By Barbara A. Schmitz
UFO researcher Ben Hansen said UFOs are a real phenomenon. “I’m not telling you its extraterrestrial, but something is going on that is not intentional.”
And that’s why it is so important to document UFO events so they can be properly researched and possible causes determined, said Ben, who is also host of “UFO Witness” on Discovery+ and a former FBI agent. He spoke at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh on Friday, July 28.
The topic was timely after three military veterans testified in a Congressional hearing in July on UFOs, saying the U.S. has recovered non-human “biologics” from alleged crash sites.
“I’m not here to substantiate or even suggest sightings are extraterrestrial,” Ben said, but rather to look at UFO reporting and some of the problems.
When researchers look at UFO sightings, they look at witness testimony, physical trace evidence, official government reports, radar recordings, and medical examinations.
The issue is that scientific method requires you to test hypotheses, but how do you repeat UFO sightings and repeat experiments multiple times?
Currently, only the government has the information to know if some of these sightings are extraterrestrial or not, Ben said. So it’s important that other researchers rely heavily on data analysis and use it to determine patterns.
And yes these sightings are cause for great concern, especially for air safety, Ben said. So if you see something that you can’t explain, report it.
- Provide a narrative account of what happened, including when and where; state the facts objectively and include what you saw and what it looked like; be as descriptive as possible and include drawings if it helps to tell the story; include accounts from other witnesses; describe the object’s size, shape, and any light, color, sound or sensation; and lastly, describe its movement, including estimated speed and direction it was going when you first and last saw it.
- To make an even better report, include an analysis section where you can dig deeper. Describe the weather and provide an official weather report, and measure the object’s trajectory and elevation using tools on your smartphone. Weather patterns seem to be connected with many prolific UFO reports. A good place to obtain weather data is the METAR report (https://www.aviationweather.gov/metar) from the nearest airport to where the siting was. Also check if the siting is an established air route. ForeFlight can help you determine that. Even determining patterns of flight can be helpful. “If you see a pattern that looks conventional, it probably is a conventional aircraft,” Ben said.
- Include video. “Videos speak a lot more than photos as to what an object is doing,” Ben said. “Take out your phone and attempt to record a video.”
“If you look at government files, you see a pattern of something going on,” Ben said, even showing videos of some sightings that likely made even non-UFO believers question what is happening.
The All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) is tasked with looking into this topic, taking a scientific approach. “But the very nature of science is transparency,” Ben said, noting the government and Pentagon don’t like to share this type of information.
“But it is a pilot’s duty to report,” Ben said. That means reporting not only near misses, but also oddities, such as a compass spinning for no explanation. Go to NUFORC.org to make a report or email reporttuap@gmail.com for more information.