Reading UFO

[Newbeak]

Just found this item on Drudge:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...y-jet-in-near-miss-with-UFO-over-Reading.html
Seems the aviation authorities don't investigate these sightings anymore.I believe they SHOULD be investigated,for one reason:they may be a tip-off that pilots are not getting sufficient rest,for example,and if they suddenly have a hallucination of an anomalous object on a collision course with their aircraft,they could take violent evasive maneuvers that would place the aircraft in danger. It seems there have been hundreds of these sightings over the decades.

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

I believe they SHOULD be investigated,for one reason:they may be a tip-off that pilots are not getting sufficient rest,for example

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It appears from the article cited that this is exactly what happens these days:

The Ministry of Defence closed its UFO desk in December 2009, along with its hotline for reporting such sightings. Following that change, the Civil Aviation Authority took the decision that it would continue to look into such reports, from aircrew and air traffic controllers, because they could have implications for “flight safety”.

 

[Newbeak]

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It appears from the article cited that this is exactly what happens these days:

Sorry,I should have specified I meant the MOD is no longer looking into reports.One would surmise they have more resources to thoroughly investigate these sightings than the CAA..

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

But if it's not an issue of defence, then why should the MOD be involved? Their resources could be better spent on things that do fall within their remit.

 

[Wolrab]

But if it's not an issue of defence, then why should the MOD be involved? Their resources could be better spent on things that do fall within their remit.

IIRC the excuse that your MOD and the US DOD don't investigate these as threats to national security is they know they are not a threat as they are in cahoots! Having your cake and spreading it on the rubber walls, too.

 

[Cuddles]

Sorry,I should have specified I meant the MOD is no longer looking into reports.One would surmise they have more resources to thoroughly investigate these sightings than the CAA..

From the article:

The encounter was disclosed earlier this month by the Telegraph, following the publication of a report into the inquiry...

As part of the inquiry, data recordings were checked to establish what other aircraft were in the area at the time. However, all were eliminated. The investigation also ruled out meteorological balloons, after checking none were released in the vicinity. Toy balloons were also discounted, as they are not large enough to reach such heights. Military radar operators were contacted but were unable to trace the reported object.

There was an official inquiry which looked at the witness reports, looked up radar data, and checked what else might have been in the area at the time. What exactly do you think the DoD would do in addition to this that would provide any more useful information? Given the total lack of any useful evidence, what do you think a "more thorough" investigation would look like? And why exactly do you think the MoD, currently in the process of getting rid of tens of thousands of soldiers due to funding cuts, has more resources spare to investigate things like this?


In any case, given that description is essentially "it looked like a balloon", the most likely explanation is simply that it was a balloon. Whoever discounted balloons clearly had no idea what they are actually capable of. 34,000 feet is nothing.

Despite the date of the last article, the actual release was a week earlier so this won't have been the actual balloon from the report. Close though.

 

[blutoski]

But if it's not an issue of defence, then why should the MOD be involved? Their resources could be better spent on things that do fall within their remit.

Basically. The original rationale for including UFO reports within MOD in the UK&Canada and DOD in the USA was not flight safety at all - it was the possibilty that people were observing foreign countries' surveillance operations in domestic airspace.

Here in 2014, with the improvement in perimeter detection and simultaneous de-escalation of threat, they've determined it's a waste of money. I agree.

 

[Newbeak]

From the article:


There was an official inquiry which looked at the witness reports, looked up radar data, and checked what else might have been in the area at the time. What exactly do you think the DoD would do in addition to this that would provide any more useful information? Given the total lack of any useful evidence, what do you think a "more thorough" investigation would look like? And why exactly do you think the MoD, currently in the process of getting rid of tens of thousands of soldiers due to funding cuts, has more resources spare to investigate things like this?


In any case, given that description is essentially "it looked like a balloon", the most likely explanation is simply that it was a balloon. Whoever discounted balloons clearly had no idea what they are actually capable of. 34,000 feet is nothing.

Despite the date of the last article, the actual release was a week earlier so this won't have been the actual balloon from the report. Close though.

Well,I was thinking MoD had more sophisticated radar than the civilian equipment.If two radars picked up the same target,that would be useful in any investigation.

 

[Stray Cat]

Well,I was thinking MoD had more sophisticated radar than the civilian equipment.If two radars picked up the same target,that would be useful in any investigation.

But as no radar we know of picked it up it's not much use at all.

I think that the MoD will still investigate radar blips on their own equipment if they are significant enough and I'm fairly sure they would respond to a real alien invasion if one were reported by members of the public. It's just that they don't chase their tails following up on split second single witness reports of airborne anomalies... and rightly so.

 

[Cuddles]

Well,I was thinking MoD had more sophisticated radar than the civilian equipment.If two radars picked up the same target,that would be useful in any investigation.

I can only repeat my last post:

From the article:

Military radar operators were contacted but were unable to trace the reported object.

Again, what exactly do you think the MoD would do in addition to this that would provide any more useful information?

 

[I Ratant]

From the article:


There was an official inquiry which looked at the witness reports, looked up radar data, and checked what else might have been in the area at the time. What exactly do you think the DoD would do in addition to this that would provide any more useful information? Given the total lack of any useful evidence, what do you think a "more thorough" investigation would look like? And why exactly do you think the MoD, currently in the process of getting rid of tens of thousands of soldiers due to funding cuts, has more resources spare to investigate things like this?


In any case, given that description is essentially "it looked like a balloon", the most likely explanation is simply that it was a balloon. Whoever discounted balloons clearly had no idea what they are actually capable of. 34,000 feet is nothing.

Despite the date of the last article, the actual release was a week earlier so this won't have been the actual balloon from the report. Close though.

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What if anything were the radar return from these non-metallic balloons?
Are there radar tracks of the flights?
Any observations from aircraft?
The plummeting devices may have been seen?

 

[Cuddles]

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What if anything were the radar return from these non-metallic balloons?
Are there radar tracks of the flights?
Any observations from aircraft?
The plummeting devices may have been seen?

If only there was some kind of article available for us to read that might tell us these things. Hell, maybe someone could even have copied the relevant parts into this thread already. In the post you just bloody quoted, for example.

 

[I Ratant]

I was looking for something specific, that detailed the flight paths of these balloons.