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This is Volume 2 of the Ministry of Defence report 'Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in the UK Air Defence Region', Defence Intelligence Staff Scientific and Technical Memorandum 55/2/00, dated February 2000 and received 7 December 2000. It gathers 25 working papers on natural and man-made phenomena, meant as a reference for analysing UAP reports. The papers cover ball lightning, radar detection, balloons, satellites, mirages, plasma and similar subjects. One paper compares magnetic field experiments on human volunteers with close encounter reports. It concludes that effects from such fields are 'uncannily similar' to what witnesses describe.
“Sea”13 pages
# UNCLASSIFIED NATO RESTRICTED ## UAVs 9. There is a significant UAV programme in the USA and Israel and to a lesser extent in the European NATO Nations. It is possible that experimental versions may be flown principally over coastal or sparsely inhabited regions of the UKADR in the future. Some of these may be reported as UAP. ## GLIDERS 10. Gliding objects are of particular interest in the UAP context, as they make very little sound. Further para-wings and hang-gliders often appear to an observer to hover, move, climb and descend. On occasions, depending on livery, a glider has briefly reflected light and has been reported as a UAP, insufficient of the rest of the machine being seen to permit the observer to recognise the sighting as a glider. Both freeflight and powered gliders fall in this category. ## PARA-WINGS, HANG-GLIDERS & MICROLIGHTS 11. There is an increase in the use of sport para-wings and hang-gliders, both unpowered and powered. The small size (and often similar span to length ratio), make these more likely to be misreported as a UAP than ignored, as would be the case for a more conventional aircraft. Hang-glider avoidance areas are specified, therefore the possibility of an erroneous UAP report can be minimised by referring to Figure 10 and Figures 15 to 33. These types do not normally fly after dark. ## MIXED AIR ASSETS 12. Except for towing aircraft for gliders, other fixed wing aircraft, especially fast low jet aircraft, are prohibited from glider and hang-glider sites. Hence, within those areas, a useful filter is that UAP events cannot be misinterpreted as other military or civil operations. UAP reports from within these areas are therefore due to either gliders or hang-gliders, or other natural or man-made objects, which may enter the airspace, (e.g. birds, balloons); or 'genuine' UAP events. Note should be taken of the fact that these sport aircraft, though in use at all times during daylight, when weather conditions allow are more likely to appear at weekends and holidays. ## HELICOPTERS 13. Although helicopters can be seen anywhere and under certain conditions (rotor disc illuminated from above or below) are reported as a disc-type UAP event, this is more likely to occur within the UK helicopter routes shown in Figures 11 to 14. ## AIRCRAFT LOW FLYING ROUTES 14. Although, in principle, the whole of the UKADR is available for low flying (down to an altitude of 250ft), in practice, and excluding the prohibited and restricted areas, such as danger areas, major conurbations and other specified areas, low flying is limited to the designated low flying areas. In three areas aircraft can fly down to 100ft. Although they are theoretically available for 24hrs per day, low flying is prohibited over land areas, between 2300 and 0700hrs, with few exceptions for non-jet aircraft. This is rare enough to warrant special permission and then only for Monday to Friday. Weekend and Public Holiday flying is only permitted for small-scale, pre-arranged exercises, and only from 0800 to 1900, with the exception of some aircraft used for parachute training. An obvious exception is that of Search and Rescue operations and helicopter training over sea at weekends and on Public Holidays. Use of the UK Low Flying System is exclusively for UK aircraft, UK aircraft based in Germany and NATO aircraft on approved
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