POCATELLO — The next phase in the search for Bigfoot is about to take flight.
Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum, professor of anatomy and anthropology at Idaho State University and famed Bigfoot researcher, has teamed up with other Sasquatch aficionados to build and sail a state-of-the-art blimp to search for the legendary creatures from the sky.
Meldrum is almost as famous, or depending on the audience, infamous, as the mythical creatures he chases. But, despite all the naysayers, the good-natured professor is optimistic this is the future of wildlife research.
“Admittedly, this is a prototype,” Meldrum said. “But, why would you not pursue the opportunity?”
The unmanned dual airship, dubbed “The Falcon Project” because of the blimp’s ability to “fly high and see far,” is the first of its kind. The helium-filled aircraft looks like something out of science fiction and is equipped with a nearly silent proprietary propulsion system that can carry the blimp at speeds of 35-45 miles per hour and maneuver with the kind of precision necessary to track a fast-moving animal. Or the 45-foot aircraft can simply hover over an area.
The airship is the brainchild of Williams Barnes, a former gold miner, whose fascination with Bigfoot was born 15 years ago after Barnes said he encountered a Sasquatch in the California wilderness.
After a 90-second glimpse of what Barnes describes as an “elegant, fluid” animal standing over 6’ tall, the question of whether Bigfoot actually existed was no longer a question for Barnes. But the experience launched his quest to film the mysterious creatures in the wild.
That’s why Barnes’ futuristic zeppelin, originally conceptualized for the film industry, also flies with a specially built gyro-stabilized camera equipped with infrared, thermal imaging and High Definition capabilities. The one-of-a-kind camera is also capable of zooming in on a target and quickly tracking its position.
“The beauty of this is the combination of stealth and maneuverability,” Meldrum said.
With plans to deploy the airship in selected areas of habitat where reports suggest Sasquatch may range, Meldrum said he believes the Falcon Project will permit researchers to approach and observe the elusive Bigfoot with no disturbance of their subject’s natural behavior.
The airborne method will also allow surveillance in areas of dense stands of forest, providing for the sustained, vertical observation of animals on the forest floor, a task which has been impossible until now.
“I’m convinced on the evidence that there are these creatures out there, that this species exists,” Meldrum said. “I’m also convinced that they are extremely rare and extremely far-ranging and solitary. Those qualities make it a creature which is very difficult to study.”
The Falcon Project offers a novel approach to researching such creatures. In fact, the technology is so cutting edge the group was able to earn the approval of Idaho State as a research project, which not only lends legitimacy to the endeavor, but that university backing paved the way to secure the government permits necessary to fly this type of sophisticated aircraft.
But, while ISU has approved the idea, the university is not funding the ambitious project. That means Meldrum and his team must rely on private donations, with the group needing a minimum of $300,000 to get the blimp off the ground.
Fundraising efforts are currently under way, and Meldrum is hopeful the group could reach their minimum goal in just a few weeks.
So, is the Falcon Project the final frontier in the hunt for Bigfoot? For Meldrum, the answer to that question doesn’t really matter because the chase is so much of what science is about for him.
“I’m fascinated by mystery,” he said. “For me, the part of science that was so appealing was the exploration and discovery.”
And, it’s that thrill of the unknown that continues to drive his research.
“A lot of science is mundane and rote and people don’t undertake projects unless they are pretty confident of what the outcome is going to be already. So, where’s the fun, where’s the adventure, where’s the spirit of exploration?” the professor asked.
Tax deductible donations for ongoing operations of The Falcon Project can currently be made through the ISU Foundation, and the project will soon be featured on the popular website kickstarter.com, which is a community-based fundraising platform for independently created ventures. Further information about the project can also be found atwww.the-falconproject.com.
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