Within Why Military Flares
How Wind and Mountains Transform Flare Sightings
Crosswinds can make a descending flare move sideways while mountains, haze or cloud can make it disappear abruptly.
On this page
- Why sideways drift can dominate apparent motion
- How terrain hides descending lights
- Cloud and haze as sudden disappearance points
Page outline Jump by section
Introduction
A parachute flare does not simply fall straight down. Once its canopy opens, it becomes a slow-moving object carried by the surrounding air, so a crosswind can make sideways motion much more conspicuous than descent. Military fire-control manuals explicitly account for this: wind drift can carry an illumination flare away from the point beneath its original trajectory, sometimes far enough that the firing direction has to be adjusted.[U.S. Marine Corps]marines.milU.S. Marine Corps MCWP 3-16.6 Supporting Arms Observer, Spotter, and ControllerU.S. Marine CorpsMCWP 3-16.6 Supporting Arms Observer, Spotter, and ControllerMay 30, 2026…
Terrain then changes what an observer can see. A bright flare descending beyond a dark ridge can remain conspicuous until its line of sight intersects the mountain, at which point it disappears abruptly rather than seeming to reach the ground. Cloud, mist and haze can produce related effects by hiding the flare or progressively suppressing its light. These mechanisms are especially important in UFO or UAP reports because an observer who cannot see the landscape, parachute or intervening atmosphere may perceive only an isolated light that drifts, appears to hover, and then vanishes.
Why sideways drift can dominate apparent motion
The crucial distinction is between the flare’s movement through the air and the movement seen from the ground. After parachute deployment, an illumination flare descends relatively slowly while being advected by the surrounding wind. US military guidance does not treat that lateral motion as a minor curiosity. A Marine Corps manual warns that during illumination missions the firing direction may not pass over the intended target specifically because of wind drift of the flare parachute. An Army training aid puts the point more simply: wind shifts the direction of a parachute flare.[U.S. Marine Corps]marines.milU.S. Marine Corps MCWP 3-16.6 Supporting Arms Observer, Spotter, and ControllerU.S. Marine CorpsMCWP 3-16.6 Supporting Arms Observer, Spotter, and ControllerMay 30, 2026…
This can produce a counter-intuitive sight from kilometres away. The vertical component of the motion is viewed against a huge and usually unknown distance, while the lateral component may carry the light noticeably across the observer’s field of view. A descending flare can therefore look as though it is moving mainly sideways, or even maintaining roughly constant altitude.
Long-burning aircraft flares give wind considerable time to create this effect. Federal documentation describes the LUU-2 high-intensity illumination flare as suspended beneath a parachute for approximately five minutes while burning.[GovInfo]govinfo.govAUTHENTICATEDMarch 26, 2026… A five-minute interval is ample time for a wind-borne light to shift laterally while its downward angular displacement remains surprisingly inconspicuous to a distant witness.
The underlying problem was recognised long before modern UAP discussions. A US Army military-pyrotechnics engineering handbook described wind drift as a severe problem for aircraft-deployed flares and noted that both parachute- and balloon-supported systems tend to drift with the wind.[Scribd]scribd.comAMCP 706-188, Military PyrotechnicsAMCP 706-188, Military Pyrotechnics - Design of Ammunition For Pyrotechnics Effects | PDF | FuzeMarch 1, 1974… In other words, sideways movement is not an anomaly that counts against a flare identification. It is an expected property of the technology.
Terrain can make the airflow itself less straightforward. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warns that winds around mountains can differ substantially from those measured only a few miles away, with stronger flow through passes, severe turbulence near abrupt terrain and powerful downdraughts on lee slopes.[Federal Aviation Administration]faa.govFederal Aviation Administration Section 6. Potential Flight HazardsFederal Aviation Administration Section 6. Potential Flight Hazards A parachute descending through such an environment need not follow a perfectly smooth diagonal path.
That matters when interpreting witness language such as “changed direction” or “moved sideways”. Those descriptions can be observationally accurate without implying powered manoeuvring. What matters is whether the reported movement exceeds what winds at the flare’s actual altitude and position could plausibly produce. Surface wind at the observer’s location is not, by itself, enough to answer that question.
How terrain hides descending lights
Mountains can transform a gradual physical descent into an apparently instantaneous visual event. Imagine a flare tens of kilometres away, descending behind a ridge that is itself nearly invisible in the night sky. From the observer’s position the light remains visible above the ridge line, perhaps apparently hanging in empty sky. The moment its line of sight drops below that ridge, the terrain blocks it completely.
The witness therefore does not see the sequence that intuition might expect from a falling light:
flare high in sky → flare visibly descending → flare approaches ground → flare reaches ground.
Instead, the experience can be:
bright light → slow drift or apparent hovering → sudden disappearance.
The missing piece is the unlit foreground terrain.
The later, roughly 10 p.m. lights associated with the 13 March 1997 Phoenix Lights episode provide a particularly useful historical example of this geometry. Contemporary and retrospective reporting linked those lights to illumination flares dropped over a military range southwest of Phoenix. Reporting in the Phoenix New Times described the flare drop as occurring about 30 miles southwest of the city and noted the explanation that the lights disappeared as they descended behind the Sierra Estrella range.[Phoenix New Times]phoenixnewtimes.comthe phoenix lights are no mystery 6661825Phoenix New TimesThe 1997 "Phoenix Lights" are no mystery | Phoenix New TimesMarch 14, 2014…
This example needs a careful boundary. The Phoenix Lights label covers reports at different times and locations, and debate over other observations that evening should not be collapsed into the explanation of the later flare display. Even sources sympathetic to unresolved aspects of the wider episode distinguish the distant post-10 p.m. arc from other reported lights; one site reproducing Bruce Maccabee’s later analysis says he regarded those distant arc videos as most likely showing military illumination flares near the range while disputing whether every other video represented the same objects.[Phoenix Lights Network]thephoenixlights.netPhoenix Lights Network HomePhoenix Lights NetworkHome - Dr. Kite UFO Photos - Phoenix Lights Network…
For the terrain question, the important point is narrower: the Phoenix example demonstrates how an unseen mountain horizon can determine when distant lights cease to be visible. That is more diagnostic than simply saying that flares “burn out”. If different lights vanish at different apparent heights or in a sequence that follows the silhouette of an intervening ridge, terrain masking becomes a testable geometric explanation.
The effect is particularly deceptive because mountains that dominate a daytime view may almost disappear visually after dark. The FAA’s aviation guidance treats “mountain obscuration” as a distinct hazard precisely because cloud and poor visibility can conceal high terrain and make the relationship between an observer and the landscape misleading.[Federal Aviation Administration]faa.govFederal Aviation Administration Section 6. Potential Flight HazardsFederal Aviation Administration Section 6. Potential Flight Hazards For a ground observer watching one brilliant point rather than navigating an aircraft, the perceptual trap is different but the underlying fact is the same: invisible terrain is still physically present and can abruptly terminate the line of sight.
Cloud and haze create different disappearance points
Terrain is not the only boundary a descending flare can cross. Atmospheric layers can make a light fade, blink out or become intermittently visible even while it continues burning.
Cloud provides the clearest analogue to a mountain. A flare descending into sufficiently opaque cloud can disappear over a short interval because droplets scatter and attenuate the light between the source and observer. Mountainous country makes this especially complicated because cloud bases and terrain heights vary simultaneously. The FAA notes that clouds in mountain regions may form at altitudes well above the reporting station while nearby summits are obscured.[Federal Aviation Administration]faa.govFederal Aviation Administration Section 6. Potential Flight HazardsFederal Aviation Administration Section 6. Potential Flight Hazards A witness may consequently have no obvious visual indication that a distant flare has entered cloud adjacent to a ridge.
Low cloud is also strongly tied to the landscape. The Met Office explains that air forced upwards over hills can cool to its dew point and condense, producing cloud on the terrain; when cloud lowers onto the ground, visibility can become extremely poor.[Met Office]weather.metoffice.gov.ukMet Office Mountain safetyMet Office Mountain safety Thus a flare descending towards mountainous ground can encounter a complicated boundary of ridges, cloud banks and obscured summits rather than a clean horizontal “cloud base”.
Haze works differently. The Met Office defines haze as very small dry particles suspended in the atmosphere, commonly associated with dust, smoke or pollution, and notes that it reduces visibility.[Met Office]metoffice.gov.ukMet Office Mist, fog, and haze: What's the difference?Met Office Mist, fog, and haze: What's the difference? Unlike a solid ridge, haze normally attenuates a distant light progressively rather than providing a perfectly sharp occulting edge. But at night the subjective result can still seem abrupt: as the source weakens with increasing optical path or enters a denser layer, it can fall below the observer’s threshold of visibility over a short period.
That distinction is useful when assessing footage. A light disappearing at a repeatable angular boundary consistent with a known ridge favours terrain masking. A progressive dimming is more compatible with burnout, increasing atmospheric attenuation or cloud penetration. Irregular fading and reappearance may point towards broken cloud. None is individually conclusive, but each makes different predictions that can be checked against geography and weather.
Why the same flare can look different from two places
Terrain and wind also explain why witnesses separated by only a modest distance can give apparently conflicting descriptions of the same illumination display. Each observer has a different horizon and line of sight.
From one location, a flare may remain visible for nearly its entire burn. From another, a ridge may hide its lower trajectory several minutes earlier. A third observer may view it through a mountain gap. Even the apparent direction of motion changes with perspective: wind-driven displacement that is mostly across the line of sight for one witness may be partly towards or away from another and therefore look much smaller.
Local visibility adds another layer. Mountain forecasts explicitly distinguish visibility in clear air from the presence of low cloud, and the Met Office notes that conditions can vary substantially across upland areas.[Met Office]weather.metoffice.gov.ukMet Office Mountain forecast guideMet Office Mountain forecast guide It is therefore unsafe to assume that all observers tens of kilometres apart were looking through the same atmosphere.
This has an important consequence for historical UFO investigations. Differences such as “the lights moved” versus “they stayed still”, or “they went out” versus “they continued descending”, do not automatically establish different objects. Before treating those reports as contradictory, an investigation has to reconstruct where each witness stood, the azimuth and elevation of the light, the terrain profile along that sightline and the winds and cloud at the relevant altitude.
The strongest test combines wind with the horizon
Terrain-and-wind explanations become persuasive when they predict observations rather than merely accommodate them afterwards. A good flare reconstruction should ask whether several independent pieces fit together.
Direction of drift matters. If the candidate flare moved eastwards, winds at its estimated altitude should make eastward transport plausible. Military manuals establish that wind drift is expected, but the actual historical wind field is needed to test a particular sighting.[U.S. Marine Corps]marines.milU.S. Marine Corps MCWP 3-16.6 Supporting Arms Observer, Spotter, and ControllerU.S. Marine CorpsMCWP 3-16.6 Supporting Arms Observer, Spotter, and ControllerMay 30, 2026…
The terrain profile matters. Plotting the observer’s exact line of sight against digital elevation data or a daylight photograph can reveal where a descending source should disappear. A sudden loss at that predicted boundary is much stronger evidence than a generic resemblance to flares.
Different viewpoints should produce different cut-off points. If a mountain is responsible, moving the observer changes the ridge profile. Videos from separated locations should therefore not necessarily show lights disappearing at identical apparent positions.
Weather should be checked at altitude, not only at ground level. Mountain winds can be stronger and more turbulent than nearby surface conditions suggest, while cloud can obscure terrain at elevations different from those implied by a valley weather report.[Federal Aviation Administration]faa.govFederal Aviation Administration Section 6. Potential Flight HazardsFederal Aviation Administration Section 6. Potential Flight Hazards
These tests also guard against overusing “flares” as a catch-all explanation. Sideways movement alone does not prove that a UFO report was caused by a parachute flare, and a disappearing light is not automatically hidden by a mountain. The value of wind and terrain is that both leave reconstructable constraints.
For flare-like UAP reports, that reconstruction can reverse the first impression. A light that seemed to hover may have been descending slowly at great distance. A light that seemed to travel horizontally may have been a parachute carried by crosswind. A light that apparently switched off instantaneously may simply have crossed an unseen ridge or cloud boundary. What appears from one viewpoint to be unusual aerial behaviour can therefore be the combined product of an ordinary descending flare, moving air and a landscape that the observer cannot see.
Amazon book picks
Further Reading
Books and field guides related to How Wind and Mountains Transform Flare Sightings. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.
The UFO Handbook: A Guide to Investigating, Evaluating, and R...
An explanation of the usual reasons for confusing IFOs (identified flying objects) with UFOs and a survey of the tools used to investigat...
UFOs Explained
Analyzing several UFO cases, the author exposes the myth of extraterrestrial visitors to earth.
The Cloudspotter's Guide
Discusses the history, types, and cultural fascination with clouds and explains what they mean in terms of climate and weather.
Light and Color in the Outdoors
First published 1993. Subjects: Color, Light, Popular works, Science: General Issues, Photographic equipment & techniques.
eBay marketplace picks
Marketplace Samples
Live-tested eBay searches with available results related to this page.
Selected frommilitary aviation poster oneBay.co.uk.
Endnotes
1.
Source: api.army.mil
Link:https://api.army.mil/e2/c/downloads/2021/05/18/95c1081a/17965.pdf
2.
Source: govinfo.gov
Link:https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2013-03-29/pdf/2013-07305.pdf
Source snippet
AUTHENTICATEDMarch 26, 2026...
Published: March 26, 2026
3.
Source: scribd.com
Title: AMCP 706-188, Military Pyrotechnics
Link:https://www.scribd.com/document/554002365/AMCP-706-188-Military-Pyrotechnics-Design-of-Ammunition-for-Pyrotechnics-Effects
Source snippet
AMCP 706-188, Military Pyrotechnics - Design of Ammunition For Pyrotechnics Effects | PDF | FuzeMarch 1, 1974...
Published: March 1, 1974
4.
Source: faa.gov
Title: Federal Aviation Administration Section 6. Potential Flight Hazards
Link:https://www.faa.gov/Air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim_html/chap7_section_6.html
5.
Source: faa.gov
Link:https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aip_html/part2_enr_section_5.3.html
6.
Source: faa.gov
Title: Federal Aviation Administration Potential Flight Hazards
Link:https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aip_html/chap7_section_6.html
7.
Source: forecast.weather.gov
Link:https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?format=CI&glossary=0&issuedby=BOI&product=AFD&site=NWS&version=35
8.
Source: faa.gov
Link:https://www.faa.gov/blog/clearedfortakeoff/vertically-speaking-beware-green-dot-syndrome
9.
Source: govinfo.gov
Title: armed forces day 2026
Link:https://www.govinfo.gov/features/armed-forces-day-2026
10.
Source: qmmuseum.army.mil
Link:https://qmmuseum.army.mil/research/history-heritage/aerial-delivery/Quartermasters-Hit-the-Silk.html
11.
Source: armyupress.army.mil
Title: mil Combat Doesn’t Care: How Ready Are You?
Link:https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/NCO-Journal/Muddy-Boots/Combat-Doesnt-Care-Weimer/
12.
Source: govinfo.gov
Link:https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2024-10-08/2024-23136
13.
Source: lineofdeparture.army.mil
Title: mil The Importance of Measuring Mid-Air Winds for Airborne Operations
Link:https://www.lineofdeparture.army.mil/Journals/Infantry/Infantry-Fall-2024/Measuring-Mid-Air-Winds-for-Airborne-Operations/
14.
Source: govinfo.gov
Title: 26 CFR § 1.280G-1
Link:https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CFR-2024-title26-vol4/CFR-2024-title26-vol4-sec1-280G-1
15.
Source: govinfo.gov
Title: 14 CFR 105
Link:https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CFR-2024-title14-vol2/CFR-2024-title14-vol2-part105
16.
Source: army.mil
Link:https://www.army.mil/article/268330/us_special_forces_conduct_military_free_fall_airborne_operations_in_bosnia_herzegovina
17.
Source: army.mil
Title: Joint Munitions Command celebrates two decades of milestones
Link:https://www.army.mil/article-amp/262985/joint_munitions_command_celebrates_two_decades_of_milestones
18.
Source: army.mil
Link:https://www.army.mil/article/262985/joint_munitions_command_celebrates_two_decades_of_milestones
19.
Source: govinfo.gov
Title: Database-Assisted Design of High-Rise Structures Using Etabs Software
Link:https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GOVPUB-C13-c5c4802854ee5bcfcab81cfc19ff0d40
20.
Source: army.mil
Link:https://www.army.mil/article/248308/what_you_will_see_over_the_skies_of_yuma_proving_ground
21.
Source: army.mil
Title: What you will see over the skies of Yuma Proving Ground
Link:https://www.army.mil/article-amp/248308/what_you_will_see_over_the_skies_of_yuma_proving_ground
22.
Source: govinfo.gov
Link:https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2020-07-06/2020-05898
23.
Source: faa.gov
Title: NOA A Joins Got Weather | Federal Aviation Administration
Link:https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/got_weather/noaa
24.
Source: army.mil
Title: rule no 1
Link:https://www.army.mil/article-amp/181581/rule_no_1
25.
Source: army.mil
Link:https://www.army.mil/article/178707/picatinny_engineers_ensure_software_reliability_for_precision_airdrop_system
26.
Source: army.mil
Link:https://www.army.mil/article/174528/improved_m127a1_handheld_signal_from_picatinny_greatly_illuminates_the_battlefield
27.
Source: faa.gov
Link:https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim/aim0705.html
28.
Source: mvn.usace.army.mil
Title: mil Health Requirements
Link:https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Portals/56/docs/Health%20Requirements.html?ver=FuIjeuNJwYuYiYzuM5x5Rg%3D%3D
29.
Source: army.mil
Title: same army different time vietnam 1968
Link:https://www.army.mil/article/137510/same_army_different_time_vietnam_1968
30.
Source: govinfo.gov
Title: 46 CFR 160.036
Link:https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CFR-2014-title46-vol6/CFR-2014-title46-vol6-part160-subpart160-036
31.
Source: army.mil
Title: A Great Day to be Airborne | Article | The United States Army
Link:https://www.army.mil/article/122319/a_great_day_to_be_airborne
32.
Source: army.mil
Link:https://www.army.mil/article/108620
33.
Source: army.mil
Link:https://www.army.mil/article/108382/Advanced_guidance_software_increases_accuracy_of_precision_airdrop/
34.
Source: govinfo.gov
Link:https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2012-06-21/2012-15209
35.
Source: army.mil
Title: Sky’s the limit for airdrops | Article | The United States Army
Link:https://www.army.mil/article/66478/skys_the_limit_for_airdrops
36.
Source: govinfo.gov
Link:https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CFR-2011-title29-vol8/CFR-2011-title29-vol8-sec1926-56
37.
Source: scribd.com
Link:https://www.scribd.com/document/178869174/DCS-A-10C-Flight-Manual-EN-pdf
38.
Source: scribd.com
Title: DC S A-10C Warthog Flight Manual | PDF | Vehicles | Aerospace
Link:https://www.scribd.com/doc/38839953/DCS-Warthog-A-10-Flight-Manual
39.
Source: faa.gov
Title: GE N 3.5: Meteorological Services
Link:https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aip_html/part1_gen_section_3.5.html
40.
Source: army.mil
Link:https://www.army.mil/article/8546/high_tech_hits_fort_sill_literally
41.
Source: govinfo.gov
Link:https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2008-01-24/E8-1130
42.
Source: de.scribd.com
Title: FM 3 05 211 Special Forces Military Free fall Operations Parachuting
Link:https://de.scribd.com/document/628761151/FM-3-05-211-Special-Forces-Military-Free-fall-Operations-Parachuting
43.
Source: scribd.com
Title: jp3 09 3ch1 | PDF | Close Air Support | Maneuver Warfare
Link:https://www.scribd.com/document/937380197/jp3-09-3ch1
44.
Source: scribd.com
Title: M H-53E NATOPS Manual Overview | PDF | Aviation
Link:https://www.scribd.com/document/788663427/A1-MH53E-NFM-000-Sikorsky-MH-53E-Sea-Dragon-Flight-Manual
45.
Source: history.army.mil
Title: JCIT INTERVIEW 021
Link:https://history.army.mil/Research/Series-and-Collections/Oral-History-Collections/JTF-South-Interviews/JCIT-INTERVIEW-021/
46.
Source: govinfo.gov
Link:https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GOVPUB-I-5f3da92169d9992555642e7f575a151e
47.
Source: govinfo.gov
Title: Levels of Illumination and Legibility
Link:https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GOVPUB-C13-24158446470c3f887443158f56781672
48.
Source: faa.gov
Link:https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim_html/chap7_section_1.html
49.
Source: faa.gov
Link:https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aip_html/part1_gen_section_1.7.html
50.
Source: faa.gov
Link:https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim_html/chap3_section_3.html
51.
Source: faa.gov
Link:https://www.faa.gov/Air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim_html/chap4_section_4.html
52.
Source: faa.gov
Link:https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aip_html/part2_enr_section_1.4.html
53.
Source: scribd.com
Link:https://www.scribd.com/document/793762586/TO-1-1M-34
54.
Source: scribd.com
Title: Op 1666 German Explosive Ordnance Volume 1
Link:https://www.scribd.com/document/734392694/Op-1666-German-Explosive-Ordnance-Volume-1
55.
Source: scribd.com
Link:https://www.scribd.com/document/62601822/2009-Summer-All-Guide
56.
Source: scribd.com
Link:https://www.scribd.com/doc/81613101/Airman-Navedtra-14014
57.
Source: scribd.com
Title: DC S F-5Е-3 Flight Manual
Link:https://www.scribd.com/document/492658062/DCS-F-5%D0%95-3-Flight-Manual-ENG
58.
Source: scribd.com
Title: DC S F-5Е-3 Flight Manual
Link:https://www.scribd.com/document/999331490/DCS-F-5%D0%95-3-Flight-Manual-ENG
59.
Source: scribd.com
Title: DC S F-5Е-3 Flight Manual
Link:https://www.scribd.com/document/492658062/DCS-F-5%25D0%2595-3-Flight-Manual-ENG
60.
Source: weather.gov
Link:https://www.weather.gov/aviation/safetygraphics
61.
Source: weather.gov
Link:https://www.weather.gov/source/zhu/ZHU_Training_Page/Weather_Keys/AIRMETs/AIRMET.htm
62.
Source: weather.gov
Link:https://www.weather.gov/zse/AIRMETs
63.
Source: weather.gov
Link:https://www.weather.gov/safety/fog-mountain-valley
64.
Source: forecast.weather.gov
Link:https://forecast.weather.gov/glossary.php?word=few+clouds
65.
Source: forecast.weather.gov
Link:https://forecast.weather.gov/glossary.php?word=clouds
66.
Source: forecast.weather.gov
Link:https://forecast.weather.gov/glossary.php?word=overcast
67.
Source: forecast.weather.gov
Link:https://forecast.weather.gov/glossary.php?word=obscuration
68.
Source: weather.gov
Link:https://www.weather.gov/hnx/aviationweb_advry
69.
Source: weather.gov
Link:https://www.weather.gov/safety/fog
70.
Source: forecast.weather.gov
Link:https://forecast.weather.gov/glossary.php?word=obsc
71.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Van Buren, Arkansas Parachute Flares
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ookgfo9Kwgg
Source snippet
The Phoenix Lights - 17 years later...
72.
Source: youtube.com
Title: The Phoenix Lights
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SUJTh6Hs-I
Source snippet
Phoenix Lights - The Dark Truth?...
73.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Phoenix Lights
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1fW1l1sh-A
Source snippet
Craig Charles: UFO Conspiracies | Episode 6 | Phoenix Lights...
74.
Source: marines.mil
Title: U.S. Marine Corps MCWP 3-16.6 Supporting Arms Observer, Spotter, and Controller
Link:https://www.marines.mil/Portals/1/Publications/MCWP%203-16.6%20%20Supporting%20Arms%20Observer%2C%20Spotter%2C%20and%20Controller.pdf
Source snippet
U.S. Marine CorpsMCWP 3-16.6 Supporting Arms Observer, Spotter, and ControllerMay 30, 2026...
Published: May 30, 2026
75.
Source: marines.mil
Title: U.S. Marine Corps FM 6-30 TACTICS, TECHNIQUES, AND PROCEDURES FOR OBSERVED FIRE
Link:https://www.marines.mil/portals/1/Publications/FM%206-30.pdf
76.
Source: phoenixnewtimes.com
Title: the phoenix lights are no mystery 6661825
Link:https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts-culture/the-phoenix-lights-are-no-mystery-6661825/
Source snippet
Phoenix New TimesThe 1997 "Phoenix Lights" are no mystery | Phoenix New TimesMarch 14, 2014...
Published: March 14, 2014
77.
Source: thephoenixlights.net
Title: Phoenix Lights Network Home
Link:https://thephoenixlights.net/home/
Source snippet
Phoenix Lights NetworkHome - Dr. Kite UFO Photos - Phoenix Lights Network...
78.
Source: weather.metoffice.gov.uk
Title: Met Office Mountain safety
Link:https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/guides/mountain/video
79.
Source: metoffice.gov.uk
Title: Met Office Mist, fog, and haze: What’s the difference?
Link:https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/blog/2025/whats-the-difference-between-mist-fog-and-haze
80.
Source: weather.metoffice.gov.uk
Title: Met Office Mountain forecast guide
Link:https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/guides/mountain/forecast
81.
Source: weather.metoffice.gov.uk
Title: metoffice.gov.uk Mourne Mountains
Link:https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/specialist-forecasts/mountain/mourne-mountains
82.
Source: weather.metoffice.gov.uk
Title: metoffice.gov.uk Bannau Brycheiniog / Brecon Beacons
Link:https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/specialist-forecasts/mountain/brecon-beacons
83.
Source: weather.metoffice.gov.uk
Title: metoffice.gov.uk South Grampian and Southeast Highlands
Link:https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/specialist-forecasts/mountain/south-grampian-and-southeast-highlands
84.
Source: weather.metoffice.gov.uk
Title: metoffice.gov.uk North Grampian
Link:https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/specialist-forecasts/mountain/north-grampian
85.
Source: weather.metoffice.gov.uk
Title: metoffice.gov.uk Eryri / Snowdonia
Link:https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/specialist-forecasts/mountain/snowdonia
86.
Source: timecyclopedia.com
Title: phoenix lights
Link:https://timecyclopedia.com/entry/phoenix-lights
87.
Source: listennotes.com
Title: The Phoenix Lights | Arizona’s Mass UFO Sighting
Link:https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-haunted-bunker/the-phoenix-lights-arizonas-jy8t-lUW9_F/
88.
Source: thisunexplaineduniverse.com
Title: phoenix lights
Link:https://www.thisunexplaineduniverse.com/articles/phoenix-lights
89.
Source: nuforc.org
Link:https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=189510
90.
Source: phoenixnewtimes.com
Link:https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts-culture/the-phoenix-lights-ufo-sightings-in-1997-an-oral-history-25th-anniversary-13176244/
91.
Source: nuforc.org
Link:https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=187401
92.
Source: enigmalabs.io
Title: Phoenix Lights | Enigma Labs
Link:https://enigmalabs.io/library/ca2dbe16-51c6-4a89-91c6-007d6f85c011
93.
Source: phoenixnewtimes.com
Title: Phoenix Lights UFO mystery explanations | Phoenix New Times
Link:https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts-culture/phoenix-lights-ufo-mystery-explanations-19105870/
94.
Source: planeandpilotmag.com
Title: The Phoenix Lights
Link:https://planeandpilotmag.com/the-phoenix-lights/
95.
Source: metabunk.org
Title: Phoenix Lights | Page 2 | Metabunk
Link:https://www.metabunk.org/threads/phoenix-lights.11938/page-2
96.
Source: metabunk.org
Title: Phoenix Lights | Metabunk
Link:https://www.metabunk.org/threads/phoenix-lights.11938/
97.
Source: stampaday.wordpress.com
Title: the phoenix lights
Link:https://stampaday.wordpress.com/2019/03/13/the-phoenix-lights/
98.
Source: ufoinsight.com
Title: 1997 phoenix lights
Link:https://www.ufoinsight.com/ufos/sightings/1997-phoenix-lights
99.
Source: 3rdmaw.marines.mil
Title: mil VMG R-352 battlefield illumination training
Link:https://www.3rdmaw.marines.mil/Media-Room/Photos/igphoto/2001829530/
100.
Source: marines.mil
Title: JPAD S drop on WTI > United States Marine Corps Flagship > News Display
Link:https://www.marines.mil/News/News-Display/Article/1139517/jpads-drop-on-wti/
101.
Source: unexplained-mysteries.com
Title: The Phoenix lights
Link:https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/topic/305172-the-phoenix-lights/page/9/
102.
Source: sciforums.com
Title: The Phoenix lights
Link:https://www.sciforums.com/threads/the-phoenix-lights-aliens-hoax-or-mistaken-identity.143208/post-3252014
103.
Source: cherrypoint.marines.mil
Title: mil Otis assists jump school training
Link:https://www.cherrypoint.marines.mil/Photos/igphoto/2000952364/
104.
Source: marines.mil
Link:https://www.marines.mil/News/News-Display/Article/535398/vmgr-352-lights-up-night-sky-for-battlefield-illumination-mission/
105.
Source: marines.mil
Link:https://www.marines.mil/News/News-Display/Article/509559/jpads-to-make-resupply-airdrops-more-precise-safe-for-marines/
106.
Source: yumpu.com
Title: The Phoenix Lights
Link:https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/51064289/the-phoenix-lights-the-real-investigation-richard-motzer-nicap
107.
Source: thinkaboutitdocs.com
Title: 1997 phoenix lights
Link:https://thinkaboutitdocs.com/1997-phoenix-lights/
108.
Source: nuforc.org
Link:https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=86972
109.
Source: 3rdmaw.marines.mil
Link:https://www.3rdmaw.marines.mil/Media-Room/Stories/News-Article-Display/Article/548661/flying-tigers-help-recon-marines-jump-into-training/
110.
Source: thephoenixlights.net
Link:https://thephoenixlights.net/myths/
111.
Source: nuforc.org
Link:https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=42461
112.
Source: phoenixnewtimes.com
Title: The Hack and the Quack | Phoenix New Times
Link:https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/the-hack-and-the-quack-6445593/
113.
Source: ufo-books.com
Title: phoenix lights
Link:https://ufo-books.com/incidents/phoenix-lights
114.
Source: weather.metoffice.gov.uk
Title: metoffice.gov.uk What is fog?
Link:https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/learn-about/weather/types-of-weather/fog
115.
Source: weather.metoffice.gov.uk
Title: metoffice.gov.uk Clouds
Link:https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/learn-about/weather/types-of-weather/clouds
116.
Source: weather.metoffice.gov.uk
Title: metoffice.gov.uk Unusual cloud [formations]({{ ‘formations/’ | relative_url }})
Link:https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/learn-about/weather/types-of-weather/clouds/unusual-cloud-formations
117.
Source: weather.metoffice.gov.uk
Title: metoffice.gov.uk Optical effects: nature’s light show
Link:https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/learn-about/weather/optical-effects
118.
Source: thestatefiles.com
Title: The Phoenix Lights
Link:https://thestatefiles.com/the-phoenix-lights/
119.
Source: thephoenixlights.net
Link:https://thephoenixlights.net/gap/
120.
Source: 24thmeu.marines.mil
Link:https://www.24thmeu.marines.mil/News/Article/Article/510784/24th-meu-soc-aviation-equipment-safety-mechanics-a-pilots-lifeline/
121.
Source: quantico.marines.mil
Link:https://www.quantico.marines.mil/News/News-Article-Display/Article/148470/bagram-c-130s-drop-high-tech-cargo-delivery-system/
122.
Source: quantico.marines.mil
Link:https://www.quantico.marines.mil/News/News-Article-Display/Article/163996/combat-controllers/
123.
Source: soieast.marines.mil
Link:https://www.soieast.marines.mil/Units/Marine-Corps-Detachment-Maneuver-Center-of-Excellence/Airborne-School/
124.
Source: 3rdmaw.marines.mil
Link:https://www.3rdmaw.marines.mil/Media-Room/Stories/News-Article-Display/Article/548362/gps-guided-parachutes-increase-safety-in-resupply/
125.
Source: marforpac.marines.mil
Link:https://www.marforpac.marines.mil/?dvpTag=flare&dvpmoduleid=140317
126.
Source: Wikipedia
Title: Phoenix Lights
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Lights
127.
Source: mysteriousworld.fandom.com
Title: Phoenix lights
Link:https://mysteriousworld.fandom.com/wiki/Phoenix_lights
Additional References
128.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Air Force Pilot Breaks His Silence on the Phoenix Lights Craft | James Fox
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBlJlBQdv5w
Source snippet
This video examines the 1997 Phoenix Lights event and discusses how military parachute flares drifting over the Sierra Estrella mountain...
129.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Craig Charles: UFO Conspiracies | Episode 6 | Phoenix Lights
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6yAbXyPnwo
Source snippet
Air Force Pilot Breaks His Silence on the Phoenix Lights Craft | James Fox...
130.
Source: studylib.net
Link:https://studylib.net/doc/11700152/aircraft-ordnance-chapter-8
131.
Source: skepticalinquirer.org
Link:https://skepticalinquirer.org/2015/03/alien-lights-at-phoenix-stephenville-and-elsewhere-a-postmortem/
132.
Source: discovermagazine.com
Link:https://www.discovermagazine.com/an-obstreperous-sun-triggers-dazzling-northern-lights-as-seen-from-space-45686
133.
Source: discovermagazine.com
Link:https://www.discovermagazine.com/as-the-wests-mega-heat-wave-peaks-satellite-imagery-reveals-explosive-growth-42618
134.
Source: manualzz.com
Link:https://manualzz.com/doc/26637473/capewell-aerial-systems-llc-spotter-parachute-family-user
135.
Source: globalsecurity.org
Link:https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/3-06-11/appb.htm
136.
Source: globalsecurity.org
Link:https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/6-30/f630_9.htm
137.
Source: globalsecurity.org
Link:https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/7-92/fm792_10.htm