told me how small the community is, that all the major players know each other. And that the upcoming industry conference was going to be abuzz at the bar with these stories.
I'd be curious to know more about his reputation within the community, both as a person and as a pilot. Some potential lines of questioning:
- Is he viewed as highly competent and reliable?
- Is he known to be eccentric?
- For those who have worked with him, were there any notable conversations indicating an interest in UFOs or conspiracies in general? Was this something he was passionate about? Did these conversations occur before or after the alleged retrieval?
- How often do other pilots in the community secure contracts with the DoD?
- Do contractors ever use military helicopters, or only private company machines? (This is particularly relevant regarding the night vision camera on the line, presumably connected to a HUD.)
The reason I'm especially interested in his reputation, beliefs, and personal relationships is, as I mentioned in another post (
link), cultural beliefs and dispositions can strongly influence perception.
For example, in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) community, there seems to be a higher-than-normal level of conspiracism and UFO enthusiasm. Eddie Bravo (also a BJJ gym owner from SoCal and one of the biggest figures in BJJ internationally) has been a recurring guest on Joe Rogan, advocating for Flat Earth, Planet X, and other fringe ideas. Many other MMA fighters, including UFC champions, are also hardcore UFO believers. The fact that Barber owns a BJJ gym isn't evidence of anything in itself, but if he was already known to be interested in conspiracy theories and UFOs as is not uncommon in the BJJ community, it could provide useful context regarding his mindset when interpreting anomalous situations.
One hypothesis is that Barber already had strong UFO beliefs before the incidents he described to Coulthart, and he simply misinterpreted what was happening as a result. He may have been picking up any number of mundane objects (blimps, targets, wrapped machinery, etc), but because he was flying out in the Nevada desert, conducting a "crash retrieval", his brain might have erroneously connected unrelated dots using the available UFO heuristic. I also wouldn't rule out the possibility that some people were messing with him in this context.
If I recall correctly, when Coulthart asked whether Barber discussed the possibility of an alien craft with his copilot, Barber said they didn't need to say it out loud; they both just
knew. That suggests a mindset more prone to suggestion, given that he wasn't continually seeking external verification. Again, this isn't conclusive, but it helps paint a clearer picture of the cognitive framework Barber was operating within.
Lastly, I'd reiterate my previous point about cultural beliefs and perception. It's important to understand that these tendencies are not abnormal in human nature. Even if Barber was influenced by prior UFO beliefs, that doesn't mean he's crazy. That's an important point to keep in mind, especially when speaking with any of his potential colleagues.