# Modern day foo fighters and St. Elmos fire **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 13, 2004, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-foo-fighters-and-st-elmos-fire/244936 "2004-05-13T11:30:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-foo-fighters-and-st-elmos-fire/244936/1 "2004-05-13T11:30:53Z")
Are there any reports of modern jets being chased by foo fighters, like there were in World War Two? Similarly, are modern day ships affected by St. Elmos fire? What are the current hyoptheses about what foo fighters actually were? For example, I’ve seen it claimed that they may have been ball lightning, yet I’ve also seen reports that stated that planes were buzzed and circled by the foo fighters. How could ball lightning do that? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-foo-fighters-and-st-elmos-fire/244936/2 "2004-05-13T11:41:12Z")
Before high altitude prop aircraft–no Foo fighters. During use of High Altitude/high performance Prop aircraft–Foo fighters seen. After jets largely replace props at altitude–no more Foo fighters. Prop enigine aircraft create electrical/radio discharge from their engines. Anybody who lives near a small airport & watches broadcast TV (as I did throughout the 1970’s) can testify to this, as it messes up radio/TV reception. High altitude has littlkw humidity. Very dry air. My conclusion–Foo Fighters are a static electric phenominon, & the motion is caused the the unintended electrical/radio output from the engines, particularly the air-cooled radial engines which are now very rare. Those radials pumped out the biggest interferrence, as I recall. ---
**Author:** ![RandomLetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@RandomLetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandomLetters)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-foo-fighters-and-st-elmos-fire/244936/3 "2004-05-13T11:41:49Z")
Just a couple days ago some UFO’s were reported flying around some Mexican Air Force planes. [UFOs Filmed over Mexico.](http://www.sltrib.com/2004/May/05132004/nation_w/166146.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-foo-fighters-and-st-elmos-fire/244936/4 "2004-05-13T11:44:08Z")
Yeah, the Mexican sightings are what prompted me to ask. If jets aren’t susceptible to foo fighters, are modern day prop aircraft (and Spitfires / Mustangs) that are still flyign still able to be chased by them? Even if the cause was electrical in nature, how can that explain them moving around the aircraft in the fashion often reported? ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-foo-fighters-and-st-elmos-fire/244936/5 "2004-05-13T11:54:07Z")
Another thing: > [@](#): > > After jets largely replace props at altitude–no more Foo fighters. I’ve heard it mentioned several times that professional pilots are loathe to report any strange lights which they spot whilst flying, in fear of their judgement being called into question. What with any mention of strange lights instantly being connected to extra terrestrials, and the crackpots that are attracted to that area of study, I can’t really lame them. Any reports of passenger aircraft being buzzed by strange lights do seem to be connected instantly to UFOs by the press, in my experience. Perhaps the drop in the number of foo fighter sightings is more connected with the general reluctance to report strange lights, and the misidentification of any sightings that are reported? Just a thought. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-foo-fighters-and-st-elmos-fire/244936/6 "2004-05-13T11:59:32Z")
> [@RandomLetters](#): > > Just a couple days ago some UFO’s were reported flying around some Mexican Air Force planes. [UFOs Filmed over Mexico.](http://www.sltrib.com/2004/May/05132004/nation_w/166146.asp) Heh > [@](#): > > MEXICO CITY – Mexican air force pilots filmed 11 bright, rapidly moving objects in the skies that an expert said proved the existence of UFOs It doesn’t take an ‘expert’ to make a pronouncement like that; there were some objects, they appeared to be flying and they couldn’t be identified; they are UFOs. ---
**Author:** ![RandomLetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@RandomLetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandomLetters)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-foo-fighters-and-st-elmos-fire/244936/7 "2004-05-13T12:05:19Z")
Well, another modern case of UFO sightings involving military aircraft was back in 1989-90 when the Belgian Air Force ended chasing a number of UFO’s with their F-16s. Said inccident had numerous witness in the ground and air, several video recording & pictures(all which saw the same triangle shaped craft), and radar contacts over a 4 month period. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-foo-fighters-and-st-elmos-fire/244936/8 "2004-05-13T12:20:04Z")
> [@RandomLetters](#): > > Well, another modern case of UFO sightings involving military aircraft was back in 1989-90 when the Belgian Air Force ended chasing a number of UFO’s with their F-16s. Said inccident had numerous witness in the ground and air, several video recording & pictures(all which saw the same triangle shaped craft), and radar contacts over a 4 month period. Yeah. **Nothing** triangle-shaped could **ever** fly! [NOPE! HAD TO BE A UFO! LINK.](http://www.uga.edu/~afrotc/det160/multimedia/aircraft/pictures/b2-stealth-1.gif) [NOPE! NOTHING OF THIS EARTH THAT WAS SHAPED LIKE A TRIANGLE COULD FLY! NOPE! LINK](http://www.uga.edu/~afrotc/det160/multimedia/aircraft/pictures/f117-stealth-1.gif) BTW-- the images on TV are from an Infra Red Camera mounted on the plane. The pilots did not see anything. It was a film problem, no doubt. Tryu reading a detailed news account, instead of just the most sensational ones. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-foo-fighters-and-st-elmos-fire/244936/9 "2004-05-13T12:25:12Z")
Bosca, why would an American stealth fighter be flying into Belgian airspace without the Belgians knowing? I mean, it’s not like the Belgians would have refused to let them fly through their airspace, so why risk the possibility of the Belgians tryign to shoot the thing down? ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-foo-fighters-and-st-elmos-fire/244936/10 "2004-05-13T12:26:19Z")
How fast can a stealth fighter go anyway? The Belgian military reported the craft were travelling in speeds excess of the speed of sound, and produced no discernable sonic boom. I always thought that the F117A was sub sonic? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-foo-fighters-and-st-elmos-fire/244936/11 "2004-05-13T12:31:40Z")
> [@+MDI](#): > > Bosca, why would an American stealth fighter be flying into Belgian airspace without the Belgians knowing? I mean, it’s not like the Belgians would have refused to let them fly through their airspace, so why risk the possibility of the Belgians tryign to shoot the thing down? Bos **d** a. My name is Bos **d** a. Haven’t you done that before? :dubious: Likely the Belgians _did know_ …at the highest levels. But Joe Fighter Pilot might not have, for security reasons. [ALSO, LOOK HERE.](http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/row/mirage-2000-line.gif) [OR HERE](http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/row/m2000_p3.jpg) [OR HERE](http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/row/m2000-800600_02.jpg) Might have been somebody closer to home… ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-foo-fighters-and-st-elmos-fire/244936/12 "2004-05-13T12:37:08Z")
Sorry, it was an honest mistake. I don’t think I’ve mispelled your name before. > [@](#): > > It changed shape on their radar to a diamond shape, increased its speed to 1,000 km/hour, and took swift evasive action. Tapes of the on-board radar of the F-16s show that the object descended from 3,000 meters to 1200 meters in 2 seconds. That’s a speed of 1800 km/hour. The tapes also show the object accelerating from 280 km/hour to 1800 km/hour in a few seconds. This represents an acceleration of 46 G, which is more than a human body could withstand. It is notable that at no time was there a sonic boom. > > … > > These objects were seen by thousands of witnesses, many of whom gave signed statements to the police. They were photographed and filmed. The objects were tracked by ground radar at several different installations, and also by the on-board radar of the F-16s. From [http://ufos.about.com/library/weekly/aa031698.htm](http://ufos.about.com/library/weekly/aa031698.htm) I don’t think a Mirage can do those things. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-foo-fighters-and-st-elmos-fire/244936/13 "2004-05-13T12:48:06Z")
[http://keyholepublishing.com/What\_Are\_The\_Triangles.htm](http://keyholepublishing.com/What_Are_The_Triangles.htm) Interesting. Perhaps it was a super secret reconnaisance plane after all. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-foo-fighters-and-st-elmos-fire/244936/14 "2004-05-13T13:51:14Z")
> [@+MDI](#): > > Interesting. Perhaps it was a super secret reconnaisance plane after all. And if it’s unmanned - either automated or RC - then there would be fewer performance-envelope restrictions. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-foo-fighters-and-st-elmos-fire/244936/15 "2004-05-13T13:52:02Z")
Or, one of the recon drones the military is working on. Unmanned, & high performance. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-foo-fighters-and-st-elmos-fire/244936/16 "2004-05-13T14:45:50Z")
What the heck are _foo fighters_, anyhow? 😕 Please define for the class… ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-foo-fighters-and-st-elmos-fire/244936/17 "2004-05-13T14:53:01Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > What the heck are _foo fighters_, anyhow? UFOs seen by British pilots in the Second World War. > **[Humor & Whimsy](https://www.liveabout.com/humor-4687973)** > > Indulge your curiosity and have a little fun with these stories about the weird and the wonderful. With articles on aliens, cats, cartoons, and hoaxes, this collection is guaranteed boredom-basher. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-foo-fighters-and-st-elmos-fire/244936/18 "2004-05-13T20:03:58Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > What the heck are _foo fighters_, anyhow? 😕 > Please define for the class… A band. > **[Home - Foo Fighters](https://www.foofighters.com/)** > > New album ‘Medicine At Midnight’ out now. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-foo-fighters-and-st-elmos-fire/244936/19 "2004-05-13T20:11:47Z")
> [@+MDI](#): > > Bosca, why would an American stealth fighter be flying into Belgian airspace without the Belgians knowing? We violated Belgian neutrality? :eek: uh-oh, _that_ never turns out too well for _anybody._ ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-foo-fighters-and-st-elmos-fire/244936/20 "2004-05-13T20:19:47Z")
I didn’t know they had an air force at cannae. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-foo-fighters-and-st-elmos-fire/244936.md?page=2)