Ministry Of Defence says UFO sightings over Britain more than triple this year

Hi ATS!

This is a story from last month, however I spent ten minutes searching ATS and couldn't find it at all, so here you are!

The Guardian

The so-called "X Files" show that there have been 394 claims reported to the MoD's UFO desk from January until the end of last month, making it by far the "busiest" year on record.

Last year, there were only 118 sightings over the same period. The previous highest number was in 1997 – the first for which figures are available – when there were 331 reports over the same period.

Experts say Britain is experiencing a "flap" – the term Ufologists use to describe a concentrated period of sightings.

Many of the reports are of UFOs spotted at night time and describe seeing strange lights in the sky. However, some are seen in daylight.

One report was from a pilot in an aircraft flying at about 4,500ft over Otmoor, in Oxfordshire, who saw a shiny, black, flying cylinder, 20-30ft long, flying about 200ft higher. According to the documents, the report was forwarded on to the UFO Desk by air traffic controllers.

394 reports this year compared to 118 last year, you have to admit that is a huge difference.

Of course a report in itself doesn't mean a thing, but still the numbers are high!

I've never heard that term 'flap before'.

"We are in the midst of a flap. The sightings reported to the MoD will give an indication, but the actual numbers of sightings will be much higher, because many will not contact officials, for fear of ridicule."

I'll see if I can find any similar info from other countries talking about an increase in sightings.

Or maybe someone on ATS could post it if they have it.

I guess no one is going to get in touch with the military and report a UFO unless they have actually seen something, I mean you don't want to go through all the hassle surely.

I suggest reading the entire article, it has some good UFO sightings in it.

All the best, Kiwifoot



[edit on 19-10-2009 by kiwifoot]

I have heard the prase "flap" before - in connection with UFO sightings - about 1994 when the X-Files was on TV - I think Nick Pope coined it at that time but cant be sure.

(Nick pope was the MOD's own Fox Mulder - or so he would claim)

reply to post by Silk


Cool, that's a bit of a coincidence, the last time there were sightings in these numbers was during 1997 and the X-files show!

Maybe they're going to do another series!

The term "UFO flap" is a very old one going back to the 50s, from the English phrase *in a flap* meaning confused and uncertain what is happening.

I'd be more than willing to say 1/2 of these sightings are accountable by Chinese Lanterns being misidentified as UFO's by the public.

Originally posted by ROBL240
I'd be more than willing to say 1/2 of these sightings are accountable by Chinese Lanterns being misidentified as UFO's by the public.

almost certainly, having said that it should be true of any year, so the big increase in sightings is still noteworthy!

Unless it's simply a huge increase in Chinese lantern flights- also a possibility! Lol

Originally posted by ROBL240
I'd be more than willing to say 1/2 of these sightings are accountable by Chinese Lanterns being misidentified as UFO's by the public.

Not if they are reported by pilots!!

Info of UFO's from pilots to traffic controllers - Then passed to the UFO DESK. Whats this?

Who's investigating these?

Originally posted by kiwifoot
This is a story from last month, however I spent ten minutes searching ATS and couldn't find it at all, so here you are!

Hi there,

This story also appeared in various forms in other newspapers, including this story on the website of "The Sun" that I mentioned in a recent thread 2009 - A "Record Year" for UFOs?

In case it is of interest, I'll repost some of the relevant facts and figures below.

One of Britain's best known ufologists (Nick Pope, formerly of the Ministry of Defence) was reported as commenting that, in terms of numbers of UFO reports in Britain, we are on track for a "record year".

HUNDREDS of UFOs have been spotted in UK skies since January - putting 2009 on track to be a record year.

Brits have reported 231 mysterious hovering objects to the Ministry of Defence so far this year - against a previous record of 285 for the WHOLE of 2008.

In 2007 the count was 135, and there were just 97 in 2006.

Former MoD UFO investigator Nick Pope said yesterday: "This is sensational. We are now on target for a record year.

"I thought the number of UFOs reported last year was high, but we now know that they are being seen in increasing numbers."

However, while 231 reports to the British Ministry of Defence in six months is a higher rate than in recent years, if the same rate were duplicated for the second six months of 2009 then the resulting total of 462 reports would NOT in fact be record breaking...

There have been several years in which that number of reports has been exceeded.

I'm fairly sure I have seen a book or Ministry of Defence document containing a table of relevant statistics for at least some recent years, but I don't recall seeing anything online. So, it may be of interest if I do a bit of work to collate below some of the relevant figures (which are numbers given to Parliament in discussions of UFOs reported in Hansard on various dates, which I have previously made available here on ATS).

1959 : 22 reports
1960 : 31 reports
1961 : 71 reports
1962 : 46 reports
1963 : 51 reports
1964 : 74 reports
1965 : 56 reports
1966 : 95 reports
1967 : 362 reports
1968 : 280 reports
1969 : 228 reports
1970 : 181 reports
1971 : 379 reports
1972 : 201 reports
...
1980 : 350 reports
1981 : 600 reports
1982 : 250 reports
1983 : 390 reports
...
1996 : 609 reports
1997 : 425 reports
1998 : 193 reports
1999 : 229 reports
2000 : 210 reports
...


In any event, the total number of reports to the Ministry of Defence (or any other organisation) is of pretty limited value in determining the total number of sightings, given the relatively low level at which UFO sightings are reported.

All the best,

Isaac

Actually, what I find more curious about this news, is that it's coming from the mouth of the Ministry of Defense.



[edit on 20/10/09 by Tifozi]

Could it be the almost daily reporting of sightings, in the British media, have lead to an increase due to their readers misrepresenting ever day objects? 90% of the UFO's are probably regular occurring lights.

Originally posted by Silk
I have heard the prase "flap" before - in connection with UFO sightings

Yes ,here you go:

French UFO flap -1954

American UFO flap -1952

UFO flap over Strategic Air Command Bases - October -November 1975.

Brazilian UFO flap -1977

Belgium UFO Flap -1989 -1993

Originally posted by heavenandearth01
Not if they are reported by pilots!!

Heavenandearth,good point - there are some pretty interesting British pilot UFO sightings here - most of which don't appear to be Chinese lanterns.
Cheers.

[edit on 02/10/08 by karl 12]

Originally posted by infinite
Could it be the almost daily reporting of sightings, in the British media, have lead to an increase due to their readers misrepresenting ever day objects? 90% of the UFO's are probably regular occurring lights.

I know if I personally see a weird light in the sky I just chalk it up to a plane, if I did see a ufo I'd most likely never be able to tell....but I understand how some people believe every light could be a ufo

Originally posted by TheBinxMonster3
I know if I personally see a weird light in the sky I just chalk it up to a plane,

Yes,its when certain unknown objects display completely unprecedented flight characteristics/aerial manouverability/rates of speed or
exhibit electromagnetic effects on other aircraft that it becomes
increasingly difficult to explain away.

Originally posted by TheBinxMonster3
but I understand how some people believe every light could be a ufo

Yes, I also understand how some other people beleive nothing is a UFO.

reply to post by ROBL240
Robl the authorities are pulling the wool over your eyes if you think chinese Lanterns are the reason for the increase in sightings. There is a flap going on for sure and it's the ufo orbs causing it. Chinese lanterns are the modern marsh gas/fire flies type excuse. The truth is their use is not really that common but people just take in the spin from TPTB

reply to post by IsaacKoi


A good point well made.

There's a BBC Magazine article about correlation with popular media:

news.bbc.co.uk...

Journalists are always pretending stuff is new to embellish the headlines.

I think what's maybe more interesting about recent sightings is that they don't seem to be associated with a film or television programme, unlike previous bumps. I suppose the print media, particularly The Sun, have played a part in the current rate of sightings, but I suspect the internet, widespread ownership of cameras, and Chinese bloody lanterns have played as big a part (chicken/egg style with newspapers).

I suspect it will fizzle out because there's only so many badly taken pictures, and 'hey wow!!!!!!!!!' YouTube channels people can take before becoming bored. Provided there's not a great film/book/or television programme about UFOs .

All that said, more people looking up will generate a few genuine mysteries.

[edit on 20-10-2009 by jackphotohobby]

reply to post by IsaacKoi


Hey mate, sorry about that, honest to god I did a thorough search and nothing came up, I guess it happens sometimes!

But thank you so much for posting all that info, and all those figures you posted do point to a massive increase in UFO sightings for this year.

As you said, it's hard to tell if it is purely down to actual UFOs or some other phenomena making the increase more pronounced.

Very interesting all the same I feel, and thanks again!

Originally posted by kiwifoot
reply to post by IsaacKoi

 

Hey mate, sorry about that, honest to god I did a thorough search and nothing came up, I guess it happens sometimes!

No problem whatsoever. Sometimes things are not easier to search for, particularly if there is no obvious keyword.

As you said, it's hard to tell if it is purely down to actual UFOs or some other phenomena making the increase more pronounced.

Well, my personal perception is that the number of reports within the UK generated by Chinese lanterns has continued to increase significantly. I might start a separate thread about those little blighters...

As far as Lanterns go if there orange-glowing-moving at a steady rate with the wind-flying over a few hundred feet and extinguish in 15 minutes then its safe to say its NOT a Orb.

If however said object went up, down, did a 360 over a 5 mile radius in a second, had military jets chasing after it and was flashing green/blue/white aside from orange, then I might be more impressed.