pre:

During the two occasions when the B-52 was in close proximity to the UFO, the B-52
VHF radio transmission with Radar Approach Control (RAPCON) was interrupted, while the
reception of incoming communications was unaffected. These communications took place on a
stated UHF military frequency, although they were actually in the VHF band at 270 Mhz.7
The first loss of radio transmission occurred near the WT fix, at the time when the UFO
closed on the B-52’s left wing, reducing its distance from 3 to 1 nautical mile (nm). The loss of
transmission continued for more than 16 nm, or about 4 minutes, if the airspeed of the B-52
during the descent to the runway was 250 knots (460 km / h, or 285 mph). This speed is plausible
because the B-52 was descending from 20,000 to 3200 feet. As soon as the UFO disappeared
from the radarscope, VHF communications returned to normal.

The second instance occurred when the B-52 was at its closest proximity to the UFO
during the flyover at 4:35 (CDT), at an altitude that was less than 1 nm.8 In both instances,
neither the onboard instrumentation, nor the radio reception appeared to have been affected.
Taken together, these two VHF transmission failures pose an interesting physical effect that will
be examined in more detail later in this study.

[...]

5.9. The Loss of VHF Transmission
The dimensions of the radar echo (280 x 140 meters) are not the actual dimensions of the
UFO. The radar dimensions represent a volume of air in which the electronic density was
sufficient to deviate the 9000 MHz radar waves. However, the presence of free electrons did not
limit itself to the region surrounding the UFO, which is approximately 15 % of the distance
separating the B-52 and the UFO during the sequence of radar photographs.

It is probable that the electronic density diminished progressively at some distance from
the UFO in a way proportional to the square or cube of distance. Since the B-52 was situated
about seven times farther away from the UFO than the zone of ionization, it is probable that the
electronic density near the B-52 was equal to at least 1/50 or 1/350 of the electronic density of
the cloud of ions that produced the radar echo. Evidently there was a considerable density of
electrons around the B-52, probably in the order of at least 1015 electrons per cubic meter,
(which is the previous value of Nc divided by 350). Consequently, the VHF communications
antenna of the B-52 operating at 270 MHz was immersed in a relatively conducting gas. This
did not hinder reception of the VHF communications from RAPCON, because the
corresponding electrical field was insufficient to perturb the atmospheric ions at only a few
millivolt VHF voltage at the receiving antenna.

However, when the B-52 copilot pressed the button on his microphone, the transmitter
onboard the B-52 was sending its entire power to the quarter wave antenna. In this instance, the
amplitude of the antenna’s local electrical field was increased, which immediately attracted the
ions and the electrons encircling the antenna. With a thick layer of ions encircling the
transmission antenna, all of the transmitting power was absorbed in the agitation of ions and the
heating of air. Therefore, the radiated power was very weak. In other words, the radiating
impedance of the antenna was bypassed by the bath of ions as if it had been plunged into a
conducting fluid driver such as water. Another way to understand this phenomenon is to consider
the critical frequency of ionized air by applying N = Nc /350 to equation (49):
Fc2 = 80.7 N = 80.7 . 2.9 . 1015 ==> Fc = 484 MHz (49 bis)
In this case the critical frequency (484 MHz) is superior to the frequency of
communications (270 MHz) and the wave is returned and absorbed rather than being transmitted.

In addition, the transponder transmitted without a problem because it operated above the critical
frequency over 1 GHz. It is remarkable that these considerations of plasma physics are
completely consistent with many described facts in this case.