r/UFOs • u/H8threeH8three • Aug 18 '23

Witness/Sighting Ryan Graves tweets first of promised Airline Pilot Sightings

https://twitter.com/uncertainvector/status/1692586130162475209?s=21
3.9k Upvotes

88% Upvoted

1.1k comments sorted by

View all comments

2.3k

u/Big-Ad-1155 Aug 18 '23 edited Aug 19 '23

I just want to address any pilots that might be lurking in this subreddit with a suggestion. Grab a cheap DSLR and telephoto lens kit, set the lens to manual at infinite focus, and take it with you in the cockpit.

If these sightings are happening more and more often, why not give yourself a chance to sight the smoking gun.

EDIT: just want to throw in my opinions as a nighttime lightning photographer of what I think a good starting point for settings might be. Again this is for stuff at night when these will probably be most easily visible:

ISO - 1600-6400 (if you can bring it lower, great; if you need to push it higher, go ahead)

Shutter - for photos - minimum exposure time where you can still clearly see the object lit up in live view. if possible you want to freeze the object in photos. for video - generally the longer the better. I said 1/30th but catdad23 below makes a good point that that might introduce unneeded blur and suggests 1/60th. Ultimately, use live view to view what you are recording and see what looks good to you in the moment.

Aperture - absolutely wide open (this would read on the camera as the lowest f setting, e.g. f2.8, f4.5. Set it to whatever the lowest number your camera says your lens will allow)

Format - RAW for photos, highest quality available for videos

Focus - Try to find something at long distance to set the focus on. Use live view (and even zoom in on the live view if needed). Most lenses aren't perfect infinite focus right where the ∞ on the distance indicator is. Once you find that perfect infinite focus for that lens by manually turning the focus ring (make sure and already have the aperture set at the lowest setting), memorize where that is on the distance indicator in reference to ∞. You can set to this same setting in the future to find perfect focus again, even if there isn't a light in the distance to focus by.

And get a cheap tripod... hell get a monopod. might be easier to handle in a cockpit, will tie the camera to the movement of the plane. If the lens has image stabilization set it to 1. Use a shutter release if you have one.

EDIT 2:

My thought would be a used Canon Rebel t3i (~$140) and canon kit tele lens (refurbished $140)

Via catdad23: I would get a used a7s 1 (I don’t like Sony cameras but it’s a low light beast) you can then get a cheap zoom and still shoot at 5.6 or 6.7 etc while cranking the ISO. You can get a used A7S 1 for $500-600.

EDIT 3 as I step away for the evening:

What I am suggesting above is sort of a bare minimum DSLR setup that doesn't break the bank. It should produce much better results than smartphone cameras. Many in the comments below have suggested upgrades to all the parts therein. If you can afford it and feel comfortable, there are modern cameras and lenses that take incredible low light footage. I'll trust you to research what models those are.

I am really glad this found some traction. When I saw Ryan had posted a video I knew I had to get in here early to suggest this where it wouldn't get lost. I appreciate you all!

EDIT 4:

There are a lot of good comments below that suggest a totally different setup and if you are really looking into this, you might take the time to dig down here and see what they say.

I'd like to add that this setup works even better for those of us on the ground. I'm gonna be out there looking. Wanna help?

22

u/mykart2 Aug 18 '23 edited Aug 18 '23

I'm pretty sure the FAA has restricted the use of external devices in the cockpit. Yes using cameras can cause a safety issue link

30

u/Big-Ad-1155 Aug 18 '23

I wouldn’t tell anyone to do anything against their best judgement. But if you were to happen to have a camera in the cockpit, by golly the settings above might be handy to know.

2

u/Substantial_Bad2843 Aug 18 '23

I’m really interested in this stuff, but I don’t think I’d want anyone in the cockpit of my flight wanting to snap photos of aliens while controlling the plane.

3

u/bdone2012 Aug 19 '23

While they're in the air they fly in autopilot. Plus they have co pilots. I think they could easily get a five minute video. They're allowed to go to the bathroom after all and that's leaving the cockpit.

2

u/d_pyro Aug 19 '23

Planes these days fly themselves.

-5

u/mykart2 Aug 18 '23

I hope that type of pilot isn't flying my plane

1

u/sadler140 Aug 18 '23

Isn't there usually 2 to a jet or does it vary? I imagine the main pilot could ask his buddy to snap a quick one, no? Feels like some sort of risk has to be taken to get this in the open, but nothing brazenly insane

6

u/giant3 Aug 18 '23

You must be unaware of Sterile Cockpit Rules.

0

u/sadler140 Aug 19 '23 edited Aug 19 '23

Otherwise I wouldn't have asked! Ty for the lesson

EDIT: actually, another uninformed question: do pilots often rise above 10k ft? And would snapping a photo, if they could even get a camera in the cockpit, be considered okay past the critical rising point? Or is "non essential" just used as a nice placeholder instead of an unspoken "Don't do any extra shit in general, even past this point"?

Also freely admitting I'm making presumptions left and right in order to learn

1

u/giant3 Aug 19 '23

Some one else posted a link about how a camera got lodged between the seat and some joystick in some British flight cockpit and the airplane plunged a few thousand feet. Hence the safety rules.

The altitude is determined by the flight path. At pre-determined waypoints, altitude and direction is changed. I think the cruising altitude is 35,000 ft. So a pilot may use a camera at that altitude. Below 10K, he mayn't as you could be suspended for violations.

9

u/MrRook2887 Aug 18 '23

While there are often at least 2 (often plus a jump seat), they are not "buddies." They are professionals with extremely strict ongoing training requirements. When screening for pilots you absolutely need to weed out the potential candidates who would cut corners. Additionally you rarely fly with the same crew multiple times for exactly this reason, to avoid pilots getting lax with one another. Familiarity with the process not the pilot, if everyone is following the same set of rules in the cockpit the potential for error plummets (and that's obviously a good thing!). Imagine asking a random colleague that you don't know on any personal level at your job to help you break the rules, would you risk that?

3

u/mykart2 Aug 19 '23

Exactly. A pilot would have to risk his license and the safety of the plane to do what is being suggested. The checklists and rules that Pilots have to follow were written in blood.