Kenneth Arnold's CallAir in action

Creepy Green Light

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius
If anyone was ever interested in what type of plane Arnold was flying when his citing was made, here it is (the red plane). From time to time I see artists renditions and they'll have it wrong (for instance they might show a high wing plane like a Cessna);
 

Creepy Green Light

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius
Here's my point as well, regarding him providing detail & structure of the craft from a distance (sometimes I see Arnold say 23 miles from Mt. Ranier, other times I heard him say 26-28 milesa). But imagine this; take the thumbnail from the video I posted above. Look out at that small mountain that lines up underneath the plane. I'd say that is closer then 23 miles. Now imagine if there was another aircraft flying on top of that mountain. You think you'd be able to make out the shape of the aircraft & other features of it? I think if you could see it at all it'd look like a speck of black pepper.
 

Castle-Yankee54

Celestial
Here's my point as well, regarding him providing detail & structure of the craft from a distance (sometimes I see Arnold say 23 miles from Mt. Ranier, other times I heard him say 26-28 milesa). But imagine this; take the thumbnail from the video I posted above. Look out at that small mountain that lines up underneath the plane. I'd say that is closer then 23 miles. Now imagine if there was another aircraft flying on top of that mountain. You think you'd be able to make out the shape of the aircraft & other features of it? I think if you could see it at all it'd look like a speck of black pepper.

A very good point.....from 20 miles even a commercial airliner looks like a little round spot.
 

Creepy Green Light

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius
A very good point.....from 20 miles even a commercial airliner looks like a little round spot.
Exactly. So something is off....if Arnold claimed he could make out the shape & structure of the craft, he'd have to be pretty darn close. That would be hard to do if the objects were just hovering let alone going 1200 mph. That's another fact that I believe is incorrect (the speed of the aircraft). But if I am understanding it correctly, could you imagine trying to notice the shape/size/structure of an aircraft at a distance of 23 miles away from you going 1,200 miles per hour? I don't think so.
 

AD1184

Celestial
A 200 ft-long craft at 23 miles would subtend the same angle in your field of view as a half-inch ant at 300 ft.
 

Creepy Green Light

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius
A 200 ft-long craft at 23 miles would subtend the same angle in your field of view as a half-inch ant at 300 ft.
Exactly. Like I said earlier, next time you are outside and notice a jet liner at even 3 miles up in the sky - try and discern the structure - let alone at 7 miles......or 23 miles.
 

AD1184

Celestial
I believe there is a problem with eye-witness sightings from pilots in general, particularly if they are the sole pilot in command. I think the psychological pressures of being in charge of an aeroplane can distort one's perception. In military flying there will often be a non-pilot observer if visual reconnaissance is an important part of the mission.
 

Creepy Green Light

Don't mistake lack of talent for genius
I believe there is a problem with eye-witness sightings from pilots in general, particularly if they are the sole pilot in command. I think the psychological pressures of being in charge of an aeroplane can distort one's perception. In military flying there will often be a non-pilot observer if visual reconnaissance is an important part of the mission.
Agreed. I believe my powers of observation are as good as a non flying civilian. I have 2000+ hours logged in the Lockheed P-3C Orion as the IFO (Inflight Ordnanceman/Inflight photographer). When not performing those duties I was the aft observer at crew station #9. Spent many a mission looking for something (submarine, person lost at sea, crashed helicopter in ocean, etc.).
 
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