Travis Walton

[Randall]

But remember, IF it is true at all, Walton described humanoid beings basically like us. No need for any extra-special medical equipment needed just in case of accident. It would be exactly what they use for themselves? If there are such humanoids then think we must be related to them anyway. It's all supposition anyway.

Saying, "It's all supposition anyway" implies that all suppositions carry equal weight. They're don't. We're dealing with specific claims, and each claim requires a more complex and improbable situation in order to be true. Simply explaining it by making up things as we go along makes each successive supposition less and less likely, not equally as valid as the next. Add the problems with Walton's credibility and in the end, the whole story is so unlikely that the most sensible supposition is to assume it's all a hoax. But without sufficient evidence it wouldn't be fair to make that accusation. So Walton gets a pass and continues to promote his story.

 

[Burnt State]

Burntstate can you expound on the "magic" you mentioned and why you chose that verbiage?

I was thinking back to that famous quote that witnessing any alien technology would look like magic to us lowly humans. In Walton's description of feeling like he was floating in the star chamber room there is something just a little mystical captured there that makes the star chart pull down screen from Betty and Barney seem a little quaint. It could be argued that he just accidentally turned on the planetarium mode of the room he was in, but I find his interior description of the craft to be fairly compelling.

 

[Burnt State]

I think "no biggie" is a rather large assumption. Imagine if it were the other way around. We send a mother ship off to some alien world where our shuttle accidentally lands on some alien life form. But not to worry because we just happen to know how to fix these aliens and keep a ready supply of whatever they use as nourishment ( assuming they even eat in the first place ) back on the mother ship, where we can hang around for a few days undetected, and then deliver the alien back to its native environment, also without being noticed. We can do all that, but can't notice them approaching us in the first place with a lit up primitive ground vehicle that stops to let one of the aliens out so that it can run up and get caught in our landing gear? Sure, why would we have any problem believing that?

Ok, now who's being cynical about UFO contact? If you can scoot across star systems, remain entirely undetectable or contactable by those you've been visiting, observing, playing with etc. you certainly should be able to fix up, oxygenate and care for a lowly evolved organism like a human in the blink of an eye.

Need an oxygen mask? No problem Dr. Xzegron let me just think one into being. Here you go, just slap that on this young woodcutter and he'll be right as rain if my name's not Zaphod Beeblebrox. Here, just hold my pangalactic gargle blaster while I think us up some soma for the rest of the ride home to Zentex.

 

[withoutlimits09]

There is no rumor in that paragraph. The numbers were not simply made up, books and films were made and are easily verifiable. Videos and updated books were also released and easily verifiable. Walton has also been doing appearances. It took about 10 seconds to find that he was doing one at the MUFON PA East Coast Conference held on October 4-6. As for "speculation", how is it unreasonable to surmise that from all that, some "modest returns" have been generated from the Fire In The Sky Franchise over all these years? Certainly something must have come Walton's way don't you think? Do you really think it's reasonable to believe nothing has? I make no claims of dump trucks full of money. I state in no uncertain terms that, "How much Walton and his crew have personally gained remains unclear." How exactly is that unreasonable? Sorry if the article bursts your bubble on Walton. Please try to be a little more objective. Only certain parts of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest Incident have been verified with any degree of certainty, and Walton being onboard an alien craft isn't one of them.

This is a stupid point, you have to put yourself in the shoe of the men at the time of the incident. These men were young backwoods bumpkins, the internet didn't exist and by all accounts they were very poor/uneducated. I seriously doubt, given the circumstances, they thought to themselves, "Hey guys, let us make up a UFO abduction story (which wasn't even a common thing back then), and then that will undoubtedly be made into a Hollywood movie, books will be written, and there is this UFO organization called MUFON that will pay us to be public speakers for the next 30-40 years."

 

[Han]

This is a stupid point, you have to put yourself in the shoe of the men at the time of the incident. These men were young backwoods bumpkins, the internet didn't exist and by all accounts they were very poor/uneducated. I seriously doubt, given the circumstances, they thought to themselves, "Hey guys, let us make up a UFO abduction story (which wasn't even a common thing back then), and then that will undoubtedly be made into a Hollywood movie, books will be written, and there is this UFO organization called MUFON that will pay us to be public speakers for the next 30-40 years."

Yes and how could swiss man with only only one arm possibly make models of flying saucers?. (just in case this is a joke about the billy meier story)

Or why would a DOCTOR lie about being in communion with space brothers? (and this refers to DR greer)

my point is that I think you should reflect on the fact that it appears to me that you are saying that Mr Walton and his coworkers are too "stupid" to have imagination, this is about as unfair as me saying that you are and idiot for believing Mr Walton and co had a "real" encounter.(which I am not)

Last time I checked imagination and education are not interdependent.

 

[withoutlimits09]

Yes and how could swiss man with only only one arm possibly make models of flying saucers?. (just in case this is a joke about the billy meier story)

Or why would a DOCTOR lie about being in communion with space brothers? (and this refers to DR greer)

my point is that I think you should reflect on the fact that it appears to me that you are saying that Mr Walton and his coworkers are too "stupid" to have imagination, this is about as unfair as me saying that you are and idiot for believing Mr Walton and co had a "real" encounter.(which I am not)

Last time I checked imagination and education are not interdependent.

I am not saying these people couldn't have had an imagination (though I do have my doubts). I am saying these people were not psychics. They would have to be in order to honestly know a major motion picture would be made of their story along with a 20 years worth of speeches on the "UFO circuit." By all accounts these were young simple workers who experienced something very odd. I have a tough time swallowing the fact they would endure a high level of ridicule and suspicion in order to MAYBE make a few dollars over the course of 20-30 years. This seems very unlikely and someone would have spilled the beans by now. If one of these guys REALLY wanted to cash in, they would write "TRAVIS WALTON: THE TRUTH" and blow the lid on the whole "hoax." That book might sell a few copies. I don't seriously believe Walton makes any serious cash speaking in old churches in front of 20-30 "MUFON" members.

 

[Goggs Mackay]

No-one has found out where Travis would have hidden during his absence either? Where do the skeptics think he spent the time? I suppose camped out in the woods maybe.
I can't help but think of the fact that these guys were facing accusations of murder and even if they knew they did not murder Travis, I'm sure the prospect of going to jail or remand would make at least one of them admit a hoax - I mean, how far where they gonna take being wrongly accused? I don't know of course if Travis really went into a spaceship etc but I am pretty convinced that those guys at least think they saw one up close.

 

[Myself]

I was thinking back to that famous quote that witnessing any alien technology would look like magic to us lowly humans. In Walton's description of feeling like he was floating in the star chamber room there is something just a little mystical captured there that makes the star chart pull down screen from Betty and Barney seem a little quaint. It could be argued that he just accidentally turned on the planetarium mode of the room he was in, but I find his interior description of the craft to be fairly compelling.

Fantastic point being made. Whenever I hear someone say this or that is "impossible" it makes me think of how little we know, but how haughty we can become when patting ourselves on the back for what we've accomplished so far.

 

[Myself]

This turned out to be a lively debate. Which only lends itself to the unique nature of Walton's claims.

 

[Bob Watson]

HOAX:

Travis Walton - Fire in the Sky

Sherif’s nephew claims Travis Walton Hoax well known? - Travis Walton - Zimbio

 

[Burnt State]

OR not a hoax at all...

HOAX:

Sherif’s nephew claims Travis Walton Hoax well known? - Travis Walton - Zimbio

Thanks for this link as the second half of the page is a debunking of the Sherif's nephew. It's written by the person who penned Travis Walton: the hoax that wasn't. It also led to a link to a letter describing the last polygraph test Walton took in the late 90's. This was paid for by a skeptic. Walton passed with flying colours and the questions/answers here refute a lot of the usual arguments against Walton's and the rest of the crew's claims. The more I look into the case the more I am struck by the repeated descriptions of Walton following the event: he is described as a fearful mess, who was either an exceptional actor or had gone through a highly unnerving experience.

, UFO Casebook Files

 

[Randall]

Ok, now who's being cynical about UFO contact? If you can scoot across star systems, remain entirely undetectable or contactable by those you've been visiting, observing, playing with etc. you certainly should be able to fix up, oxygenate and care for a lowly evolved organism like a human in the blink of an eye.

Need an oxygen mask? No problem Dr. Xzegron let me just think one into being. Here you go, just slap that on this young woodcutter and he'll be right as rain if my name's not Zaphod Beeblebrox. Here, just hold my pangalactic gargle blaster while I think us up some soma for the rest of the ride home to Zentex.

LOL That was funny .

 

[boomerang]

Small town populations have their own dynamic. But an officially missing person is a serious matter and it's hard to imagine a hoax involving Walton and friends that would have gone unpunished. It would be interesting to see interviews (either current or from that period) of local officials in an effort to gauge attitudes and reactions. Maybe there are a few such videos floating around out there somewhere.

 

[stonehart]

All I have to say is that he is either a fantastic lair or he really is telling you what happened to him.

It is in the body language.. watch his head and his eyes and you can tell.

so I think for certain something happened to him, but witness perception can be a rough road at best so all we are left with is what he perceives happened to him and your guess is as good as mine as to its validity.

 

[boomerang]

Attempting to think like a detective for a moment--not my forte--we might ask what set of relatively mundane circumstances would bind a small group of young guys to decades of secrecy surrounding an event centered on the temporary disappearance of someone like Walton. The ufo abduction as cover story would presumably be mutually agreed upon as a way of keeping everyone out of some kind of trouble. We could perhaps also stipulate that the crime, whatever it might have been, was trivial enough for the local authorities to simply write off as so much youthful nonsense, or whatever.

Still, their official line has been pretty much seamless over the years, has it not? Seems like all it would take to bust the whole thing wide open as a hoax would be for one conspirator to come clean in public. Again, it could be very interesting to chat one-on-one with locals in and around this event so many years ago. Whether they would open up to outsiders is another question. And--the paper trail. Are copies of official police records available to researchers ?