'Live pterosaur' filmed flying over Idaho

[Skywizard]

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/images/news_large/news-pterosaur-video.jpg
The 'pterosaur' can be seen soaring over an Idaho neighborhood.


A recently released video claims to show what looks like a dinosaur flying over the
United States.The controversial footage, which was allegedly recorded over Boise in
Idaho by a perplexed onlooker, captures the moment the prehistoric flying reptile
was spotted over the area.

Sightings of large winged creatures have actually been reported several times over the last few decades with legends of the 'Thunderbird' still alive and well in Native American folklore.

Famous cases include that of two cowboys who in 1890 allegedly killed a gigantic bird-like creature in Arizona which had smooth skin and a face like that of an alligator. Cryptozoologist Loren Coleman has also written extensively about a series of Thunderbird sightings that occurred in the 1940s.

There was even an incident in 1977 in which three young boys in Lawndale, Illinois were pursued by two large birds. As they tried to escape, one of the boys was allegedly picked up by one of the creatures and carried over a short distance before being dropped again.

As for the new video - while it certainly looks impressive, critics have argued that it could very easily be a computer-generated hoax and very little is known about the background or circumstances.

The chances of it being an actual pterosaur are remote to say the least.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YreRe_vkTp4



Source: http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/286210/live-pterosaur-filmed-flying-over-idaho



peace...

[Nasu]

looks a little mechanical to me, especially the flapping. When its head goes inverted but remained on course, it made me think it was a clever drone or hobby craft, doled up to look like a pterodactyl.. IMHO... N

[KiwiElf]

I think you may find it's a remote controlled "model" ;)

[Aurelius]

The 'pterosaur' can be seen soaring over an Idaho neighborhood.


A recently released video claims to show what looks like a dinosaur flying over the
United States.The controversial footage, which was allegedly recorded over Boise in
Idaho by a perplexed onlooker, captures the moment the prehistoric flying reptile
was spotted over the area.

Sightings of large winged creatures have actually been reported several times over the last few decades with legends of the 'Thunderbird' still alive and well in Native American folklore.

Famous cases include that of two cowboys who in 1890 allegedly killed a gigantic bird-like creature in Arizona which had smooth skin and a face like that of an alligator. Cryptozoologist Loren Coleman has also written extensively about a series of Thunderbird sightings that occurred in the 1940s.

There was even an incident in 1977 in which three young boys in Lawndale, Illinois were pursued by two large birds. As they tried to escape, one of the boys was allegedly picked up by one of the creatures and carried over a short distance before being dropped again.

As for the new video - while it certainly looks impressive, critics have argued that it could very easily be a computer-generated hoax and very little is known about the background or circumstances.

The chances of it being an actual pterosaur are remote to say the least.




useful analysis:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m3WlCs3m8g

[DNA]

looks a little mechanical to me, especially the flapping. When its head goes inverted but remained on course, it made me think it was a clever drone or hobby craft, doled up to look like a pterodactyl.. IMHO... N

exactly my thoughts.

[KiwiElf]

Clearly, it isn't this one, but RC "ornithopters" do exist, mimicking birds... or bird-like creatures

H1HExRBCKP8

[Selkie]

I think its a complete hoax. The wings are laughingly mechanical. And from what I've read of pterosaurs, they did not flap their wings at all, even in the old days of lesser gravity on earth, because their wings weren't constructed for it. From the paleontological evidence, they were gliders, and could not do anything else.

[Citizen No2]

Skywizard wrote:


The chances of it being an actual pterosaur are remote to say the least.

Remote? I'd say the chances of it being an actual Pterosaur are extinct, to say the least.


Regards.

[Fellow Aspirant]

Yup. The head inversion should have made it flip end to end.

Brian

[Selkie]

Skywizard wrote:


The chances of it being an actual pterosaur are remote to say the least.

Remote? I'd say the chances of it being an actual Pterosaur are extinct, to say the least.


Regards.

There are usually a couple of pterosaur/thunderbird sightings every year that fall into the category of high strangeness, but I don't think this is one of them. I think this is a hoax.

[Chip]

Yes, definitely a model. But a very excellent one indeed. A few years back I watched a documentary about pterosaurs and they ended up making a flying model to try and replicate how it would fly. They were successful in that it flew but the one in this video appears to be a much better reproduction.
Still fascinating for what it's worth.

[animovado]

I think its a complete hoax. The wings are laughingly mechanical. And from what I've read of pterosaurs, they did not flap their wings at all, even in the old days of lesser gravity on earth, because their wings weren't constructed for it. From the paleontological evidence, they were gliders, and could not do anything else.

And how did they get into the air?

BTW, I think this one is CGI.

[Selkie]

I think its a complete hoax. The wings are laughingly mechanical. And from what I've read of pterosaurs, they did not flap their wings at all, even in the old days of lesser gravity on earth, because their wings weren't constructed for it. From the paleontological evidence, they were gliders, and could not do anything else.

And how did they get into the air?

BTW, I think this one is CGI.

They may have nested and lived on high cliffs, so that all they needed to do was to leap into the air. Some scientists think they may have had the ability to flap their wings a little bit, but anatomically, they just weren't suited to flapping like what we know as birds.

[Sunny-side-up]

I myself have seen 2 very big Creatures/Entities (I say entities because they looked like the classic Flying Anunnaki humanoids) riding thermals and glyding around over my home in South-London. They where not radio controlled. I estimated their size to be that of a Cessna light aircraft, which I believe is the size of the largest pterosaur fossil found!

BTW that first vid/pterosaur was very impressive radio controlled model I must say!

[One]

Let's hope nothing real does turn up on PA. It would never get past all the objective scrutiny here.

As far as flying dinosaurs go it looks fine to me. If I had appendages that large I don't know if I would look like something out of swan lake.

Its real I tell you! :bigsmile:

[Nick Matkin]

It's on a video so it must be true.

Oh look - here's a video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcDN409ZBv4) of flying people!

:)

[One]

it's on a video so it must be true.

Oh look - here's a video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcdn409zbv4) of flying people!

:)

........... Omg!

[Apulu]

Really interesting watch. My reckoning is that the flying thing shares approximately similar aliveness as to my vacuum cleaner. How alive is that? I don't know.

[DeDukshyn]

I'm 95% sure its not mechanical -- it is CGI. It makes a physically impossible move; when it "looks down" the wings tip to exactly perpendicular to its flight path - if it was a real object in the air it would have stopped and dropped like a stone at that moment - but it continued moving more or less straight forward.

When the background trees go out of the screen, the camera tracking looks a little weak - as one might expect when you don't have any good points of the strong contrast of objects in the scene, but the weakness is remedied whenever there are trees in the scene. Just as it would be if you used camera tracking software to recreate the camera movements inside the 3D scene (the 3D camera has to match the movements of the real camera exactly or it becomes obvious CGI).

It looks mechanical because in 3D animation it is really a lot of work to mimic organic movements of animals - if even possible. Think any CGI of flying birds or slithering snakes - almost all too easy to spot as CGI because of the movements, no matter how well the 3d model itself looks.

-------------------

You can buy a 52" R/C Pterasaur here if anyone is interested :) http://www.pteroworks.com/ptero_52.htm

http://www.pteroworks.com/images_skunk/baby_p_images/images/52_ptero_0412.jpg

[One]

Forgive me, but i'm not really seeing the relevance of an aeroplane shaped like a pterosaur?

This thing apparently defeats gravity by flapping its wings. There is a massive gulf of engineering between that and a rc plane.

I expect CGI is probably the safest bet for gaining status in such discussions these days. I mean often it will actually be CGI anyway. It's a win win :bigsmile:

[Redstar Kachina]

..........

[Olam]

The most difficult part of animating life with a computer is trying to mimic the effect of gravity on a mass.
This is a very good animation but you can still see that its not quite perfect.
Nice try!

[One]

Pesonally I've not spotted any flaws big enough to write it off (including head movement).

We all think we understand the odds of course.

[DeDukshyn]

Forgive me, but i'm not really seeing the relevance of an aeroplane shaped like a pterosaur?

This thing apparently defeats gravity by flapping its wings. There is a massive gulf of engineering between that and a rc plane.

I expect CGI is probably the safest bet for gaining status in such discussions these days. I mean often it will actually be CGI anyway. It's a win win :bigsmile:

I am a 3D artist, and also do videography, photography, green-screen work, and use programs like 3DS Max, and after effects for both hobby and work. I often create simulations in 3D, and study in depth how to create realism. I could do a better job than this. Just sayin, - I'm not guessing at "CGI" -- I studied the clip carefully and applied my skills in interpretation.

[Mark (Star Mariner)]

It's tough to call. I mean, if this was CGI why would the artist animate the strange, incongruous maneouvre of almost flipping over mid flight? Doesn't make a lot of sense to me, as it degrades and devalues some of the intended realism he or she is supposedly aiming for.

So I would say it's probably a model/kite. Yet, when it rights itself, look at its head - it tilts up quite realistically, as if it has actual, working joints. The aerodynamics don't make a lot of sense though. When it turns over it 'should' take on a dive, as others have said.

I certainly do not rule out so-called extinct lifeforms (ie the Coelacanth (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coelacanth)) still existing in remote parts of the globe. It would be foolish to do so. But in Idaho - and a dinosaur to boot? I guess of the two possibilites, CGI or physical model, I'd say model. But that sudden 'flip' is a bit odd.

[Nick Matkin]

More flying... people here (https://www.facebook.com/supremeaircommander/videos/vb.496648670473848/571275389677842/?type=2&theater)!

[Selkie]

Idaho is a bit of a hotbed of pterosaur/thunderbird high-strangeness activity. Just sayin' :Angel:

addition Idaho is also the home of a lot of ancient volcanic activity. High-strangeness and geomagnetic/volcanic activity tend to go together.

[Ted]

If it's a fake it's a good one. Nobody can say what a pterosaur would really look like while flying, so judgement has to be tempered. If it's a CG it's also well done. During the head ducking maneuver, the feet extend from the body parallel to the ground then are retracted when normal flight continues. The critter also slows slightly and looses a some altitude during the head duck. This is not an impossible move by any means as I have witnessed pelicans performing very similar maneuvers quite often while fishing.
I also highly doubt it is mechanical since there is no obvious means of propulsion besides the wings, and if it is mechanical, my hat's off to whomever built it.
As has been mentioned, there have been numerous reports of this type of bird being sighted in the area over the years, so the possibility exists.
The world is a strange place, who knows....

[DeDukshyn]

This one is still my fave: The only giveaway on this one is the flight path as the eagle is turning is not quite right, but pretty damn close. Every other part is extremely well done. Art project from University in Quebec, IIRC.

CE0Q904gtMI

[Tangri]

What I saw there 0.9sec. 0:42 sec It is an eagle. It is holding second object with his beak. (probably a fish)

[PurpleLama]

This one is still my fave: The only giveaway on this one is the flight path as the eagle is turning is not quite right, but pretty damn close. Every other part is extremely well done. Art project from University in Quebec, IIRC.

CE0Q904gtMI
The Golden Eagle is the mascot at the local university where I live, and they aren't quite that large, and they don't have white on their wings. At least, the ones at the local zoo don't.

http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/smis/graphics/smis-mascot06b-150.jpg

[DeDukshyn]

This one is still my fave: The only giveaway on this one is the flight path as the eagle is turning is not quite right, but pretty damn close. Every other part is extremely well done. Art project from University in Quebec, IIRC.

CE0Q904gtMI
The Golden Eagle is the mascot at the local university where I live, and they aren't quite that large, and they don't have white on their wings. At least, the ones at the local zoo don't.

http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/smis/graphics/smis-mascot06b-150.jpg

That's the beauty of CGI -- you have "options" :) The authors of that vid came out and revealed it was all a CGI art project - it looks for the most part, way better than the Pteranodon.

EDIT: BTW Juvenile Golden eagles have white on their wings, and they can get wingspans of up to 8 ft; probably not all that common, but that is huge. I just looked it up. And here is a pic so you don't have to ... :)

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-45UvhJQn8vM/UJ9cTnsahII/AAAAAAAALhQ/3LbB5nOdS_w/s1600/golden-eagle-+02.jpg