Anza Notebook #9 -- IFOs Over Anza Are you aware that the Anza area has had a reputation for UFO activity over the years? We already spoofed this phenomenon on this web site with the Anza Cover-up page and The Visitation. It's the oddest thing. Dozens and sometimes more than a hundred observers spending long hours of the night observing the skies at our Anza site and none of us has ever reported seeing a UFO. Either we are all blind as bats out there or, just perhaps, there is something to the notion that people see what they want to see in the night sky. Well, enough about UFOs. This month's Anza Notebook showcases IFOs (identified flying objects) you can see at our site nearly every New Moon weekend of the year. OCA vice president and webmaster Russell Sipe has a number of hobbies, one of which is stunt kite flying. When he can he spends several hours each week playing with, and practicing his two-line stunt kite flying. At Anza he usually flies on Friday afternoons and/or on Saturday mornings before vehicles start to arrived in the "football field" common observing area. Don French took some images of Russell during the April star party weekend.   When Russell is on the site his windsock will be flying over Jupiter Ridge. A large single line kite often flies over Jupiter Ridge as well. Stunt kites are manufactured around the world and often come with exotic names. Here Russell shows off his Benson "Outer Space" from England. This two line stunt kite measures more than 6 feet across. Similar in size, the Outer Space (at 80 feet altitude) only seems larger than the single line coyne kite at 200 feet altitude. Notice the twin lines on the Outer Space and the single line on the .coyne kite. Russell flies near Anza House. Here the Outer Space makes a high speed pass over the OCA Observatory. Later Russell actually landed the kite on the roof. OOPS! Stunt kites typically are flown in open fields since the stunt lines are often a hundred or more feet long and are often flown in low ground passes. This is what can happen when flying in the narrow confines of the observatory road. The kite was recovered without damage after this kite-eating bush reached out and grabbed the lines.   Anza Notebook #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 Main Page Daytime Delights Day Hike Flashing Satellites A Mt. Wilson Dome comes to Anza The New Pad Area (Unnamed) The New Pad Area ("Land Doe") MOCAT and Stairs Anza House IFOs Over Anza