New Forum & News Updates

[Robert99]

I was privy to then classified DOD programs years ago. Canadair made a Very odd looking military surveillance drone that had coaxial contra rotating rotors in the middle of a vertically oriented structure. It generated some wild but actually fairly accurate descriptions from people who thought they were seeing some alien craft. This was long before drones were a common sight.

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377

I had the good fortune to be involved with some drone programs in the 1960s era.  The most advanced one at that time that made it into a flight test program could out-run an F-100 chase aircraft unless the F-100 went into afterburner.  But the program was cancelled due to problems with the avionics and engine technology at that time.  But with advances with the avionics and engines, plus adequate funding, such drone aircraft are now operational. 

I was also involved with several research aircraft programs.  Funding was  always a problem for those programs and not a single one of them was adequately funded.  As one fellow put it, the only backup system for those aircraft was the pilot's ejection seat.  Of four aircraft, there were three ejections, one survived, and the fourth pilot rode it into the ground.  These aircraft were more hazardous than the X-15 program which had two fatalities.

But most of my time was spent on the development of technology for use in vertical take-off and landing aircraft and non-helicopter rotary wing aircraft.  Some operational aircraft flying today have made use of that technology.  I only worked on one aircraft program that made it into production and I'll bet Andrade's father flew it during his career.

[Bruce A. Smith]

All plausible explanations for the Phoenix Flights. But not conclusive.

[Robert99]

All plausible explanations for the Phoenix Flights. But not conclusive.

Bruce, would you find any explanation "conclusive" if it didn't include the possibility of UFO's (of the little green men from Mars variety)?

[Bruce A. Smith]

Sure. For instance: if the Aero Vironment folks said - Yo, People, the "Phoenix Lights" was one of our high-tech solar-powered, slow speed, quiet drone thingy that is designed to fly a low altitudes. We'll give you a demonstration next Saturday at 1 PM at the Sky Harbor airport. C'mon down!

Plus, I would ask why they've kept it a secret for so long, and other little loose-end types of questions, such as why build it, who paid for it, where is it used, etc. But those are secondary. Just fly the thing around and re-capitulate the phenomenon that had everybody talking, including the governor. That's the priority.

[Bruce A. Smith]

Update on this column

We've gone off in a lot of different directions - and I'm lovin' it - but I do feel a need to pull things together a bit. As I see it, we've talked about a wide variety of issues:

1. UFOs - not Earth-based and not built by humans.
2. Reverse-engineered aircraft - earth-based and built by humans
3. Secret Aerial aircraft, such as the drones from AeroVironment
4. Alien Abductions
5. Cattle Mutilations

Did I miss anything?

As for Little Green Men from Mars, or elsewhere, my general perspective is that life exists in all physical realms, including the Sun and the planets. The beings that live in those kinds of places, though, are most likely not little nor green, imho. Rather, I suspect that they are often gaseous and ethereal. Nevertheless, they have real bodies in that regard.

[Robert99]

Sure. For instance: if the Aero Vironment folks said - Yo, People, the "Phoenix Lights" was one of our high-tech solar-powered, slow speed, quiet drone thingy that is designed to fly a low altitudes. We'll give you a demonstration next Saturday at 1 PM at the Sky Harbor airport. C'mon down!

Plus, I would ask why they've kept it a secret for so long, and other little loose-end types of questions, such as why build it, who paid for it, where is it used, etc. But those are secondary. Just fly the thing around and re-capitulate the phenomenon that had everybody talking, including the governor. That's the priority.

Bruce, get serious.  You haven't talked to the AeroVironment people.  And you haven't read their Wiki article or you would have a very good idea of which famous three letter organization was probably the sponsor of that aircraft.  I'm sure they wouldn't tell you it was "designed to fly a [sic] low altitudes" when in reality it was designed to fly up to about 100,000 feet. 

[Robert99]

Update on this column

We've gone off in a lot of different directions - and I'm lovin' it - but I do feel a need to pull things together a bit. As I see it, we've talked about a wide variety of issues:

1. UFOs - not Earth-based and not built by humans.
2. Reverse-engineered aircraft - earth-based and built by humans
3. Secret Aerial aircraft, such as the drones from AeroVironment
4. Alien Abductions
5. Cattle Mutilations

Did I miss anything?

As for Little Green Men from Mars, or elsewhere, my general perspective is that life exists in all physical realms, including the Sun and the planets. The beings that live in those kinds of places, though, are most likely not little nor green, imho. Rather, I suspect that they are often gaseous and ethereal. Nevertheless, they have real bodies in that regard.

Seriously Bruce, I don't know what you are smoking or drinking, but as a minimum you need to change brands.

[Bruce A. Smith]

Weather Update from Cooper Country

We are having epic, unprecedented levels of rain. Not only was January the rainiest January on record, I believe it rained every 31 days of the month, often fiercely.

Surprisingly, we haven't had too much river flooding. But we are having serious issues with mud and land slides. I-5 has been cut-off twice that I know of. Once in December, in the Woodland area, and a second closure a few weeks ago in Bellingham, near the Canuck border. In addition, freight, Amtrak and commuter trains have been halted numerous times throughout the Puget Sound area as mud slides block the tracks.

Perhaps the most telling incident though, is the current closure of Mount Rainier Park due to the closure of access roads. They have been hammered! The pix from CNN are exceptional:

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[Parrotheadvol]

Weather Update from Cooper Country

We are having epic, unprecedented levels of rain. Not only was January the rainiest January on record, I believe it rained every 31 days of the month, often fiercely.

Surprisingly, we haven't had too much river flooding. But we are having serious issues with mud and land slides. I-5 has been cut-off twice that I know of. Once in December, in the Woodland area, and a second closure a few weeks ago in Bellingham, near the Canuck border. In addition, freight, Amtrak and commuter trains have been halted numerous times throughout the Puget Sound area as mud slides block the tracks.

Perhaps the most telling incident though, is the current closure of Mount Rainier Park due to the closure of access roads. They have been hammered! The pix from CNN are exceptional:

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We've been getting hammered by rain in Tennessee as well. I left all of that mess behind and drove to Iowa today. No rain here, but it's cold. Cold enough that the second of my two jobs this week cancelled on me.

[Bruce A. Smith]

Rain Update from Cooper Country

The rains keep coming. The hillsides keep sliding, too. The main road into Mount Rainier National Park, SR 706, enters the park at the so-called "Nisqually Entrance." This road runs directly through my hometown of Eatonville, too, and from Eatonville climbs through the foothills past the town of Ashford, which is an artsy-craftsy town about six miles from the Nisqually gate. The slides have been so fierce between Ashford and the park that state authorities have closed the road and the park for at least four weeks to clean up the mess. One can not even seen roadway at this point. The pavement is buried under feet of mud, trees, roots and rocks.

Several hundred Ashford residents and park visitors have been stranded and have had to be escorted out to safety. It's gettin' serious.

[Bruce A. Smith]

We've been getting hammered by rain in Tennessee as well. I left all of that mess behind and drove to Iowa today. No rain here, but it's cold. Cold enough that the second of my two jobs this week cancelled on me.

I just read in the NY Times that the Great Lakes are at historic high water levels in all five lakes due to five years of historically above average rainfall. NY State has had to begin building berms along the shoreline of Lake Ontario to protect Buffalo and surrounding lands. Chicago and other lake-side cities are taking similar measures.

BTW Parrot, I remember the great Cumberland River flood in Nashville. 2003, I believe. I had just left town, but when I heard that floods had reached near my old post office in the Green Hills section, I was flabbergasted.

[georger]

We've been getting hammered by rain in Tennessee as well. I left all of that mess behind and drove to Iowa today. No rain here, but it's cold. Cold enough that the second of my two jobs this week cancelled on me.

I just read in the NY Times that the Great Lakes are at historic high water levels in all five lakes due to five years of historically above average rainfall. NY State has had to begin building berms along the shoreline of Lake Ontario to protect Buffalo and surrounding lands. Chicago and other lake-side cities are taking similar measures.

BTW Parrot, I remember the great Cumberland River flood in Nashville. 2003, I believe. I had just left town, but when I heard that floods had reached near my old post office in the Green Hills section, I was flabbergasted.

Old news to Yuppers - eh?   NPR Science Friday covered the crisis today

[Bruce A. Smith]

History Con

The upcoming DB Cooper docu on the History Channel will be highlighted at the HC's "History Con" in LA in April. Here's the link, as given to me today by Eric:

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Pasadena, CA
DB Cooper Panel
Saturday, April 4th
3:20-4:20

[georger]

Had a medical issue two days ago and am recovering.

I am NOT Johnny Green or Columbus either.  Its more RMB bs and lies.  Green was somebody over at Smith's site who hated Blevins. I dont waste my time with such crap unless I have no other choice.

Blevins has had a thing about me since Geoff Gray outed Blevins through me years ago at Dropzone. Clear back in 2010, ten years ago!? Just one more favor Gray did me! Gray and Blevins should go rent a trailer!

Thank God there are a few sane people left in Cooperland ? 

Take care. 

[georger]

The incompetent wannabe assassin Blevins says G "is in denial" about being Johnny Green ! Duhhhhhh!

It's not likely that Different people in different places and time zones can be in the same place at the same time, over and over and over, dumb ass.  Green was a prolific poster at Smith's site over a long period of time, according to Blevins! How would Blevins even know if he wasn't living and posting at obscure websites waiting and looking for conflict ...?

Only morons like Green and Blevins made a habit of hanging out and exchangeable insults at insignificant/useless websites like Smith's site etc. Georger never did! The real question is: Is Robert Blevins/Johnny Green!