RAF Lakenheath F-15 UFO Encounter

Audio recording of the recent encounter by two F-15C's from RAF Lakenheath in the UK responding to a UK request to intercept a tracked unknown at 17k ft. approaching London airspace. It is not unusual for the USAF to provide air cover in the UK. The jargon and cockpit sounds heard in the recording are accurate and give me (personally) no reason to suspect their authenticity.

Rapidshare Link to WAV file

EDIT: More info here UFOData Info on Recent RAF Lakenheath Encounter

EDIT2: At exactly 1min 25secs into the recording you can here the driver of the 15 making most of the comments confirm an observation, the response "I think it was doing about 30" comes from INSIDE the cockpit. This would indicate that that particular aircraft was an F-15E and not the "C" variant. The "E" variant has a wizzo (Weapon Systems Officer) in the back seat whereas the "C" variant is a single seater.

[edit on 29-3-2007 by PW229]

[edit on 29-3-2007 by PW229]

i downloaded your file but it wont play.

ps: its not a 1-liner anymore.

Hmmm, I just downloaded and tested it myself and it played fine. I'll upload it elsewhere and provide a direct link to the file. Bear with me while I get it sorted.

Originally posted by cometa
i downloaded your file but it wont play.

ps: its not a 1-liner anymore.

WFM using iTunes.

Fascinating, although I would have to make 2-3 passes at it to get even a poor transcript.

A few observations:

1. The American accents are very natural and it's nearly certain they're authentic.
   
2. The object is at 17,700 feet and has no airspeed (but could be moving relative to the ground).
   
3. The object is very small
   
4. There was intermittent radar lock on the object.
   
5. The second voice is much noisier and more distorted - hard to believe it's coming over the same link. There is some indication that it is a second pilot.
   
6. The object is dark, and the pilot states he doesn't know what it is. He's having difficulty slowing down enough at that altitude to have a good look.
   

So far, I hear nothing that rules out a balloon. When I get a chance to listen more closely, perhaps a clearer picture will emerge.

[edit on 29-3-2007 by disownedsky]

With respect to the second pilot comment. There was indeed a second aircraft. Standard policy dictates that aircraft NEVER fly alone, they always have a wingman. At one point you hear what sounds like "2 is clean" (indicating no lock by aircraft 2, traditionally the wingman's title).

Fortunately I am exposed to these types of coms all the time so a transcript will be fairly easy. I'm working on it right now and expect a draft to be posted in a few hours.

Here is the website that is hosting the story:

www.ufodata.co.uk...

LOL F15 pilots chasing b alloons..I like that....

Has anyone tried to get any authentication on the transmissions?

I think I am going to submit an FOIA on it....

Hi,

Nice info.

I download the audio file, and works well! Waiting for the transcript, please.

brotherthebig.

Transcript is 3/4's done, still working on it now

As for F-15 pilots chasing balloons, there are several comments/points indicating it was not a balloon.

The best evidence it wasn't a balloon is the radar lock. If you ever want to build a cheap stealth fighter, make it out of ballons 'cause you sure as hell won't get an autolock on it! Keep in mind this is an APG-70 radar system, it can be manually slewed to track a target or set to autolock anything in it's view and range (about 100 miles). The APG-70 SAW this target quite clearly and locked onto it. Next is the comment made by the lead aircraft that it "looked like a rock." Finally is the altitude, a standard rubber helium balloon would never make it to 17,000 feet. It would swell up and explode at around 8,000 feet. Granted, a cluster balloon could attaing that altitude but they would clearly see the crazed maniac dangling from it.

Aircraft 1 Pilot …alright dude no kidding. I just flew over I have a bulls-eye at zero zero eight for twenty ~BREAK~ I had a radar hit ~BREAK~ and I ahh, it was swinging looked like thirty knots err there was something there it looks like a uhh it didn’t look like a bird it looked like no kiddin’ a rock to me I ~BREAK~ kid you negative ~BREAK~ I have no idea what it was but uhh basically just ~BREAK~ heads up try to stay away from seventeen thousand keep your nugget on UNINTELLIGABLE I have no idea what it was ~BREAK~ I’m gonna’ use my radar to see if I can pick this object up again ~BREAK~ I’ve picked it up twice the first time I picked it up my radar broke lock so I thought it was just uhh some kind of bad lock or potential chaff ~BREAK~ I’m gonna’ turn back towards the ahh north for a little bit ~BREAK~

Tanker (?) Fuel pick up trail ~BREAK~

Aircraft 1 Pilot Thanks I’m gonna uhh ~BREAK~ start coming back towards the uhh west ******* I think it was zero zero four for about twenty ~BREAK~ I’ve got it again it’s at seventeen seven ~BREAK~ three miles off my nose at sev…yeah seventeen seven I’m flying that way now. I’m gonna’ slow down ~BREAK~ I’m not gonna get below three hundred knots but uhh ~BREAK~

Aircraft 2 Pilot …right towards you. Dude I can’t tell, something small

Aircraft 1 Pilot very small black object I had it at seventeen seven ~BREAK~ He just flew right it just flew right over me ~BREAK~

Aircraft 2 Pilot Confirm the object appears stationary?

Aircraft 1 Pilot Well I, I couldn’t tell cause it was ~GARBLED~

Aircraft 1 WSO (very faint) Think it was moving about thirty.

Aircraft 2 Pilot Nearer eighty knots ~BREAK~

Aircraft 1 Pilot Yeah my radar showed between thirty and sixty so I have no idea what it’s ~BREAK~ actually doing ~BREAK~ but it went from seventeen the first time I saw it to seventeen seven so it’s not falling ~BREAK~ I don’t think it was a bird ~BREAK~

Aircraft 2 Pilot ~UNINTELLIGABLE~

Aircraft 1 Pilot What’s that?

Aircraft 2 Pilot Were you taking a manual lock or was it an auto guns lock? ~BREAK~

Aircraft 1 Pilot *TONE* I’m getting’ him on auto guns every time ~BREAK~ Putting in a bulls-eye zero zero nine for fifteen ~BREAK~ “Still at” basically no airspeed on it ~BREAK~

Aircraft 2 Pilot Two is clean

Aircraft 1 Pilot Say again ~BREAK~

Aircraft 2 Pilot Two’s clean ~BREAK~ Two’s locked! Bulls-eye at zero one two fifteen, eighteen thousand.

Aircraft 1 Pilot alright I’m gonna’ uhh ~BREAK~ climb up beside it here. I wanna try and look at it then you follow in behind me if you can. ~BREAK~

Aircraft 2 Pilot I’m at fourteen thousand.

Aircraft 1 Pilot (at the same time as the above transmission) UNINTELLIGABLE. ~BREAK~ Dude I have no idea what that is ~BREAK~ (Straining) But he’s passed over me. ~BREAK~ Now I’ve got it uhh seventeen thousand feet eight miles off my nose ~BREAK~ Bulls-eye zero four nine for twenty ~BREAK~ Seventeen thousand I’m gonna’ get down to sixteen five ~BREAK~ Uhh two point five miles off my nose right now ~BREAK~ seventeen thousand feet ~BREAK~ Yeah I’m not gonna be able to slow down as much as you are maybe you can slow down a little bit more, get a better look ~BREAK~

Aircraft 2 Pilot (low bass tone) UNINTELLIGABLE ~BREAK~

Aircraft 1 Pilot UNINTELLIGABLE outmaneuver him ~BREAK~

Aircraft 2 Pilot Copy confirm you’ve merged weapons (?) ~BREAK~

Aircraft 1 Pilot I am about to merge right now. I’m seeing him ~BREAK~ Underneath me now ~BREAK~ And I’m gonna’ get my airspeed back before I maneuver ~BREAK~ Are you locked or clean? ~BREAK~

Aircraft 2 Pilot I’m no joy approaching line abreast with you two thousand feet high eighteen five ~BREAK~

Aircraft 1 Pilot Copy that I’m gonna’ UNINTELLIGABLE ~BREAK~ You, you said you’re at eighteen? ~BREAK~

Aircraft 2 Pilot Yeah contact I’m at eighteen five now you’re six o’clock for about three miles TONE ~BREAK~

Aircraft 1 Pilot Copy that ~BREAK~

Aircraft 2 Pilot If we are well clear I will descend at this time ~BREAK~ Fox(?) are we clear of this target? ~BREAK~

Aircraft 1 Pilot I uhh ~BREAK~ I’m not sure. Again it stays between seventeen and eighteen so ~BREAK~ I, I believe I’m in the vicinity of it I’m not uhh a hundred percent positive ~BREAK~ UNINTELLIGABLE ~BREAK~ I have visual now ~BREAK~ I’m gonna fly underneath you ~BREAK~

Aircraft 2 Pilot Copy UNINTELLIGABLE I can’t make out what it was ~BREAK~

Aircraft 1 Pilot TONE you didn’t see it? ~BREAK~

Aircraft 2 Pilot UNINTELLIGABLE

Aircraft 1 Pilot Alright I’m gonna circle back around ~BREAK~ TONE Hopefully we’ll be able to see it through the HUD.

Aircraft 2 Pilot We’ve got somebody else out here with it ~BREAK~

Aircraft 1 Pilot Yeah I see him ~BREAK~ Dude did you see anything? ~BREAK~

Aircraft 2 Pilot Negative

--END--

Just collating all the links into a single post

The audio recording *DIRECT LINK*

UFOData Magazine PDF on the incident.

Local news report on the incident.

PW229

Thanks for the transcript.

If this audio is real then it would appear there was something definitely strange up there, non conventional.

Did you signup today to post this article and info? Sounds like you work with comm or aircraft. Yes?

This might be a stupid question, but I'm going to ask.

Air Force pilots use "dude" over an open mic ?

When I was in the Army, that would earn a serious conversation from the
C.O., at least.

Wondering,
Lex

Originally posted by roadgravel
PW229

Thanks for the transcript.

If this audio is real then it would appear there was something definitely strange up there, non conventional.

Did you signup today to post this article and info? Sounds like you work with comm or aircraft. Yes?

I signed up to post this info and as I said in a previous post, I have "experience" of this type of comm traffic but I won't say in what capacity Suffice to say, I have gone over and over this recording several dozen times, everything fits with the expected lingo of USAF trained flyers. There is absolutely no point in the recording where I can find anything that get's my spidey senses going. I would stake my reputation (for what it's worth) on this being a legit recording of an unusual encounter. Something hoaxed would be a little too perfect, maybe even more descriptive. There is a certain ambiguity that lends itself to this being a real conversation.

Originally posted by Lexion
This might be a stupid question, but I'm going to ask.

Air Force pilots use "dude" over an open mic ?

When I was in the Army, that would earn a serious conversation from the
C.O., at least.

Wondering,
Lex

The A10 pilots that accidentally shot up the British tanks in Iraq - If you look at that transcript they say something like "Dude were going jail" granted different situation. Think they probably switch styles according to what there currently doing.

Originally posted by Lexion
This might be a stupid question, but I'm going to ask.

Air Force pilots use "dude" over an open mic ?

When I was in the Army, that would earn a serious conversation from the
C.O., at least.

Wondering,
Lex

ahhhhhhh therin lies, as they say, the rub....do'nit?

ive had many less than "professional" conversations with guys on my team via radio in the past..."team one, status" "com, we may have something, wait one" "team one, tank check" "com, did u not here me say f'n wait one? ill give you what i got when i got a min, get off my arse"

even in training trying to take down what you know is a simulated IED while in level A hazmat is a little taxing and i got a bit of slack from the LTC for my demeanor, however...we had secure radios and it WASNT an open mic...

which brings me to my actual point...arent F15's equiped with singars? if not, why were us lowly WMD guys given cooler stuff than guys with 15 million dollar airplanes? planes worth more than all the equipment my taem had in total?

so, this begs authenticity questions or at the very least, a security breach no?

or am i mistaken about radios in the fighters?

also, should this be real, makes our new OP a very interesting person imho

The jstars singars upgrade is not complete, that's all I'm saying.

From the link above

This looks like an intriguing case, especially as the incident was recorded by radio monitors here in the UK.

Guess the HAM operators would know if air force radio can be heard in the clear.

Great post, fascinating listen - will be very interested to see how the FOIA on this one turns out.

If I can contribute a little bit to the transcription (which you have done a fantastic job on) I believe the 'unintelligable' on this section:

Aircraft 2 Pilot Copy UNINTELLIGABLE I can’t make out what it was ~BREAK~

Aircraft 1 Pilot TONE you didn’t see it? ~BREAK~

Aircraft 2 Pilot UNINTELLIGABLE

is 'I saw it that time' and 'Confirmed'. So

Aircraft 2 Pilot Copy I saw it that time and I cannot make out what it was ~BREAK~

Aircraft 1 Pilot TONE you didn’t see it? ~BREAK~

Aircraft 2 Pilot Confirmed