Vertical Situation Display (VSD)

[ER2nd.]

Melbourne Daily Post.
Wednesday 31st March 2004

Flight deck equipment image mystery

Technicians from Boeing are evaluating apparent equipment malfunctions to some of their in-service VSD’s (Visual Display Equipment). Reports have been received indicating ghosting resembling greyish images of various shapes, sizes and intensity appearing below the displays horizontal axis when around 20 minutes out, flying to/from Tasmania. On one occasion, an attempt to interrogate a fairly large and ‘solid’ looking image appeared to trigger a (pinged back) intense radio signal.,,, before the image ‘moved’, faded and disappeared from the screen. Line pilots remain tight-lipped about the VSD’s performance but some Captain’s have conceded that they expect to net an even bigger bonus from the introduction of the VSD than first thought. The revolutionary technology has earned a useful place in the modern B737 cockpit by virtue of its ability to show current and predicted flight path of the aircraft and potential conflicts with terrain.

Hal O’Shailer

[Orville]

It might be because Tas. is shaped like a Triangle (Bermuda). Haven't there been numerous reports over the years of UFO's?

Didn't a pilot and his a/c go missing after reporting a UFO while flying across the strait.

[Beer Can Dreaming]

Orville - yeah.
Some dude called Frederich Valentich went missing in a 172 I believe.
He reported seeing strange lights etc before aircraft went missing (never found I believe).

At the time like most punters I scoffed at the notion of UFO involvement but I accidentally came across the most amazing UFO pic taken from SE Victoria a few hours before this supposed incident.
Cant say for sure what it is but optical analysts did verify it was a solid object of definitive size and the pic wasnt a fake.

Go figure guys.

Aliens are really living amongst us - would explain Dick Smith really!!

[socks]

http://www.uforq.asn.au/casefiles/valentich.html

"Extensive UFO activity was reported just days before the incident, with UFO reports coming from all over King Island. At one stage a large light hovered to the west of Maastuyker Island for nearly two hours, and power in the lighthouse keepers residence failed for that time. Moving lights and daylight sightings were widely reported as far south as Hobart, with the strange flap of sightings reaching its peak on the day that Valentich disappeared. "

[vortsa]

" Trust no-one"

[Richo]

its today.

Checked the date lately??

Woomera, your edit may have given it all away.


OK big fella. I'll put it back the way it was......... :{

W

[Going Boeing]

I appreciate the date, but for info of those who are interested in the disappearance of Mr Valantich in his C172 between Cape Otway and King Island. I was in the first search aircraft to arrive on the scene in the early hours of the morning and the weather conditions were fine with a solid overcast base 6000'. I observed whilst at approx 4000' on descent an unusal light array in the base of the cloud which appeared to be a sequence of lights. After observing these lights for a few minutes, I realised that they were caused by refraction of light from the light houses on Cape Otway and King Island. Throughout the rest of the flight the only observation was a fuel/oil slick 10NM north of King Island and the RCC dispatched a vessel to take a sample to see if it could have come from Mr Valentich's aircraft. The RCC never gave us any feedback on that so I don't know if it is significant.

The Flight Service operator that we were communicating with informed us that Mr Valentich reported seeing strange lights close to his aircraft and shortly thereafter reported that his engine was "running rough". Whilst I freely admit that I am not in possession of all the facts relating to his disappearance, I believe that a possible explanation is that whilst in cruise he saw the same lights that I did and became focused of them. He was an inexperienced pilot who had recently obtained his night VFR rating. He may have become disoriented whilst looking at the lights and allowed the aircraft to become inverted (dark night - no moon) which would explain why the engine started running rough due to oil starvation. It is plausible that with his lack of experience at night that he was unable to pull out of the Unusual Attitude before impacting the sea.

I have recently seen a book published by a UFO researcher which refers to Mr Valentich's disappearance but the details that he gave did not match what I saw myself which leads me to belive that either he was pushing his own agenda or his research was sloppy.

I am interested in any other reliable material on this subject. GB

[amos2]

I didn't think that anyone had ever doubted that he, unfortunately, speared straight in never to be seen again!

:confused:

[Richo]

Without beliteling the loss, by whatever means, to the C172 near Tassie.

So ER was it a JOKE perpetrated upon the unsuspecting, and if so I wonder how many jumped right in.

Conspiracy theory here I come.

Richo

PS very criptic Woomera # whichever.

[ER2nd.]

Yes Richo..it was a joke but it apears 'we' are not amused. Anyone who knows anything about the VSD knows my scenario was absolutely impossible. It was meant as a straight forward bit of innocent fun however it got diverted onto a sad actual event. I don't think there'll be too many viewers out there who who would want to admit to having 'jumped right in'. Oh well....just a change of thread from the usual viscous, personal attack type messages we see far too often (these days) on the PPRuNe. But wait....is that a dagger I see before me?....aaaaaaaaaaaaaah..