PROPERTIES OF IDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS

A list of characteristics:


 

Advertizing Plane (Day)

  1. Angular Range: Large
  2. Angular Size: Distant plane .. 2 Moons
  3. Angular Velocity: High
  4. Brightness: Usually darker than sky
  5. Colors: Any
  6. Duration: Long
  7. Elevation: Any above horizon
  8. Location: Near populated areas, sporting events
  9. Sounds: Silent or faint propeller noise
  10. Tactics: Circling or back-and-forth motion
  11. Time of Day: Daytime
  12. UFO Effects: Fluttering, searching

Advertizing Plane (Night)

  1. Angular Range: Large
  2. Angular Size: Distant plane .. 2 Moons
  3. Angular Velocity: High
  4. Brightness: Light sources
  5. Colors: Many white or yellow lights, with 1 or 2 red or green lights
  6. Duration: Long
  7. Elevation: Usually low (Usually recognized if high)
  8. Location: Near populated areas or drive-in theaters
  9. Sounds: Silent or faint propeller noise
  10. Tactics: Circling or back-and-forth motion, sometimes rocking
  11. Time of Day: Nighttime, usually before midnight
  12. UFO Effects: Rotation effect, Domed disc, Lighted portholes

Aircraft See:

  • Advertizing Plane
  • Airplane
  • Dirigible
  • Helicopter
  • Hot Air Balloon (Passenger)
  • Jet Fighter
  • Military aircraft
  • Passenger Jet
  • Propeller Airplane

Aircraft as RADAR Target

  1. Altitude: Usual airplane altitude, might be lower
  2. Blip Sharpness: Airplane
  3. Blip Size: Airplane
  4. Direction: Any
  5. Distance: Any
  6. Duration: Any, usually long
  7. Known Object: None needed
  8. Tactics: Airplane characteristics, but might disappear if low
  9. UFO Effects: Unknown target, Intermittent, Disappears

Airplane (Day)

  1. Angular Range: Any
  2. Angular Size: Distant plane .. Full moon
  3. Angular Velocity: Any, higher with larger size
  4. Brightness: Any
  5. Colors: Any, Silver is common
  6. Duration: Usually long
  7. Elevation: Any, Usually above horizon
  8. Location: Any
  9. Sounds: Silent, propeller noise, or jet roar
  10. Tactics: Any ballistic, usually straight flight or circling
  11. Time of Day: Daytime
  12. UFO Effects: Disc edge-on, Missile, Cigar shape

Airplane (Night)

  1. Angular Range: Any
  2. Angular Size: Star .. Full moon
  3. Angular Velocity: Any, higher with larger size
  4. Brightness: Lights, sometimes as bright as auto headlights
  5. Colors: White, Red, Green, Sometimes pale yellow
  6. Duration: Usually long
  7. Elevation: Any, Usually above horizon
  8. Location: Any
  9. Sounds: Silent, propeller noise, or jet roar
  10. Tactics: Any ballistic, usually straight flight or circling
  11. Time of Day: Nighttime
  12. UFO Effects: Cluster of lights, Portholes, Cigar, Disc, or Triangle shape

Anomalous Propagation

  1. Altitude: Any
  2. Blip Sharpness: From Faint to Airplane
  3. Blip Size: Any, Amplified severely by Moving Target Indicator (MTI)
  4. Direction: Any
  5. Distance: Any, Usually changes
  6. Duration: Any
  7. Known Object: Airplanes or Ground targets
  8. Tactics: Appear and Disappear, High Speed, Hover, Nonballistic motion
  9. UFO Effects: Sudden Motion, High Speed, Hover, Right Angle Turns, Uncorrelated

Arcs (electric)

  1. Angular Range: Stays near one place (unless observer moved)
  2. Angular Size: Star .. Full moon, rarely larger
  3. Angular Velocity: Usually low unless very close
  4. Brightness: Bright, sometimes dazzles
  5. Colors: Magenta, Cyan, White, Blue, Red, Violet, or Cream color
  6. Duration: Usually less than ten seconds, but can repeat many times.
  7. Elevation: Near the ground
  8. Location: Power lines
  9. Sounds: Silent, Hiss, Hum or buzz, Crackle, Loud pop, Growl
  10. Tactics: Stays near one spot, Changes brightness
  11. Time of Day: Any, harder to identify at night
  12. UFO Effects: Flicker, Pulsating, Dazzling, Casts shadows

Astronomical See:

  • Meteor
  • Moon
  • Planet
  • Scintillating Star
  • Star

Auto Engine Failure -- Possible Causes

  • Bad condition of auto
  • High frequency field present
  • Ionized air present
  • Driver inattention

Ball Lightning

  1. Angular Range: Any
  2. Angular Size: Star .. Full moon
  3. Angular Velocity: Any
  4. Brightness: Brighter than surroundings
  5. Colors: Usually Red, Orange, or Yellow, sometimes White or Blue
  6. Duration: Less than ten minutes, usually shorter
  7. Elevation: Any, including below horizon
  8. Location: Any
  9. Sounds: Silent, hiss, bees, loud report
  10. Tactics: Hover, hunting, sometimes nonballistic motion
  11. Time of Day: Any
  12. UFO Effects: Hovering, Glowing ball, fluttering, bobbing, exploding (some silent)

Balloon See:

  • Dirigible
  • Fire Balloon
  • Flare Balloon
  • Hot Air Balloon (Passenger)
  • PIBAL
  • Radiosonde Balloon
  • Rawin Balloon
  • Skyhook Balloon
  • Tethered Balloon
  • Toy Balloon
  • Weather Balloon

Barium Cloud

  1. Angular Range: Stays near same spot in sky
  2. Angular Size: Grows from Star to Multiple moons
  3. Angular Velocity: Very low
  4. Brightness: Very bright at first, dims as it expands
  5. Colors: Magenta, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet, or White
  6. Duration: Usually about half an hour if entire event is seen
  7. Elevation: Any, must be above horizon
  8. Location: Any, Florida, California, and nearby states more common
  9. Sounds: None generated by object
  10. Tactics: Sudden appearance of bright spot, grows in size, and fades out
  11. Time of Day: Nighttime away from twilight, usually no moon
  12. UFO Effects: Hovering, Strange shape, Grows, Changes shape

Bird

  1. Angular Range: Any
  2. Angular Size: Distant plane
  3. Angular Velocity: Any
  4. Brightness: Dark .. Lighter than sky, dimmer than auto headlights
  5. Colors: Any
  6. Duration: Any
  7. Elevation: Any, including below horizon
  8. Location: Any
  9. Sounds: Silent, beep, chirp, or high notes
  10. Tactics: Straight flight, Wobbling, Looping, Circling, Diving
  11. Time of Day: Day, or night if lights present (Seen as soft light)
  12. UFO Effects: Wobbling, Jittering, Unusual flight for plane, Frozen in flight photo

Bird as RADAR target

  1. Altitude: Usually Low
  2. Blip Sharpness: Faint .. Airplane
  3. Blip Size: Small
  4. Direction: Any
  5. Distance: Usually not near edge of RADAR screen
  6. Duration: Any
  7. Known Object: None needed
  8. Tactics: Straight flight, Wobbling, Looping, Circling, Low speed
  9. UFO Effects: Looping, Circling, Uncorrelated

Blast Crater Prank -- Identifying Factors:

  • Presence of gunpowder residue
  • Evidence that shovels made the hole
  • Presence of leaves or other combustibles that should have been burned
  • Absence of an easy exit for the UFO to fly through
  • Attempt for someone to make money from the site

Bug

  1. Angular Range: Any
  2. Angular Size: Star .. Distant plane
  3. Angular Velocity: Any
  4. Brightness: Dark .. Lighter than sky, Dimmer than auto taillights
  5. Colors: Any
  6. Duration: Any, usually brief
  7. Elevation: Any, including below horizon
  8. Location: Any
  9. Sounds: Silent, Buzzing, Whine
  10. Tactics: Undulatory flight, Circling, Hovering
  11. Time of Day: Day, or night if lights present (seen as light source)
  12. UFO Effects: S curves, Zigzagging, Circling, Hovering, Sudden Disappearance

Bug Swarm as RADAR Target

  1. Altitude: Usually Low
  2. Blip Sharpness: Varies Faint .. Airplane
  3. Blip Size: Extended, can change
  4. Direction: Any
  5. Distance: Usually near center of screen
  6. Duration: Usually less than 15 minutes
  7. Known Object: None needed
  8. Tactics: Straight or undulatory flight
  9. UFO Effects: Changes shape and size, Zigzagging, Hovering, Sudden Disappearance

Candle Balloon See:

  • Fire Balloon
  • Prank -- Identifying factors

Cattle Mutilation for insurance -- Identifying factors:

  • Farmer concerned about loss, wants government to pay
  • Cause of death appears to be natural, mutilations done after death
  • Insurance claims filed
  • Blood still in animal, or on ground

Cattle Mutilation from satanic ritual -- Identifying factors:

  • Farmer concerned that it will happen again, wants patrols
  • Mutilation is the cause of death
  • Tongue and gonads are missing
  • No blood is found, either in animal or on ground
  • Evidence of several poles or pads in a circle
  • Corrugated cardboard may be found on or near the site

Chaff

  1. Altitude: Usual airplane altitude, might be lower, falls
  2. Blip Sharpness: Airplane
  3. Blip Size: Airplane
  4. Direction: Any
  5. Distance: Any
  6. Duration: Any, usually long
  7. Known Object: None needed
  8. Tactics: Slow flight, descending, might disappear if low
  9. UFO Effects: Unknown target, Disappears, Thin ribbons of metal found

Chaff Dipoles -- Identifying factors:

  • Thin Narrow strips of aluminum or copper foil
  • Strips usually individually separated, or wadded together
  • Plastic or lacquer coating

Corona Discharge

  1. Angular Range: Usually near the same spot, multiple spots can happen
  2. Angular Size: Star -- 2 Moons
  3. Angular Velocity: Low, but can jump from one spot to another instantly
  4. Brightness: Brighter than surroundings, usually dimmer than moon
  5. Colors: Blue or violet, sometimes other colors
  6. Duration: Any, Few seconds to several hours
  7. Elevation: Any, usually near known objects
  8. Location: Power lines, near tall objects in storm, or on mountain top
  9. Sounds: Silent, hissing, bees, crackling
  10. Tactics: Flickering, Jumping from one point to another, Disappearing suddenly
  11. Time of Day: Any, usually seen more at night due to dim nature
  12. UFO Effects: Bobbing, Nonballistic motion, Pulsating, Flashing, Sudden motion

Crop Circle as a Prank -- Identifying factors:

  • Vehicle tracks in area or across circle
  • Consistent diameter indicates use of rope or string for size
  • Footprints might be found in a circular walk
  • Hole where stake was driven in center of circle
  • Other evidence of trespass

Crop Dusting

  1. Angular Range: Less than one half sky
  2. Angular Size: Distant plane .. Full moon
  3. Angular Velocity: High
  4. Brightness: Any, Not as bright as auto headlight
  5. Colors: Any
  6. Duration: Long
  7. Elevation: Any, usually low, can be below horizon
  8. Location: Farm areas
  9. Sounds: Silent, Propeller noise
  10. Tactics: Back-and-forth flight
  11. Time of Day: Almost all are daytime
  12. UFO Effects: Back-and-forth flight, Low, Smoke

Cube-Corner Reflector -- as spurious RADAR target

  1. Altitude: Same as known or higher
  2. Blip Sharpness: Sharp Airplane
  3. Blip Size: Airplane
  4. Direction: Same as known plane
  5. Distance: Farther away than known plane
  6. Duration: Long
  7. Known Object: Airplane
  8. Tactics: Follows motion of plane, but is farther from the RADAR
  9. UFO Effects: Uncorrelated, Follows motion of airplane

Dirigible

  1. Angular Range: Any
  2. Angular Size: Distant plane .. 2 Moons
  3. Angular Velocity: Low unless close
  4. Brightness: Reflects sunlight, or has own lights at night
  5. Colors: Silver, Gray
  6. Duration: Long
  7. Elevation: High, but sometimes below horizon
  8. Location: Usually near population centers or sports arenas
  9. Sounds: Silent or faint propeller noise
  10. Tactics: Slow floating flight
  11. Time of Day: Any, but usually 12 Noon .. 9 pm
  12. UFO Effects: Hovering, Cigar shape, Portholes

Ducting

  1. Altitude: Usually between Horizon and 45 Degrees up.
  2. Blip Sharpness: Varies, but usually like airplane
  3. Blip Size: Varies, but usually like airplane
  4. Direction: Any
  5. Distance: Usually not near center of screen
  6. Duration: Any
  7. Known Object: Distant plane, distant ground target, or distant RADAR set
  8. Tactics: Any, Nonballistic flight, high speed flight
  9. UFO Effects: Nonballistic flight, High Speed, Hovering, Appear and Disappear

Electromagnetic Effects See:

  • Auto Engine Failure
  • Magnetic Compass Deflection
  • Power Failure
  • Radio and TV Interference

Fire Balloon

  1. Angular Range: Any, Can cross sky
  2. Angular Size: Star .. Full moon
  3. Angular Velocity: Any, higher with larger angular size and more wind
  4. Brightness: Lights at night
  5. Colors: Red, Orange, Yellow, or White, Sometimes Blue or Green
  6. Duration: Usually less than 15 minutes, hours if specially constructed
  7. Elevation: Any, usually above horizon, but commonly at treetop level
  8. Location: Any, usually near populated area, very rare in deserted areas or at sea
  9. Sounds: None generated by object unless firecracker included
  10. Tactics: Hovering, Fluttering, Pendulum, Rotation, Drops lights, Suddenly disappears
  11. Time of Day: Nighttime
  12. UFO Effects: Pulsating, Splits, Falling leaf, Rotating Disc, Portholes, Zooms away

Fireworks

  1. Angular Range: Usually confined to one quadrant of the sky
  2. Angular Size: Full moon .. Multiple moons
  3. Angular Velocity: Any, Usually high
  4. Brightness: Much brighter than sky
  5. Colors: Magenta, Red, Orange, Amber, Green, Cyan, Blue, White
  6. Duration: Individually, less than 15 seconds, Collectively, less than 3 hours
  7. Elevation: Any, but usually between horizon and 45 degrees up
  8. Location: Any, usually near sports arenas, fairgrounds, or shopping centers
  9. Sounds: Explosions, Thunder, Crackling,
  10. Tactics: Each expands and fades, some generate secondary objects
  11. Time of Day: Evening
  12. UFO Effects: Multicolor, Changes color, Changes size and shape, Generates objects

Fishing Lamp

  1. Angular Range: Same part of visual range (unless boat moves)
  2. Angular Size: Star
  3. Angular Velocity: None or Low
  4. Brightness: Brighter than auto headlights
  5. Colors: White or yellow
  6. Duration: Long
  7. Elevation: On horizon or below
  8. Location: On water
  9. Sounds: None generated by object (unless boat moves)
  10. Tactics: Bobbing, Color change, Shimmering, Pulsating
  11. Time of Day: Night
  12. UFO Effects: Pulsating, Very Bright, Bobbing

Flare Balloon or Parachute

  1. Angular Range: Any
  2. Angular Size: Star, Multiple moons if several are seen as one object
  3. Angular Velocity: Low unless close
  4. Brightness: Brighter than plane lights
  5. Colors: Magenta, Red, Amber, Green, Yellow, or White
  6. Duration: 5 .. 20 minutes each object
  7. Elevation: Any
  8. Location: Any, usually near populated area (prank) or military base (test)
  9. Sounds: None generated by object
  10. Tactics: Slow uneven flight
  11. Time of Day: Usually night
  12. UFO Effects: Huge portholed object, Hovering

Flashlight

  1. Angular Range: Small (unless on a vehicle)
  2. Angular Size: Star
  3. Angular Velocity: Hover, Can be high
  4. Brightness: Like plane light
  5. Colors: White, Yellow, or Red
  6. Duration: Few seconds .. Hours
  7. Elevation: Usually near or below horizon
  8. Location: Any
  9. Sounds: None generated by object
  10. Tactics: Bobbing, Pendulum motion, Hover
  11. Time of Day: Nighttime
  12. UFO Effects: Appear and Disappear, Bobbing, Pendulum, Change brightness

Flying Saucer Kite

  1. Angular Range: Usually near same part of sky (unless witness moves)
  2. Angular Size: Distant plane
  3. Angular Velocity: Any
  4. Brightness: Very bright in sunlight, Rapid flashing
  5. Colors: Silver
  6. Duration: 30 seconds .. Hours
  7. Elevation: Any, usually identified if over 60 degrees up
  8. Location: Any
  9. Sounds: None generated by object
  10. Tactics: Hover, bob, jump around, Pendulum motion, Vertical flight
  11. Time of Day: Daytime
  12. UFO Effects: Brilliance, Spinning, Fluttering, Bobbing, Lens shape, Rapid flashing

Halation -- Identifying factors:

  • Very bright
  • Appears by growing, Disappears by shrinking
  • Usually reflection off silvery object (e.g. Airplane)
  • Sometimes the reflection is off a very distant object (e.g. Satellite)
  • Affects eyes, camera film, and video cameras
  • Sun glasses can remove the effect

Hand Thrown Model -- Identifying factors:

  • Usually in different orientations in multiple photos
  • Time between photos is usually more than 30 seconds
  • Most such photos have either the object, or the background, or both out of focus
  • Sometimes motion blurs the object, especially if it was spinning
  • Absence of distance haze makes the object darker than it should be

Helicopter

  1. Angular Range: Any
  2. Angular Size: Distant plane (unless very close - usually identified then)
  3. Angular Velocity: Any
  4. Brightness: Dark .. White or silver brighter than sky, Lights at night
  5. Colors: Any
  6. Duration: Usually 20 seconds or longer
  7. Elevation: Any (usually identified if more than 60 degrees up)
  8. Location: Any, usually near populated areas
  9. Sounds: Silent, Gasoline engine, Whup-Whup rotor beating, Rumble
  10. Tactics: Hover, Straight line flight, Circling, Vertical flight, Landing, Reversing
  11. Time of Day: Any
  12. UFO Effects: Hover, Vertical Flight, Landing,

Hoax -- Identifying factors:

  • Story "improves" with each retelling
  • Witness trying to make money from the experience
  • The story "rectifies" a situation that otherwise might result in penalty
  • Photos or story contain inconsistencies
  • Is the witness covering up negligence or malfeasance
  • Witness goes on TV or writes a book
  • The story changes
  • Mysterious men forcibly take evidence or warn the witness not to talk

Hot Air Balloon (Passenger)

  1. Angular Range: Any
  2. Angular Size: Distant Plane .. Multiple moons
  3. Angular Velocity: Hover .. High
  4. Brightness: Dark .. Bright white or silver
  5. Colors: Any combination, many are white or white/orange striped
  6. Duration: Long
  7. Elevation: Any
  8. Location: Any, usually not over oceans
  9. Sounds: Intermittent loud roar
  10. Tactics: Vertical flight, Landing, Hovering, Horizontal flight
  11. Time of Day: Usually daytime
  12. UFO Effects: Hover, Vertical flight, Landing, Loud roar, Flame on bottom

Jet Fighter

  1. Angular Range: Usually large
  2. Angular Size: Distant plane, Multiple moons if flying low
  3. Angular Velocity: High
  4. Brightness: Very dark or bright silver, lights at night
  5. Colors: Near black, silver
  6. Duration: Usually less than 1 minute
  7. Elevation: Any
  8. Location: Any
  9. Sounds: Silent, Whine, Loud roar, Explosion
  10. Tactics: Low flyover, High flyover, or Dogfight
  11. Time of Day: Any, usually daytime
  12. UFO Effects: Loud noise, Fast flight, Short duration

Kite

  1. Angular Range: Usually stays in same area of sky
  2. Angular Size: Distant plane .. 2 moons if close
  3. Angular Velocity: High at times
  4. Brightness: Any
  5. Colors: Any combination
  6. Duration: 30 seconds .. Hours
  7. Elevation: Any
  8. Location: Usually in populated areas
  9. Sounds: Silent, flapping
  10. Tactics: Hovering, Bobbing, Weaving, Pendulum motion, Vertical flight
  11. Time of Day: Usually Daytime
  12. UFO Effects: Bobbing, Tumbling, Vertical flight, Pendulum motion, Hovering

LASER Aimed at Clouds

  1. Angular Range: Any
  2. Angular Size: Distant plane.. Multiple moons
  3. Angular Velocity: Any, including impossible motions for aircraft
  4. Brightness: Brighter than surrounding sky
  5. Colors: Red-Orange, Green, or Blue
  6. Duration: Any, usually less than 15 minutes
  7. Elevation: Any
  8. Location: Near populated areas, very rare in deserted areas
  9. Sounds: None generated by object
  10. Tactics: Any, Impossible speed, sharp turns, hovering, appear and disappear
  11. Time of Day: Nighttime
  12. UFO Effects: Impossible speed, sharp turns, hovering, appear and disappear

Lens Flare -- Identifying Factors:

  • Object lighter than surroundings
  • Object appears transparent
  • Ellipses in object
  • Bright source, center of photo, and UFO all line up
  • Object not seen by photographer

LIDAR LASER in plane

  1. Angular Range: Large
  2. Angular Size: Distant plane
  3. Angular Velocity: High
  4. Brightness: Brighter than navigation lights of plane
  5. Colors: Red-Orange
  6. Duration: Usually less than 2 minutes
  7. Elevation: Any
  8. Location: Any, usually near air base
  9. Sounds: Silent, Jet plane roar, Whine
  10. Tactics: Usually flies straight across sky, chased by a jet fighter
  11. Time of Day: Nighttime (invisible in daylight)
  12. UFO Effects: Orange disc, Chased by a jet fighter

Magnetic Compass Deflection -- Possible Causes:

  • Magnetite ore in ground under witness
  • Iron or steel objects worn by the witness
  • Passing of vehicle nearby
  • Magnetic crane or MRI machine nearby
  • Hoax

Meteor

  1. Angular Range: Large
  2. Angular Size: Star .. Multiple moons
  3. Angular Velocity: High unless headed straight toward or away from observer
  4. Brightness: Brighter than stars
  5. Colors: Any, Usually Red, Orange, Yellow, or White, sometimes Green
  6. Duration: Usually less than a minute
  7. Elevation: Any above horizon
  8. Location: Any
  9. Sounds: Silence, Slight rushing sound
  10. Tactics: Straight across sky, Breaks up, Usual night east to west; day west to east
  11. Time of Day: Usually nighttime, bright ones are visible by day
  12. UFO Effects: Portholes, Cigar shape, Exhaust trail, Buzz planes

Meteor as Second Pulse Echo (or multiple pulse)

  1. Altitude: Any, can change.
  2. Blip Sharpness: Varies, but usually like airplane
  3. Blip Size: Airplane
  4. Direction: Any, Usually travels to west at night, to east in daytime
  5. Distance: Usually blanks out if near center of screen
  6. Duration: Any
  7. Known Object: Distant plane, distant ground target, or distant RADAR set
  8. Tactics: Straight flight, Extremely high speed flight
  9. UFO Effects: Impossible speed in atmosphere, Appear and disappear

Military Aircraft

  1. Angular Range: Any
  2. Angular Size: Distant plane .. Full moon
  3. Angular Velocity: Any, higher with larger size
  4. Brightness: Dark or Bright, Lights at night
  5. Colors: Near Black, Khaki, or Silver, White lights at night
  6. Duration: Usually less than 20 seconds
  7. Elevation: Any, Usually above horizon
  8. Location: Any, more frequent near air base
  9. Sounds: Silent, propeller noise, jet roar, rumble, sonic boom
  10. Tactics: Any ballistic, usually straight flight or circling, some extremely low
  11. Time of Day: Any
  12. UFO Effects: Disc edge-on, Missile, Cigar shape

Mirage

  1. Angular Range: Small, usually one part of sky
  2. Angular Size: Any
  3. Angular Velocity: Any
  4. Brightness: Dark .. Sunlight
  5. Colors: Any combination
  6. Duration: Brief .. Hours
  7. Elevation: Usually within 30 degrees of horizon
  8. Location: Any, mostly in hot weather or desert
  9. Sounds: None generated by object
  10. Tactics: Amoeba shape, Change shape, Nonballistic motion, Appear and Disappear
  11. Time of Day: Any, more often in afternoon
  12. UFO Effects: Any, Amorphous shape, Nonballistic motion, Bobbing, Hovering

Model Airplane

  1. Angular Range: Same part of sky
  2. Angular Size: Distant plane
  3. Angular Velocity: High
  4. Brightness: Any
  5. Colors: Any
  6. Duration: Usually less than 10 minutes each flight
  7. Elevation: Usually low
  8. Location: Anywhere except urban center or wilderness
  9. Sounds: Silent, Buzzing, Chain saw
  10. Tactics: Looping, Circling, Back-and-forth flight
  11. Time of Day: Daytime
  12. UFO Effects: Tight maneuvers, High angular velocity, Low flight, Landing

Moon

  1. Angular Range: Small part of sky
  2. Angular Size: Full moon
  3. Angular Velocity: None, except for jumps caused by autokinesis
  4. Brightness: Brighter than stars
  5. Colors: White, Yellow, Orange, Red, Silver, or Bluish white
  6. Duration: Long
  7. Elevation: Any
  8. Location: Any
  9. Sounds: None generated by object
  10. Tactics: Hover, Jump around, move against clouds
  11. Time of Day: Usually night
  12. UFO Effects: Hover, Large

Multiple Echo -- Airplane First

  1. Altitude: Same as airplane or higher
  2. Blip Sharpness: Airplane
  3. Blip Size: Airplane
  4. Direction: Same as airplane
  5. Distance: Farther away than airplane
  6. Duration: Any
  7. Known Object: Airplane
  8. Tactics: Follows course of airplane, but farther away from RADAR than the airplane
  9. UFO Effects: Pacing aircraft, Uncorrelated, Strange Flight path

Multiple Echo -- Airplane First, moving ground target

  1. Altitude: Same as airplane or higher
  2. Blip Sharpness: Airplane
  3. Blip Size: Airplane
  4. Direction: Same as airplane
  5. Distance: Farther away than airplane, distance varies
  6. Duration: Any
  7. Known Object: Airplane
  8. Tactics: Approaches and recedes from airplane, farther away from RADAR than airplane
  9. UFO Effects: Pacing or fly-by of aircraft, Uncorrelated, Strange Flight path

Multiple Echo -- Ground Target First

  1. Altitude: Any
  2. Blip Sharpness: Airplane
  3. Blip Size: Airplane
  4. Direction: Direction of ground target
  5. Distance: Farther from RADAR set than airplane
  6. Duration: Any
  7. Known Object: Airplane
  8. Tactics: Moves closer and farther from RADAR set in the same compass direction
  9. UFO Effects: Radial motion, Uncorrelated, Strange flight path

Multiple Echo -- Triple: Air, Ground, Air

  1. Altitude: Same as airplane or higher
  2. Blip Sharpness: Airplane
  3. Blip Size: Airplane
  4. Direction: Same as airplane
  5. Distance: Farther away than airplane
  6. Duration: Any
  7. Known Object: Airplane
  8. Tactics: Follows course of airplane, but farther away from RADAR than the airplane
  9. UFO Effects: Pacing aircraft, Uncorrelated, Strange flight path

Non-Flying Object -- Fixed

  1. Angular Range: Stays in same place
  2. Angular Size: Any
  3. Angular Velocity: Zero
  4. Brightness: Any
  5. Colors: Any combination
  6. Duration: Any, usually identified if long
  7. Elevation: Low unless mounted on pole, building, or wire
  8. Location: Any
  9. Sounds: Any, depending on real identity of object
  10. Tactics: Stays in one place
  11. Time of Day: Any
  12. UFO Effects: Any except high speed flight or flyover

Non Flying Object -- Surface Vehicle

  1. Angular Range: Any
  2. Angular Size: Distant plane .. 2 Moons
  3. Angular Velocity: Any
  4. Brightness: Any
  5. Colors: Any combination, Lights usually red, white, or green
  6. Duration: Any, usually identified if long
  7. Elevation: Low
  8. Location: Any
  9. Sounds: Silent, Vehicle motor
  10. Tactics: Any along ground
  11. Time of Day: Any
  12. UFO Effects: Any that can happen along ground

Passenger Jet

  1. Angular Range: Large
  2. Angular Size: Distant plane, larger if near airport
  3. Angular Velocity: High if close
  4. Brightness: Any in daytime, Bright lights at night
  5. Colors: Any in daytime, White, Red, and Green lights at night
  6. Duration: Usually several minutes
  7. Elevation: Any, usually above horizon
  8. Location: Any
  9. Sounds: Silent, Roar of jet, Whine
  10. Tactics: Straight flight, Circling, Hover if flying in line of sight
  11. Time of Day: Any
  12. UFO Effects: Missile, Cigar shape, Disc on edge

Physical Evidence -- Things to check out:

  • Unusual materials do not necessarily come from space
  • Slag comes from smelters, blast furnaces, and foundrys
  • There are so many alloys and plastics that it is impossible to check them all
  • Fire and corrosion change chemical compositions
  • Evidence of gunpowder, nitrates, or radium dioxide is evidence of a prank or hoax.
  • Fibers that fall from the sky and disappear are usually webs of ballooning spiders
  • Burnt roots on plants are from earlier forest or swamp fires
  • Colored rings found in grass are fungi
  • UFO damage to items may be claimed to get insurance payments for acts of God
  • Hot rusted objects usually fall from vehicles or lawnmowers
  • Damage may also be caused by meteors, tornados, wind, lightning, and vehicles
  • Hot-air balloons, utility trucks, helicopters, and camera tripods have landing pads
  • Liquids with strange smells or colors can leak out of many man-made devices
  • Some airplane and railroad toilets drop wastes on whatever is below

PIBAL: PIlot BALloon

  1. Angular Range: Any
  2. Angular Size: Star (night), Distant plane (day)
  3. Angular Velocity: Low
  4. Brightness: Plane light
  5. Colors: White
  6. Duration: Usually under 30 minutes
  7. Elevation: Starts low, goes high
  8. Location: Near airport, weather station, or scientific post
  9. Sounds: None generated by object
  10. Tactics: Rises into sky, Some horizontal flight, Erratic path, Sudden disappearance
  11. Time of Day: Usually night
  12. UFO Effects: Object rises from ground, Erratic path

Planet

  1. Angular Range: Same part of sky
  2. Angular Size: Star
  3. Angular Velocity: Low, except for jumps caused by autokinesis
  4. Brightness: Brightest stars or brighter, especially Venus
  5. Colors: White, Blue-white, Yellow, orange, or red, may flash other colors
  6. Duration: Long
  7. Elevation: Any
  8. Location: Any
  9. Sounds: None generated by object
  10. Tactics: Hover, Bobbing, Gyrating, Glued to the sky
  11. Time of Day: Usually Night
  12. UFO Effects: Hovering, Gyrating, Pendulum, Sudden motion

Power Blackouts -- Possible Causes:

  • Short due to tree falling, auto accident, or broken line
  • Branches touching power line get wet
  • Exploding transformer
  • Exploding squirrel on transformer
  • Broken circuit
  • Overcurrent or phase shift protection
  • Arc due to overvoltage, cracked insulator, or damp conditions
  • Generator failure
  • Operating too near safety cutout limits

Prank -- Identifying factors:

  • Either a flying object or a landing site seen by others
  • Attempts by the prankster to make money from the prank
  • Repetition, if the prank flies
  • Attempt to get others to "discover" the object or evidence
  • Characteristics of Fire Balloons, Kites, Flare Balloons, or Saucer Nest
  • Found objects made of cheap materials

Propeller Airplane

  1. Angular Range: Any
  2. Angular Size: Distant plane .. 2 Moons
  3. Angular Velocity: Higher if larger
  4. Brightness: Any in daytime, Bright lights at night
  5. Colors: Any in daytime, White, Red, and Green lights at night
  6. Duration: Usually several minutes
  7. Elevation: Any, usually above horizon
  8. Location: Any
  9. Sounds: Silent, Hum, Propeller noise
  10. Tactics: Straight flight, Circling, Hover if flying toward or away from witness
  11. Time of Day: Any
  12. UFO Effects: Missile, Cigar shape, Disc on edge

RADAR Effects See:

  • Aircraft as RADAR Target
  • Anomalous Propagation
  • Bird as RADAR Target
  • Bug Swarm as RADAR Target
  • Chaff
  • Cube Corner Reflector
  • Ducting
  • Multiple Echo (4 Cases)
  • Rawin Balloon
  • Second Pulse Echo
  • Weather Blip

Radio and TV interference -- Possible Causes (and Cures):

  • Intermittent contact in electrical equipment (Find and repair)
  • Cracked power line insulator (Call power company)
  • Old style tungsten bulb (Find and replace with new bulb)
  • Brush motors and generators (Put filter on motor or generator)
  • Defective auto ignition systems (Repair)
  • Neon signs (Put Filter across tube)
  • Nearby transmitter or RADAR set overloading receiver (Add trap filter to receiver)
  • Computer (Shield, move either far from the other)
  • Beat between two nearby transmitters (Add trap filter to receiver)
  • Defect in antenna or receiver (Troubleshoot and repair, replace if design problem)
  • Nearby medical equipment (Add trap filter to receiver, shield medical room)
  • Old receiver in use nearby leaking its oscillator frequency (replace with modern one)
  • Multipath e.g. signal reflected from airplane (Aim antenna, Use directional antenna)
  • Nearby light dimmer (Filter dimmer)
  • Skip from distant transmitters competing with local broadcast (Wait, Aim antenna)
  • Storms (Wait, Aim antenna)
  • Sunspots and solar flares (Wait, Aim antenna)
  • Illegal transmissions (Find a nearby Ham Radio enthusiast and enlist his aid)

Radiosonde Balloon

  1. Angular Range: Any
  2. Angular Size: Distant plane
  3. Angular Velocity: Low
  4. Brightness: Dark .. Cloud white, Light at night
  5. Colors: White, Red, Blue, Black, White light at night
  6. Duration: Usually less than 30 minutes
  7. Elevation: Starts low, Goes high
  8. Location: Near airport, weather station, or scientific post
  9. Sounds: None generated by object
  10. Tactics: Rises into sky, Erratic path, Sudden disappearance, Breaks into parts
  11. Time of Day: Any
  12. UFO Effects: Object rises from ground, Erratic path, Split, Disappear

Rawin Balloon (Debris) -- Identifying factors:

  • Lots of silver foil or Mylar
  • Kite sticks
  • Pieces of rubber (If balloon stayed with reflector)
  • Ripped polyethylene
  • Some have a small metal transmitter box

Rawin Balloon (Naked Eye)

  1. Angular Range: Any
  2. Angular Size: Distant Plane
  3. Angular Velocity: Low
  4. Brightness: Bright in sun
  5. Colors: Silver
  6. Duration: Usually less than 30 minutes
  7. Elevation: Starts low, goes high, stays high
  8. Location: Any
  9. Sounds: None generated by object
  10. Tactics: Slow flight, Hover, May suddenly dive
  11. Time of Day: Daytime
  12. UFO Effects: Silver, Hover, Too slow for plane

Rawin Balloon (RADAR)

  1. Altitude: Any, usually above 10000 ft
  2. Blip Sharpness: Airplane
  3. Blip Size: Airplane
  4. Direction: Direction of balloon, Secondary blips beyond balloon or other aircraft
  5. Distance: Any, Secondary blips farther away
  6. Duration: Usually long
  7. Known Object: Any aircraft in area may generate secondary blips
  8. Tactics: Slow flight, Secondary blips pace aircraft farther away from RADAR set
  9. UFO Effects: Multiple Uncorrelateds, Hover, Strange flight paths

Re-entry

  1. Angular Range: Any
  2. Angular Size: Star .. 2 Moons
  3. Angular Velocity: High unless moving along line of sight
  4. Brightness: Very bright, seen in daylight
  5. Colors: White, Yellow, Orange, Blue, Red, Green
  6. Duration: Usually less than 5 minutes
  7. Elevation: Any above horizon
  8. Location: Any
  9. Sounds: None generated by object, some people hear a slight rushing sound
  10. Tactics: Straight line flight, Hover (on line of sight), Split up, Usually eastbound
  11. Time of Day: Any, more noticeable at night
  12. UFO Effects: High speed, Hover, High brightness, Split, Sparks, Portholes

Rocket Launch

  1. Angular Range: Usually only one quadrant of sky
  2. Angular Size: Distant plane, Contrail Multiple moons
  3. Angular Velocity: High, usually straight up
  4. Brightness: Very bright
  5. Colors: White, Flame, Black and white, Contrail white
  6. Duration: Over 10 minutes unless small
  7. Elevation: Starts low, Goes high
  8. Location: Near missile or manned flight base, Ship at sea
  9. Sounds: Silent, Roar, Explosion
  10. Tactics: Goes straight up, May explode
  11. Time of Day: Any
  12. UFO Effects: Missile, Vertical flight, Explosion

Saucer Nest See:

  • Blast Crater Prank
  • Crop Circle as a Prank

Second Pulse Echo (Multiple pulse echo)

  1. Altitude: Any
  2. Blip Sharpness: Airplane
  3. Blip Size: Airplane
  4. Direction: Same as object that returned the echo
  5. Distance: Much closer than object that returned the echo
  6. Duration: Any, Multiple objects possible
  7. Known Object: Airplane, Meteor, or other target beyond the normal range of the set
  8. Tactics: Approaches RADAR location, turns, then flies away on a different heading
  9. UFO Effects: Strange flight path, Uncorrelated

Scintillation

  1. Angular Range: Usually less than 10 degrees
  2. Angular Size: Depends on object scintillated
  3. Angular Velocity: High, Jumps and then returns to starting point
  4. Brightness: Bright
  5. Colors: Flashes between White, Red, Cyan, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange
  6. Duration: Usually long
  7. Elevation: Usually between 30 degrees below and 30 degrees above horizontal
  8. Location: Any, Hot weather or large paved areas enhance the effect
  9. Sounds: None unless caused by original object
  10. Tactics: Bobbing, Jerking, Color Change, Grow and shrink
  11. Time of Day: Any, Usually evening
  12. UFO Effects: Returns to center, Bobbing, Jerking, Square turns, Multicolored

Scintillating Star

  1. Angular Range: Usually less than 10 degrees
  2. Angular Size: Star .. Distant plane
  3. Angular Velocity: High, Jumps and then returns to starting point
  4. Brightness: Bright
  5. Colors: Flashes between White, Red, Cyan, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange
  6. Duration: Usually long
  7. Elevation: Usually between horizon and 30 degrees up
  8. Location: Any, Hot weather or large paved areas enhance the effect
  9. Sounds: None caused by original object
  10. Tactics: Bobbing, Jerking, Color Change, Grow and shrink
  11. Time of Day: Any, Usually evening
  12. UFO Effects: Returns to center, Bobbing, Jerking, Square turns, Multicolored

Skyhook Balloon

  1. Angular Range: Any
  2. Angular Size: Distant plane .. Full moon
  3. Angular Velocity: Usually low, High if in jet stream (eastbound)
  4. Brightness: Bright
  5. Colors: Silver or white, red at low sun, sometimes blue white
  6. Duration: Long
  7. Elevation: Any above horizon
  8. Location: Any
  9. Sounds: None generated by object
  10. Tactics: Slow flight, extremely high altitude unless damaged
  11. Time of Day: Any, usually not seen between night twilights unless moon is bright
  12. UFO Effects: Slow flight, higher than a plane, Sudden disappearance

SPIN-O-RENO -- Identifying Factors:

  • Photographs only
  • One orientation is a dish with a wide flat peak in the center
  • Another orientation is the bottom of a dish with a very thick resting ring
  • Another orientation is a dish edge-on with a ring on the bottom
  • When folded, it looks like the Beaver PA photo 2.
  • Object is red plastic, but looks metallic on panchromatic film.
  • Object is 11 inches (27 cm) in diameter
  • Object in original form is 3 inches (8 cm) deep
  • Folded configuration is 2 inches (5 cm) deep
  • Photos obey the hand thrown model characteristics

Spook Light (Refracted distant light)

  1. Angular Range: Narrow, usually within 10 degrees
  2. Angular Size: Star .. Distant plane
  3. Angular Velocity: Any
  4. Brightness: Star .. Moon
  5. Colors: White, Yellow, Orange, Red, or Multicolored
  6. Duration: Varies, Usually disappears if approached
  7. Elevation: Low, within 30 degrees of horizon
  8. Location: Usually areas with light path along ground or a road
  9. Sounds: None unless generated by original object
  10. Tactics: Bobbing, Weaving, Approach and recede, Appear and disappear, change color
  11. Time of Day: Nighttime
  12. UFO Effects: Erratic motion, Nonballistic flight, Change size or color, Radial motion

Star

  1. Angular Range: Less than 10 degrees unless several stars are confused
  2. Angular Size: Star
  3. Angular Velocity: Low unless autokinesis causes high rates
  4. Brightness: Starlike
  5. Colors: White, Bluish white, Yellow, Orange, Red, Multicolor flashing
  6. Duration: Long
  7. Elevation: Any, Usually identified if high
  8. Location: Any
  9. Sounds: None generated by object
  10. Tactics: Bobbing or weaving, Sudden jumps, Nonballistic flight, Returns to same spot
  11. Time of Day: Nighttime
  12. UFO Effects: Erratic flight, Multicolor flashing, Hover, Returns to same spot

Suspended Model -- Identifying factors:

  • Object may or may not show rotation
  • Usually object is under same fixed object in all photos
  • Time between photos is usually more than 20 seconds
  • Most such photos have either the object, or the background, or both out of focus
  • Usually no motion blur
  • Absence of distance haze makes the object darker than it should be
  • Object is made to appear to move by moving the camera between shots

Tethered balloon

  1. Angular Range: Moves around same point
  2. Angular Size: Distant plane .. 2 Moons
  3. Angular Velocity: Any
  4. Brightness: Any, Can glow at night
  5. Colors: Any Combination
  6. Duration: Long
  7. Elevation: Usually stays the same
  8. Location: Any, but especially commercial areas
  9. Sounds: None generated by object
  10. Tactics: Hover, Erratic path, Landing
  11. Time of Day: Usually day
  12. UFO Effects: Hover, Erratic path, Strange shape, Landing

Toy Mylar balloon

  1. Angular Range: Any
  2. Angular Size: Star .. Distant plane
  3. Angular Velocity: Low
  4. Brightness: Very bright
  5. Colors: Silver
  6. Duration: Usually less than 30 minutes
  7. Elevation: Starts low, Goes high
  8. Location: Any, usually populated
  9. Sounds: None generated by object
  10. Tactics: Rises into sky, Erratic path, Hover, Bright flashes. Roly-poly rotation
  11. Time of Day: Daytime, Sunny day
  12. UFO Effects: Object rises from ground, Erratic path, Hover, Bright flashes

Weather Balloon

  1. Angular Range: Any
  2. Angular Size: Distant plane
  3. Angular Velocity: Low
  4. Brightness: Dark .. Cloud white, Light at night
  5. Colors: White, Red, Blue, Black, White light at night
  6. Duration: Usually less than 30 minutes
  7. Elevation: Starts low, Goes high
  8. Location: Near airport, weather station, or scientific post
  9. Sounds: None generated by object
  10. Tactics: Rises into sky, Erratic path, Sudden disappearance
  11. Time of Day: Usually night
  12. UFO Effects: Object rises from ground, Erratic path, Disappear

Weather Blip

  1. Altitude: Any
  2. Blip Sharpness: Vague .. Airplane
  3. Blip Size: Tiny .. Huge, Amplified severely by Moving Target Indicator (MTI)
  4. Direction: Any
  5. Distance: Any
  6. Duration: Any, Longer is usually identified
  7. Known Object: Sometimes a storm
  8. Tactics: Any, Nonballistic flight
  9. UFO Effects: Nonballistic flight, Fantastic speeds, Hover, Uncorrelated

Windblown Debris

  1. Angular Range: Any
  2. Angular Size: Star .. 2 Moons
  3. Angular Velocity: Any
  4. Brightness: Any
  5. Colors: Any combination
  6. Duration: Usually less than 2 minutes
  7. Elevation: Any
  8. Location: Any, usually populated
  9. Sounds: Silent, Flapping, other
  10. Tactics: Tumbling, Erratic Flight, Landing
  11. Time of Day: Usually daytime
  12. UFO Effects: Tumbling, Erratic flight, Landing