Tim Kaney - MUFON Field Investigator

 My name is Tim Kaney and I am a Field Investigator for the Wisconsin Chapter of MUFON or the 'Mutual UFO Network'.

Check their website here: https://mufon.com/.

I have investigated nearly 20 cases since joining up.

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How Did I Get Involved?

To keep things short and to the point, I have had a lifelong interest, for sometimes unknown reasons, in the odd, strange, and unusual. Particularly of interest in the last few years has been the most taboo pop culture topic - that of the ubiquitous flying saucers, UFOS (unidentified flying objects), USOs (unidentified submersible objects, and now as the government termed them - UAPs (unidentified aerial phenomena). This interest was highly developed from accounts received by family members, my own experiences, and a trigger of sorts in recent years that sent me on a personal journey to find answers and help others along the way.

I reached out to MUFON and began their very thorough training course for Field Investigators. It goes through techniques for gathering evidence, conducting witness interviews, managing records, and evaluating all pieces of data to detect deceptions, hoaxes, and lies in order to uncover the rare few of truly unknown UFO sightings and events.

It was a very grueling but rewarding training program and I was very excited to complete it with a passing grade. From their, I mentored under an amazing tutor (a fellow investigator from the east coast) and also MUFON's Director of Investigations.

Experience Thus Far

From the time I have began to now I have explored, looked into, or otherwise officially investigated around 19 UFO, UAP, or strange lights in the sky cases (at the time of this writing).

I have evaluated photographic evidence, scrutinized video evidence, researched astronomical events, interview witnesses via email and over the phone, looked at geographic traits, done open records requests from Law Enforcement, and event my first FAA FOIA request.

Specific to Wisconsin, people may not realize we are fairly replete with UFO sightings (both documented via the MUFON database and otherwise). That being said, many people do not report sightings if they have them. This is due to many reasons. Some are so far in the past that many people figure they are not relevant anymore or may have trouble remembering them. Some never due because they fear public ridicule. Others don't simply because they are comfortable know what they saw and do not need or want further investigations. Others look for help when they do decide to report these mysterious, sometimes life-altering, experiences.

Mission Statement and Goals of MUFON

According to the MUFON Website:

THESE ARE THE WORDS THAT INSPIRE US EACH AND EVERY DAY.

Our Goals…

I. Investigate UFO sightings and collect the data in the MUFON Database for use by researchers worldwide.

II. Promote research on UFOs to discover the true nature of the phenomenon, with an eye towards scientific breakthroughs, and improving life on our planet.
III. Educate the public on the UFO phenomenon and its potential impact on society.

OUR CORE VALUES

MUFON does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry). disability, marital status, sexual orientation,or military status, in any of its activities or operations; We believe in a totally inclusive environment.

What Should You Do if You Have a UFO Sighting?

First, I would recommend staying calm and putting safety as a priority. If you are driving especially, make sure to pull over when it is safe and put your hazard lights on if you are on the side of the highway. Taking video or pictures while driving is not only dangerous but also risking a citation.

Second, make sure to concentrate hard on all the details of the event if possible. Items like size, shape, sound, color, behavior, location in the sky, are all crucial elements to a good accounting of the UFO. What does it look like? How big was it comparison to common objects like pills or coins? About how far up in the sky was is using the measurement of your open hand at the end of your arm?

Other factors try and document are the weather, astronomical events or bodies nearby, noting any nearby planes or satellites, and other items worth noting.

You also want to mark your location of the event (GPS is a great tool for out of the way UFO sightings). Nearest city and address is also a great back up.

If there are any nearby airports, military bases, or space ports, it would be great to note that as well.

Finally, if you can take pictures or videos, DO IT! Take many and often so you can increase your chances of getting good, clear, images.

Writing all of this out in a timeline format is a great way to increase memory of the event as well.

Once that is all said and done, MUFON always encourages people to submit a report on their website here: https://www.mufoncms.com/public_report/.

How Can You Get Involved?

There are a few simple ways you can get involved to help solve the UFO mystery with MUFON.

1. Contact me directly and I can direct you to relevant parties.
   
2. Visit the MUFON website and become a member.
   
3. Become a MUFON volunteer.
   
4. Become a MUFON Field Investigator.
   
5. Make a donation to MUFON.
   

As I have time I will be updating this blog more regularly and may even shift it to its own website, if the need arises. Otherwise, stay tuned for more posts and keep looking up!

Tim