2020-02-01_Fortean_Times

THEREAL-LIFEX-FILES

28 FT389

UFO FILES /UFO CASEBOOK

As we startanew decade it seemed

appropriate to think ahead to how we might

develop investigation of the UFOmysteryin

the next 10years.Innovations are few and

we are not harnessing the advantages of

our new,inter connectedworld in ways that

we might. SoIwanted to kickstartadebate

here and see ifFTreaders have any ideas

abouthow we might think outside the box.

As anexample, one of the research

groups (ASSAP) that has its own forum for

discussion on Facebook posted news of a

new sighting.Three decadesago, when I

wasone of the originalmembersofASSAP

and alsodirector of investigations for

BUFORA, we oftenhad towait weeks for a

sighting to be reported by post and then

distributed toalocal investigator.Now it can

be online within minutes of occurrence. We

should be usingthis opportunitybetterthan

we presentlydo. But how?

In this particular case,reports came

from witnessesonarural road just off

the A629 near Halifaxin West Yorkshire.A

coupleaged 24 and32weredriving home

at 5.16pm on9November 2019 when they

sawawhite glow in the dark skies over the

moorland.They stopped and got out to

watch as they heardthe ‘roar’ofwhatthey

took to be fighterjetsthat seemedtobe

headingfor the UFO. Around themother cars

also stopped and sought to attract passing

vehiclesbyflashing headlights and sounding

horns. Several others started tofilm the

object and the ‘jets’. The couple did so on

their mobilephones,but the footagewas

blurryasthe ‘jets’weremoving fast.

Theywerewary of reportingsuchan

oddevent but were baffled, as no obvious

explanationfitted the facts.Theyhad flown

dronesthemselves so knew these objects

were much too fast for drones.Itw as the

Saturday afterBonfire Night soafirework

wasconsidered an option. However,it

too wasrejected. Despite being reluctant

witnesses,the motheroft he driver started

an appealquicklyonsocial mediafor any

of the other witnesses who had filmed the

event to come forwardinhope they might

piece the story together from their footage.

Because this case broke fast and Robert

Moore pointed it up on theASSAP forum I

wasable torapidly checkflight radar from

data now freelyaccessibleonline.Matching

time and location revealed that, while

military aircraftrarely appearonsuchsites

forsecurity reasons, therewereindeedtwo

aircraft in exactly thepositionthis report

suggests.They were,unusually,flying

together but werenot military and not jets.

It seemed clear these had to be whatwas

‘chasing’ the UFO. But no otherradar target

nearby obviously matched the UFOitself;

other aircraft within 30 miles were too high.

ASSAP are,asI write,contin uingtheir

investigation, andIwillnot pre-empt that;

but Iwas able to follow the course,paths,

heights andspeeds of the two aircraft and

identify them.Ifollowed themafter leaving

Halifax, heading south west over Rochdale

and theWirral. Theylanded atLiverpool

John Lennon Airport 25 minutes later.They

belonged to Ravenair,based here,and their

journeysouth that evening started in the

north east, near Newcastle.These planes

werequiteunusual (though Ravenair had

11 of them usedfor things such as aerial

surveys). They wereG-HUBB andG-OBSR,

bothPartenavia Observers.

The two planes were travelling at 2,200

(670m) and 2,300ft (700m) respectively

(though the moorside roadwaselevated,

so theywould appearlower). Theyflew side

by side,atd ifferent headings andspeedsin

aweaving path. One of the twoplaneswas

fitted with an unusual open canopy covering

much of the front of the cockpit and part

2020 vision

JENNY RANDLESsuggests that new technologies mean new ways to do ufology in the 21st century

TOP:Video showing the fast-moving‘jets’chasingaUFO.ABOVE:PartenaviaObserverG-OBSR was

airborne at thetimeand could have been responsible for the‘roar ’witnessesheard.

STEVE

LYNES

/F

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