As with any newly emerging piece of gadgetry, the recent creation and rise in popularity of radio controlled kite gliders is expected to have indirect impact on several people - some of them distant observers unaware of the gliders' true nature. The objects are expected to create a string of unexpected UFO sightings and may have already been videotaped at least once as UFOs.
Sometimes the most compelling UFO footage is that which shows us something new we have never seen before. In this way the mystery generated by the objects on film are translated to the mystery of the UFO phenomenon with understandable ease. With the mysterious LED lights that can be fastened to modified versions and the soundless way they glide through the air, it's quite understandable that if the objects continue to be seen in the skies without first understanding what they look like ahead of time they could eventually become a major source of UFO news. So in order to stem the tide of falsely identified sightings, it may be necessary to take a look at these objects and how to identify them.
The objects were first popular in Japan in 2009 before coming over to the United States and gaining in popularity earlier this year. They work similarly to kites, but rather than depending on a string they use a remote controlled engine similar to UAVs that allow the craft to perform much more advanced maneuvers. As a result, these objects can be seen diving and soaring above witnesses looking almost alien in appearance. And though there have been no known cases of people using them purposefully to cause hoaxes, a few films on youtube recently, such as the College Station sightings have suggested these objects may have been viewed accidentally and misinterpreted as UFOs. This is fairly similar to the reception remote controlled helicopters and chinese lanterns received in the UFO community, but hopefully by preempting it the same awkwardness can this time be avoided.
One way to identify these objects is to understand that they do fly like planes and do not seem to hover (though RC helicopters do). The objects cover a small area doing brilliant displays at specific speeds, but cannot slow to a hover or go much faster due to their relatively simple engines. They have LED displays sometimes on their surfaces, but these rows of lights can often be identified as they are examined. Additionally, they are fairly small and have a general kite or airplane shape and cannot fly for more than a few minutes. Their flight characteristics and their relatively short range will likely make them easy to identify if you know what to look for. And though the technology of these hobby craft are expected to improve, they will generally follow the same criteria listed here and shouldn't prove difficult to debunk by the UFO watcher armed with these easy to remember facts.
