A few Years back

What do you all suppose the Lights / Triangle shaped formation of lights that passed over Phoenix area were? Aliens ? Black Ops / US military ? Supernatural beings ? It can't be dismissed as 1000's of people saw this event. Made news and even national news but oddly 3-4 months later.

Manny

Originally posted by menace71
What do you all suppose the Lights / Triangle shaped formation of lights that passed over Phoenix area were? Aliens ? Black Ops / US military ? Supernatural beings ? It can't be dismissed as 1000's of people saw this event. Made news and even national news but oddly 3-4 months later.

Manny

Last time it was mentioned, I looked it up and it was quite clear it was at least in part military operation involving flares.

Do you have any links to photos/videos?

Not currently......I know a quick Google Search will bring up a slew of stuff. I've heard the flair thing too. However flairs don't fly in a triangular formation. USAF denied (of course I would expect that) any doing in this.




Manny

https://www.google.com/search?q=phoenix+lights&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=B5OMUdnhJOiyigKnvIHgCw&ved=0CEAQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=667

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Lights


Manny

Originally posted by menace71
What do you all suppose the Lights / Triangle shaped formation of lights that passed over Phoenix area were? Aliens ? Black Ops / US military ? Supernatural beings ? It can't be dismissed as 1000's of people saw this event. Made news and even national news but oddly 3-4 months later.

Manny

I think it is best that we do dismiss it.

The Instructor

Originally posted by menace71
What do you all suppose the Lights / Triangle shaped formation of lights that passed over Phoenix area were? Aliens ? Black Ops / US military ? Supernatural beings ? It can't be dismissed as 1000's of people saw this event. Made news and even national news but oddly 3-4 months later.

Manny

Why would anyone (military or extraterrestrial) put lights on something they wanted to remain secret?

Originally posted by menace71
USAF denied (of course I would expect that) any doing in this.

Manny

According to the Wikipedia page:

The United States Air Force identified the second group of lights as flares dropped by A-10 Warthog aircraft that were on training exercises at the Barry Goldwater Range in southwest Arizona.

Originally posted by divegeester
Why would anyone (military or extraterrestrial) put lights on something they wanted to remain secret?

Why assume either would want it to remain secret?

Originally posted by menace71
What do you all suppose the Lights / Triangle shaped formation of lights that passed over Phoenix area were? Aliens ? Black Ops / US military ? Supernatural beings ? It can't be dismissed as 1000's of people saw this event. Made news and even national news but oddly 3-4 months later.

Manny

My research into this fascinating yet overly troubling area has taught me that if I haven't experienced it first hand then I shouldn't hold strong opinions or make assumptions on these sorts of subjects.

Originally posted by karoly aczel
My research into this fascinating yet overly troubling area has taught me that if I haven't experienced it first hand then I shouldn't hold strong opinions or make assumptions on these sorts of subjects.

The most reasonable stance is to assume an ordinary cause, such as aircraft/flares. An extraordinary explanation such as aliens, would require extraordinary evidence before it should be taken seriously.
Of course it must be noted that the 'aliens' explanation is entirely cultural i.e. there was nothing about the observation itself that directly indicated aliens. If the same phenomena was observed in Zambia, many people would attribute it to witchcraft.
From a scientific stand point, either explanation is equally likely ie nearly zero.

Originally posted by twhitehead
The most reasonable stance is to assume an ordinary cause, such as aircraft/flares. An extraordinary explanation such as aliens, would require extraordinary evidence before it should be taken seriously.
Of course it must be noted that the 'aliens' explanation is entirely cultural i.e. there was nothing about the observation itself that directly indicated ...[text shortened]... tchcraft.
From a scientific stand point, either explanation is equally likely ie nearly zero.

You've highlighted one of the common points of so-called ufo sightings - ie that the the type of thing they see is culturally relevant.

apparently they've only started looking metallic since we've had metal flying machines.

Originally posted by twhitehead
Why assume either would want it to remain secret?

Fair.

Why put lights on a spaceship?

Did you ever ask yourself why is it that it is
only Americans that see aliens and spaceships?

And it is only Americans who claim that they were
kidnapped by little green men and were experimented upon?????

You hardly ever if ever at all hear of any other nationality
claiming to have seen spaceships and aliens.

Originally posted by twhitehead
According to the Wikipedia page:

The United States Air Force identified the second group of lights as flares dropped by A-10 Warthog aircraft that were on training exercises at the Barry Goldwater Range in southwest Arizona.

Yeah, this is far, far to the south, over at least one small mountain range. I imagine its only connection with the 'Phoenix Lights' was to provide an excuse for 'what people saw'. The flares weren't anywhere near the same area.

To put it in perspective, A-10s are not based in Phoenix (Luke AFB). When I was going to school in Tucson, the A-10s from Davis-Monthan AFB (in Tucson, approx. 130 miles SSE of Phoenix) flew over UofA all the time. I think it's a beautiful, easily recognized plane, with a unique engine sound. I've never, ever seen them over Phoenix.

The Barry Goldwater range is approx. equidistant from Phoenix (Luke AFB, F-16s), Tucson (Davis-Monthan AFB, A-10s) and Yuma (MCAS Yuma, F/A-18s and AV-8B Harriers). It's probably a good 100 miles at least SW of Phoenix.