As a former F-16 fighter pilot and instructor with 18 years of experience, I have a unique perspective on these strange sightings. What some government and military officials admit goes far beyond what we think is possible with current technology.

In recent Congressional hearings, Navy pilot Ryan Graves described encountering objects off the Virginia coast that could remain completely stationary. At the same time, category four hurricane-force winds raged past at over 130 mph. He said these objects could instantly accelerate to supersonic speeds exceeding Mach 1. How is this possible? No known aircraft, drone, or balloon could exhibit such performance.

Graves and his squadron began detecting these objects after radar upgrades on their F-18 Super Hornets in 2014. They tracked the things on multiple sensors, including radar and infrared. On one occasion, a dark gray cube inside a transparent sphere came within 50 feet of the lead jet in a formation. The visual sighting estimated the object's size at 5-15 feet in diameter. The pilot immediately aborted the training flight and returned to base.

The stationary hovering ability is the most perplexing. Any conventional aircraft or drone would get blown backward at over 130 mph in hurricane-force winds. To hold a position would require matched thrust exceeding the wind speed. Yet these objects show no exhaust or propulsion signature we can detect.

According to Dr. Kirkpatrick's NASA briefing, 46% of the 800 sightings of UAPs are "round orb sphere" in shape. While weather balloons fit this morphology, they could not overcome hurricane winds. When accelerating to supersonic speeds, the g-forces would likely destroy a balloon. Drones face the same physics limitations.

The onboard sensor data provides key evidence these objects display performance-defying physics as we know it. Think about the magnitude of the breakthrough this represents. Just hovering motionless in 130+ mph wind demonstrates tremendous energy generation and control we cannot yet engineer.

Add instantaneous hypersonic acceleration with no detectable exhaust or sonic boom - and we have a true mystery. What propulsion physics enables such feats? How can such extreme maneuvers be withstood by any structure or living entity? These capabilities imply advanced technology far beyond classified programs.


Something more profound

Indeed, revolutionary physics and engineering are being displayed or tricked. If engineered by an adversary, it would represent an existential national security threat. If not adversarial, it suggests something even more profound - technology not made by humans.

What if the key does prove to be something beyond conventional technology and physics? An advanced civilization, not human?
The implications are enormous, but should we avoid following the truth? With the mounting evidence, we must focus investment and scientific resources on illuminating the mystery. And do so with urgency and an open mind.

There are rumored programs decades ahead of what is publicly acknowledged. If true, the testing of exotic propulsion may have been ongoing for years. Perhaps retrieved materials or technology are already being examined in compartmentalized special access programs.

Regardless, the limited reporting and oversight of UFO/UAP incidents must end. The data belongs to all humanity, not gatekeepers shielding knowledge. We can replicate such technology only with transparency, adequate funding, and our brightest minds working on the problem.

What the pilots see off the Virginia coast, in the Nimitz encounters, and elsewhere proves we are dealing with a profound challenge. These UAPs display characteristics that mirror our sci-fi visions of advanced civilizations. The stakes could not be higher. This generation may become known as the dawn of the energy revolution that transformed society. But only if we rise to the challenge with courage, resources, and determination to follow the data wherever it leads.

UFO sightings, once confined to tabloids and late-night talk shows, are now entering mainstream conversations with a weight of credibility we've never seen before. As someone who's flown an F-16 for over 18 years, I've approached these reports with skepticism and fascination.

Recent disclosures have even the most seasoned pilots, such as Navy pilot Ryan Graves, scratching their heads. Graves recounted interactions with objects off the Virginia coast, able to withstand category four hurricane-force winds, maintaining position as if frozen in the sky, only to dart away at incomprehensible speeds.
For me, the fact that these unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) can remain stationary in such violent conditions and then accelerate to speeds that would break our current understanding of physics is baffling. Such gusts would carry away our best aircraft and the energy required to remain fixed would be phenomenal.
The sceptic in me would point to drones or weather balloons. But the spherical shapes reported and the forces they endure — the g-forces of their rapid acceleration alone — would shatter our best drones and balloons. Furthermore, these crafts operate silently, with no detectable propulsion system. Could they be satellites? They saw them inside six nautical miles. How is that a satellite?
Whistleblower Dave Grusch said the US has known about these revolutionary technologies for decades, leading secretive programs to study and develop the tech. While such claims require further investigation, they underscore a desperate need for transparency.


Cusp of a breakthrough?


Are we on the cusp of a technological breakthrough, perhaps teetering on the verge of understanding technologies that may be non-human in origin? Or have some of these breakthroughs already occurred behind the veil of top-secret programs?
The implications are staggering.
We could be talking about technologies that would redefine our transportation, energy sectors and even our place in the universe.
The time for change is now. While the military has a role in our national defense, this is bigger than any institution. Transparency is about humanity's next giant leap. What we don't need is more classified programs and gatekeeping. We need openness, a collaboration between civilian and military scientists, and an international effort to understand and harness whatever technology these UAPs represent.
The path ahead demands a renewed commitment to understanding, devoid of bureaucratic silos and restrictions. We owe ourselves and future generations to push boundaries and redefine what's possible.


And while this might be my perspective, what do you think? We would love to hear from you. Have a local UAP story, a video, or a personal experience with these mysteries? Please share them with us, and let's journey into the unknown together. For more, dive into the "Lehto Files" on YouTube.

And remember, the future might just be starting — let's not be left behind.


Author

Chris Lehto, ex-F-16 pilot, and YouTuber, combines aviation expertise and passion for the unexplained to investigate UAPs. He founded the UAP Society, funding decentralised research into alien existence using NFTs.

Chris Lehto