 PM
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Or it was a weather balloon...
Or swamp gas.
Post by: RocketMan on January 19, 2008, 06:35:51 PM
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Or it was a weather balloon...
Or swamp gas.
It was a weather balloon filled with swamp gas. They're the worst kind, dontcha know?
Post by: seeker_two on January 20, 2008, 03:09:01 AM
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Or it was a weather balloon...
Or swamp gas.
It was a weather balloon filled with swamp gas. They're the worst kind, dontcha know?
Right behind politicians......their gas is the worst....
