That round, whitish object in the video is the same thing I saw over many months in 2008/2009 while living in Los Angeles. My son also saw it a couple of times while with me. I reported it to Mufon, and they told me it was a weather balloon- I kid you not. I also saw it during the same time period over Joshua Tree National Park while stopping at a rest stop on route to Phoenix. That really freaked me out because I thought what are the chances I'd happen to see it here? In every instance no one else seemed to pay it any mind. After about 9 or 10 months of seeing them off and on, I haven't seen one single one since then.

We've already gotten a couple of emails claiming that it is a 'red star' balloon that you can get in any party store. However, this is very clearly not the case, as the report demonstrates. Randy photographed his in 2010, so it looks like it moved to Portland!

Whitley - the email was from me regarding the PDF report on this page. Could you please point me to the part in the report that "demonstrates" this could NOT be a balloon? All I see is the section on page 24. and what I talk about below... I could be blind and missed something so please let me know. Thanks...

The PDF report attached to this show states the following:

— “A Google search on the Internet for the string of words “spiky red balloon” yielded no hits relevant to the spiky red UFO in evidence in this case. A look through a couple of party balloon sites did not show anything particularly relevant to the reported shape and size of this UFO.” Pg. 12 —

This jumped out at me immediately as I have had to get these types of balloons for a baptizing party that I went to. The investigators looked online for “spiky red balloon”? What manufacturer would advertise their kid friendly balloon as “spiky”?

A simple search for “red star balloon” yields more than a few perfect candidates for the supposed UFO:

Here is one that I found in 1 min: http://www.birthdaydirect.com/red-star-foil-balloon-p-20161.html

Note the 5 big corners + stub for hanging string (& inflating valve), same as the object - see pg. 15 for comparison

This next example I chose because, while NOT red, shows the string clearly EXACTLY where the UFO had its string as in the page 7 photo: http://www.stumpsparty.com/party/Silver-Holographic-Star-Mylar-Balloon.cfm

Look at page 16 of the report and note for yourself if there are any similarities between the above links and what’s shown.

Whitley said that it in order for this to be a balloon it would have to be deflated. I beg to differ as page 34 of the report (photos 2199, 2200) clearly shows the light shining off the object and it being CONVEX - therefore inflated.

These balloons are a bit less than 2 feet. On page 21 of the report we see that one possible size was 2 feet (although later on they feel it was 4).

— “This UFO does indeed resemble in some aspects a specialty balloon of some kind, but a search of the Internet did not reveal any balloons matching the full range of the photographic evidence.” Pg. 24 (Balloon section) —

Really? Because my 1 minute search gave a boatload of identical looking balloons - just look for "star" instead of "spiky".

Moving on, the report states:

— “The wind speed at the surface (10 meters above) in Hillsboro, Oregon, at the time (5:00 PM to 6:00 PM) was 16 mph diminishing to 3.5 mph with a maximum gust during the whole day of 28 mph.” - “An average speed of about 28 mph was calculated for the UFO during the approximately four minutes it was first seen and then photographed.” Pg. 24 (Balloon section) —

Currents of wind form in any area that isn’t completely flat. Therefore divergence from normal wind patterns is to be expected in areas as the one where these images were taken. The divergence can be not only in speed but also in the course of the wind. Taking into account the margin for error and possibility for currents, the higher than normal speed could be easily explained - and still stay within the maximum speed that day of 28 mph.

It should also be taken into account that Oregon is a coast state and therefore susceptible to Pacific wind currents. Also, calculating wind currents in a post-situation scenario means relying on history of the weather data and also the human perception of those events. It's not the same as being there on the day it happened with equipment ready to get exact measurements.

The report goes on to conclude — “Thus, this identification candidate is rejected.” Pg.24 (Balloon section) —

My point is that the word "rejected" should not be used when a balloon is certainly a possibility - just like it could be possible that it is something else. I'd be curious to see what conclusion others looking at these points and the report come to.

I would like to make something very clear though. What MUFON is doing is a tough job so I am not at all putting them down. But I do think that this case, in my opinion, should have been left "open" (as in there are possible terrestrial explanations).

The idea of God being a mathematical formula is very interesting to me. Having spent some years dabbling in Hebrew Kabbalah and Tarot, the progression of numbers moving from 0 to 10 has greatly enhanced my ability to relate to the divine and understand the process of creation as embodied in the Tetragrammaton. I find it worthly of note that the Greys so often seem to appear as a triad that combined creates one complete entity, and that this triad is mirrored in the three pillars of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life that is the model of the human soul. I can't help but wonder if the Greys have the same sort of triple-aspect soul as humanity does, but choose to incarnate that soul into three separate bodies instead of one.

Does anybody know what the date, time and direction were?

I see that @El Gringo has some data; I'm very interested in direction (azimuth). I'm referring to the most recent sighting that was recorded during dreamland. (I think was recorded during dreamland around 09/26/12).

Whitley, this is straying a bit from the interview but when you mentioned YOUR ankle and RANDY his tingling hand it brought back something that happened to my brother. I have tried to keep a record of a few things that have happened in my family and this is one of the e-mails from 2006. It did not happen in that year but much earlier when my brother was still young and perhaps even before his teen years. (He was born in 1946). There was a rubbing irritation at his heel when he wore shoes; this went on for quite some time before he was able to see the problem. I realize that this could have been a natural occurrence but still it seems odd.

E-MAIL.....Sent: Mon, 13 Feb 2006 10:59:07 -0800

I felt sort of an itchy slight pain in the heel of my foot. It was like a splinter I could feel with my finger. I pulled it and it came right out and it was about the size and appearance of small nylon fishing line but it was clear like glass. I think it was slightly flexible and about 3 inches long. It scared me a little as I pulled it out and I guess that’s when I noticed it was a little flexible.

http://dagmar.lunarpages.com/~parasc2/articles/1197/spain2.htm

I reckon that a lot of folks are getting some kind of cross-over messages or imports these days and Randy's encounter seems to me to be one of them. It wasn't a surprise to hear him point out that he felt that this object/presence was 'relatives'.

My Dad died when I was 17, and he appeared in dreams only very very rarely, perhaps once every few years, usually with a message or guidance expressed through symbol. However, since Christmas (2011) he has popped up in 'dreams' several times.

It seems reasonable to conclude that either my time on this Earth is growing to a close or, and I suspect that this is the real import, that many of us are about to cross over into another experience of self aware existence. I base that conclusion on so very many contemporary accounts like Randy's and, if it helps, I'm ready for the change. Now may be a good time to move away from this linear reality and so let's all see what happens.

What an adventure..!

Anyone who wishes to test the party balloon hypothesis can do so very easily by getting a red star party balloon at a party store, having it filled with helium, then photographing it as it rises against a background of trees. If you can get an image that duplicates the images that Randy got, please do send them along.

It looks like a red balloon to me, too.

I'm sorry is that supposed to be impressive?? Am I missing something?

The Spikey red UFO (SRUFO) has several factors that rule out the possibility of being a conventional balloon or kite. The object was seen up close by me when I had a feeling to put my head over to the driver’s side window and look up and as I did, it directly flew over my truck. This object in no way resembled a balloon. It was roundish at the base with three pyramidal projections sticking out at different directions which seemed to emit a silver light. I could not see the top of the object only the bottom. It had no perceptible string or anything else hanging down from it or I would have seen it. It was not bobbling in the wind, if there was enough wind to push it along at 28 MPH (no appreciable wind gust were reported within three hours of the sighting), I would have certainly seen a lot of bobbling movements, but I did not. This was certainly a steady object with a particular course and direction. The object never once moved other than around its axis and if a wind was present enough to propel it, I would have been be able to see the string move through the telephoto lens or by the evidence of the photos. I as mentioned earlier, I never saw the object bobble in the wind –as reported by KHIO Hillsboro Oregon airport, winds were out of the East at 3.5 mph at 5:53 pm with no reported wind gusts at or near that time. I also recall and observed that virtually no breeze of any sort could be felt by me as I was taking photos of the object. The photos of the object were taken between 5:48 and 5:50 pm. By the way, the winds were from the east, the object was traveling toward the south-southwest, measured at 211 degrees. Has anyone ever tried to tie a string to a helium balloon then try to tie some weights to get it to fly straight and at the same altitude? Did you have very much success? This would be an impossible task because either the balloon will go up or come down but will not stay at the same attitude particularly for a mile and three quarters. Yes, there are star shaped balloons similar to the shape of the spikey red UFO but did you notice that the SRUFO is asymmetrical and skewed particularly one of the spikes is smaller and angled differently than the others. Do you think that someone spent the extra time and trouble just to make this flaw appear on this object? UFOs mimicking balloons is a common theme in Oregon and the Northwest, just ask Keith Rowell Assistant Director of Oregon MUFON, he has taken photos and seen these objects himself as well as many other people. You can reach him through the Oregon MUFON site and he would be glad to fill you in on his 30 years of research that he has had regarding UFOs. If you would like to see a UFO mimicking a plane, just Google Randy Bell’s UFO photography under Randy Bell’s special UFO presentation, the Oregon MUFON site and look for these photos. The object first appears to be a UFO but then begins to transform and mimic a jetliner. Does it give a complete accurate representation of an airliner? No, but very close, and what is that lump hanging underneath the plane near the front on one of the photos and on another photo the cone like device on the front of the plane? My point is that even though these representations are close, they are not exact, just like the one asymmetrical and smaller spike on the SRUFO. There are also certain shapes that this object makes, such as in photo number 2147, that I believe could not be possibly made from a star balloon. Look at the top of the graph on page 29 of the report, photo# 2145 and #2146, these two photos were taken only 1/3rd of a second apart. I can’t see how this much change could occur in that amount of time. My camera was set on sports setting, which takes a photo at 1/3rd of a second increments. Did you also notice that once the object descended below the horizon there is no string. If this was an ordinary string, it should be visible above as well as below the horizon. If it fell off it should of happened right before its descent, would you agree? It was mentioned in the report, that the object came to a complete stop, became totally motionless for three to four seconds, then slowly descended down to the ground. It would be very hard for me to believe that if this object was being propelled by a 28 mph wind, it could come to a complete stop ( again winds were out of the east at 3.5mph, not the north). Some of the weather data in the SRUFO report is not correct, again no detectable or appreciable wind gusts were reported around the time of the sighting, earliest wind gust were reported three hours earlier (this was confirmed by me from Brian at weather underground). Look at the data under weather underground for Nov 3rd 2010, for KHIO airport, Hillsboro Oregon. One thing that I did forget to mention in the report is once the object came to a complete stop, I could tell that the object had been vibrating. I was able to determine this because it stopped vibrating at the point when it became motionless. Balloons don’t vibrate would you agree? I never believed that this object was carrying Aliens (they certainly would have to be little bitty guys, if that was the case), instead I believe that this object was an alien probe of some sort, most likely under remote control. There is also a slight possibility that this object was some type of high tech flying machine but I as well as Keith Rowell, can’t see why a bright red high tech device, would be flying over a populated road and homes during daylight, at such a low altitude. Someone commented that in the SRUFO report that the size was said to be 2 feet and then 5 feet, this is not correct, this person needs to read the report again. Size of craft was determined to be 4.8 feet in size from one side to the other. Someone also mentioned that the area where the UFO was sighted and photographed was hilly or mountainous, this is not correct, area where object was sighted was flat farmland with some hills at least 3-4 miles distance. The pacific winds are actually shielded by the coastal range mountains which are at least 30 to 40 minutes away by car. Since the object was no more than 150 feet in elevation, I can’t see how there would be any appreciable difference in the wind speed or direction. Winds were out of the east at 3.5 mph, recorded at 5:53 pm, the object was moving mainly south with a less westerly direction, measured at 211 degrees. Another interesting thing to look at is the color change of the object, as it went below the horizon as reported by Keith Rowell in the report. Also, as the object descends below the horizon (look at the first pictures that are in focus) notice how bright red the top of the object becomes and how dark and obscured the bottom of the object is, where the spikes are located. I don’t think that this can be explained by any natural means, other than the object is somehow transforming, getting redder at the top and darker, more obscured at the bottom. Another thing to observe about the object is, the closer it gets to the ground the more redder the whole object becomes. A balloon would not or could not respond that way. In conclusion, due to the fact that I have had several experiences of close encounters with UFOs (if you would like Google) black saucer shaped UFO Lake Oswego Oregon and read about my first UFO encounter and how it came about. I was out walking our dog with my wife and said that this would be a great place for a UFO to land, looked up and guess what? I saw a UFO almost directly above us, so this encounter with this first UFO sighting is quite reminiscent of the SRUFO encounter. I was driving down the road at 50 mph and had a feeling to put my face over to the side of the driver’s side window, looked straight up and at that exact moment, the SRUFO flew over my truck. With my history and looking at all the facts regarding this report, I can’t see how this could possibly be a balloon or any other ordinary object that just happened to fly over my truck at that exact moment. Plus the fact, that I got a close up look at the object from underneath and believe me folks, that was certainly no balloon. I have also been a pilot with as I recall over 129 hours of flight time and experience and consider myself a good observer. Randy A. Bell

Hi Randy - I don't doubt your experience, but as we add things that were NOT present in the original report (like the vibrations) it does point to the fact that this report might have been a bit rushed and did not explore all the possibilities. It's like the report started from a "This IS a UFO - now let's build a case around it" premise. Therefore I'll just stick to the report and the hard evidence that it presents - the pictures.

You say "Has anyone ever tried to tie a string to a helium balloon then try to tie some weights to get it to fly straight and at the same altitude? Did you have very much success? This would be an impossible task because either the balloon will go up or come down but will not stay at the same attitude particularly for a mile and three quarters."

Anybody seen a plastic bag being carried off by the wind for miles at a time? I know I have. No special preparations or anything, the wind just picks it off the ground and carries it along.

I clearly remember when I had exactly the balloons I've referenced before that they lose buoyancy very fast. It may be because they use a lot more material than a regular round balloon. We inflated them and by the next day they were pretty much neutral with their string touching the floor. Then they became negative and started to sink. There's no need for weights or anything.

Once positive buoyancy passes things can be moved along by wind currents like a plastic bag.

Here is a line from Hot Air Ballooning that describes what currents are doing at low altitudes: "However, air traveling close to the ground will tend to move in more of a straight line from high to low pressure due to drag with the ground." Certainly fits and supports traveling in a straight line. The Steerage section http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_air_ballooning#Flight_techniques

The shape reduction can caused by highly zoomed in cameras where edges 'burn out'. It's a common occurrence in photography. This addresses the string issue also. I see nothing in those photos that could NOT be the result of different angles of a balloon. Object rotation/point of view addresses the shape change - obviously the star shape seen from a side view will NOT look like a star anymore.

I plan on buying a balloon and testing the buoyancy over time. Unfortunately I have NO trees around here to shoot against but I should be able to get clear views against the sky.

I could go over the other arguments one by one (like how much difference 150 feet in elevation makes), but as not to make this into a boring long read, I'll just say that outside of the photos presented, the rest can be subject to human interpretation/error. I'll include them IF my hypotheses tests true.

I only speak on the report stated. If this was an UFO mimicking a balloon then this can hardly be considered "case closed", because it could just be a balloon mimicking a balloon... Nothing is documented that could not be attributed to some terrestrial explanation. If, for example, it would have accelerated to 500 mph instantly, split into more parts and then recombined, then this would be a different story.

Like I said, I am not doubting your experience. I just think "case closed" is NOT justified in this instance.

Even you state in your reply "There is also a slight possibility that this object was some type of high tech flying machine but I as well as Keith Rowell, can’t see why a bright red high tech device, would be flying over a populated road and homes during daylight, at such a low altitude" - although earlier in the report it was concluded that under the "Remote-controlled model aircraft" section that "this identification candidate is rejected".

Check out the link below for flying "people" video on the page and see for yourself what's possible.

http://socialtimes.com/superpowers-go-viral-to-promote-chronicle_b88723

Real UFO or not? Hmmm...

It has not been 100% identified, so it is an 'unidentified flying object'. That meets the criteria to me. Do experiments, test the balloon hypothesis, what-have-you....

When Whitley wrote 'Communion' all those years ago, I remember seeing a book review in the Sunday paper. As soon as I saw the face on the cover, I knew I had to read the book, so high-tailed it down to the nearest book dealer and got a copy. After reading it, I did not know or understand what had happened to Whitley, but I knew for certain that something extraordinary was happening to him.

That is the way I feel about Randy Bell.

@Cosmic Librarian - LOL I must not be doing a very good job at expressing myself, even though I've said it many times in my posts:

My issue is NOT with it being a UFO, or untrue, but rather with the Investigative Report and its lack of investigative competence. I do not dismiss or even doubt Randy's experience, but as an Investigative work, the report has the duty of presenting the situation from a completely neutral point of view - as in Dragnet "just the facts ma'am". It's NOT the same as storytelling, even when the story is true.

All the normal terrestrial explanations are "closed" without good credible explanations - THAT was my issue.

Would you consider a police homicide report solid if you found things like this in: "We've investigated Mr. James in relation to the incident, but seeing as he is a jovial, happy go lucky guy, we've come to the conclusion he could not have been involved in the crime".

Even Randy states "There is also a slight possibility that this object was some type of high tech flying machine but I as well as Keith Rowell, can’t see why a bright red high tech device, would be flying over a populated road and homes during daylight, at such a low altitude" - although earlier in the report it was concluded that under the "Remote-controlled model aircraft" section that "this identification candidate is rejected".

The point of the balloon experiment is NOT to deny Randy's experience at all, but to show that you can drive a truck through the loopholes left open in the report. As it is, this report would not stand anywhere outside the UFO community.

For an example on how to do thorough investigative work, present your factual findings, then present your opinion (clearly marked as such) and possible opposing views, read the works of Dr. John Mack.

Am I missing something? Are investigative reports on UFO's somehow subject to less rigorous and impartial analysis?

El Gringo, you are not missing anything. :-)

I DO agree that the vid, like any of those in the 'Out There' section, or any place else on the web, newspapers, TV, etc. need investigative work done. If you don't have real evidence of the "What the hell is that?" object in the sky, it is unidentified. If you have ruled out everything from clouds, to lens flares, to balloons, you have a real mystery and an unknown. I just feel like Randy's experience is authentic, but as to WHAT, how, who, why, etc. are all open questions. I have had experiences too, but I also know that if I had somehow taken video footage as these incidents happened all would have been called into question regardless of my sincerity or the reality of what I witnessed.

Seeing is not believing...

Think of Ellie Arroway in 'Contact' after she returned from her amazing journey where NOTHING was recorded on the video of her trip through the Universe. She had no 'proof' other than hours and hours of nothing on a video that was allegedly only running for a few moments in time.

We were meant to chip away at this mystery, to question, explore, and even to accept the unknown without giving up the quest.

None of these mp3's are complete for me. Anyone else having problems using an IPad?

Reminds me of something I saw a several years ago, riding to work on my scooter. (Incidentally, right over the Salt Lake neighborhood where I recently moved to and now live.)

It was only a few hundred yards up, and I could see a lot of detail for the split second I saw it. It looked kind of like a metallic silver, knotted toroid shape, like if you took some of the metal tubing for your dryer and looped it into a simple knot, then enlarged the whole thing. I saw it, glanced back to the road and the traffic ahead of me, and when I looked back up it was gone. Not a trace of it in the sky. First one I had seen since I was a kid back east, more than thirty years ago.