UK UFOlogists Nick Pope & Joe McGonagle on The Sun Newspaper And UFOs

Manchester RadioOnline has a regular Friday night show called, “Exploring The Unexplained.” On Saturday 05th July (2008) it had a surprise guest in the shape of Nick Pope as well as Joe McGonagle owner of UK-UFO.org website and mailing list, Joe is a regular on the show and is on every week covering the recent events regarding UFOs in the UK.

Not surprisingly Nick waxed lyrical (as he's involved with The Sun and their recent efforts) on, ‘The Sun’ newspapers attempts to turn the UFO subject not only into revenue for themselves but they are also reminding the nation why they are held in such a low regard as they continue to turn the UFO subject into a joke, and as always the joke is at at the expense of serious UFO research.

The Suns insistence in publishing mediocre UFO reports contrary to what they know to be the truth should come as no surprise to anyone, it’s just not that often that their failings are exposed and their complete disregard of any and all facts is as evident as it has been recently. Joe McGonagle highlights this with one of their recent stories when The Sun approached UK UFOlogist Jenny Randles about one of these sightings. It's explained in Joes interview and I'll (hopefully) be able to write more about Jenny and her dealings with The Sun in my next post.

IFOs: (LITS) UFO Balloons, Chinese Lanterns & Misidentifications

(Main article here).

I have been aware of UFO Balloons and their inevitable misinterpretation as UFOs since (at least) back in 2005. However it wasn't until 2006 that I first thought about writing something due to the UFO Balloon sightings and subsequent UFO reports showing signs of being a real problem in future years as the release of these balloons at celebratory events -such as weddings- was/is escalating dramatically. I also researched them quite a bit as one of the sightings that received a lot of media coverage in 2006 literally drifted straight over my residence at the time.

2007 saw another increase of these ‘UFO Balloons' and more importantly the media started to take a real interest which peaked in July with the Stratford UFO report and never really dipped, now we're into 2008 and it seems as if these UFO-Balloons are becoming the most misidentified aerial object of the minute and shows no signs of easing up. Also as the summer months are upon us I can see no immediate relief from UFO-Balloons/Fire lanterns in the near future.

Unfortunately (and yet again!!) the finished article is too involved and it's simply not practical to post as a Blog entry so you can consider this short post a teaser!!

UFO-Balloon/Fire Lanterns Compilation Video

To read more about UFO Balloons/Fire Lanterns being misidentified and mistakenly reported as UFOs then please visit here (click on text).

You will find details of the Loughton 2006 UFO report/s, the Sunderland 2006 UFO report/s and the 2007 Stratford upon Avon UFO report/s as well as witness accounts, witness videos and images. Not to mention a history of the UFO Balloon/Fire Lantern specifically as it applies to the UK UFO scene as well as how the media have covered the phenomenon so far.

Visit The IFO/UFO Balloon webpage here.

Small Minded ‘Guardian.co.uk' Abduction Article

It has been quite a while since I read a mainstream media article when the reporter's opinion alone truly sickened me but the sweeping generalisation that Mr Mark Lawson makes is one that is evidently imbued with his twisted personal perceptions as he suggests that the abduction phenomenon is no more than the externalisation of repressed memories of child abuse.

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“The final rationale is that spaceship-spotting is an outward expression of inner fears. For instance, many of those who claim to have been abducted by aliens report the experience of being anally or genitally probed. You don't need to rent rooms in Vienna to guess that a memory of extraterrestrial interference may have replaced that of a human encounter, although it may well have involved being carried out of their bedroom in the middle of the night…..In Britain now, the likeliest cause of these reports is fear of a different kind of penetration ….”

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Source

Forgive me for not quoting the entire article…..

UK UFO – Police Helicopter Crew Reports UFO

I originally had this Blog post titled, “UK UFO – Police Helicopter Crew Reports Near Collision With UFO.” But unfortunately that has yet to be confirmed so rather add to the already alarmist media coverage of the event I'll try to stick with what has been confirmed.

At 12:40am on Sunday, 8th June (2008) the three man crew from ‘The South & East Wales Air Support Unit' reported seeing an unidentified aircraft. The crew have made an official report which has been forwarded to the relevant authorities (MoD and CAA). The police Eurocopter, an EC135T21, was hovering in the sky at 0040 BST above the St Athan military base waiting to land when the unidentified aircraft was spotted.

The Police Eurocopter - EC135T21

Image Source – Deltawhiskey

That's about in the way of actual facts, the majority of which were obtained from an official press release by the South Wales Police press office (which can be read a little further down). In fact the only seemingly credible coverage of the event by the media has been by the BBC, they also include quotes from a Ministry of Defence spokesperson who said they (the MoD) had heard nothing about the incident before condescendingly adding:

"But it is certainly not advisable for police helicopters to go chasing what they think are UFOs.”

The fact that they weren't aware of the report has been confirmed to Joe McGonagle of the UK-UFO.org website who has already received a reply to a FoIA request about the incident, and was as follows:

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"Dear Mr McGonagle,

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request of 20 June 2008 asking for copies of any records held by the MoD in relation to an alleged UFO sighting by a police helicopter crew on 7 June 2008. Other than press enquiries, the MoD has no record of this alleged incident being reported to it."

DAS-FOI

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The BBC article also states that: “Cardiff International Airport said air traffic control provided a service to the police helicopter to ensure it had appropriate air space, including allowing it space to return to RAF St Athan to refuel.”

So we have the Police press release saying that the incident happened while they were waiting to land and no pursuit took place.

And now we have the Airport saying that it facilitated this pursuit and helped it to navigate safely back to the St Athan base. Although the ambiguity of the quote could easily mean that this is merely citing the standard procedure rather than describing the result of chasing an unidentified aircraft…..

Practically every news piece I've read so far has quoted an early article from the bastion of integrity that is, “The Sun” newspaper with yet another of their surreptitious and of course anonymous 'sources'. The (Sun newspaper) 'source' was quoted as saying:

“It closed in at great speed, aiming straight at the helicopter…..The chopper had to swerve sharply to avoid being hit. The guys said if they'd stayed where they were, they'd be dead – it would've been a direct hit…..They are convinced it was a UFO. It sounds far-fetched, but they know what they saw…..These guys are hardened professionals and know people will take the mickey, but they are certain they saw a UFO…..After the near-collision they decided to follow it to find out what the hell it was…..They belted across the Bristol Channel in pursuit, but it was too quick. They got to the North Devon coast and had to turn back because they were running low on fuel.”

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Now compare and contrast this with the,

South Wales Police - Official Press Release :

"South Wales Police can confirm the South & East Wales Air Support Unit sighted an unusual aircraft. This was reported to the relevant authorities for their investigation. In today's skies, there are a wide variety of aircrafts which come in a range of different shapes and sizes and in all probability, this sighting has just confirmed that one of these was in the area at the relevant time. Reports that we chased the unusual aircraft across the Bristol Channel and the North Devon coastline is inaccurate.”

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From one extreme to another and I expect the truth is to be found somewhere in between the two, although probably nearer to the MoD's extreme than the one anonymously claimed and irresponsibly reported by The Sun newspaper.

A point worth making is the apparent lack of any kind of thermal imaging, but one media report says thermal imaging cameras and another says night vision goggles, so like every other aspect we will have to wait until more information is made available before speculating on what that could mean.

Another salient point is that it is surely both impossible and impractical for the MoD to claim that this event was, “Of no defence significance” as is their usual declaration especially when considering the proximity to both military and civilian airports but I'm sure they'll think of something…..

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The “World Aero Data” website entry for St Athan, states:

“All inbd acft call CARDIFF APP CON 5 min before CTLZ, if unable call ST ATHAN APP CON 125.85 277.225.”

Perhaps the failure to alert Cardiff airport of any sort of UAV tests is partly responsible for the sarcastic comments by the MoD advising the Police helicopter crew not to chase everything that they may think is a UFO. But if this is the case you would think that somebody at the base would have had the sense not to launch whatever it was at the same time as the Police helicopter was waiting to land as surely this is one of the many factors which MUST be considered in testing any kind of secret project (e.g. UAV), and especially so considering how close it is to a civil airport and consequently busy civil flight-paths.

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Sources:
UK-UFO.org
The Sun
BBC News/Wales

The Dreamland Drones & New Chances?

The Dreamland Drones

After being out of the ‘Drone scene' for a few months Whitley Strieber has rekindled his involvement by attempting to resuscitate the Drone subject which has itself been in remission for a couple of months now. Whitley made a couple or so posts regarding the Drones last June (2007) when the Drone images and witnesses were coming thick and fast. In fact to the best of my knowledge Whitley has only made a few posts in total regarding the California Drones, here's an extract from his previous Drone revelation back in December last year:

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A Most Complex Encounter - (Dec 11, 2007)

“So this experience actually crossed waking and dream. The first time I got out of bed and walked into the living room and saw the trees, I was wide awake and actually moving across realities physically. Then, when I slept and dreamed, the realities unfolded around me. When I saw the drone, I was possibly in yet another universe, different from this one.

So the logical question, at least to me, is this: how could anyone even write such far-fetched nonsense, let alone believe that it really happened?”

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It seems Whitley Strieber adheres to the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche in that, “There are no facts, only interpretations,” or perhaps a more fitting axiom would be that of Democritus and, “Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is opinion.”

Anyway, fast forward six months to a couple of days ago and June 13th, 2008 Whitley posted another Drone related Blog post, an extract follows:

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New Chance – (June 13, 2008)

“Last summer, the so called "drones" appeared. Linda Moulton Howe and I soon confirmed that the photographs were real, both by what photo analysis could done, and by numerous interviews with witnesses, many of whom were willing to go on the record with their names.

Then there were the Carat documents. These were furiously rebutted on the internet, but when I suggested that somebody create similar images, nobody responded. The reason that they did not respond is contained in a comment made by an engineer, Michael A. Reed of Reed Development Associates, who recently looked at them at Linda Howe's request. He commented, "the things are so complex, they are a little mind boggling!"

This is why none of the people claiming both expertise as draftsmen and that the Carat images were frauds came forward to produce similar but differently constructed images. There were a few knockoffs of the Carat images, but that proves nothing. Anybody can recopy images and make a few changes with a simple drafting program.

Last summer, when I read in the Carat documents the amazing concept of "self-activating software," I knew immediately that this is exactly what the crop circles are. They are activating something in our earth, and, fortunately, there is nothing that the forces of evil, largely embodied in government, its lying shills in the media, and farmers who destroy the circles as fast as possible, can do about this. This is because the effect is instantaneous, and by the time the destroyers reach a given circle, it's already too late.”

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RE: “The photographs were real, both by what photo analysis could done, and by numerous interviews with witnesses, many of whom were willing to go on the record with their names.”

In the same sentence as, “Photographs were real” he ascertains this by, "Both by what photo analysis could done, and by numerous interviews with witnesses.”

It seems as if Whitley has been studying at the Linda Moulton Howe School of Investigative Journalism!!

Firstly we have the ambiguous error of, “could done,” is this, “was done” or, “could be done?” (More importantly where is this analysis and has it been subjected to peer review?)

And secondly which photo witnesses have been interviewed or for that matter which photo witnesses have been proven to disclose their real name/s?

ALL of the original photo witnesses disappeared without a trace, well all except Rajman1977 who posted twice on the OM forums before promptly disappearing into cyberspace. Also all of the witnesses have stopped answered any follow-up emails which were sent to the addresses from where their emails originated.

“Then there were the Carat documents. These were furiously rebutted on the internet, but when I suggested that somebody create similar images, nobody responded.”

Hold on a minute, I've seen many, many replications of the CARET documents. But this is of course easily dismissed by Whitley saying that:

“There were a few knockoffs of the Carat images, but that proves nothing. Anybody can recopy images and make a few changes with a simple drafting program.”

Apparently not everybody can recopy text in the same fashion as I think we can safely assume that the "Carat" Whitley speaks of is actually "CARET". You may think that's an easy mistake to make, but not when you consider it's an acronym of:

"Commercial Applications Research For Extraterrestrial Technology".

And Whitley repeatedly misspells this simple acronym -never once spelling it correctly- suggesting to me that perhaps Whitley isn't quite as knowledgeable about the Drone phenomenon as he would like us to believe.

But back to the question and what is it exactly Whitley is asking of people? He suggested someone create similar images and when this was done it was simply dismissed as copying the originals!! The fact of the matter is that the originals are fairly unique in their design, well they're unique enough so that anyone attempting to replicate them would have to copy the overall design if any kind of comparison were to be made, otherwise how could you distinguish that they were in fact similar images?

This seems to me like it's no more than moving the goalposts…..

When do facts stop being the issue?

Is it a conscious decision or a genuine mistake?

Perhaps it's no more than a genuine mistake, an objective reality that once squeezed through the prism of belief and filtered through personal values becomes fact, but as John Burroughs wrote:

“To treat your facts with imagination is one thing,
But to imagine your facts is another.”

RE: “Last summer, when I read in the Carat documents the amazing concept of "self-activating software," I knew immediately that this is exactly what the crop circles are.”

Whitley is talking About the, “Functional blueprint” which Isaac specifically states is “geometric forms and patterns which fit together to form diagrams,” and that, “Once they are drawn, so to speak, on a suitable surface made of a suitable material and in the presence of a certain type of field.”

A suitable surface being that of the face of the earth and a certain type of field being that of a farmers field is a bit of a stretch, don't you think? (And that's regardless of which dimension it allegedly appeared in!! Oh and of course Isaac never refers to it as software).

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Can you recall Whitley's opening gambit? “Linda Moulton Howe and I soon confirmed that the photographs were real”

On June 8th of last year in his Blog entry titled, “The Mystery of the Drones” Whitley writes:

“Throughout the process, I have obtained analysis of the pictures offered, with little success because of the generally low resolution and the proliferation of effects programs more sophisticated than Photoshop that can make virtually undetectable inclusions in still images……The only thing that prevents me from declaring that they are real is that special effects are just so sophisticate d…..Understand, please, this does NOT mean that I'm endorsing these images . I believe Sylvia , Chad and Mr. Smith, but I cannot endorse the images because I cannot, personally and beyond doubt, prove that they are authentic.”

And on June 29th in his Blog post, “The Drones: Are They Real, and What Do We Do?” Whitley wrote:

“Now, it is VERY important to realize something before I go on, and to take it into your mind and heart: EVEN IF the entire Isaac production is proven beyond a shadow of a doubt to be a hoax, and that may happen.”

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Okay, who put a "Stop Payment" on Whitley's reality check?

I hope it's not his personal sighting which transcended several dimensions that Whitley is touting as the proof of the existence of the Drones, as just because he personally fails to accept our *reality* then it doesn't nullify it for the rest of us, or even make it go away for Whitley himself as it'll always be there waiting for him every time when he wakes up, whether it's accepted as such is another matter entirely.

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Can you remember the CGI video created by Kris Avery that was claimed to be real by Linda Moulton Howe last May? (Full details here). Well it'll surely come as no surprise to learn that Whitley apparently made the same mistake. On May 25 th last year Unknown Country made a Blog post called, “'Drone' Almost Certainly Real” that contained the following text:

“Both Linda Howe and Unknowncountry have resources in various engineering disciplines. An Unknowncountry source at NASA has said that the object is far from any known technology. "If it is using electrostatic lift, then it would have to be extremely light, perhaps on the order of a few pounds, but then where would the energy come from? Electrostatic lift is a laboratory phenomenon, as far as I know."

We asked him to comment on this statement by an engineer queried by Linda Howe. The engineer said, "The design strategy of charged ion shaped plasma 'buoyancy' devices does bear some relevancy here. For instance, the circular array of curved 'antennae' coming out of the center of the device is very similar to a form of wave guide shaping mechanism for a charged plasma ion field."

This was quickly changed to: “Drone Appears on You Tube” with the claims that it was real removed, then witin hours it changed again to, “Drone Appears on You Tube--But Original Photos Still Stand Up ” with the text completely changed to:

"Super-clear photos of a bizarre UFO have caused an international sensation, and now CGI experts are showing just how perfect fakes can be, but so far there is no evidence at all that the 'Chad' photos posted on Flikr, and the 'Alabama' photo posted on Earthfiles.com are fakes. Headers on the Chad photos indicate that they were taken with a Konica Minolta DiMAGE X at an ISO Speed of 100 and a resolution of 72dpi on May 6 at 5:43 PM. In addition, Linda Moulton Howe leads off Dreamland today with a convincing interview with a witness who saw the 'drone' two years ago. So the evidence still favors the original photos being real. BUT the drone is now being reproduced perfectly using CGI technology. It is virtually impossible to tell whether or not the original photographs are real, but the depth of evidence Linda Howe is presenting remains compelling. To see an expert video that has been created of the 'drone,' click here. This is probably CGI work, but it, also, could be a real video of such a drone in testing.”

This is all documented by a user who left several comments on Mac Tonnies Blog, “Posthuman Blues” the poster also wrote that:

“So, the first unknown country (UC) article on the CGI fake, endorsing it as "almost certainly real" was replaced by the second, which reversed course to suggest belatedly the "craft" just might be a fake, and now a _third_ version of the article appears, changing course again, rewritten and now including a note that Strieber will be interviewing Howe on the UC "Dreamland" radio program about the "craft" perhaps _still_ being real, based on the original "Chad" and secondary "Alabama" photos (which are different, and also fakes), but that _now_ other CGI fakes may be surfacing from other sources from elsewhere, including a YouTube video using CGI of the "craft" taking off from the ground at a location that appears to have a large white building, on the left, which may be an aircraft hanger.”

Mac replied that:

“I'm not the least bit surprised. Strieber probably realized how lame the story was and decided to pretend it never happened. He's done it before.”

And finally, I'll leave you with a Whitley Strieber quote that sums the entire debacle up better than I ever could…..

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“So the logical question, at least to me, is this: how could anyone even write such far-fetched nonsense, let alone believe that it really happened?”

Continental Airlines Pilot Reports UFO - FBI Investigates (May 26th 2008)

The FBI are investigating this incident although all early reports tend to suggest that it was little more than an amateur ‘rocket enthusiast’.

Is this public announcement of an imminent investigation because the fact that a smoke trail was present and it’s a relatively safe bet that this was the result of an amateur rocketeer?

The main reason for the investigation if early media reports are to be believed isn’t to identify the UFO but rather to assess exactly how close the object was and if it posed any kind of threat.

No doubt model rocket enthusiasts will bear the brunt of this investigations as it has already been reported that those in and around the Houston area have already been approached and questioned by the authorities.

Or is this an all too convenient explanation? Unfortunately (and with the information available) as well as being the most convenient it's also undoubtedly the most likely....

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HOUSTON -- The FBI and the Federal Aviation Administration said they are investigating a report from a Continental Airlines pilot, who told air-traffic controllers that a possible model rocket with a flaming tail and a trail of smoke was flying ahead of the plane shortly after takeoff Monday.

Although the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force is involved in the investigation, officials said they believe the object was a model rocket.

FAA spokesman Roland Herwig stated: " We don't know for sure what the object was. But we think it might be somebody doing model rocketing…..The pilot saw the rocket and some people saw the rocket's trail. Building rockets is a legitimate hobby, but hobbyists have to let the FAA know what they're doing. "

The pilot spotted the object flying at 5,000 feet about 11 miles east of George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston . Flight 1544 continued its trip from Houston to Cleveland after reporting the object to air traffic controllers. Scott Wilson, a spokesman for the FBI's Cleveland office, said in a story in The Plain Dealer that the plane wasn't in danger and landed safely. Continental Airlines spokeswoman Kelly Cripe declined to discuss what crew members had seen aboard the Boeing 737, which carried 148 passengers. The plane did not change course and was not damaged.

FBI spokeswoman Shauna Dunlap said::

"We don't know if it was a rocket or what…..We will interview everyone and determine the validity of what was seen. "

Robert Morehead, an engineer and president of the Amateur Spaceflight Association in Houston , said model rockets routinely can reach as high as 40,000 feet. He said model rocket enthusiasts are supposed to notify the FAA if a rocket is entering controlled airspace.

Laura Brown, an FAA spokeswoman in Washington D.C. told the Chronicle that model rockets have crossed paths with planes before but have never struck them. She also said that the Memorial Day holiday weekend was a good time for a launch.

Source

Ministry Of Defence Starts UK UFO Archive Release (14th May 2008)

The National Archives (TNA) had a release scheduled for the 14th May, apparently there was an embargoed press announcement which was circulated from Monday. There was also an earlier pre-emptive warning circulated to the national press last week which was also embargoed.

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The National Archives virtual press event - UFOs

For first time, The National Archives is making 8 Ministry of Defence (MoD) files relating to (Unidentified Flying Objects) UFOs available on Monday 12 May 2008.

The files will be available to download at no charge for the first month, online at the TNA website.

These are the first files to be released by the MoD as part of a 4-year transfer project relating to UFOs. The files are under embargo until the 00.01am 14 May 2008.

Visitors to the site will, in addition to downloading the files, be able to listen to a Podcast from Dr David Clarke, senior lecturer, Hallam University , discussing the files and the release. He has also written a background briefing on UFO files held at The National Archives.

There is also a short videocast from Nick Pope, a British UFO specialist presents a short videocast providing additional explanations. The files cover 1978 to 1987 and contain details on recorded incidents from the Ministry of Defence during this time.

Some of the highlights include:

DEFE 24/1925 - this file contains a long letter and drawings from a member of the public describing his 'physical and psychic contact' with green aliens since he was a child. One of them called Algar was killed in 1984 by another race of beings. The writer says that he visited their bases in the Wirral and Cheshire , whilst his wife reported seeing a UFO shot down over Wallasey Town.

DEFE 31/172 - On 21 February 1982, a group of customers and staff in Tunbridge Wells report an unknown object with green and red flashing lights - seen heading in the direction of Gatwick. (p.22)

DEFE 31/172 - A detailed briefing prepared by the Ministry of Defence for Lord Strabolgi, Government Chief Whip, for debate on UFO's in the House of Lords in January 1979. Paddy Stevens who briefed the Government spokesperson, said, "there is nothing to indicate that UFOlogy is anything but claptrap..." (Page 126-135)

Plus many more.

If you would like any further information, please contact Tim Matthews on 020 8392 5277, or tim.matthews@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Press Officer
The National Archives,
Email: tmatthews@nationalarchives.gov.uk
Tel: 0208 392 5277 ext 2578
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

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Indeed, far from this being a surprise it has been a long promised and much anticipated event, regular (and attentive!!) readers may remember that I posted about the MOD release back on the 24th December (2007), writing:

(UK) UFO Researchers Secure Release Of MoD UFO Documentation. “Following sustained pressure by a small number of UFO researchers during the last 8 years, the British Ministry of Defence have decided to release all of their UFO files. (For the full details of the planned release, visit: UK-UFO.org).

Gary Anthony, Dave Clarke, and Joe McGonagle have been making full use of the Freedom of Information Act and its precursor, the Code of Practice on access to Government information. At considerable personal expense, effort, and investment of time the three of us have submitted a steady stream of requests. As well as making requests ourselves, we actively encouraged and assisted other ufologists to make their own requests.”

Click here to read the full post.

So when you read further articles or postings regarding this imminent disclosure, or when the release of these documents is finally realised, I urge you not to forget the efforts of Dave Clarke et al. Whose efforts are directly responsible for this landmark event, the results of their collective efforts should stand as irrefutable testimony to the enormity of what can be achieved with perseverance, dedication and determination.

In fact, why not visit their website at UK-UFO.org and thank them right now?

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But I certainly wouldn't get too excited about the release and I feel it important to stress that there will be NO SMOKING GUN found, or even implications of such but that's not why this is such an interesting release. I personally believe it's such an interesting release so that the general public may finally have some inkling into the inner-workings of the MOD as it relates to UFO reports and I also believe the ineptitude and 'couldn't care less' attitude will prove to be more shocking than yet another ‘aliens stole my dog' report (which the media take a little too much delight in reporting on).

That's not to say there aren't any interesting cases included of course.....

Like the account from air traffic controllers, each with over eight years in the job, they reported that at 4 p.m. on April 19, 1984 a UFO landed at the airport they were working at then took off at an incredible speed.

The men, each with more than eight years on the job, described how they were helping guide a small plane to a landing on runway 22 when they were distracted by a brightly lit object approaching a different runway without clearance.

“Everyone became aware that the object was unidentified…..SATCO (code name for a controller with 14 years experience) reports that the object came in at speed, made a touch and go on runway 27, then departed at terrific speed in a near vertical climb.”

But of course this is merely one of the hundreds of *credible* reports that poses no kind of threat or no *defence significance* or so we're told. Still I don't doubt for a second that the conspiracy theorists will have a field day with what they think has been retained…..

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The Drone UFO Timeline - Explained?

This started off as a regular run of the mill post on the current happenings with regards the Drones but it ended up as more of a short Novel!! So rather than split it into separate posts I've decided to start the post on my Blog as usual but continue it on a dedicated page…..

As regular readers will know I've been interested in the Drones since the story first broke, I've participated in many forums on the subject of the Drones and met many, many people, all of whom I hold in high regard regardless of their opinions and I've also offered regular commentary on the Drones as any new events occurred.

Since the story is quickly unfolding courtesy of the labours of two Private Investigators I wanted to make a couple of observations.

I fear that the relevant information regarding the Drone UFOs is in serious danger of becoming obfuscated beyond recognition. Linda Moulton Howe (LMH) has published what she calls an, “Eyewitness Timeline” of the Drones, somewhat selectively including/numbering Drone reports that were ONLY submitted to her, or reports in which she had some part to play.

So if you see or know anything about the Drones while I encourage people to submit their information to LMH, I would strongly recommend that this is NOT your only means of disclosing what you know. Especially when you realise that in a couple of months or so, your information will for all intents and purposes became of the, “Pay Per View” variety, due solely to the, “Unique” way that LMH moves her archived material to her (paid) subscribers section.

Indeed the photographs of the Drone that were taken at Big Basin which she was sent numbered 12 in total. Images she was sent with the sole intention of getting the information out there for public dissemination. LMH scanned and resized the images which greatly reduced the resolution before releasing them. This justifiably caused an uproar among the online UFO community and after she received many, many emails over this refusal to release the images as she received them and as intended, LMH finally released ONE of the TWELVE images she received at a resolution which was high enough to enable a more thorough analysis. Now it's coming up to nearly a year since she received these images and she STILL REFUSES TO RELEASE them!!

Post Continues Here - Video/Images etc.

Two More California UFO Drone News Reports

Previous Drone Fox News Report here.
All previous Drone related posts and media available here.

Another Fox News Report On The Dragonfly Drones, this time it's courtesy of Fox And Friends.

(A UFO Cold Case).

Secondly, it's a KSBW.com News Report On The Drones.

Aurora Furore Over Great Gonerby UFO?

A little over a week ago (17 March 2008) I Blogged about a Grantham Journal article that reported on the UFO recently spotted in Saskatchewan ( Canada ) that was reportedly similar to other sightings by Allan Spick, who lives in Great Gonerby (UK). Mike Repin contacted the Journal after seeing a drawing by Spick which reminded him of a UFO that he'd previously witnessed.

The Grantham Journal has since reported that the plot thickens as a Luton man called John Pacey has been in touch to let them know he thinks what was seen was possibly a mysterious, “Spy-Plane ” which the Journal ominously reminds us, “Officially does not even exist .”

Flight-sim model of artist's concept of the Aurora aircraft – Wiki

Sketch: Grantham Journal./ Specs Wiki – Estimate

Before adding that plane spotters claim the, “Triangular Aurora aircraft was built by the US Air Force to replace the aging Blackbird surveillance plane……It is believed to be capable of speeds massively in excess of the sound barrier. ” Also the actual article is headed, “Is this the Great Gonerby UFO ? ” & sub-headed, “UFO could be top secret plane.”

This presents something of an attractive –if incredibly unlikely- proposition, not least because the Scottish media has previously reported that the Aurora was landing and taking off from Machrihanish airbase on the Kintyre peninsula.

It has been alleged that air traffic controllers had seen aircraft on their radars vacating and accelerating to high Mach numbers but (again rather ominously and according to Wikipedia) none of the controllers has ever went on, “The record.”

But the speculation surrounding the, “Aurora” dates back to the early nineties when a series of unusual sonic booms was detected in Southern California by some U.S. Geological Survey sensors (mid to late 1991).

Then on 23 March, 1992 in Texas, Steven Douglas (Reported May ‘92, Aviation Week & Space Technology) photographed the now infamous, "Doughnuts on a rope" contrail and also stated that, “A deep pulsating rumble that vibrated the house and made the windows shake...similar to rocket engine noise, but deeper, with evenly timed pulses” was clearly audible. This has led to much speculation that the Aurora aircraft could utilise something called, “Pulse detonation propulsion technology” which was originally patented in the 1950 but has yet to make a public appearance.

Doughnuts on a rope contrail

Unfortunately as one would expect that these sonic booms may have been mentioned by the witnesses (or if activated further away at least registered on something, somewhere) it seems like the craft recently sighted in Great Gonerby remains a UFO, well for now at least…..

Source: Grantham Journal & Wikipedia/Aurora

Farewell Sir Arthur Charles Clarke

Sir Arthur C. Clarke who is heralded as a scientific visionary and the acclaimed writer of, “2001: A Space Odyssey” was buried in his adopted country of Sri Lanka where he had lived (Colombo) for over fifty years on Saturday 22 March 2008.

Sir Arthur C. Clarke passed away after experiencing heart failure and respiratory problems at the grand old age of 90 on 19 March 2008.

Sir Arthur's brother, Fred Clarke, attended the funeral along with members of the Ekanayake family, with whom the writer had lived in recent years. A nationwide minute's silence was ordered by the Sri Lankan government to coincide with the ceremony and music from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey was played at the funeral.

"Here lies Arthur C Clarke. He never grew up and did not stop growing," his gravestone in Colombo is to read, in accordance with the author's wishes.

Tamara Ekanayake, who grew up at Sir Arthur's home in Colombo , paid tribute to him at the service, saying: "We feel so privileged that you left your mark on us…..Your footprint will never fade. If anything, it will only magnify what we do. "

Before the funeral, yellow roses were thrown on to Sir Arthur's body as a final gesture of respect as it lay on a white bed beneath curved elephant tusks. Clarke had left specific instructions for his funeral and was quoted as saying that religion was;

“A necessary evil in the childhood of our particular species.”

According to his spokesman Nalaka Gawardene, Sir Arthur's last three wishes were for conclusive proof of extraterrestrial life, clean energy to halt global warming and peace in Sri Lanka during his lifetime.

"Now unfortunately he didn't live long enough to see any of these last wishes come true…..And I think the challenge for all his fans and all his admirers is to make these three wishes come true as early and as comprehensively as possible”

Sir Arthur C. Clarke - Godfather Of The Telecommunications Satellite

A radar pioneer in the Royal Air Force during World War II, Clarke wrote a 1945 article in Wireless World magazine in which he outlined a worldwide communications network based on fixed satellites orbiting Earth at an altitude of 22,300 miles -- an orbital area now often referred to as the Clarke Orbit. His conceptual leap, outlined in a 1945 article in Wireless World magazine, was to propose using a set of satellites in geostationary orbit to form a global communications network

Clarke's seminal article (for which he received payment of $40!!) was published two decades before Syncom II became the world's first communications satellite put into geosynchronous orbit in 1963. And so Clarke is widely credited for pioneering the concept of communications satellites, Clarke received a number of honours, including the 1982 Marconi International Fellowship and the Charles A. Lindbergh Award. Clarke was also named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 1986, won innumerable international awards for his fiction and scientific writing.

"Rendezvous with Rama," his 1973 novel about a space probe sent to explore an enormous celestial object speeding through the solar system that turns out to be a mysterious alien spacecraft, was one of Clarke's greatest critical successes. It won the prestigious Nebula, Hugo and John W. Campbell awards for best novel, as well as the British Science Fiction Associate Award, the Locus Award and the Jupiter Award.

"My God, it's full of stars!!”

Among his best-known science-fiction novels are "Childhood's End," "Rendezvous With Rama," "Imperial Earth" and, most famously, "2001: A Space Odyssey."

"It's better to be recognized for one thing, especially something of which I'm quite proud, than not to be recognized at all ," Clarke told The LA Times in 1982. And what a legacy, “2001: A Space Odyssey” was, with its mysterious monoliths, psychopathic Hal 9000 computer and a final sequence which left many cinema-goers confused has since became frequently-referenced icons of modern cinema.

Clarke also foretold an array of technological notions in his works such as space stations, moon landings using a mother ship and a landing pod, cellular phones and the Internet.

"Nobody has done more in the way of enlightened prediction ," science fiction author Isaac Asimov once wrote.

Arthur Charles Clarke was born in Minehead, a town in Somerset in the south-west of England , on 16 December 1917, peered into the heavens with a homemade telescope as a boy. A farmer's son, he was educated at Huish's Grammar School in Taunton before joining the civil service, Clarke grew up to become a visionary titan of science fiction and was knighted for his contributions to literature.

Clarke wrote more than 80 fiction and non-fiction books and more than 100 short stories as well as hundreds of articles and essays. A seer of the modern age, Sir Arthur was an original thinker, a scientific expert whose tales combined technology and good old-fashioned storytelling and whose influence went far beyond the written page.

As well as pioneering works of science fiction, Clarke also appeared on television, most notably in, “Arthur C Clarke's Mysterious World.” The Mysterious World episode on UFOs which was first shown on ITV in 1980 is still relevant today featuring rare interviews with Ken Arnold, Jessie Roestenburg and Bob Taylor.

Arthur C Clarke's Mysterious World - UFO

I'll leave you with Sir Arthur C. Clarke's own words via a BBC report, who while marking his 90th birthday last year, told fans:

"I want to be remembered most as a writer. I want to entertain readers and hopefully stretch their imaginations as well.”

"If I have given you delight by aught that I have done, let me lie quiet in that night, which shall be yours anon."

Anomalous Data & UFO Hot-Spots In The UK

I feel there's something not quite right about the recent results of the Virgin Media Report into UK UFO Hot-Spots. It seems as if every subsequent news report relating to their findings has involved disingenuous data and it's probably to be expected considering the careful wording of the original press release/s.

I'm referring to instances like the statement that Nick Pope, “Supports the study." Not that Nick, “Carried out the study” or, “Assisted” but that he merely supports the study…..

This post isn't so much about UFOs but rather about the poor reporting that is peddled to us every day, this time it just happens to be in regard to UFOs. It may seem a bit banal to highlight the obviously flawed media-machine but it just pisses me off that something as simple as the details of a report could be so badly misinterpreted by virtually ever local newspaper website that subsequently latched onto it.

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From the official Virgin Media webpage (virginmedia.com/ufo) that displays the details:

The Top 10 UFO hotspots in the UK

1. West Yorkshire (34)
2. Nottingham (29)
3. Lancashire (24)
4. Shropshire (22)
5. North Somerset and Avon (22)
6. Suffolk (19)
7. South Wales (18)
8. County Durham (17)
9. Lanarkshire (15)
10. Devon (15)

“Virgin Media has been tracking data which goes back to 1961, revealing an astounding 609 unexplained sightings across the UK ….. 'The Virgin Media Files' detailing the counties you're most likely to see a UFO, supported by the former head of the Government's UFO project, Nick Pope. ”

Seems reasonable enough, and the first report I seen online by the Halifax Courier would seem to confirm all of these facts:

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Halifax – Courier (14 March 2008)

'The Virgin Media Files' have been compiled from data which goes back to 1961.

Nick Pope said: “While we currently have no explanation why certain places in the UK are alien hot spots, as the research reveals, there are areas where mysterious objects are repeatedly witnessed”

“So people who want to alien-spot should definitely head to Halifax."

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Then a day later the exact same online Newspaper ran the following article:

Halifax – Courier (15 March 2008)

There is a UFO sighting every four months in the area, dubbed "West York-fear", according to Virgin Media. The study was conducted by Nick Pope, a former government UFO advisor, and taken from data going back to 1994.

Mr Pope said: "While we currently have no explanation why certain places in the UK are alien hot spots, as the research reveals, there are areas where mysterious objects are repeatedly witnessed.”

“So people who want to alien-spot should definitely head to Yorkshire."

The same newspaper is now saying Nick didn't support the report but actually conducted it. Also instead of 1961 it's now supposed to be, “Taken from data going back to 1994.”

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This Is Plymouth (17 March 2008)

People in Plymouth can expect a close encounter of the extra-terrestrial kind - Devon is ranked number 10 in a specially compiled list of Britain 's top 10 UFO hotspots.

'The Virgin Media Files' have been compiled from data which goes back to 1961 and highlight 15 unexplained sightings in Devon alone - including a silent, circular object which was spotted over Barnstaple in 1964.

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Bury Free Press (18 March 2008)

Strange spheres hovering above Bury St Edmunds have helped to make Suffolk a 'hot spot' for UFOs, according to an expert on the unexplained. With 19 sightings since 1961, the county has come sixth in a list of top 10 places to spot a UFO compiled by Nick Pope, the former head of a Government project looking at UFOs

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Sunderland Echo (20 March 2008)

Nick Pope said: “While we currently have no explanation why certain places in the UK are alien hot spots, as the research reveals, there are areas where mysterious objects are repeatedly witnessed.

“So people who want to alien-spot should definitely head to Durham."

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This Is Lancashire (21 March 2008)

"While we currently have no explanation why certain places in the UK are alien hot spots, as the research reveals, there are areas where mysterious objects are repeatedly witnessed"

"So people who want to alien-spot should definitely head to Lancashire."

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So we have a study that has collected data from either 1961, 1994 or 2000 onwards and it would appear that people who want to alien-spot should definitely head to Halifax or Yorkshire or Durham or Lancashire or.....

Well I'm sure you get the picture and remember these were exact quotes credited to Nick Pope, who in turn may have conducted the study or may have just thought it was a good idea!! Depending entirely on which, “UFO Hot-Spot” locale you are situated closest to, and of course which local news report you are unfortunate enough to read…..

(UK) Great Gonerby UFO Surfaces In Canada

Gonerby UFO sighted over Saskatchewan - A UFO sighted over Great Gonerby repeatedly over the last four years has also been spotted in Saskatchewan, Canada. The Grantham Journal recently reported five sightings by Allan Spick, who provided a drawing of the mysterious flying object he has seen from his home at Belvoir Gardens as well as Mike Repin's UFO sketch which can be seen below.

Mike Repin's UFO drawing

Now an anonymous UFO spotter has got in touch to say he saw the very same object over Saskatoon in November or December 2005, saying:

"It was about 50 feet off the ground and not more than a city block away from me. I saw what appeared to be a craft that looked almost tear-shaped but sideways. I slowed down to a crawl and watched it hovering for about 10 seconds…..I could only see the outline by its multi-coloured lights that surrounded the object…..After around 20 seconds the object banked to the right a flew slowly away…..I do feel that when I slowed down more that maybe they took notice of me observing this and that caused the object to start its sharp bank and then slowly disappear…..It was all very weird to me."

Source: Grantham Journal
(13 March 2008)

West Yorkshire (UK) & Lanarkshire (Sco) Top For UFO Reports

According to a study supported by Nick Pope, Britain 's premier, “UFO Hot Spot” is West Yorkshire , averaging one UFO report every four months. The UFO sightings include an incident last month (17 February 2008) when three orange objects were spotted in the night sky in Leeds.

The Top 10 UFO hotspots in the UK

1. West Yorkshire (34)
2. Nottingham (29)
3. Lancashire (24)
4. Shropshire (22)
5. North Somerset and Avon (22)
6. Suffolk (19)
7. South Wales (18)
8. County Durham (17)
9. Lanarkshire (15)
10. Devon (15)

The study was, “Supported” by Nick Pope who -quite a few years ago- was the, “Public” face of the MoD's infamous UFO Desk. The study was commissioned by Virgin Media and is comprised of UFO reports going back to 1994. The report is to herald the, “Month-long Sci-Fi extravaganza available on our (Virgin Media) TV on demand service.” Virgin Media has been tracking data which goes back to 1961, revealing an astounding 609 unexplained sightings across the UK .

Second and third place went to Nottingham and Lancashire respectively.

Nick Pope stated that:

“It's fantastic to see local folk taking an interest in UFO activity and keeping an eye on the sky…..While we currently have no explanation why certain places in the UK are alien hot spots, as the research reveals, there are areas where mysterious objects are repeatedly witnessed….So people who want to alien-spot should definitely head to Yorkshire."

Lanarkshire Ousts Bonnybridge as Scottish UFO Central

Surprising to see Lanarkshire is announced as Scotland's UFO hot spot, well it's surprising when you consider it's a title usually reserved for Bonnybridge (near Falkirk) which until these results were announced was always considered to be Scotland's UFO hot spot…..

Source: The Virgin Media Files

Robbie Williams Talks UFO Sightings

Joss Stone has landed a job on her hometown radio station. Exeter 's Gemini FM has given Joss a regular show called, “Peace Love And Music.” For this programme she has recorded several interviews with people who Joss admires, one of whom is Robbie Williams and is due to be aired in the next few weeks, here's an early release of some of Robbie's dialogue as he fervently discusses the UFO phenomenon.

"Seriously, I want to go out and investigate these things. I'm stopping being a pop star and being a full-time ufologist……We could be like Mulder and Scully in real life…..You're always mega-busy, but I've got nothing on at the minute."

"I was at the Beverly Hills Hotel and I was lying on my sun lounger outside at night, looking up…..Then, about 300 foot above me, there was this square thing which just passed over my head silently and then shot off…..The next one was the weirdest one yet. I'd just written a song called Arizona , and it's all about alien contact and I was playing that…..I stood on the balcony and there was this big ball of gold light that turned up - we thought it was Venus or Mars or something. Then the song stops playing and it disappears. But then we put Arizona on again and the ball turned back up. It happened four times…..After that a massive electrical storm started and these two big massive balls of light started dancing in the sky. It was like a whole light show for about an hour."

Okay, I'll level with you, I don't really care what these, "Celebrities" think or believe about UFOs, but I know people out there who do (care) and as I try to focus on the UK side of the UFO phenomenon I thought I'd include this UK celebrity UFO report.....

Vehicular UFO Experiences, Sign Of The Times?

Driving.Ca have published a few articles recently regarding the UFO phenomenon. Their recent one is regarding UFOs and how they interact with/affect motor vehicles, or more precisely how the parallels that can be drew between UFO sightings which are experienced while in motor vehicles and any subsequent interruption to the electrics/engine of the vehicle are due more to cultural influence and prior knowledge of similar events, rather than any physical manifestation.

Not something I entirely agree with but is an area that has always interested me and I received a fascinating