Hudson Valley UFO Hoax
- Thread starter Donn
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Donn
Philosopher
I'm assuming it was light enough to tell what they were, but if not — how did you identify them?
I'm thinking of that video and the overwhelming foolishness of what they said about what they were seeing. Can one look directly at an elephant and speak aloud of its catness?
The Man
Unbanned zombie poster
While it was at night they were low enough and there was enough light so that I could make out the wing shapes. That house is about a mile and a half (as the ultralight flies) from Duchess County airport.
ETA:
Oh, and happy birthday.
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Donn
Philosopher
Tah, Man.
This case is similar to the Phoenix Lights incident in that the object(s) were videotaped at night and the witnesses produced conflicting reports. In regards to the UFO in Phoenix, there were clearly two separate incidents that took place. The first UFO that was videotaped was the famous mass sighting which turned out to be a group of military flares. The videotape taken of the 2nd UFO is clearly military aircraft.
Tricky
Briefly immortal
Yeah, I used to do that. Very dangerous though. Best way is to make a balsa wood cross and affix a line of birthday candles to each row. Makes a flying cross, sure to confuse the locals. Doesn't fly very far though, and you have to make sure it doesn't start a fire when it lands.
Donn
Philosopher
Small update:
I have not found anything by searching the web. The newspapers I could find from the region (and time) are partially available, but behind a paywall.
I could not find anything meaty via the Fortean Times lead.
These failures are due to limited time and .. I dunno .. Google-luck? I gotta say, searching is hit and miss. There's also so much UFO woo noise out there.
I await a copy of that (or the article within) Discovery magazine. Gotta remember to go check my post box!
Over.
I have not found anything by searching the web. The newspapers I could find from the region (and time) are partially available, but behind a paywall.
I could not find anything meaty via the Fortean Times lead.
These failures are due to limited time and .. I dunno .. Google-luck? I gotta say, searching is hit and miss. There's also so much UFO woo noise out there.
I await a copy of that (or the article within) Discovery magazine. Gotta remember to go check my post box!
Over.
Spindrift
Time Person of the Year, 2006
I remember when this happened. I live in CT, not far from Stormville. Stormville was a small private airport, don't know if it is still used as an airport. They have flea markets there a few times a year.
AFAIK, The Stormville Flyers was just a bunch of guys who flew out of there. I don't think there was any official group. The occurences made the news for a while and then they stopped. I heard about the FAA clamping down on them through a pilot friend of mine, but I don't remember if that was ever published in the paper.
AFAIK, The Stormville Flyers was just a bunch of guys who flew out of there. I don't think there was any official group. The occurences made the news for a while and then they stopped. I heard about the FAA clamping down on them through a pilot friend of mine, but I don't remember if that was ever published in the paper.
Donn
Philosopher
This is what I am seeking, but with some documented backing. Thanks for the anecdote Spindrift.
Donn
Philosopher
I've just read that link. Thanks.
Seems this particular hoax story is very thin on facts.
I don't believe the author of that book any more than I believe the skeptical hoax explanation — however, the description in the book does put things into scale: individual pilots, denying the hoaxing, inflated police reports, no documentation or interviews.
I'd say it's possible that a few pranksters with light aircraft could have set out to trick a few people, but the duration of the so-called sightings (many years) leaves this hoax story as a minute maybe, rather than a sweeping something.
(To be sure, I think all the Hudson UFOs where mundane aircraft. I would need to see better evidence to think else.)
Spindrift
Time Person of the Year, 2006
Besides a few newspaper articles and the Discover magazine article I don't know what documentation there could be.
Donn
Philosopher
Those would be good. I can't find anything other than text posted on web pages that declares it was a hoax. Scans of newspaper articles would at least support the story.
It's no big deal. I just felt like I could not simply accept the explanation that is offered for the Hudson sightings - specifically as per the link in the OP. I don't have an exact idea of what would satisfy or convince me, so I'm flailing around some.
DONN: Why do you need articles to confirm what you already know? Do the two Hudson Valley videos show anything other than honest to goodness man made aircraft flying in formation? The two videos are as worthless as the Roger Patterson Bigfoot film.
Donn
Philosopher
I only want some confirmation about the Stormville flyers' hoax/prank. All I can find is mentions of it happening and I want to know if it did actually happen.
I happen to find the whole Hudson UFO flap unconvincing -- i.e. it's not aliens in ships -- and that (I see only one in the thread) video was foolish.
DONN: In the television series UNSOLVED MYSTERIES, two videos were shown of the object(s) purported to be a UFO(s). One of the videos was clearly a group of planes flying in formation and narrator Robert Stack stated that this video depicted the Stormville Flyers. The video that was shown on the link I provided was then compared to the planes in formation video, and Stack claims that the two videos "clearly" depict two different objects. I disagree.
Outside of the absence of noise in the latter video and the subtle difference in shape, there is NO clear difference between the two videos. The latter video is either another group of planes flying in formation or a singular aircraft flying at night. In a prior post, I compared this case to the Phoenix Lights incident due to the FACT that both UFO incidents involved two separate events.
The only difference between the two cases is that all of the Hudson Valley sightings involved conventional aircraft whereas the Phoenix Lights consisted of military flares and military aircraft. Those pesky prosaic explanations always spoil the fun.
Outside of the absence of noise in the latter video and the subtle difference in shape, there is NO clear difference between the two videos. The latter video is either another group of planes flying in formation or a singular aircraft flying at night. In a prior post, I compared this case to the Phoenix Lights incident due to the FACT that both UFO incidents involved two separate events.
The only difference between the two cases is that all of the Hudson Valley sightings involved conventional aircraft whereas the Phoenix Lights consisted of military flares and military aircraft. Those pesky prosaic explanations always spoil the fun.
Donn
Philosopher
FOLLOW UP
thines kindly sent me photocopies of the DISCOVER Magazine November 1984 that contained an article with quite a lot of detail re the Stormville flyers and their hoax.
I have scanned it and placed it into a PDF (1.8mb) on my google drive. Here is the link:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByXVQD8awBcLTm0yR09vTDRKdmc/edit?pli=1
(I hope that link's okay.)
The details in the article should give me a few more avenues of web research, however I'm inclined to use it as the "evidence" I need to call this hoax plausible.
Thanks for all the info and help from those in this thread.
thines kindly sent me photocopies of the DISCOVER Magazine November 1984 that contained an article with quite a lot of detail re the Stormville flyers and their hoax.
I have scanned it and placed it into a PDF (1.8mb) on my google drive. Here is the link:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByXVQD8awBcLTm0yR09vTDRKdmc/edit?pli=1
(I hope that link's okay.)
The details in the article should give me a few more avenues of web research, however I'm inclined to use it as the "evidence" I need to call this hoax plausible.
Thanks for all the info and help from those in this thread.
Donn
Philosopher
bruto
Penultimate Amazing
Yes, the link works. Thanks to you and thines for finding and scanning.