Eglin AFB Pilot Most Likely Saw A Lighting Balloon, Claims The Pentagon
Alien Life & UFO/UAPs
Monday 29th, April 2024
In a detailed analysis released by the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), an unusual object encountered by an Air Force fighter pilot over the Gulf of Mexico on the 26th of January 2023 has been identified with "moderate confidence" as a commercial lighting balloon. The object, initially part of what seemed to be a mysterious airborne formation, was recorded via onboard sensors during the incident.
The AARO report provides an unclassified overview of the encounter, incorporating sensor imagery that had not been made public prior to this disclosure. The investigation derived its conclusions from both radar and electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor data captured by the Eglin based fighter pilot. Initially, the pilot detected four objects aloft between 16,000 to 18,000 feet, appearing to fly in formation. However, only one object was visually confirmed and subsequently photographed using the aircraft’s EO/IR sensors.
Describing the object, the pilot noted it appeared uniformly grey in the visible spectrum, though significantly hotter on the bottom half than on the top in the infrared images, suggesting a temperature or emissivity difference. This observation aligns with the characteristics of certain commercial lighting balloons used widely at outdoor events, which feature a reflective material to direct light downwards.
In a statement to Congress in July 2023, Republican Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida drew significant attention to the incident. “They saw a sequence of four craft in a clear diamond formation... One of the pilots goes to check out that diamond formation and sees a large floating, what I can only describe as an orb", Gaetz reported, adding concerns about the malfunction of the aircraft’s radar and FLIR systems during the encounter.
Despite these technological hitches, which included a radar malfunction as the pilot approached the object, AARO concluded that these issues were likely unrelated to the object itself. Technicians later attributed the radar failure to a repeatedly tripping circuit breaker, which had caused problems on prior occasions.
The report ultimately assessed, with high confidence, that the object was not anomalous. Further, extensive testing with similar commercial balloons allowed AARO to replicate some aspects of the pilot's encounter, reinforcing their conclusion.
This explanation, however, came amidst some operational challenges. The pilot could not record video of the event due to an inoperative video recording system, and a later attempt to capture the object led only to still imagery obtained from the pilot's mobile phone.
The analysis provided by AARO marks another chapter in the ongoing investigation into Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), shedding light on the potential mundane nature of some encounters previously enveloped in mystery. However, it also highlights the complexities and technological challenges often encountered in such high-stakes military operations.
The AARO report provides an unclassified overview of the encounter, incorporating sensor imagery that had not been made public prior to this disclosure. The investigation derived its conclusions from both radar and electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor data captured by the Eglin based fighter pilot. Initially, the pilot detected four objects aloft between 16,000 to 18,000 feet, appearing to fly in formation. However, only one object was visually confirmed and subsequently photographed using the aircraft’s EO/IR sensors.
Describing the object, the pilot noted it appeared uniformly grey in the visible spectrum, though significantly hotter on the bottom half than on the top in the infrared images, suggesting a temperature or emissivity difference. This observation aligns with the characteristics of certain commercial lighting balloons used widely at outdoor events, which feature a reflective material to direct light downwards.
In a statement to Congress in July 2023, Republican Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida drew significant attention to the incident. “They saw a sequence of four craft in a clear diamond formation... One of the pilots goes to check out that diamond formation and sees a large floating, what I can only describe as an orb", Gaetz reported, adding concerns about the malfunction of the aircraft’s radar and FLIR systems during the encounter.
Despite these technological hitches, which included a radar malfunction as the pilot approached the object, AARO concluded that these issues were likely unrelated to the object itself. Technicians later attributed the radar failure to a repeatedly tripping circuit breaker, which had caused problems on prior occasions.
The report ultimately assessed, with high confidence, that the object was not anomalous. Further, extensive testing with similar commercial balloons allowed AARO to replicate some aspects of the pilot's encounter, reinforcing their conclusion.
This explanation, however, came amidst some operational challenges. The pilot could not record video of the event due to an inoperative video recording system, and a later attempt to capture the object led only to still imagery obtained from the pilot's mobile phone.
The analysis provided by AARO marks another chapter in the ongoing investigation into Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), shedding light on the potential mundane nature of some encounters previously enveloped in mystery. However, it also highlights the complexities and technological challenges often encountered in such high-stakes military operations.
