Creepy Green Light
Paranormal Adept
I'm just now listening to the 8/24/14 show w/ Robert Sheaffer. He brings up a good point when he says "Yeah, what exactly is a 'trained observer'?" I'll just speak from my own experience;
I spent 5 years as a U.S. Navy Combat Aircrewman onboard Lockheed P-3C Orions (anti submarine warfare planes). Each P-3C had one inflight ordnanceman/inflight cameraman (which was me). That position sits at crew station nine which is in the rear of the plane on the starboard side and the seat faces backwards. That seat and the one adjacent to it (crew station 10) are also referred to as the "aft observer" seats. So if it's not a full antisubmarine warfare crew going out (which is a crew of 12 guys) - for an ASW mission - we can fly with less guys. The minimum crew is 4. And it's mandated that someone will always be designated as the "aft observer". This person has all kinds of duties - watching engine starts, checking for engine fires, checking the hydraulic pumps and internal electronic racks, setting the radar, etc. etc.
At no point in ANY of my training, which included 6 months in Millington, TN - 2 months in Pensacola, FL & 9 mos in Jacksonville, FL were we ever trained to "observe". We were trained to look for specific things like oil leaks, engine fire, submarine periscopes etc. But in no way, shape or form were we ever trained on celestial objects or random stuff in our skies. We got trained on how to determine (at night) if another aircraft was coming towards you or going away from you & thats about it. I had over 2000 hours logged in the P-3C and I sat most of those hours in the "observer seat". I wouldn't be anymore qualified to determine what a streak of light was going across the night sky anymore than the cook that prepared my breakfast before my mission.
I'm not sure where this misnomer came from that if you are in the military (or fly in the military) that some how you are the end all answer when it comes to determining what each & every craft or ball of light is in the sky.
Maybe others that flew in the military have a different story to tell but this is my experience.
I spent 5 years as a U.S. Navy Combat Aircrewman onboard Lockheed P-3C Orions (anti submarine warfare planes). Each P-3C had one inflight ordnanceman/inflight cameraman (which was me). That position sits at crew station nine which is in the rear of the plane on the starboard side and the seat faces backwards. That seat and the one adjacent to it (crew station 10) are also referred to as the "aft observer" seats. So if it's not a full antisubmarine warfare crew going out (which is a crew of 12 guys) - for an ASW mission - we can fly with less guys. The minimum crew is 4. And it's mandated that someone will always be designated as the "aft observer". This person has all kinds of duties - watching engine starts, checking for engine fires, checking the hydraulic pumps and internal electronic racks, setting the radar, etc. etc.
At no point in ANY of my training, which included 6 months in Millington, TN - 2 months in Pensacola, FL & 9 mos in Jacksonville, FL were we ever trained to "observe". We were trained to look for specific things like oil leaks, engine fire, submarine periscopes etc. But in no way, shape or form were we ever trained on celestial objects or random stuff in our skies. We got trained on how to determine (at night) if another aircraft was coming towards you or going away from you & thats about it. I had over 2000 hours logged in the P-3C and I sat most of those hours in the "observer seat". I wouldn't be anymore qualified to determine what a streak of light was going across the night sky anymore than the cook that prepared my breakfast before my mission.
I'm not sure where this misnomer came from that if you are in the military (or fly in the military) that some how you are the end all answer when it comes to determining what each & every craft or ball of light is in the sky.
Maybe others that flew in the military have a different story to tell but this is my experience.