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The Lone Star (TX) MUFON Reporter        Vol 1 # 3    May 15, 1993
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Disclaimer: Due to the controversial nature of the UFO phenomenon, and some
of the data presented in this newsletter, we recommend that you don't form
any conclusions based solely on the facts contained in these articles, but
rather that you research the topics yourself to come up with your own
judgement about these findings.
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NEWSLETTER SEEKS ARTICLES
All of the articles in this issue were written by Texas MUFON members 
about events that have affected their lives. If you would like to submit 
an article to the Lone Star MUFON Reporter, please write to Ellen Stuart 
at 8103 Richard King Court, Austin, Texas 78749, or call (512) 288-0505.
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   Investigator's Guide - UFOs and Radar

          by Ron Schlosser

This is the second in a series of articles by Ron Schlosser, an Air Traffic
Controller with the Federal Aviation Administration for over 35 years.
Ron's experience and knowledge of the FAA imminently qualifies hlm to
educate Texas investigators in this all-too-often misunderstood realm. If
you have a specific question for Ron, please write to him c/o The Lone Star
MUFON Reporter and he will respond directly or through a future article.
-Ed.)

   A radar is a radar is a radar... well, not quite true -- no more than 
it is of roses, anyway. While the basic principle driving the many 
different units is the same -- bouncing an electron off some distant 
object in order to determine bearing and distance -- (RAdio Detection 
And Ranging) -- there have been many variations over the years to 
accommodate specific needs. The obnoxious radar "gun" used by highway
patrolmen from behind bushes or billboards is, in fact, a very distant 
cousin to the long-range radars utilized by FAA and military facilities. 
Just how significant is radar in confirming a UFO report? After all, 
they are the ultimate electronic tool for watching the skies,
right? Maybe.
   
   If you've read enough of the various books, articles and newsletters, 
you're bound to have seen more than one author "validate" a sighting with
corroboration from radar operators.  One such report from the early 1960s
spoke of UFOs travelling "over 2000 miles per hour," and that they could
turn on a dime at that speed."  I hate to be a spoil sport, but do not 
look for this kind of information from the FAA. (Tecnical information
derived from military sources is highly suspect in my opinion, and only
as valuable as you can independently confirm.)  It is not my intent to
start another controversy (we have plenty as it is), and space prohibits
an exhaustive explanation as to why the FAA radar data cannot reliably
provide the kind of information cited above.  The main reason, simply, is
that FAA radar is not set up to track such fast moving targets without 
electronic augmentation, i.e. a transponder "beacon".  Today's radars 
are quite adequate to track all the "low and slow" small aircraft in use, 
but these puddle jumpers are the only ones not _required_ to have an 
operational beacon on board.

   If earlier reports of visual sightings are accurate, the typical flying
saucer will not appear on most radars because of its radar-evading shape.
That little electron referred to earlier will just "slide around" most
most raindrops and similar shapes instead of bouncing back.  It is possible
for the unlikely to occur: a controller could observe a primary (raw) radar
return from such a craft, especially if it were flying low and slow, but 
without some reflective surface, such as an aircraft wing, the radar can
easily "overlook" such a target.  In over 35 years as a controller, I have 
never observed a UFO on radar, even when told where to look by aircraft 
making visual sightings!

  Remember, however, some types of military radars have been specifically 
used for detection purposes, and their capabilities are highly classified.

[Editor's note: Ron specifically chose to discuss radar through referring to
electrons rather than electromagnetic waves and "sliding around" rather than
going through or being scattered by raindrop-shaped ob)ects.]

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