Posted on 01/24/2008 8:40:09 AM PST by mnehring
FORT WORTH — So much for aliens in Texas dairy country.
At least that's what the military said today, reporting that 10 F-16 fighter jets were training in the Stephenville area the night dozens of residents reported seeing a UFO.
Although Air Force Reserve officials at the Joint Reserve Base Naval Air Station in Fort Worth initially said none of their planes were in the area Jan. 8, they said today that they had made a mistake and wanted to set the record straight "in the interest of public awareness."
Some residents aren't buying it, though, saying the military's revelation actually bolsters their claims because several reported seeing at least two fighter jets chasing an object.
"This supports our story that there was UFO activity in that area," said Kenneth Cherry, the Texas director of the Mutual UFO Network, which took more than 50 reports from locals at a meeting last weekend. "I find it curious that it took them two weeks to 'fess up. I think they're feeling the heat from the publicity."
From well-respected business owners to a county constable, several dozen people swear that what they saw was larger, quieter, faster and lower to the ground than an airplane. They also said the object's lights changed configuration, unlike those of a plane.
"I guarantee that what we saw was not a civilian aircraft," Steve Allen, a pilot and freight company owner, said today.
Allen said that the planes' training area in the Brownwood Military Operating Area that includes Stephenville's Erath County does not include the airspace where he saw the object. Also, Jan. 8 was not the only day sightings were reported.
Anne Frazor, who owns a fabric store in Stephenville, about 70 miles southwest of Fort Worth, said many in town have seen military aircraft zoom overhead from time to time as part of training operations. But she said that is different than what she saw Jan. 8.
"I couldn't begin to say what it was, but to me it wasn't planes," Frazor said.
Since the reported sightings two weeks ago, the 17,000-resident town has had some fun with the international publicity. Some high-schoolers made T-shirts that read "Stephenville: the new Roswell" on the front and "They're here for the milk!" on the back. A picture features flying saucer beaming up a cow.
This week Tarleton State University is even hosting a lecture by a UFO researcher on the U.S. government's secret response to UFOs, based on previously classified documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
The U.S. Air Force says it has not investigated UFO sightings since 1969 when it ended Project Blue Book, which examined more than 12,600 reported UFO sightings — including 700 that were never explained. That program started a few months after the 1947 crash near Roswell, N.M., which the government said it was a top-secret weather balloon but others involved later said was an alien spacecraft.
"What we want is the government to admit there are UFOs and what they know about them," Cherry said.
Those people in Texas must be drinkin stuff I never heard about. Don’t they know the difference between a UFO and an F-16? Wait.....does an F-16 look like a UFO? What does the Air Force say a UFO is supposed to look like?
I *swear* this was an episode of “X-Files” years ago!!!
[continues watching the night skies]
“Some residents aren’t buying it, though, saying the military’s revelation actually bolsters their claims because several reported seeing at least two fighter jets chasing an object.”
Were the jets piloted by Harry Connick Jr and Will Smith?
It was probably Kucinich on a campaign stop.
If I recall, people reported a flat metal object without seams which was about 1/2 mile wide. I don’t think that would be a fighter jet.
I’ve become more of a UFO skeptic in my old age, but wouldn’t it be facinating if this really happened?
But then my “reliable source” says they are all secret military programs.
I remember looking up and saying...Holy cripes...It must be an eagle....Turned out to be a kite. Something called “imagination” they say.
Everyone knows about that ‘secret’ base. LM did a lot of jet engine testing there and I recall something about the Red River Army Depot using it to dismantle out of date weapons.
The problem is, when looking at something in the sky, it is hard to judge size without a reference point because you can't determine how high it is. It could have been a lot closer to the ground than the witnesses perceived so they assumed it was much larger than it was.
That certainly clears things up...
I just figured that this sighting was of the heavy lift vehicle, the big blimp the mil is testing that will ferry tanks and such.
“They’re here for the milk.”
LOL Fabulous!
How pathetic. As though people in the Ft. Hood area are not well acquainted with military aircraft. It would be a hoot if this thing showed up right over Ft. Hood...and see if they would try explaining that huge thing away.
My sister saw this “fighter”, she said there was no sound. I find that interesting.
I didn't see either of those two SR-71's that weren't at Kadena in the 60's.
What they all say is that on the nights in question, it was obvious that the planes were in pursuit of something.
Furthermore, it's true as another poster said that it's difficult to ascertain the size of something flying up above, but the eyewitnesses had the treetops and to assist them.
He said that it completely filled his field of vision and completely blocked out the sky...made no sound and took off at a terrific speed at an unnatural angle...in a blink of an eye.
Sounds like it's the Air Force that's been sneaking a few nips at the bottle...they initially issued a categorical denial of any planes in the air in that area, then all of a sudden remembered the 10 F-16s they had flying.
I certainly understand the reasons for not disclosing all military operations, but d@mn...if that's the case they really need to work on a better cover story. This is the same USAF that in recent months lost accountability of a nuke warhead or two, and now says that 10 F-16s were cruising around without their awareness. UFO or not, the way they handled this doesn't inspire a whole lot of confidence.
Now why would aliens in spacecraft presumably much more advanced than ours fly millions of light years to get here then attempt to cruise around in a clandestine fashion at night with BIG BRIGHT FLASHY lights all over the ship? Really.
If aliens were here they’d either introduce themselves or you’d never even know of it. None of this “it was slowly moving over the treetops sneaking around with it’s big multicolored lights and all of a sudden this beam a come out and knocked my brother-in-law into the air near fifty feet.” foolishness.
If each of these stars only had 1 planet orbiting them, there would be aprox. 40,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 planets. If anyone thinks we are the only intelligent life out of all these planets, well let's just say their egotistical rating is way off the scale or they have the IQ of an ameba.
They were right over Arlen, I read about it from Rusty Shackleford on www.blackhelicopters.com
To me, that makes it a mathematical certainty.
Maybe they are just really arrogant...
If there were aliens, wouldn’t it be in the bible?
Many years ago, my dogs started acting squirrely and stood looking at the west-side living room window.
Curious cat that I am, I went out the back door into the warm summer night and looked around.
The stars were gloriously bright...and then I noticed that a HUGE part of the sky simply had no stars.
A black object, blacker than the night sky was flying slowly and majestically over the neighbor’s house which sits atop a ridge above me.
Three *tiny* little unblinking lights suggested it was triangular in shape.
Rather than panicking or feeling terrified, I felt awe, instead.
I don’t believe in “UFOs” and I assumed it was something of ours....so I cheerfully waved at whomever was piloting the thing.
With no sound that I could *hear* [but a definite internal “hum” could be felt], it simply glided over the northwest ridge and out of sight.
I went back inside and told hubby. [an ex-Air force/current aviation nut]
He was very upset that I did not run to fetch him so he could see it too but I simply didn’t want to miss a second of that grand, black procession occurring overhead.
On another evening, I watched what *appeared* to be three huge helicopters [judging by the sound] flying quite some distance apart, take the same path overhead.
Then, without warning, whatever it was accelerated with deafening speed and I realized that the three “helicopters” were actually one aircraft.
I have no idea what that was.
It was, however, waaaay cool....:)
Funny site.
Actually the Bible does not discount life on other planets. The Bible revolves around his work here, on this planet.
There have been enough mass sightings of very large airborne objects around the US that if the media actually approached this objectively rather than with the ridicule line some interesting patterns might be established.
Mainly I would be interested in how shape.size/altitude/etc. is described in various such sightings.
And yes, air force bases do scramble fighters when something unusual is seen in the air. Would be curious to know if this was a pre-scheduled flight.
Does anything in the government inspire confidence?
What part talks about it, I would like to read it?
“If aliens were here they’d either introduce themselves or you’d never even know of it.”
Attributing anthropomorphic motives/goals to hypothetical aliens may not be realistic. Hell, extraterrestrial life would have gone down an entirely different evolutionary enviroment (even down to basic chemical structures, etc) and may not even perceive time in the way species on this planet do.
Whatever the case here, I don’t think ET’s will work in real life they way they do on Star Trek or other such stuff.
“Three *tiny* little unblinking lights suggested it was triangular in shape.”
That is actually pretty commonly described, I assume you have perhaps seen some of the other testimonials on the web describing something which sounds like what you describe.
Why would you think that EACH star would have a planet orbiting it?
As for those stars outside the solar system where planets HAVE been found, the vast majority of the planets have been massive gas giants. Not too compatible with life in anything resembling humanoid form.
Stealth Bomber?
I have a good friend who saw one of those when he was camping.
It’s amoeba.
It's the alien equivalent to teens going out cowtipping.
“Not too compatible with life in anything resembling humanoid form.”
What does humanoid form have to do with extraterrestrial life?
“It’s amoeba.”
Welcome, spelling police person.
I do not think your analysis of sound is correct but even if it is, the craft appeared to be stationary (hovering).
Pity....
What, exactly, is the author inferring about the character of the police?
That's the whole point, it really doesn't talk about it, not in a pointed sense anyway, unless you consider "The heavens and the earth", about "it". The Bible revolves around our little corner of the galaxy.
Devout Christians would probably label what I just said as heresy, but throughout my life I have read as much as possible about it and have yet to find anything that says other star systems do not contain intelligent life forms.
Having said that, I consider myself a Christian in the absolute sense of the word.
Welcome, spelling police person.
I’m not a big fan of the spelling police, but in this case the original poster was seeming to make a claim of superior intellect, therefore the misspelling matters.
” I’m not a big fan of the spelling police, but in this case the original poster was seeming to make a claim of superior intellect, therefore the misspelling matters.”
Your point is taken.
I don’t think it discredits his original point, though, in the least. misspelling that word doesn’t change the estimate on number of stars in the universe, nor the implications thereof regarding the viability of maintaining that earth is the only planet with life on it. He could mispel evry werd in tha sintins and it wudnt chanj nuthin.
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