Aircraft Pilots Prone To Spatial Disorientation Illusions!!

J. Allen Hynek, the pro-UFO astronomer who pioneered the UFO Classification system, wrote in his book, “The Hynek UFO Report” that, “Commercial and military pilots appear to make relatively poor witnesses.”

That certainly seems to go against the grain as reports from pilots are often held in a much higher regard than of an average person. One has to look no further than the recent NPC with commercial and military pilots from many countries giving their testimonies to various UFO sightings and encounters which they had personally experienced.

After watching the recent Press Conference and reading all of the witness testimonies, I'm firmly of the belief that Pilots make considerably better witnesses to aerial phenomenon than the average man on the street. But the following article certainly provides food for thought regarding Pilots and their subsequent UFO sightings.

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Pilots' “Out-of-body experiences” responsible for more than a quarter of fatal air crashes!!

Some pilots will suffer the illusion that they are sitting on the wing of their aircraft watching themselves in the cockpit, according to an extraordinary official report released in Australia . Every pilot will at some stage lose all sense of direction, height and speed, drawing attention to spatial disorientation (SD) – one of the most common factors in plane crashes, according to a report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

Aviation medicine specialist Dr David Newman said 90 to 100% of pilots experienced SD, which have been linked to between 15 and 26 per cent of fatal crashes worldwide. Dr Newman drew attention to the illusion suffered by some pilots who gained the impression of sitting on the wing looking at themselves flying the aircraft, but there were other dangerous misconceptions including a feeling that the plane was falling when it was merely slowing down.

Pilots should be aware they will experience spatial disorientation (SD), says an aviation expert. Another effect of SD was a false sensation of the aircraft rolling and another illusion suggesting the plane was flying straight ahead when it was actually turning. Drawing attention to the "sitting on the wing" illusion, Dr Newman added:

"The knife-edge illusion gives the pilot a sensation that the aircraft is precariously positioned in space and extremely sensitive to control inputs."

But he also referred to what he called the, "Giant hand illusion" which gives the pilot the sensation that the aircraft is, "Intolerable of control inputs and seemingly immovable in the air, as if held aloft by a giant hand."

The illusions, he said, often occurred when pilots were not busy while flying the plane. Victim of SD: The plane John F Kennedy Jr piloted crashed into the Atlantic Ocean

"While seemingly bizarre, these illusions are generally associated with high altitude flight where the pilot has a relatively low level workload……Under such 'fish bowl' conditions, the brain can wander and generate these strange illusions."

Dr Newman's report said pilots should be aware they will experience SD sooner or later:

"If a pilot flies long enough as a career or even a hobby there is almost no chance that he or she will escape experiencing at least one episode of SD."

"Looked at another way, pilots can be considered to be in one of two groups: those who have been disorientated and those who will be……The specialist said he issued the warning so that pilots could take measures to reduce the impact of SD by flying when fit. They should not fly under the influence of alcohol or medications, which increase awareness of spatial disorientation illusions.”

Source: Daily Mail (Richard Shears)

International Pilot Witness Testimonies to UFO's (CNN Coverage Of NPC Press Conference)

Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN
NPC Press Conference
International Pilot Witness Testimonies to UFO's
(Close Encounters – UFO Files)

Follow up to Larry King Live, Fife Symington interview as well as interviews with the speakers (pilot UFO witnesses) and footage from the conference with a short head to head between James Fox, director of award winning UFO documentary, “Out Of The Blue” and resident skeptic James McGaha (Astronomer) both of whom featured on the Larry King Live UFO special.

Personally I believe McGaha lacks any conviction in what he's saying, much as he did on the recent Larry King Live show, he displays nothing of the calibre previously witnessed when Michael Shermer appeared on an earlier Larry King show back in July of this year (2007). But I'm not complaining as from what I seen, McGaha's sweeping statements and criticisms which ultimately were levelled at the recollections and subsequent statements of the witnesses (rather than at the evidence) only added credibility to the entire UFO witnesses testimony.

“If you can't attack the evidence, attack the witness?”

James McGaha is an amateur astronomer and a consultant to the professional skepetic group CISCOP. McGaha was also consulted for the massive disappointment that was the Peter Jennings UFO special, McGaha states that:

"UFOlogy is a mythology that is based on superstition wrapped inside a fairy tale."

I’m not a fan of Michael Shermer but he definitely made me want to throw something at the screen, but when watching McGaha I feel a little sorry for him not least of all as he seems to lose track of what he’s saying mid-sentence.

However, any empathy I feel is quickly turned into disdain when I remember his performance on ABC’s, “Peter Jennings Reporting: UFOs -- Seeing Is Believing.” Have a look at this short clip as McGaha at least seems convinced of what he's saying, compare that to The Larry King Live Show and his performance is somewhat lacklustre.

McGaha - Skeptical of himself?

Apparently McGaha doesn't bother himself with things as trivial as evidence and very rarely (if ever) justifies his position on any of his dubious counter claims, generally relying on his favourite excuse of previously being an Air Force pilot which he generally uses as a direct rebuttal when pushed to elaborate further on his evidently unfounded and tainted speculations/explanations.

CNN - NPC Press Conference On Pilot UFO Reports

And this clip is a short CNN report On The Recent NPC UFO Press Conference, which again focuses on the international pilot witness testimonies to personal sightings of UFO's.

Anderson Cooper - CNN - UFO Press Conference

Is Full UFO Disclosure Beckoning?

Is Full UFO Disclosure Beckoning?

The Reality as Seen by Former High Level Government and Military Officials

On Monday November 12 th at 11am, a panel discussion will take place moderated by former Arizona Governor Fife Symington at the National Press Club.

This discussion will include former high level government employees, military officials and pilots from all over the world. They'll discuss their own UFO sightings and encounters and they'll do it at the National Press Club in the nation's capital. Some of them will be sharing their stories for the first time.

This group has gathered together to call on the United States government to take an active role in investigating cases involving unidentified flying objects.

The general public is not alone when it comes to sighting what the US Air Force has labelled Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). So too have former governors, high level military and government officials, highly trained airplane pilots and aviation experts. The phenomenon is real. It happens worldwide. No one is sure about its nature.

Pilots to Tell Their UFO Stories for the First Time

Just one year ago, pilots, mechanics and managers from United Airlines witnessed a metallic disc-shaped object hovering over the United Airlines Terminal at Chicago 's O'Hare Airport. The clearly observed object shot straight up leaving a hole through the clouds. Despite the clear aviation safety issues involved, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) never investigated the incident and dismissed it as weather. This head-in-the-clouds refusal to investigate stands in sharp contrast to efforts by governments of other countries to understand these incidents.

(The NARCAP .PDF document detailing the full investigation into the O'Hare UFO report/sighting is available here.)

Group to call on US Government to Re-Open its Investigation

The group, using previously classified documents, will discuss many well-documented cases, including two investigated by the US government. The first involves a Peruvian Air Force pilot who fired many rounds at a UFO which was not affected. The second was an Iranian Air Force pilot's attempt to fire at a UFO, but whose control panel became inoperable.

“This case is a classic that meets all the necessary conditions for a legitimate study of the UFO phenomenon,” stated the US Defense Intelligence Agency document on the Tehran incident. Both pilots will come forward to speak about these events publicly for the first time.

List Of Speakers

• Fife Symington, Former Arizona Governor, Moderator
• Ray Bowyer, Captain, Aurigny Air Services, Channel Islands
• Rodrigo Bravo, Captain and Pilot for the Aviation Army of Chile
• General Wilfried De Brouwer, former Deputy Chief of Staff, Belgian Air Force (Ret.)
• John Callahan, Chief of Accidents and Investigations for the FAA, 1980's (Ret.)
• Dr. Anthony Choy, founder, 2001, OIFAA, Peruvian Air Force
• Jean-Claude Duboc, Captain, Air France (Ret.)
• Charles I. Halt, Col. USAF (Ret.), Former Director, Inspections Directorate, DOD I.G.
• General Parviz Jafari, Iranian Air Force (Ret.)
• Jim Penniston, TSgt USAF (Ret.)
• Dr. Claude Poher, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, founder, French GEPAN
• Nick Pope, Ministry of Defence, UK, 1985-2006
• Dr. Jean-Claude Ribes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France, 1963-98
• Comandante Oscar Santa Maria , Peruvian Air Force (Ret.)

Fife Symington, the former governor of Arizona, who in 1997 ridiculed an infamous UFO sighting by thousands of people in the state and later admitted that he himself saw a craft will moderate a distinguished panel of former high-ranking government, aviation, and military officials from seven countries to discuss close encounters with what the US Air Force describes as Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs).

Fife says, “This panel consists of some of the most qualified people in the world with direct experience in dealing with this issue, and they will bring incredible, irrefutable evidence, some never presented before, that we simply cannot dismiss or ignore.”

Representatives from France, England, Belgium, Chile, Peru, Iran and the US will call for the US Government to join in an international dialogue and re-open its investigation which the Air Force shut down over 30 years ago in cooperation with other governments currently dealing with this unusual and controversial phenomenon.

While on active duty, the panellists have either witnessed a UFO incident or have conducted an official investigation into UFO cases relevant to aviation safety and national security.

High ranking government personnel and military officials from around the world have seen what you won't believe. And they risk their reputations to make the case.

Fife Symington

Who can forget when the governor of Arizona held a press conference regarding the phoenix lights and got one of his staff to dress up in an alien costume!!
Seemingly Symington has done a complete U-turn and now says,

“In 1997, during my second term as governor of Arizona, I saw something that defied logic and challenged my reality.

I witnessed a massive delta-shaped, craft silently navigate over Squaw Peak, a mountain range in Phoenix, Arizona. It was truly breathtaking. I was absolutely stunned because I was turning to the west looking for the distant Phoenix Lights. To my astonishment this apparition appeared; this dramatically large, very distinctive leading edge with some enormous lights was travelling through the Arizona sky.

As a pilot and a former Air Force Officer, I can definitively say that this craft did not resemble any man-made object I'd ever seen. And it was certainly not high-altitude flares because flares don't fly in formation. The incident was witnessed by hundreds -- if not thousands -- of people in Arizona, and my office was besieged with phone calls from very concerned Arizonians.

The growing hysteria intensified when the story broke nationally. I decided to lighten the mood of the state by calling a press conference where my chief of staff arrived in an alien costume. We managed to lessen the sense of panic but, at the same time, upset many of my constituents.

I would now like to set the record straight. I never meant to ridicule anyone. My office did make inquiries as to the origin of the craft, but to this day they remain unanswered.

Eventually the Air Force claimed responsibility stating that they dropped flares. This is indicative of the attitude from official channels. We get explanations that fly in the face of the facts. Explanations like weather balloons, swamp gas and military flares.”

UK UFO Pilot Sightings Update & Watch Video Of Interview With The Pilot

Well, surprise, surprise the story of two separate UK airline pilots sighting multiple UFO's has conflicting reports and the story is only a few days old!!

The Guernsey Star originally reported that there was NO radar signal and even quoted the air traffic controller as saying, “If the object was stationary, our equipment would not have picked it up because the radar would have screened it out.”

The term RADAR was coined in 1941 as an acronym for
Radio Detection and Ranging.

Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range, altitude, direction, or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as aircraft, ships, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain, so if the UFO wasn't moving the signature surely would still be visible. And as for the radar equipment, “Screening it out” I find it impossible to believe that air traffic control radar equipment would screen out possible adverse weather conditions as well as possible collision detection with the objects in question which were reportedly up to a mile long! !

Radar works in principle by a transmitter which emits radio waves, which are then reflected by the target and detected by a receiver, typically in the same location as the transmitter. Although the radio signal returned is usually very weak, radio signals can easily be amplified, thus enabling radar to detect objects at ranges where other emissions, such as sound or visible light, would be too weak to detect.

It's only been a few months since the sighting at the O'Hare airport caused quite a stir as it was originally denied by the F.A.A. despite being seen by several independent witnesses including a lot of the nervous airport staff. As the O'Hare UFO shot into the sky it actually displaced heavy cloud cover by creating a hole in the cloud which took quite some time to close back up.

This case is already becoming bigger than this sighting as it transpires that nearly all of the passengers on the flights also seen the UFO. So that's two experienced airline pilots and most of their civilian passengers.

I have also included an interview which the pilot gave in which he says he was quite scared by the experience as well as stating that he has been told that the objects DEFINITELY showed up on radar. The fact that the UFOs could be seen from approximately 40 miles away gives some indication as to the colossal size of the crafts which the pilot still maintains could easily be over a mile in length.

(Original Source,ChannelOnline.tv)

Even former investigator of UFOs for the Ministry of Defence, Nick Pope has said, "While no witnesses are infallible, pilots are trained observers and less likely than most people to misidentify something mundane.”

Also, on The Professional Pilots Rumour Network (PPRuNe) Forums a brand new member signed up and instantly posted a very poor, obviously photoshopped image of a hazy nondescript object which looked nothing like the pilots reports, and also due to the location of the actual sighting was (in my opinion) an impossibility that it was the UFO in question!! The poster claimed it was floating around various emails and whether the poster was just genuinely misinformed, a glory seeker or part of a, “Greater conspiracy” is presently unknown.

And on the back of all of this confusion the current spokesperson for the UK Ministry of Defence said that they would not be investigating this incident adding that while it does monitor air space for any unusual foreign objects which might pose a threat, they would not be carrying out an investigation in this instance?!!?

British military air space starts 40 miles north of Guernsey and French military air space starts 20 miles west of Guernsey and occupies an area of approximately 150 square miles.

So two UFO's which are possibly over one mile in length are reported by two reliable airline pilots and are corroborated by multiple witnesses, then couple this with the fact that they are on the borders of TWO secure no-fly testing areas and the Ministry Of Defence WILL NOT BE INVESTIGATING.

The implications are truly staggering.

• Do they already know something?
• Will they be investigating privately?
• Do they not want to know?
• Does anybody anywhere care??

Another well documented case involving a civilian flight happened back in 1978 in Australia , on Saturday October 21, 1978, a 20 year old Australian pilot, Frederick Valentich, took off from Moorabbin Airport in Melbourne .

He later contacted air traffic control stating that he had sighted a UFO. As he became increasingly panicked at the proximity of the UFO all communication was lost.

FrederickValentich was never seen or heard from again!!

This has became one of the most puzzling and disturbing cases in the history of Ufology. To this day, the Valentich disappearance remains as puzzling now as it was over 25 years ago.

Bearing this in mind it would appear that the UK Ministry Of Defence are displaying negligence of an almost criminal nature. If this UFO sighting doesn't warrant a full investigation, then what on earth (pun intended) does?!?

Could this be the beginning of, “Full Disclosure?”

These revelations come on the back of a discovery that there is another close (close in cosmic terms) planet which is capable of supporting life, as well as the French releasing their UFO files to the public via the internet (which crashed their servers for the first couple of days such was the public interest).

Also just recently we have also learned that the very same Ministry Of Defence which will not be investigating this case have decided to release 24 UFO files which contain some 7,000 reports plus analysis and correspondence. The archive also contains all 3,000 UFO reports received by MoD between 1987 and 1997. But due to the size of the task in hand it may take quite some time before they are available online.

But hey, it's already been nearly ten years since they decided to release them and it's already been a rollercoaster ride. What with the files been recovered from a basement laden with asbestos and which were previously thought to be unrecoverable and at a reported cost of around £3 million of public funds it seems that the government is definitely gearing up for something.

It would also appear that the logic, flawed thinking and clandestine inner workings of the, “People in the know” could prove to be a bigger mystery than the UFO phenomenon itself!!

Who knows, fingers crossed we may yet see full disclosure in our lifetime………….