Airship to conduct aerial search for Bigfoot

[keninsc]

If this is a University project to build the craft, then probably there will be quite a lot of safety factor built in, so that the engines will be 50 to 100% stronger then they need to be. And the craft will have 50 to 100% extra lift. I know when I was studying mechanical engineering and we built a man powered vehicle for a Senior Project, that we always put a 2X safety factor on everything, so we used thick titanium tubing when regular steel, or aluminum might have worked just as well, but would not have had that safety factor to it.

Quite probably this craft could carry less framework and smaller engines and more batteries and have a much longer range and mission length.

Yeah, I'm an ME also. We never built anything quite like this, but aircraft engineering has always been a bit of a fascination for me. Basically, as I see it, it's pretty much a gas filled dirigible with vectoring fans for navigation and propulsion. Cameras can be be pretty darn small now, they don't need to carry film any more so what they have left as the biggest weight would be the battery system. Since the lift will be generated by the gas bag then they won't need very large fans to maneuver it around, of course there is weather to consider, time of year, turbulence, that sort of thing. It'd be nice to see what they come up with before they build it and take some internet brain storming. It's easy to change when it's just lines on paper, but once those lines turn into steel change is a bit@h.

[Jeff Meldrum]

Feel free to answer any or none at all.

And again, thank you for giving us this opportunity to learn more about the Falcon Project.

First of all, the airship sounds amazing! Definitely a once in a researcher's lifetime opportunity. Congratulations!

--Is funding going well and do you see project completion as scheduled (spring 2013)? We are pursuing multiple lines of potential sources, media and private. We'll have a better sense in a few weeks.

--The ship sounds revolutionary in design. Have any prototypes (or similar craft) been tested for stability, agility, and wind vulnerability? Yes.

--What is Idaho State University’s involvement with the project? The proposal and my role as PI has been aproved by the administration. The ISU Foundation is serving as the channel for donations.

--Will the aircraft be focusing on other (non-bigfoot) research at the same time? Say, to generate needed revenue to keep the project "in the air"? We plan to gather additional data, e.g. wildlife surveys, forest health, etc. and are in conversation with appropriate agencies. This would be a reciprocal information sharing collaboration.

--Will this be an international search project? (Canada) Yes.

--It is such a large ship. Why so large? It seems, to my novice mind, a ship of this size would be heard and seen and even felt by a creature that has survived by being almost supernaturally elusive, wary, and sensitive to its surroundings. (Lights on the ship, sounds more easily heard at night) Size correlates with payload ans stability. We're not tlking about lipstick or button cameras here. Plus there is the power source for the motors. Its altitude will make it unobtrusive.

--With a range of 5 miles how do you plan on transporting the command trailer and large airship to “rugged remote forested terrain” locations? As described in the article. Obviously there will be soe limitation on the remoteness of deployment. I think there will be plenty of potential accessible terrain .

--Mr. Barnes said he will be utilizing the airship in 12 states. Can you elaborate on which states? Are they all in one area of the Unites States? I haven't yet proritized potential sites. William may have a preliminary list in mind.

--Would you further explain the purpose behind the kill switch? Thus, it will be live-streaming? To whom? The intent is to have the imagery accessible. If the project gets the "million dollar shot" there will naturally be control over the images in order to recover the donors investment and assure financing for continued tracking and observation, etc.

[Jeff Meldrum]

-Is this type of aerial reconnaissance legal when you could have people's homes in the path of your information gathering? We are working closely with the FAA.

--Can you legally pilot a ship, especially of this size, while out of visual sight of the ship itself? Again, will be in compliance with FAA regulations and Canadian certtifications.

[Jeff Meldrum]

One question that I have for the good Dr. is this "how will you decide where to search?" Obviously you can't go everywhere or see everywhere, but you have to start looking somewhere - how is that location decided upon? thanks. And Thanks for being a part of the forum. Regardless of my views on the topic, it is an honor to interact with someone of the scientific persuasion who has dedicated their time and energy to the pursuit of Sasquatch in ways other than to futz around on the internet like most of us here do.

We will be combining approaches utilized in Oil and gas exploration combined with GIS methods to identify patterns of movement correlated with coverage data. The areas won't be surpises, but we hope to have a methodological basis for selecting our specific points of deployment.

[keninsc]

Ok, so let me ask.

Do you or your group advocate the taking of a Bigfoot for DNA and or autopsy in order to verify they truly exist?

[Sakari]

If the project gets the "million dollar shot" there will naturally be control over the images in order to recover the donors investment and assure financing for continued tracking and observation, etc.

Jeff,

A question I have all ways had when it comes to anything " paranormal ", and especially on this topic. And, something I have stated many times here.

If anything substantial ever came out of a investigation ( I.E. Destination truth, Monsterquest, etc. ) I would think a University would get involved in a hurry. And, any agency involved in wildlife. I know Idaho State is involved, but handling donations only.? Sounds like you have not gotten a green light to spend budget money to actively start a significant study / investigation.

I guess I have two questions :

If people are donating, why would any good footage be held back for monetary reasons to help " fund " future projects? Seems something like this would be the golden ticket to getting actual funding, and the scientific community more involved. ( and other agencies ). I do not understand holding back footage from the public myself. I noticed on the site that it would be held for a documentary?

I am in high hopes, with you being involved, that this kind of thing would not happen. There may be reasons for this, so I thought I would ask. I would just hate to see another " Sylvanic " , " Dr. Ketchum " issue happen.

As I have said to you , this is what seems to happen every time.... " evidence found, releasing soon "..." documentary to follow ".

I am glad that someone like yourself is involved, I have faith you will be someone that will make this project legitimate in how it performs, and releases information.

How much would someone need to donate to " see " footage, and status of project / investigation?....Or, will it be made public?

If good evidence " million dollar shot " is found, can we expect to see or hear about it on major news?

The work will pay dividends if 54-year-old Meldrum or someone else proves the existence of a bipedal hominid that isn't a human or known primate, something Meldrum thinks will happen in his lifetime.

http://www.oregonliv...r_publishe.html

Also, if you are ever in Oregon, can I donate time to help?

Edited November 8, 2012 by Sakari

[Q-C]

Thank you and much luck!

[Jeff Meldrum]

If anything substantial ever came out of a investigation ( I.E. Destination truth, Monsterquest, etc. ) I would think a University would get involved in a hurry. And, any agency involved in wildlife. I know Idaho State is involved, but handling donations only.? Sounds like you have not gotten a green light to spend budget money to actively start a significant study / investigation.

Universities do not conduct research, faculty do. The infrastructure of a university administration facilitates the conduct of research. There are limited university funds for required matches or seed grants, but faculty are expected to identify extramural sources of funding.

[Jeff Meldrum]

If people are donating, why would any good footage be held back for monetary reasons to help " fund " future projects? Seems something like this would be the golden ticket to getting actual funding, and the scientific community more involved. ( and other agencies). I do not understand holding back footage from the public myself. I noticed on the site that it would be held for a documentary?

I am in high hopes, with you being involved, that this kind of thing would not happen. There may be reasons for this, so I thought I would ask. I would just hate to see another " Sylvanic " , " Dr. Ketchum " issue happen.

As I have said to you , this is what seems to happen every time.... " evidence found, releasing soon "..." documentary to follow ".

I am glad that someone like yourself is involved, I have faith you will be someone that will make this project legitimate in how it performs, and releases information.

How much would someone need to donate to " see " footage, and status of project / investigation?....Or, will it be made public?

If good evidence " million dollar shot " is found, can we expect to see or hear about it on major news?

The appropriate approach will be to have substantial evidence refereed and published in a scientific venue before releasing it to the public wholesale. Obviously, if we receive substantial funding from a media source like a cable channel, we will have to work out contractual agreements to accomodate their interests. In the meantime they would provide step by step coverage of the development and progress of the project.

[S2F]

Thanks again Dr. Meldrum for taking the time to answer some questions here. It is much appreciated by myself and certainly others as well.

[Jeff Meldrum]

Do you or your group advocate the taking of a Bigfoot for DNA and or autopsy in order to verify they truly exist?

The initial objective is to establish a methodology that permits tracking and observation, with on-the-ground verification through the collection and documentation of trace and physical evidence. If either of the current DNA projects comes to fruition, we won't need to collect samples for DNA analysis, and the emphasis of the Falcon project would remain on observation and study longterm. If not, then a protocol for reliable location and tracking would lend itself to the subsequent step of DNA collection. I would prefer those initial attempts be to collect samples from hair and scat located by the ground teams, rather than attempts to tranquilize or otherwise capture an individual for purposes of examination. At some point the later may be deemed justified.

[S2F]

Do you or your group advocate the taking of a Bigfoot for DNA and or autopsy in order to verify they truly exist?

The initial objective is to establish a methodology that permits tracking and observation, with on-the-ground verification through the collection and documentation of trace and physical evidence. If either of the current DNA projects comes to fruition, we won't need to collect samples for DNA analysis, and the emphasis of the Falcon project would remain on observation and study longterm. If not, then a protocol for reliable location and tracking would lend itself to the subsequent step of DNA collection. I would prefer those initial attempts be to collect samples from hair and scat located by the ground teams, rather than attempts to tranquilize or otherwise capture an individual for purposes of examination. At some point the later may be deemed justified.

What kind of response time are you envisioning between the aerial and ground teams. Will there be an immediate response from the ground to collect possible evidence or will circumstances dictate otherwise (weather, terrain, logistics etc.)?

Edit* For the collection of evidence obviously the sooner the better to preserve the integrity of said evidence. Is anything being done in the planning stage to help facilitate that?

Edited November 8, 2012 by Slave2Fate

[Q-C]

Do you or your group advocate the taking of a Bigfoot for DNA and or autopsy in order to verify they truly exist?

The initial objective is to establish a methodology that permits tracking and observation, with on-the-ground verification through the collection and documentation of trace and physical evidence. If either of the current DNA projects comes to fruition, we won't need to collect samples for DNA analysis, and the emphasis of the Falcon project would remain on observation and study longterm. If not, then a protocol for reliable location and tracking would lend itself to the subsequent step of DNA collection. I would prefer those initial attempts be to collect samples from hair and scat located by the ground teams, rather than attempts to tranquilize or otherwise capture an individual for purposes of examination. At some point the later may be deemed justified.

Could you expand on these "current DNA projects"?

And you may have missed my question or do not plan to answer (no problem) but I'll ask again.

Could you expand on the infrasound theory of communication between these hominids? It must be thought probable enough to include infrasound technology in this project.

I think a documentary (as you spoke of) on the creation and activities of this project would be highly interesting and profitable.

Edited November 8, 2012 by QuiteContrary

[Sakari]

If anything substantial ever came out of a investigation ( I.E. Destination truth, Monsterquest, etc. ) I would think a University would get involved in a hurry. And, any agency involved in wildlife. I know Idaho State is involved, but handling donations only.? Sounds like you have not gotten a green light to spend budget money to actively start a significant study / investigation.

Universities do not conduct research, faculty do. The infrastructure of a university administration facilitates the conduct of research. There are limited university funds for required matches or seed grants, but faculty are expected to identify extramural sources of funding.

Thank You Jeff.

If people are donating, why would any good footage be held back for monetary reasons to help " fund " future projects? Seems something like this would be the golden ticket to getting actual funding, and the scientific community more involved. ( and other agencies). I do not understand holding back footage from the public myself. I noticed on the site that it would be held for a documentary?

I am in high hopes, with you being involved, that this kind of thing would not happen. There may be reasons for this, so I thought I would ask. I would just hate to see another " Sylvanic " , " Dr. Ketchum " issue happen.

As I have said to you , this is what seems to happen every time.... " evidence found, releasing soon "..." documentary to follow ".

I am glad that someone like yourself is involved, I have faith you will be someone that will make this project legitimate in how it performs, and releases information.

How much would someone need to donate to " see " footage, and status of project / investigation?....Or, will it be made public?

If good evidence " million dollar shot " is found, can we expect to see or hear about it on major news?

The appropriate approach will be to have substantial evidence refereed and published in a scientific venue before releasing it to the public wholesale. Obviously, if we receive substantial funding from a media source like a cable channel, we will have to work out contractual agreements to accomodate their interests. In the meantime they would provide step by step coverage of the development and progress of the project.

Thank you again Jeff.....I have to admit, I am / was hoping this project will / would not go the route of television. To me, this takes everything away from a serious investigation.

And again, if this comes to Oregon, can I donate my time?...Bow hunted for 20 years...

Do you or your group advocate the taking of a Bigfoot for DNA and or autopsy in order to verify they truly exist?

The initial objective is to establish a methodology that permits tracking and observation, with on-the-ground verification through the collection and documentation of trace and physical evidence. If either of the current DNA projects comes to fruition, we won't need to collect samples for DNA analysis, and the emphasis of the Falcon project would remain on observation and study longterm. If not, then a protocol for reliable location and tracking would lend itself to the subsequent step of DNA collection. I would prefer those initial attempts be to collect samples from hair and scat located by the ground teams, rather than attempts to tranquilize or otherwise capture an individual for purposes of examination. At some point the later may be deemed justified.

What current DNA projects are you refering to?

And Jeff, thank you for participating.

[psyche101]

Dr Meldrum

Thank you for taking you time to speak to the community. A rare pleasure.

How do you feel this search will affect the phenomena overall? With your support, I suspect you must believe a reasonable chance exists that the search will be fruitful, however, if it is not, do you feel this will affect peoples views on the subject? After all, it does seem the most extensive search ever undertaken, and it reminds me just a little of the search for Nessie, after the BBC sweep in 2003, the legend seems to have lost all steam.

ETA Welcome to UM, and again, thank you for your time. Gosh, a million discussions must have happened here that we would have loved to have seen you in. A treat to have you here. I hope we can convince you to voice in on discussions from time to time. Your input would be greatly appreciated and most valuable.

Cheers.

Edited November 9, 2012 by psyche101

[Night Walker]

Pleased to have you on board, Dr. Meldrum.

The Falcon Project ”Quick Response Investigative Ground Team” is listed as: Derek Randles, Lindsay Broughton, James Million, Brian Rasmussen, Paul Graves, and Richard Germeau. Except for Million (what is his background?) all are active in the amateur Bigfoot research community as part of the Olympic Project (http://www.olympicproject.com/id1.html) which is dubiously associated with Melba Ketchum and DNA Diagnostics (http://www.olympicpr...d15.closelyhtml) and believes some of its trail camera pictures feature supposed “Bigfoot body parts” (http://www.olympicpr...t.com/id13.html).

Additionally, Randles was present at the expedition which yielded the infamous “Skookum cast” (http://www.bigfooten...ookum_hokum.htm (Are you still of the opinion that it shows a Bigfoot-lay rather than a mundane elk-lay?)

I think that the Falcon Project is an innovative approach to data collection. However, my concern is that having so many active “Bigfooters” in close proximity to the search area via the ”Quick Response Investigative Ground Team” immediately casts doubts on to the scientific validity on the entire study should any potentially positive results emerge. In my experience, a significant proportion of Bigfoot fakery and storytelling comes from within the amateur Bigfoot research community itself and that ambiguous data (like the webcam Bigfoot pictures and Skookum cast listed above) are too readily (mis-)interpreted as being evidence of Bigfoot.

If the Falcon Project is a genuine scientific endeavour then why aren’t neutral experienced trackers, biological grad-students, or something similar involved in the response team rather than those with a clearly biased foundation?

Edited November 9, 2012 by Night Walker

[Night Walker]

[Sakari]

The Falcon Project ”Quick Response Investigative Ground Team” is listed as: Derek Randles, Lindsay Broughton, James Million, Brian Rasmussen, Paul Graves, and Richard Germeau. Except for Million (what is his background?) all are active in the amateur Bigfoot research community as part of the Olympic Project (http://www.olympicproject.com/id1.html) which is dubiously associated with Melba Ketchum and DNA Diagnostics (http://www.olympicpr...d15.closelyhtml) and believes some of its trail camera pictures feature supposed “Bigfoot body parts” (http://www.olympicpr...t.com/id13.html).

I agree 100% with your reply, and have the exact same questions.

After seeing above, I know myself, and many, many others now have a new look on this. And it is not good.

This is what I was afraid of.

[+DieChecker]

I'd add my own welcome and thanks to Dr Meldrum for posting here on this site.

I also think that the "Quick Response Investigative Ground Team" should have more non-partisan group members. A response team that is 100% pro-bigfoot are going to be suspect immediately and recieve more media bias then a team of 50% "experts" and 50% qualified non-partisan observers.

How do you feel this search will affect the phenomena overall? With your support, I suspect you must believe a reasonable chance exists that the search will be fruitful, however, if it is not, do you feel this will affect peoples views on the subject? After all, it does seem the most extensive search ever undertaken, and it reminds me just a little of the search for Nessie, after the BBC sweep in 2003, the legend seems to have lost all steam.

I do wonder it like Psyche says here, that if this search (and the 2nd and 3rd and other follow up searches, regardless of number) turn up nothing will that be considered a major Nail in the Coffin?

[orangepeaceful79]

So what I hear Dr. Meldrum saying is that they have a ship, they know where they are going to look, they are using this sort of aerial tracking to enhance the possibility of hooking up with Bigfoot on the ground, and that they have to play the funding game with university administrations and possibly later on, cable networks who will ultimately have their own advertising-related agenda of douchebaggery to contend with.

I gotta say - I am not envious of the Doc. Sounds like a giant pain in the ass for something that might not even be real. Best of luck!

[keninsc]

Incorrect, they're trying to get funds to build a ship and they will owe the monetary backer for their investment, but that's how it often is when you don't have the bucks yourself. In cases like this one must understand that the "Golden Rule" applies.

"The one with all the gold makes the rules."

Edited November 11, 2012 by keninsc

[+DieChecker]

So what I hear Dr. Meldrum saying is that they have a ship, they know where they are going to look, they are using this sort of aerial tracking to enhance the possibility of hooking up with Bigfoot on the ground, and that they have to play the funding game with university administrations and possibly later on, cable networks who will ultimately have their own advertising-related agenda of douchebaggery to contend with.

I gotta say - I am not envious of the Doc. Sounds like a giant pain in the ass for something that might not even be real. Best of luck!

Ah, but he has the other guy...William Barnes... to do all his ground work and leg work. Or at least to help. Lots better then doing it all yourself.

Edited November 11, 2012 by DieChecker

[Q-C]

I just want to see it built and fly and gather information and not scare the fauna or crash.

My interest in the project has pretty much nothing to do with Bigfoot, even if the project is about sasquatch.

Edited November 11, 2012 by QuiteContrary

[Night Walker]

Sakari: Is question time with Dr. meldrum officially over? Are you able to confirm?

[Sakari]

Sakari: Is question time with Dr. meldrum officially over? Are you able to confirm?

I will send a email and see......