Within Pilot Sighting
Does CADORS Make the Sighting Stronger?
The CADORS entry makes the case more traceable than a rumour, while Transport Canada warns that such records are preliminary and unconfirmed.
On this page
- How the sighting entered an aviation safety system
- What CIRVIS/UFO means in Canadian reporting
- Why preliminary records are not proof
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Introduction
The CADORS entry attached to the 2018 Baffin Island pilot sighting matters because it turns the incident from a second-hand story into a documented aviation occurrence. It does not prove that the pilots encountered anything extraordinary, but it does show that the report entered an official Canadian aviation reporting system and was serious enough to be logged, classified, and circulated through established channels. In the context of Nunavut UFO history, that distinction is important. Many sightings rely entirely on later recollections or media reports; the Baffin Island case can be traced back to a specific record in Transport Canada’s Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS). [Nunatsiaq News]nunatsiaq.com65674pilots spot possible ufo above nunavuts northern baffin island24, as they flew from Iqaluit to the Mary River mine in north Baffin Island.Read more…
At the same time, CADORS records are often misunderstood. A CADORS entry documents that something was reported. It does not certify that the reported object was identified, extraordinary, or even accurately perceived. Understanding that difference is essential when assessing the strength of the Baffin Island case. [Transport Canada]tc.canada.caTransport Canada4High Altitude Object Incidents - Transports Canada11 Aug 2023 — Transport Canada is aware of the recent sightings and events of Unidentif…
Does CADORS Make the Sighting Stronger?
The answer is yes—but only in a limited and specific sense.
A CADORS record strengthens the case because it establishes that trained aviation personnel reported an unusual observation through a recognised safety-reporting process. The Baffin Island sighting was not simply retold years later or passed around online. It entered a system used to share information about aviation occurrences and potential hazards. The report was also significant enough that NORAD was advised, even though no operational impact on the flight was reported. [Nunatsiaq News]nunatsiaq.com65674pilots spot possible ufo above nunavuts northern baffin island24, as they flew from Iqaluit to the Mary River mine in north Baffin Island.Read more…
What the CADORS record does not do is confirm the nature of the object. The entry records a report, not a conclusion. That distinction often disappears in popular retellings, where the existence of an official document is sometimes treated as evidence that authorities verified the sighting. Transport Canada does not present CADORS that way. [Transport Canada]tc.canada.caTransport Canada4High Altitude Object Incidents - Transports Canada11 Aug 2023 — Transport Canada is aware of the recent sightings and events of Unidentif…
For researchers examining UFO history in Nunavut, the value of the record is therefore traceability. It provides a documented starting point that can be checked against dates, locations, witness statements, and subsequent reporting. That makes the incident more substantial than a rumour, even though it remains unresolved. [Nunatsiaq News]nunatsiaq.com65674pilots spot possible ufo above nunavuts northern baffin island24, as they flew from Iqaluit to the Mary River mine in north Baffin Island.Read more…
How the Sighting Entered an Aviation Safety System
CADORS is a public reporting system maintained by Transport Canada to distribute information about civil aviation occurrences. The database collects reports from sources including NAV CANADA, operators, airports, and other involved parties. Its purpose is safety awareness and information sharing rather than the investigation of paranormal claims. [Open Government Portal]search.open.canada.caOpen Government PortalQuestion Period Note: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP)Transport Canada (TC) manages the Civil Aviation Daily Occ…
In the Baffin Island incident, the pilots’ observation was entered into CADORS after the November 2018 flight near the Mary River mine. Once recorded, the event became part of an official aviation information chain rather than remaining solely within company records or witness recollections. This is why the case continues to appear in discussions of Canadian UFO reports years later. Researchers can point to a specific occurrence record rather than relying only on news coverage. [Nunatsiaq News]nunatsiaq.com65674pilots spot possible ufo above nunavuts northern baffin island24, as they flew from Iqaluit to the Mary River mine in north Baffin Island.Read more…
The broader significance is that aviation systems occasionally preserve unusual sightings that might otherwise disappear from the historical record. A CADORS entry creates a documentary footprint even when no definitive explanation follows. [Science.gc.ca]science.gc.caence Reporting System (CADORS) for incidents affecting aviation safety…Read more…
What CIRVIS/UFO Means in Canadian Reporting
One of the most misunderstood parts of the Baffin Island record is the label “CIRVIS/UFO.”
The CADORS entry used the category “CIRVIS/UFO,” with CIRVIS referring to “Communications Instructions for Reporting Vital Intelligence Sightings,” a long-standing reporting framework for unusual aerial observations. In practical terms, the label signals that an aviation observer reported something noteworthy that could not immediately be classified. [Nunatsiaq News]nunatsiaq.com65674pilots spot possible ufo above nunavuts northern baffin island24, as they flew from Iqaluit to the Mary River mine in north Baffin Island.Read more…
Crucially, the category is broad. Transport Canada has stated that reports falling under UFO-related classifications can include drones, balloons, meteors, weather phenomena, birds, rockets, and other objects or observations that are initially unidentified. The presence of the label therefore indicates uncertainty, not extraterrestrial origin. [Transport Canada]tc.canada.caTransport Canada4High Altitude Object Incidents - Transports Canada11 Aug 2023 — Transport Canada is aware of the recent sightings and events of Unidentif…
This is one reason the Baffin Island case attracts attention while remaining difficult to interpret. The official classification confirms that the object was unidentified at the reporting stage, but the classification itself offers no evidence about what the object actually was. [Transport Canada]tc.canada.caTransport Canada4High Altitude Object Incidents - Transports Canada11 Aug 2023 — Transport Canada is aware of the recent sightings and events of Unidentif…
Why Preliminary Records Are Not Proof
The strongest argument for caution comes from Transport Canada itself.
CADORS records are intended to provide rapid awareness of aviation occurrences. Transport Canada explicitly describes the information as preliminary and subject to revision. The database exists to notify stakeholders and support safety monitoring, not to deliver final investigative findings. [Transport Canada]tc.canada.caTransport Canada4High Altitude Object Incidents - Transports Canada11 Aug 2023 — Transport Canada is aware of the recent sightings and events of Unidentif…
That warning is especially important in UFO-related cases. A pilot may accurately report seeing an unusual light while still being unable to determine its distance, size, altitude, or origin. Without additional evidence such as radar data, imagery, multiple independent observations, or a completed investigation, a CADORS entry alone cannot establish what was seen. [Transport Canada]tc.canada.caTransport Canada4High Altitude Object Incidents - Transports Canada11 Aug 2023 — Transport Canada is aware of the recent sightings and events of Unidentif…
The later public comments associated with the Baffin Island sighting illustrate this point. According to reporting at the time, the pilot described a bright light that changed colours, while a Nolinor representative suggested it was probably something natural, perhaps a star or meteor. Those comments neither fully explain nor strongly reinforce the UFO interpretation. Instead, they show that uncertainty remained after the initial report. [ArcticToday]arctictoday.comPilots report UFO sighting over Nunavut's northern Baffin…November 28, 2018 — Pilots report UFO sighting over Nunavut's nor…
What the CADORS Record Ultimately Tells Us
For the Baffin Island sighting, the CADORS record is best viewed as evidence of reporting rather than evidence of an extraordinary object.
It tells us that professional aviators observed something unusual enough to document through Canada’s aviation safety system. It shows that the incident was treated seriously enough to enter an official record and be communicated through established channels. Those facts make the case more credible than an unsupported anecdote. [Nunatsiaq News]nunatsiaq.com65674pilots spot possible ufo above nunavuts northern baffin island24, as they flew from Iqaluit to the Mary River mine in north Baffin Island.Read more…
However, the same record also highlights the limits of the evidence. CADORS does not identify the object, verify an unusual explanation, or demonstrate that investigators reached a remarkable conclusion. In Nunavut’s UFO history, the value of the Baffin Island case lies less in what the record proves and more in the fact that the record exists at all. It provides a rare, traceable aviation document for a remote northern sighting while leaving the central question unresolved. [Transport Canada+2Nunatsiaq News]tc.canada.caTransport Canada4High Altitude Object Incidents - Transports Canada11 Aug 2023 — Transport Canada is aware of the recent sightings and events of Unidentif…
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Endnotes
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Source: nunatsiaq.com
Title: 65674pilots spot possible ufo above nunavuts northern baffin island
Link: https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/65674pilots_spot_possible_ufo_above_nunavuts_northern_baffin_island/Source snippet
24, as they flew from Iqaluit to the Mary River mine in north Baffin Island.Read more...
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Source: science.gc.ca
Link: https://science.gc.ca/site/science/en/office-chief-science-advisor/sky-canada-project/management-public-reporting-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-canadaSource snippet
ence Reporting System (CADORS) for incidents affecting aviation safety...Read more...
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Source: tc.canada.ca
Title: Transport Canada4
Link: https://tc.canada.ca/en/binder/4-high-altitude-object-incidentsSource snippet
High Altitude Object Incidents - Transports Canada11 Aug 2023 — Transport Canada is aware of the recent sightings and events of Unidentif...
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Source: search.open.canada.ca
Link: https://search.open.canada.ca/qpnotes/record/tc%2CTC-2022-QP-00005Source snippet
Open Government PortalQuestion Period Note: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP)Transport Canada (TC) manages the Civil Aviation Daily Occ...
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Source: nunatsiaq.com
Title: pilots report ufo sighting over nunavuts northern baffin island
Link: https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/pilots-report-ufo-sighting-over-nunavuts-northern-baffin-island/Source snippet
24, as they flew from Iqaluit to the Mary River mine in north Baffin Island...
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Source: arctictoday.com
Link: https://www.arctictoday.com/pilots-report-ufo-sighting-nunavuts-northern-baffin-island/Source snippet
Pilots report UFO sighting over Nunavut's northern Baffin...November 28, 2018 — Pilots report UFO sighting over Nunavut's nor...
Published: November 28, 2018
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Source: nunatsiaq.com
Link: https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/our-top-10-stories-of-2018/Source snippet
Our top 10 stories of 201831 Dec 2018 — The top news story of 2018 on Nunatsiaq.com: a UFO sighting in northern Baffin Island...
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Source: tc.canada.ca
Title: ca Standard 621
Link: https://tc.canada.ca/en/corporate-services/acts-regulations/list-regulations/canadian-aviation-regulations-sor-96-433/standards/standard-621-obstacle-marking-lighting-canadian-aviation-regulations-carsSource snippet
621 - Obstacle Marking and Lighting4 Apr 2025 — Standard 621 for standards for marking and lighting of objects that present a hazard to t...
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Source: fliegerfaust.com
Title: uap ufo aviation safety pilot reporting data
Link: https://www.fliegerfaust.com/uap-ufo-aviation-safety-pilot-reporting-data/Source snippet
Transport Canada maintains the Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS), a public...Read more...
Additional References
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/198e3pq/canadian_ufo_flight_reports/ -
Source: bst.gc.ca
Link: https://www.bst.gc.ca/eng/incidents-occurrence/aviation/index.htmlSource snippet
Report an air transportation occurrenceReport the occurrence as soon as possible by the quickest means available Call direct 819-994-3741...
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/VASAviation/posts/numerous-reports-of-mysterious-lights-very-high-very-fast%EF%B8%8Fwatch-full-video-on-yo/937298871735620/Source snippet
😨Numerous Reports of Mysterious LightsPassenger and military plane pilots report 'bright green UFO' swooping through the clouds over Cana...
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Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/eYG7NBYWS1kSource snippet
Canada's top scientist releases new UFO reportCanada's top scientist releases new UFO report. 202. Dislike... ” The acronym UAP stands f...
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Source: syfy.com
Title: unidentified aerial phenomena ufos in canada
Link: https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-ufos-in-canadaSource snippet
Unidentified aerial phenomena have been tracked in...23 Apr 2021 — A recent story from VICE World News dives into these unexplained phen...
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Source: uforum.blogspot.com
Title: nothing too baffling at baffin island
Link: https://uforum.blogspot.com/2018/12/nothing-too-baffling-at-baffin-island.htmlSource snippet
2018: Pilots report UFO sighting over Nunavut's northern Baffin Island.... In fact, there were a few dozen UFOish CADORS reports in 2018...
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Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgbNKOK7lr4Source snippet
[Pilot reports]({{ 'pilot-report/' | relative_url }}) unknown flying "object" in airline audio of close encounter...
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Source: aa.com.tr
Title: canada ufo sightings include reports from airline crews
Link: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/canada-ufo-sightings-include-reports-from-airline-crews/3120051Source snippet
The skies above Canada were fertile ground for what could be UFOs with at least 17...Read more...
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Source: skiesmag.com
Title: 13 briefing said might not be practicable.Read more
Link: https://skiesmag.com/news/canadian-officials-say-not-feasible-analyze-debris-unidentified-objects-shot-down/Source snippet
Canadian officials say it might not be feasible to analyze...14 Feb 2023 — The three smaller “objects” remain “unidentified” until debri...
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Source: vice.com
Title: The Truth Is Out There
Link: https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-truth-is-out-there-but-this-company-holding-ufo-info-wont-share-it/Source snippet
But This Company Holding UFO...29 Jul 2021 — After hearing from Nav Canada, 21 Squadron usually sends its own CIRVIS report to Transport...
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