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From: Brad Sparks <RB47Expert@aol.com>
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 1999 19:44:30 EDT
Fwd Date: Sat, 17 Jul 1999 08:58:54 -0400
Subject: Re: Arnold Saw Pelicans


I posted the following on James Easton's UFO Research List and
on the Project 1947 List where he also posts, but as far as I
know there has been no response.

Brad Sparks

---

List Members,

James Easton has announced a new theory explaining the Arnold
case as white pelicans.  My response posted on his UFO Research
List was as follows:



Subj: Re: News Release
Date: 7/13/99 5:38:13 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: RB47Expert@aol.com
To:	UFORL@listbot.com

UFO Research List - http://web.ukonline.co.uk/voyager/

James,

I think Arnold's second sighting was not 5 days later but a
MONTH and 5 days later, on July 29, 1947.

The bird theory runs into the following fundamental problems,
among others:

(1)  ARC-LIGHT OR SUNLIKE BRIGHTNESS.  Arnold described a
blinding light that caught his attention that lit up his plane
and was so bright it reminded him of arc welding light. He
thought at first it was sunlight reflecting off metal from an
airplane in near-collision, so he quickly looked around to try
to avoid crashing.  Birds could not possibly be this bright,
especially from the distance necessitated to avoid Arnold's
110-120 mph plane from overtaking them.

(2)  MORE THAN 100-DEGREE FLIGHT PATH.  Arnold's reported
azimuths of the objects' flight path covers more than 100
degrees of sky from first sighting north of Mt. Rainier till
disappearing just after passing Mt. Adams to the south.
Duration at the very extremes was from 1 to 3 minutes.  So
taking the birds' speed at 60 mph that's 1 mile/min or 1 to 3
miles of flight path running roughly perpendicular to Arnold's
heading as he reported.  For this length to cover 2 radians (100
degs) of sky the distance must be 0.5 to 1.5 miles from Arnold's
plane.

But at Arnold's speed of 2 mi/min, this distance would be closed
IN 1/4 to 3/4 MINUTE, or one-fourth of their total flight path.
Thus, the birds would NEVER HAVE EVEN MADE IT ACROSS MT. RAINIER
before Arnold had flown over them or the projection of their
path, which is contrary to Arnold's testimony in every account
he gave in 30+ years.

(3) ARNOLD'S PLANE WOULD HAVE OVERTAKEN BIRDS.  As we've just
calculated, Arnold's plane flying east at 110-120 mph would have
overtaken 60 mph birds flying north-south in the 1-3-minute
duration of the sighting.  If we try to juggle flight paths --
contrary to Arnold's observations -- we still cannot escape the
simple flight dynamic contraints of basic physics:

Suppose the birds flew east at their full speed of 60 mph in
order to delay Arnold's plane overtaking them.  This would only
reduce Arnold's relative velocity with respect to the birds down
to about 60 mph.  Arnold's plane would still overtake the birds
in just one-half the sighting, in 0.5 to 1.5 minutes' time.
Moreover, this is an impossible example in any event, because
the birds would have to fly in the same direction as Arnold,
eastward, and thus would NEVER HAVE BEEN SEEN TO THE NORTH OR
SOUTH AT ALL, flatly contrary to Arnold's observations
indicating more than 100 degrees of arc covered from north to
south, from north or Rainier to south of Mt. Adams.  Arnold
would also have seen the birds' elevation angle dropping as he
flew over them till they disappeared underneath his plane --
which he certainly did NOT report (the objects were near the
horizon in the distance the entire time).

(4) ALTITUDE TOO HIGH FOR SPEED.  Arnold reported the objects
were at roughly his altitude of about 9,200 feet.  This is most
likely too high for white pelicans or if just within their
flight ceiling, it is too high for them to sustain 60 mph
maximum speed in level flight.

Notice I'm carefully refraining from getting into heated
arguments over the SHAPES, FLIGHT PATTERNS and ANGULAR SIZE.
These could be argued endlessly so I don't think it fruitful to
pursue.

Brad Sparks