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From dona@bilver.uucp (Don Allen) Mon Aug 26 00:18:07 1991
Path: aramis.rutgers.edu!rutgers!uwm.edu!linac!att!att!fang!tarpit!bilver!dona
From: dona@bilver.uucp (Don Allen)
Newsgroups: alt.alien.visitors,alt.conspiracy
Subject: MUFON: The Investigators Edge Handbook
Message-ID: <1991Aug26.041807.22041@bilver.uucp>
Date: 26 Aug 91 04:18:07 GMT
Organization: W. J. Vermillion - Winter Park, FL
Lines: 1015
I thought it might be interesting to post this here and let you see
what kind of attention to detail is paid in investigating UFO's. This
comes from the MUFON handbook called "The Investigator's Edge"..
If I can get ahold of other UFO organizations procedures that would
be allowed to the general public, I'll post them as well.
This file, is a *compilation* of several files dealing with the same subject.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MUFONET-BBS Network - Mutual UFO Network
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE INVESTIGATOR'S EDGE SERIES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Investigator's Edge series of instructional and informative files,
compiled primarily for the MUFON Field Investigator, originally started out as
information from Dan Wright's newsletters to State Directors, but has since
included exceptional information for a number of newsletters currently being
published by various State and Assistant State Directors from all over the
country.
Each IEDGE*.TXT file is from a newsletter submitted to the MUFONET-BBS
Network by the author, or from a MUFON Member who has experience/training in a
certain specialized area of scientific or humanitarian endeavor. Each file in
the series is pertinent, informative and educational and is to be used as a
tool by the Field Investigator to assist him/her in her field work of
investigating UFO and UFO-related cases.
If you feel you can contribute a bit of informative information of use for
the above purpose, please either upload the file to a MUFONET-BBS Network
member board, or send via U.S. Snailmail to:
John Komar
Administrator - MUFONET-BBS Network
State Director/Tennessee - MUFON
4769 Lake Ridge Drive
Memphis, Tennessee 38109
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>From Dan Wright's Mufon Newsletter
Dan Wright
Deputy Director, Investigations
228 S. Fairview
Lansing, MI 48912
August 28, 1989
THE INVESTIGATOR'S EDGE
Witness integrity is a critical area to be covered in the investigator's
report, yet it is often the most difficult area to assess. Few of us have
much formal education in psychology, and even that type of training might be
insufficient in certain cases.
Much has been said and written about hoaxed claims, which nearly always entail
a dramatic close encounter story wherein the teller was the intended subject
of the intruder. Other indicators to look for include:
(a) precise details expressed with confidence regarding measurements, vehicle
design and so forth,
(b) if multiple witnesses, total agreement on all aspects of the original
account,
(c) instant answers to questions posed,
(d) the conveyance of a message or indication of purpose by the alien
intelligence, and
(e) a desire for publicity by the reporting person. Some accounts are genuine
despite these appearances, but they do serve as caution lights.
Exaggeration and embellishment are not the same and both must be considered.
The former overstates a descriptive element - proximity, size, brightness,
velocity and the like - that would normally be perceived in an event of that
type. If an object seen at dusk in a populated area is estimated to have been
thousands of feet in the air yet a foot in diameter at arm's length, one would
suspect an exaggerated apparent size. [Otherwise, police phone lines would
have been jammed followed by headlines in the morning news.]
Embellishment, by contrast, adds elements or details thereof that were not
part of the actual observation. This might become evident when comparing
original statements made immediately after the incident (to police, the
investigator or someone else) with a later re-telling. For example, the
object was lost from view below the tree-line and (the witness later deduces)
landed. Perhaps a faint glow within the woods is added in the re-telling as
well.
Taking leave of the facts in either of these fashions might be quite
unintentional on the part of a person who both wants to impress you, "the
expert", in such matters. Thus, when questioned (s)he tends to fill in any
gaps in what was truly heard and seen. Still, if repeated at various points
of the account, the entire event may be called into question.
A "true believer" is readily identifiable by a large crystal adorning
his/her necklace, the flying saucer belt buckle, and the autographed copy of
Shirley MacLaine over the mantle. Seriously, this type of individual tends to
have just enough knowledge of the UFO subject to be half convincing on the
surface. Certainly, randomness being a factor in the sighting annals, one of
these "Children of the New Age" or just plain UFOnut may have had a real
experience. However, as the sign reads on those windy mountain passes,
proceed with extreme caution.
If a bookcase is in view, a quick scan of its contents is always in order and
may be very illuminating. In the recounting, these persons often tend to
digress into a series of previous nocturnal light sightings (which sound
suspiciously similar to airplanes, satellites and planets) and to offer firm
opinions on the origins, purposes and/or lessons of alien visitation. For, at
the heart of the true-believer mentality is a fervent desire to be in contact
with mysterious forces - of the UFO variety or otherwise. By itself, this is
harmless. But, being a prisoner of one's passions, IFOs are easily
transformed into UFOs, and a genuine observation can trigger a delusion of
meaningful communication. Lest we succumb to the temptation of seeing an
abduction behind every bush, it bears reminding that there are still lots of
gullible folks out there with active imaginations and a need to be part of the
action.
Attached is a "Survey of UFO/Metaphysical Interests," a list of questions
which you and your members may find useful in sorting through matters of
witness integrity. It is intended for use in those iffy cases, although the
first five are suitable for general audiences. Also, investigators should be
cautioned not to raise such questions until all other relevant information has
been discussed.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
SURVEY OF UFO / METAPHYSICAL INTERESTS
Date _____________________ Witness _________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
1) What books have you read on the UFO subject? ____________________________
________________________________________________________________________.
2) Are you familiar with: Whitley Strieber? ____. Budd Hopkins? ____.
Project Bluebook? ____. MJ-12? ____.
3) Have you found that tabloids (Enquirer, etc.) offer information on UFO
incidents that you can't get elsewhere? ____. Do you have a favorite
tabloid? ____.
__________________________________________________________.
4) Where do UFO's come from? _______________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________.
5) Have you reached a conclusion as to why they are here? __________________
________________________________________________________________________.
6) Are particular kinds of people selected for UFO encounters? _____________
________________________________________________________________________.
7) Do you think psychic people have a better chance of seeing a UFO than
others? ____.
8) Would an astrologer be able to predict the likelihood of a UFO encounter
for a client? ____.
9) Do you feel you were destined to have an UFO experience? ____. Why? _____
_________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________.
10) How can UFO's go so fast? ______________________________________________.
How can they just vanish into thin air? ________________________________.
11) Do you have an impression of what an alien looks like? __________________
________________________________________________________________________.
12) Did you see the movie: "E.T." ____. "Coccoon" ____. "Starman" ____.
"Close Encounters of the Third Kind" ____.
Do you feel these portray what aliens are really like? _________________.
13) Do you suspect that aliens live their lives much like we do? ___________.
14) Is it fair to assume that alien visitors mean us no harm? ______________.
Why do you feel that way? _______________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________.
15) If you could select a friend right now to be in the same circumstance,
would you want him or her to experience what you did? ____. Why? _______
________________________________________________________________________.
16) Have you ever tried a past-life regression? ____. What did you find out?
_________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________.
17) Have you attended a "channeling" session? ____. Were you impressed? _____
________________________________________________________________________.
18) Have you ever had an episode of being outside your body? ____. What hap-
pened then?
______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________.
19) Is there a particular color that has a special meaning for you? ____. Why
________________________________________________________________________.
20) Have you ever had "Tarot" cards read for you? ____. Did they turn out to
be accurate?
____________________________________________________________.
21) Has anyone ever done "automatic writing" for you? ____. What did you
learn?
__________________________________________________________________.
22) What happens after this life is over? ___________________________________
________________________________________________________________________.
MISC. _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
INVESTIGATOR ________________________________________________________________
THE INVESTIGATOR EDGE
from the 1-2-90 issue of
Dan Wright's newsletter
In a recent case occurring in Florida (related below), two men standing
long a road were distracted by the sudden, excited barking of numerous
dogs. They then noticed bright aerial lights approaching and observed
a large anomalous vehicle.
On a windy night in March 1980, two women and their eight children
watched as a 12 - 15 - foot object of undefined shape within a glowing
aura approached and remained some 50 feet from their door, performing
feats and color changes over a 2-hour period. At various points, each
of three dogs was let outside, yet none appeared to notice the
intruder.
As noted by Allan Hendry "The UFO Handbook" (Doubleday, 1979), animals
do not share the technological fantasies and anticipations of humans.
Pets such as dogs and cats, moreover, possess more acute senses, most
notably hearing, and can detect emanations which we cannot. [Whether
an animal can detect microwaves, low-strength magnetic fields or
minute static charges is not known.] Consequently, if an animal
reacts during the reported observation, it is inferred that
*something* was there to be sensed.
The expectation that animal reactions are linked closely with UFOs is
a preconception in the consciousness of the American public. To state
the obvious, animals can't speak for themselves, so the interpretation
of their actions is left to the human witness. Cats have been
reported to arch their back, hair standing on end, at the sight of a
strange airborne vehicle. Of course, the sight of a strange cat would
have caused the same result. UFOs have long been linked to dogs
howling, barking, or cowering. Dogs likewise howl at the moon and
bark at just about anything, including the barking of other dogs.
Some dogs cower whenever an adult looks at them.
You should also keep in mind that pets are often closely attuned to -
and influenced by - the moods of their masters. Thus, if a person is
acting excitedly or fearfully at the perception of a UFO, the animals
in his/her presence may well exhibit a strong response also.
Hendry concludes this chapter of his excellent book with an
observation: "Clearly, while animals have different motives for
response to UFO and IFO stimuli than humans, the range is just as
complex and baffling to sort out."
We do seek to compile all the evidence available on animal reactions
to genuine UFOs. When milk or egg production drops afterward, when
an animal is injured or when its behavior is described as totally out
of character, something physical seemingly caused it. Animal reactions
will be included in our computerized records, sorting both by species
and type of reaction.
In Chapter VIII of the MUFON "Field Investigator's Manual", Ray Fowler
reminds us that a Form 4 should be completed (and mention of the
reaction included in the "Personal Account" section of the Form 1) for
all anecdotal evidence. If the animal displays symptoms of residual
radiation, a Form 10 should be completed and a radiological
examination conducted as part of the treatment administered. Where
physical evidence is apparent (e.g. an injury or significant loss of
fur or feathers, the animal should be photographed and a Form 6 filled
out.)
A final point: The investigator should never ask a witness whether
animals were present. This is a leading question and only encourages
the witness to speculate on behavior that may not have been otherwise
regarded as extraordinary. Reactions (or a lack of reaction) regarded
as unusual at the time will in all likelihood be volunteered by the
witness.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mutual UFO Network Newsletter
103 Oldtowne Road Dan Wright
Seguin, Texas 78155 Deputy Director, Investigations
November 1, 1989
THE INVESTIGATOR'S EDGE
The witness has just concluded his account of a dramatic, prolonged close
encounter with an object of unusual shape, including exterior trappings. You
ask that he spend a few minutes in sketching the vehicle's design. After a
bit, he produces a two-dimensional, asymmetrical scrawl and says sheepishly,
"Never could draw."
The woman has described two identical entities in her bedroom that she was
permitted to inspect in a conscious awareness for long minutes. Asked to
reduce to paper what they looked like, she prepares with some care a drawing
that is nevertheless remindful of a 4-year-old's rendering of Daddy.
Sound familiar? Conquering such a problem is really not at all mysterious, as
every major police department long ago discovered: An artist is brought in to
work with the witness to reconstruct the villain's appearance.
For the limited purpose of devising an accurate rendering of a craft or
entity, the facilitator need not be either a professional artist nor have
formal MUFON membership (though the latter is certainly preferred). At least
some several million people have a marked ability in this area and have taken
some classes. Frankly, given the horrible drawings that so typically
accompany case reports, anyone with an acumen for drawing would be appreciated
and should be utilized.
The reality in our business - and in the art world generally - is that
vehicles and portraits involve fundamentally different skills. So, consider
the idea of having two persons available to press into duty. In that CE-1s
are far more commonly reported than CE-3s or CE-4s, a person with *mechanical
drawing* skill will likely be valuable more often. For the occasional entity
case, someone who has had an art class in human anatomy would be the wiser
selection. Certainly, someone who has both types of abilities is ideal.
A few considerations in utilizing an artist: First, of course, the person
must realize that, in agreeing to offer this assistance, (s)he may be called
upon with no forewarning - even raised from his/her bed on occasion. Second,
the drawing is to be a faithful rendering of what the witness describes, i.e.
without artistic license. [Certainly, questions of the witness along the way
are both appropriate and necessary.] And third, when the drawing is completed
to the client's satisfaction, it should be *signed and dated* by both the
client and artist. Naturally, the investigator must clarify in the case
report that the drawing was made with the assistance of the person named. For
the sake of objectivity, the witness should be asked to attempt a drawing
without assistance before the expert is brought to bear, and that drawing, no
matter how crude, should accompany the report.
It cannot be overemphasized that we as an organization fail to make critical
ties among UFO events occurring at different times and locations because of a
lack of adequate drawing skills at the ready. Every college and most high
schools in America have at least one instructor and several students able to
fill this critical need. Please make a concerted effort to find one or more
to assist yourself - and encourage your members to locate additional volunteer
artists in their own locales.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dan Wright's Newsletter March 21, 1989
Deputy Director, Investigations
Mutual UFO Network
INVESTIGATOR'S EDGE
Following a prolonged encounter with a glowing bell-shaped object on her
property, a woman rather suddenly began having precognitive thoughts and
dreams. Unfamiliar names popped into her mind, only to be used later in the
day by family members. She proceeded to the phone seconds before it began
ringing, knowing who was calling. In a vivid dream, someone she knew was
dying in a house fire, a fact borne out by the next day's newspaper.
Soon after a lengthy encounter on their farm with small triangular-based
vehicles, a couple and their best friend (who also witnessed the event)
gathered one evening and shared a sense of dread that, for whatever reason,
they would not be getting together again. The next evening, the husband was
killed in an auto accident.
These two incidents are not taken from the Time-Life book series we've all
seen advertised on TV, but rather are from my personal case files. Though we
cannot begin to adequately explain such occurrences, in some extended close-
encounters situations, one or more of the witnesses are left with some form of
ESP. This aspect of UFO experiences has, unfortunately, been rather neglected
by the investigative community and probably underreported.
In that a long, involved UFO encounter is likely to take multiple interviews
and weeks or months to sort out, an ESP/psychic awareness may manifest itself
if the investigator has the foresight to look for evidence of same. After the
basic facts of the aerial event have been gathered and one is satisfied that
the claim is genuine, it is proper to ask (without mentioning anything
specific) that the witness record any feelings or unusual experiences
considered out of place. If something does present itself in the encounter's
aftermath, the witness is likely to ask those questions so common to CE
episodes generally: "Why me?" and "What does it mean?" If there is no
indication that the paranormal recountings are delusive, the investigator
must: (1) be honest in explaining our fundamental ignorance of the basis for
these effects, (2) refrain from speculating on what might happen as a result,
(3) assure the person that, it most recorded cases, any paranormal effects
dissipate over time, and (4) for lack of precise knowledge as to why, try to
counsel the person to accept it as an inadvertent gift left behind.
Perhaps most importantly, ensure an open line of communication after the
investigation is finished. Without any data to support the contention,
witnesses with this sort of potential would appear ideally suited for repeat
encounters at some future date.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mutual UFO Network
Dan Wright's Newsletter June 5, 1989
THE INVESTIGATOR'S EDGE
Anyone who has hung around the subject for awhile is bound to hear those
familiar words and phrases which ought to raise an eyebrow of doubt:
"silent", "in an instant", "paralyzed", "glowing", "blinding" and (my personal
favorite) "disappeared". Let's examine these usages that are indicative of
how excited witnesses tell their stories on first recounting.
- "Silent". Was the object in question genuinely without any sound? If the
witness had been a few feet directly underneath it on a still night in the
hinterland, would not even a decibel of sound have noted?
In writing up the investigative summary, one must be very careful to
distinguish between (what are probably rare) incidents wherein, considering
all the physical factors, the vehicle was genuinely silent in terms of human
audio perception, as compared to cases in which the witness, for whatever
reason, was unable to detect the actual sound generated by metallic parts.
Most often, sheer distance was the culprit. Elements in the environment -
especially wind, both as it rustles vegetation and crosses the percipient's
ears - can easily wipe out a low sound. Therefore, unless the circumstances
make it obvious that an anomalous object was really silent, the correct
assumption is that "the witness(es) did not perceive any sound in connection
with the object."
- "In an instant". How long is an instant, anyway? Presumably, it splits a
second, but how far? A common meteor may be said to have passed beyond the
witness' view in an instant, yet we can roughly gauge its actual speed. "In
no time," the vehicle was out of sight - which might be said of an F-16 on a
fly-over low to the ground. Obviously, though, some time was involved, and a
measurement using a stopwatch can be taken. If the moment in question cannot
be so depicted, it may be fairer to convey in the write-up that the object
departed at a speed apparently beyond conventional abilities and/or with no
sense of acceleration.
- "Paralyzed (with fear)". Was the witness genuinely immobilized from an
external force? Alternately, was (s)he *psychologically* "captivated",
"mesmerized", or "transfixed" due to the unexpected nature of the event? This
area of close-encounter research still evokes debate, largely because of
imprecise questioning by the investigator of the witness' actual state of mind
during the event.
-"Glowing". As with Rudolph's nose, when we read this term we assume a light
source that is internal to the object in question. If the twilight sun was
reflecting off the object, the proper word is "glinting". If the term
"glowing" is used, it forces the physicist and engineer to consider specific
possibilities. Be careful with this one.
- "Blinding". Gosh, was the witness unable to perceive his/her surroundings
after the incident? As an example, humans cannot look at the midday sun for
more than a second or so without spots before our eyes and tears forming.
Furthermore, substantial physiological damage would be done to the cornea in a
matter of several seconds. Thus, that serves as a benchmark. Precisely how
long was the witness able to look directly at the source, and what were the
aftereffects\/ Most often, "blinding" can be downgraded to "brilliant" or
just "bright".
- "Disappeared". Commonly coined, it is remarked, "Then, all of a sudden it
just 'disappeared' (from view)". So, what precisely happened? Did the object
molecularly dematerialize? Well, okay, we have plenty of cases through the
years that suggest this - although one might argue a progression into the
ultra-violet or infra-red spectrum of electromagnetism. More likely in a
given instance, however, the witness intended simply to say that the object
simply moved beyond the horizon or otherwise out of view.
Proper investigating being a learned ability, with lots of pained discoveries
along the way, it is understandable that these kinds of superlatives have gone
unchallenged in previous cases. If we are to make sense of our data, though,
extreme care must be taken before underscoring the witness statement on those
tentative points. That's a major reason why detailed questioning must follow
the initial witness account. And the investigator's summary must address
these factors, clarifying the intended meaning with sober rationale.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
series for Field ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Edge" No. 8
Investigators
"THE INVESTIGATOR'S EDGE"
---------------------------
[Note: This edition of the "Investigator's Edge" is from the January, 1991
issue of "GEORGIA SKYWATCH", published by GEORGIA-MUFON.]
GENERAL
---------
Things to keep in mind while doing investigations
---------------------------------------------------
AIRCRAFT: Have a minimum of three non-flashing running lights; one on each
wing tip and one at the rear. Right wing running light is green, left wing
running light is red, and the rear running light is white. [Note: many
aircraft also have two strobe lights, one mounted on top and on mounted below
the fuselage.] There must not be more than one green running light. Blue is
not used as a running light. Helicopters have the same general running light
configuration as light planes.
ATMOSPHERIC TURBULENCE: Can cause an object (that is near the horizon) to
look distorted and magnified.
AUTOKINETIC MOTION: Eye movement can cause the witness to think a stationary
light or object is moving when in fact it is not. Lining the target up with
two other stationary reference points can help to determine whether in fact
the object is moving. When a witness says the light was moving in jerky
motions--side to side and up and down--suspect the witness is looking at a
star.
BALL LIGHTENING: Appears hazy or solid, spherical, oval or rod shape. Colors
range from red-white with orange being the most common. It can hover, go less
than 5 mph or up to 60 mph. It emits a hissing sound and when it explodes an
odor of sulfa or ozone is present. It can appear after lightening strikes the
ground or in midair. Ball lightening almost always appears during a
thunderstorm.
DIFFERENT OBJECTIVES: UFO investigators are looking very hard for consistent
groups of facts, while UFO witnesses are looking for support and counseling.
These are two very different objectives and can be the source of conflict
between the witness and the investigator. The wise investigator will keep
this in mind when dealing with witnesses.
DISTANCE: Most witnesses underestimate the actual distance from the
observation point to the object.
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE: Electromagnetic interference that can cause an
automobile's engine to stall and can interrupt the operation of other
electrical devices has sometimes been linked to UFO sighting reports. Such
occurances are not limited to gasoline engines. Diesel engines such as found
in trucks, boats, trains, and bulldozers have also been affected. Similar
reports on airplane engines and radar equipment have also been reported.
INVESTIGATOR'S DUTY TO THE WITNESS: The UFO investigator must subordinate his
or her need to collect UFO information to the needs and interests of the
witness. The health and well-being of the witness must ALWAYS come before the
collection of UFO evidence and proof.
INTERPRETATION OF WITNESS TESTIMONY: The interpretation of both free and
regressed witness narratives is BEST acomplished by behavioral psychologists
and other professionals skilled in the process.
FEELINGS REPORTED BY WITNESSES: Feelings reported by witnesses include:
(A) Being watched
(B) Looking me over
(C) Feeling of being observed
(D) Feeling of fear
(E) Feeling of anger
(F) It was a beautiful experience
(G) Felt happy when it happened
(H) Felt object responded to witness
(I) Felt the object was trying to communicate with witness
PHYSICAL EXAMINATION: The number of witness reports which suggest aliens are
interested in observing or manipulating the witness's sexual organs and/or
otherwise conducting gynecological examinations of the witness appears to be
far less than would be euggested by popular reports. More often, witnesses
report examination of their heads.
HIGH STRANGENESS: When a large number of witness narratives are examined, it
quickly becomes obvious that the witness experience is very complicated and
full of unknowns. The vast majority of witness accounts describe perceptions
and experiences far stranger than any reported by mainstream abduction
researchers. Do not rule out what a witness tells you because it has a high
strangeness level. Because we do not know what is true, we must not edit
testimony or it becomes absolutely worthless. When reporting witness
testimony, do not try to make it seem credible and believable. Rather, expose
it as it really is. Unless we do this we have no chance at all of getting at
the truth.
HYPNOSIS: Information from a regressed subject is sometimes used in the
context of other evidence, but it is not itself evidence. Because regressed
testimony of UFO witnesses cannot currently by confirmed by hard facts, there
remains enormous difficulty with trying to use hypnotized testimony as
evidence of real events, even when that testimony agrees in particulars among
a group of unconnected witnesses. The primary value of hypnosis is as a
counseling device. It is recommended that nobody except a professionally
trained hypnotist - preferably one with the credentials of a health
professional - hypnotize any UFO witness for any reason, and then only for
therapeutic purposes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A continuing MUFONET-BBS Network - Mutual UFO Network
series for the ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Investigator The Investigator's Edge, Number 9
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Note: Article Contributed By Colorado MUFON]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WHAT'S MY TRAFFIC ?
By Ken Spencer
January 27, 1991
Civilian aircraft are directed and guided through the skies over
the United States from take-off to landing by way of an extremely
sophisticated air traffic control system. Much of this system is
supported with a network of air traffic control facilities under
the auspices of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Here
in Colorado, an airliner departing from Denver can expect to be
in communications with several facilities during the course of
its flight. These air traffic control facilities perform several
functions, not the least of which is to assist the pilot in
maintaining a safe clearance between other aircraft. The job
for both the air traffic controller and the pilot is usually made
easier and safer when radar is available. Radar, however, is not
a full proof system and by no stretch of the imagination
guarantees a pilot or a controller that a vehicle, known or
unknown can be identified.
In order to acquire a better understanding of just what I mean,
let's take a brief minute to educate ourselves about radar.
Radar, an acronym from a term originating during World War II, is
short for radio detection and ranging. It's an electronic system
by which radio waves are bounced off of an object in order to
determine its existence and to locate its position in relation to
other objects. The radio waves that are transmitted by a radar
antenna, when bounced off of an object such as an aircraft are
returned to the antenna and through electronic technology
"painted" on a cathode ray tube. Unfortunately, target detection
is often hampered by "clutter" which is picked up on the radar
screen. This "clutter" can be raindrops generated by a
thunderstorm, back-scatter from the ground, or even flocks of
birds. In order for an air traffic controller to perform his job
and detect aircraft more effectively, radar engineers have
designed a means by which the "clutter" can be suppressed.
Suppressing this "clutter" unfortunately also affects the ability
of a controller to see targets on the radar screen. Further
advancements in radar technology as well as a necessity to
provide more positive identification of aircraft has required
that the air traffic system be modified. This modification has
meant that aircraft flying in most types of controlled airspace
are required by the FAA to have a device which transmits an
assigned identification code and altitude information. This
device is called a transponder.
If you paid a visit to the Denver Center, which is located in
Longmont, Colorado, you would have a first hand opportunity to
experience how traffic is identified and controlled within the
more than 200,000 square mile area under the facility's
jurisdiction. An aircraft departing the Denver Stapleton airport
would enter the airspace controlled by Denver Center shortly
after take-off. Through electronic technology, the aircraft is
painted as a target on a cathode ray tube used by the
controller. From each symbol he is able to determine the
aircraft identification (United 200, Delta 100 etc.), the
altitude of the aircraft, and a multitude of other data to assist
him with his job. If you were to listen in on his or her
conversation, you might hear the pilot's transmission: "Denver
Center this is American 3375 at flight level three seven zero
(37,000 feet), I have high speed traffic at my 3 o'clock position
(to the right of the aircraft) approximately 5 miles, at my
altitude, WHAT'S MY TRAFFIC ? " The controller would peer at the
scope, notice the American Airlines MD-80 symbol, but see nothing
resembling a blip or target anywhere near the aircraft. His
response would be: "American 3375, I have no traffic at your 3
o'clock position ". The response from the pilot might be:
"Denver Center my traffic is now at my 9 o'clock position,
appears to be a black, odd shaped object without any discernible
markings moving at a high rate of speed. " The controller might
say: " American 3375, I have no traffic at your 9'o'clock
position ".
With the seemingly endless amount of information available to the
air traffic controller, you would think that a situation like
this might not be possible. However, this occurs more often than
one might think. The target viewed on the CRT at Denver Center
is computerized video data and not raw radar. The information is
gathered from several radar antennas scattered throughout the
state of Colorado and fed into a central computer. It is then
displayed as a target symbol on the CRT. If an unidentified
aircraft, such as one without a transponder, or one using stealth
technology wanders into controlled airspace, a controller may not
pick the aircraft up on his scope. There are several reports
where aircraft have penetrated controlled airspace without
notifying the controlling agency. Aircraft of unknown origin,
believe it or not, moving at high rates of speed, maneuvering in
a manner not readily associated with anything known to man have
been seen by pilots without the benefit of radar identification.
In fact, Denver Center recently (December 29, 1990) contacted
Colorado MUFON regarding a similar incident reported by a pilot
in the airspace above Colorado.
We all share the same interest and continue to search for a
solution to the UFO enigma. In this instance, we were contacted
by a government agency. However, for every incident where
government support is freely provided, there are many situations
where it is not. This is generally the result of preserving
confidentiality, or as a controller recently indicated to me, not
being free to release information because of government policy.
Never the less, field investigators must pursue every reasonable
avenue to gather and document whatever he or she learned for
inclusion in the case report and, for the record.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Note - This article is a slightly expanded and modified version
of an article appearing in the "Colorado MUFON News" ,
November/December 1990 issue. Also appearing in the same issue
is a summary of the incident which is referred to in this article
regarding a daytime sighting made by an airline pilot over
southern Colorado.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For Field Mutual UFO Network - MUFONET-BBS Network Copyright 1991
Investigators ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mutual UFO
THE INVESTIGATOR'S EDGE, No. 10 Network
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AIRCRAFT LIGHTS: An Explanation
By Ken Spencer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
March 2, 1991
Aircraft lights come in different sizes, shapes, and are used for several
different purposes. When first developed, aircraft lights were designed to
fulfill the same purpose as lights originally installed on boats or ships. A
sailor observing a ship moving on the open waters at night found it difficult
to determine its direction of travel or its position relative to his own. In
the interest of safety, lights were located on the port side (left), starboard
side (right), and one at the stern (aft) end of the ship. The colors of the
lights were red, green and white respectively. That way an individual
observing the ship from a distance would be able to easily determine how the
ship was positioned relative to the individual and also determine its
direction of travel. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) require that
aircraft have position or navigational lights configured in the same manner.
As the pilot faces forward in the cockpit, he would find a green light on his
right wing tip, a red light on his left wing tip and a white light on the
tail. These position lights are required to be on for all operations, ground
and flight, between the hours of official sunset and sunrise.
Aside from the position or navigational lights, a variety of other lights are
found on aircraft which may be of interest to those of us involved in the
field of U.F.O. Investigations. Let's take a minute to look at some of
these lights, their location on an aircraft and the situations under which
they might be used. We need to bear in mind, as we examine these lighting
systems, that aircraft vary in size and type of operation. We will therefore
restrict our examination to the more common lighting systems associated with
conventional aircraft.
ANTICOLLISION LIGHTS
Anticollision lights are used primarily to assist in assuring that an aircraft
is readily seen while on the ground or in flight. These lights are generally
mounted in the wing tips not far from the position lights. With most airline
operated aircraft these lights are white and are generally of the strobe
variety. Another type of anticollision light is red, (strobe, flashing,
oscillating or rotating beacon type) and is located on top and/or underneath
the fuselage (main body structure) of the aircraft. These lights are
generally on for all operations, ground and flight, day and night, below
18,000 feet. At night these lights are kept on regardless of altitude.
LANDING LIGHTS
The aircraft landing lights are used for both illumination of the
landing/take-off area as well as for collision avoidance in flight. Landing
lights, depending on the size and type of aircraft, can be mounted in a number
of locations. They can be located in the left and right leading edge of the
wings, on the nose gear strut, or in some cases are extended below the wings.
In the case of most airline operations these lights are generally on from
the time a takeoff clearance is issued until the aircraft reaches 18,000 feet
or from 18,000 feet until the aircraft clears the runway after landing.
RUNWAY TURNOFF LIGHTS
Runway turnoff lights, sometimes referred to as taxi lights, visually assist
the pilot at night when maneuvering between the terminal and the runway.
These lights are either mounted on the leading edge of the wings, on the nose
gear strut or some location which will provide sufficient illumination in
front of the aircraft. These lights are rarely operated while the aircraft is
in flight unless they are an integral part of the landing light system or
unless the pilot deems it necessary for safety reasons (i.e. additional
collision avoidance).
WING LIGHTS
In order to assist the pilot in viewing a section of the wing or engine
nacelles (engine enclosures), lights are flush mounted in the fuselage and
pointed outward in the appropriate direction. These lights would be operated
by the pilot when he wishes to inspect the wing section or engine in the event
of an abnormal situation such as icing or structural damage.
LOGO LIGHTS
Marketing people are always looking for creative ways to advertise or promote
a product. With the airline industry, one such creative genius led to the use
of logo lights on aircraft. These lights are usually mounted in the
horizontal stabilizer (horizontal part of the tail) pointing in the direction
of the vertical stabilizer (vertical part of the tail). Besides illuminating
the logo on the tail of the aircraft, the pilot uses the logo lights for an
additional means of collision avoidance. Most of the airlines require that
the logo lights, if installed and operational, be turned on continuously
between sunset and sunrise.
UTILITY LIGHTS
A number of other exterior lights may be installed on an aircraft such as
cargo door lights and emergency evacuation lights. The cargo door lights
illuminate the area around the cargo compartment and are generally used to
assist cargo/ramp agents in loading cargo into the aircraft. The normal
procedure is to extinguish these lights once the cargo operation has been
completed. Another set of lights, sometimes called evacuation lights, are
used to assist passengers during an emergency evacuation from the aircraft.
These are usually flush mounted into the fuselage of the aircraft adjacent to
a passenger door or emergency exit. These lights are used to illuminate the
evacuation area and are generally set to automatically energize in the event
of an emergency.
As I indicated early on in this article, most of the light configurations
described here are applicable to conventional aircraft. These lighting
systems may vary slightly depending on the type of aircraft, the manufacturer,
and the kind of operating environment. If, as an investigator, a witness
observes a lighting system typical to what was presented here, there is always
the possibility that the object may be an aircraft. On the other hand, we
need to document, in sufficient detail, the observation regardless of whether
it coincides with an aircraft lighting system or not, for the record.
=END=
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For MUFON MUFONET-BBS Network - Mutual UFO Network Copyright 1991
Field ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mutual UFO
Investigators The Investigator's Edge, No. 11 Network
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TEMPORAL LOBE EPILEPSY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By Robert J. Durrant
[Note: Mr. Durrant is a member and contributing writer for the New Jersey
MUFON Chapter, and current State Section Director for Mercer County.]
Epilepsy...a chronic nervous disease, characterized by fits, occurring at
intervals and attended by convulsive motions of the muscles and loss of
consciousness. So says the dictionary, and the man-on-the-street would agree.
The sort of epilepsy described above results from irregular electrical
functioning in those parts of the brain that control many of the muscles. As
the ability to monitor the brain's electrical activity developed, it became
obvious that other parts of the brain are similarly prone to the haphazard
currents that produce the physical, convulsive type of epilepsy. Of
particular interest to this discussion is epilepsy of the temporal lobes of
the brain. These areas control what is often called the "higher functions" of
the brain/mind. That is, "..accessing declarative memory, the conscious or
active recall of not only what was learned but when and where it was acquired,
and with attributing personal meaning or significance to the constant stream
of sensory input."
What happens when this portion of the brain suffers an epileptic event? The
subject does not thrash about---the temporal lobe doesn't have any connection
with the muscles. Instead, he tends to have experiences that could be called
mystical or paranormal, a sense of a very special purpose in life, or he
imbues unusual events with great and unrealistic meaning. These are not just
vague and generalized feelings. Often they are extremely intense and at times
are described as "more real than real."
In some cases this form of epilepsy is so vivid and frequent that a formal
psychiatric and neurological diagnosis of temporal lobe epilepsy is possible.
But the usual case seems to present only occasional events. As with any
medical condition, the person afflicted is not likely to seek help unless the
condition is painful or debilitating. A positive diagnosis is possible, but a
negative diagnosis is speculative at best. In other words, it is not within
the state of the art of today's medical technology to say definitely that nay
given patient does not have temporal lobe epilepsy.
Whitley Strieber, author of Communion, Transformation, and Majestic, underwent
two series of tests for temporal lobe epilepsy. Both were negative. Per the
remarks above, and by his own admission, that still leaves open the option
that he does suffer from the condition. But it would indicate that the
condition occurs only sporadically, if at all. It is certainly to Strieber's
credit that he went to such lengths to preclude a psychiatric foundation for
his abduction experiences. In addition to the general symptoms listed above,
there exists a set of quite intriguing specific symptoms of temporal lobe
epilepsy. They are as follows:
1. Paranormal/mystical experiences
2. Enhanced imaginings (especially from childhood)
3. Widening affect
4. Vestibular (floating, low frequency vibration) sensations
5. Anomalous smells
6. Intense episodes of personal meaning
With this set of symptoms in mind, I reviewed the three Strieber books related
to UFO's and abductions. My goal was to determine if there exists in that
body of writing a clearly repeated emphasis on these topics. Communion and
it's sequel Transformation can fairly be said to be continuous reiterations of
symptoms 1,2,3,4 (floating) and 6. Majestic is a fictionalized rendering of
the Roswell crash and it's aftermath. It should be distinguished from the
previous two books, which are veridical and autobiographical. One would
expect to find that Majestic presents few, if any, of the temporal lobe
symptoms. This on the theory that the autobiographical abduction accounts
were produced subsequent to epileptic events, but that the deliberate fiction
writing would be free of the symptomology.
My analysis shows that most of the symptoms are present in greatly reduced
intensity in Majestic compared with the previous books. But oddly, symptom 4
is there in complete form, with both floating as well as low frequency
vibrations, and so is symptom 5, which is nearly absent in the earlier works,
but here erupts repeatedly, indeed, so common are references to these two
symptoms in Majestic that I have systematically culled them out of the text
and listed them serially below. Perhaps their concatenated, seemingly
obsessive use is merely a literary device. certainly Strieber is a master of
the thriller, and I will defer to him on this point, but it does seem strained
and unnatural to my eye. The simple interpretation of this analysis is that
Strieber is clearly suffering from temporal lobe epilepsy. As with everything
else in UFOlogy, and particularly the abduction phenomenon, quick judgments
are dangerous.
Several other optional interpretations are possible, and I will summarize them
here with the understanding that in future articles they will be expanded.
First, that most if not all persons who have close encounters with UFO's
suffer, among a variety of other physiological effects, disruption of the
electrical functions of the brain, including the temporal lobe area. because
of the peculiarities of the temporal lobe, "flashbacks" can occur throughout
life after the initial triggering event. It is unlikely that monitoring of
the electrical pulses of the brain would reveal the irregularities associated
with clinical diagnosis of temporal lobe epilepsy. Second, it may be that
external means of controlling or communicating with the temporal lobe regions
is the means by which the aliens deal with abductees. In addition to the
positive communications or signals, the process may well include generation of
"noise" both during the communication and, per the remarks above, long after
the communications.
This option may seem absurdly speculative, but in fact it is based on
laboratory work that has been carried out for several years. Subjects have
had their temporal lobes excited by external electromagnetic radiations, with
the result that many of them experience visions and sensations remarkably
similar to the standard abduction. This will also be covered in detail in
future articles.
=END=
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MUFONET-BBS network - Mutual UFO network
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE INVESTIGATOR'S EDGE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HANGNAIL, MAYBE!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Contributed by Georgia MUFON]
The next time you have one of those UFO sightings...in addition to looking at
the UFO...note the time...direction...and stick your arm out straight forward
toward the object with hand up fingers apart palm outward. Those aliens will
think your waving at them. In reality you will be comparing the size of the
craft to the size of your fingernails and determining the azimuth of the craft
by seeing how many outstretched hands you can put between the horizon and the
craft.
Your little finger nail is about the size of an aspirin....and when aimed at
the moon will just about cover it. The size of your thumb nail is twice that
size. By knowing the distance from your eyes to your outstretched hand (take
a yard stick and measure it)...and estimating the distance between you and the
object...and using a little trigonometry, it is possible for you to determine
the size of the object. Knowing the size of the object can be very helpful in
the field investigation to follow.
=END=
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don
--
-* Don Allen *- InterNet: dona@bilver.UUCP // Amiga..for the best of us.
USnail: 1818G Landing Dr, Sanford Fl 32771 \X/ Why use anything else? :-)
UUCP: ..uunet!tarpit!bilver!vicstoy!dona KING George Bush?? Just say NO!
UFO's in commercials....is the GOVT getting us ready for OCTOBER of 1992?