Unidentified aerial phenomena have been reported by military and commercial pilots for decades. The U.S. government has acknowledged these sightings and established a task force to study unexplained objects in our skies. While some cases can be explained, analysis of credible reports found objects displaying flight characteristics beyond known human technology, such as accelerations over 1000 g forces without signs of propulsion. The stigma around UFOs has deterred reporting of genuine unknowns, so continued open discussion and analysis is needed to better understand the universe.

1. Unidentified
Aerial
Phenomena: A
Closer Look
DANEA MEEHAN
AMERICAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITY

2. What is Going on in Our Skies?
 For decades there have been strange, unexplained sightings in the sky by the
military, commercial airline pilots, and other trained observers all over the world.
Many of these sightings have been confirmed by radar and FLIR (Forward Looking
InfraRed) radar data.
 The unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), better known as unidentified flying
objects (UFO), has been acknowledged by the U.S. Government in a recent report
as a genuine mystery. They have acknowledged that they have been studying the
phenomena for many years.
 This topic should be taken seriously, without stigma, by our scientific communities
and the general public so we can study and have a better understanding of the
universe around us.

3. Military Sightings

4. • The Pentagon released a statement on April 27th, 2020 which can be found here.
• In the statement, they acknowledged that the three videos below, now known as FLIR, Gimbal, and GoFast, were authentic videos
captured by the US Navy.
• The objects remain unidentified. The incidents occurred in 2004 and 2015.
• “According to Christopher Mellon, a former Pentagon intelligence official, the military often does not know what to do when they
see something.” (Ayesh, 2020)
• In a statement released on August 14th, the Department of Defense notified the public that they had established an Unidentified
Aerial Phenomena Task force to investigate sightings such as these.
Figure 1: FLIR. From ABC news, retrieved
from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWLZgn
mRDs4
Figure 2: Gimbal. From ABC News, retrieved
from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Tumpr
pOwHY
Figure 3: GoFast. From ABC News,
retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUrTs
rhVce4

5. Commercial Airline
Sightings

6. Figure 4: Pilots spot “UFO” in Arizona Sky. From The Arizona Republic, retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZEpWlKW1Xw
• Audio released in 2018 by the FAA details
a conversation between pilots regarding
a UFO that was seen by multiple trained
observers.
• The FAA said in a statement that they
were “unable to verify that any other
aircraft was in the area” (Bever, L. 2018)
• A similar incident occurred in May of
2021. Steve Douglass, an American
Airlines Pilot, saw a cylindrical object that
he stated flew right over the top of his
plane and moved at very high speeds.
• Richard Hains, a Retired Scientist for
NASA, compiled data on over 3500 UFO
sightings by trained pilots. He stated this
in an interview in 1996, which would
indicate this issue has been ongoing for
many years. (Toronto, CTV Television,
inc. 1996)

7. “Impossible Flight Characteristics”
 In 2019, Knuth et. al performed a scientific study on the observed characteristics of a handful of
credible sightings. The study was titled “Estimating Flight Characteristics of Anomalous
Unidentified Aerial Vehicles”
 They found that “estimated accelerations range from almost 100 g to 1000s of gs with no
observed air disturbance, no sonic booms, and no evidence of excessive heat commensurate with
even the minimal estimated energies.”
 According to their study, these findings are both anomalous and surprising. There is no known
technology on earth that could perform these maneuvers.
 There were 5 encounters evaluated in this study, all of which were detailed by credible trained
observers. Several of them had corroborating radar data. In each instance, the study quantified the
accelerations observed using mathematical formulas.
 While the study did not draw any definitive conclusions as to what these objects are, it did provide
substantial proof that the technology being displayed is not something that we currently
understand.

8. Government Acknowledgement
 On June 25th, 2021, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence
released a highly anticipated report on the US governments knowledge of
UAP’s.
 The report stated that most of the objects reported are likely physical,
tangible objects, due to the supporting radar data.
 The report mentions that the phenomena likely lacks a single explanation
and provided several examples of what this could be.
 Thus far, they have not been able to rule out or confirm the possibility of
extraterrestrial origins.

9. The Stigma
 According to Gradisher J., a spokesman for
the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for
Information Warfare, the Navy has changed
the term UFO to UAP, because the
terminology “UFO” is attached to a cultural
stigma. (2019)
 Many military personnel and pilots have
stated that they never reported a sighting
they encountered for fear of retaliation or
ridicule.
 Movies, books, sci-fi films, and
documentaries over the decades have
contributed to this stigma and have
deterred people from reporting genuine
unknowns.

10. Conclusion
 The UFO or UAP issue is a complex and often controversial topic.
 There is more than enough evidence to suggest that something is in our skies. There
are thousands of credible trained observers who have reported strange sightings. The
technology being displayed cannot currently be explained by our most advanced
experts and scientists.
 The government has acknowledged this phenomena and has formed a task force to
study the topic more closely.
 Just because we currently do not understand the topic, does not mean that it should
be attached to a stigma, or that it shouldn’t be taken seriously.
 Our government, the general public, and our scientific communities should take this
issue seriously. There should not be ridicule or backlash for reporting sightings. With
continued discussion and study of UAP sightings, we may be able to gain a better
understanding of the universe around us.

11. References
 Ayesh, R. (2019). Axios: The U.S. military creates a formal system to log UFO sightings, as reports increase.
Arlington: Newstex. Retrieved from https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/blogs-podcasts-
websites/axios-u-s-military-creates-formal-system-log-ufo/docview/2428649449/se-2?accountid=8289
 Bever, L. (2018). ‘A UFO!’: FAA recording reveals moment two pilots report unknown object flying overhead: “Was
anybody, uh, above us that passed us like 30 seconds ago?” a pilot said in an FAA radio broadcast. Washington:
WP Company LLC d/b/a The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www-proquest-
com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/blogs-podcasts-websites/ufo-faa-recording-reveals-moment-two-
pilots/docview/2019239206/se-2?accountid=8289
 Department of Defense. (2020) Statement by the Department of Defense on the Release of Historical Navy
Videos. Retrieved from: https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2165713/statement-by-
the-department-of-defense-on-the-release-of-historical-navy-videos/
 Epstein, K. (2019). Those UFO videos are real, the Navy says, but please stop saying “UFO.” The Washington
Post

12. References, Cont.
 FLIR. From ABC news, retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWLZgnmRDs4
 Gimbal. From ABC News, retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TumprpOwHY
 GoFast. From ABC News, retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUrTsrhVce4
 Hynek, J. A. (1990). The UFO experience : a scientific inquiry . Alexandria, Va: Time-Life Books.
 Knuth, K. H., Powell, R. M., & Reali, P. A. (2019). Estimating Flight Characteristics of Anomalous Unidentified Aerial
Vehicles. Entropy, 21(10), 939. doi:10.3390/e21100939
 Pilots' sightings of UFOs (1996). . Toronto: CTV Television, Inc. Retrieved from https://www-proquest-
com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/other-sources/pilots-sightings-ufos/docview/190428681/se-2?accountid=8289

13. References, Cont.
 Pilots spot “UFO” in Arizona Sky. From The Arizona Republic, retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZEpWlKW1Xw
 Translated by ContentEngine LLC. (2021). An airplane pilot recounted that a UFO
passed him by in mid-flight. CE Noticias Financieras.
 United States Navy. (2020) Foia Documents. Retrieved from:
https://www.navair.navy.mil/foia/documents
 US Department of Defense. (2020) Establishment of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
Task Force. Retrieved from:
https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2314065/establishment-
of-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-task-force/

14. References, Cont.
 US Department of Defense (2021) Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial
Phenomena. Retrieved from:
https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/Prelimary-Assessment-
UAP-20210625.pdf