PINBALL RESEARCH FILES

Like those charming Russian nesting dolls where each doll lifts to reveal another, smaller, doll hidden inside the one before, the files of Project Blue Book often have stories hidden in reports within investigations.  Only the most naive of researchers can look at these files and accept the summation as the total picture of the events labeled.  Some files barely touch on the event on the label or summary page.  The files resemble the track of a pinball as it zips here and there across a landscape of potential traps and trip wires. The result is often lacking in cohesion or clarity.

The file is labeled Oct. 23, 1969 – Vandalia, Ohio a Project Blue Book Case. In it the sparse facts are recounted that witness observed an object that moved W to NW; was shaped like a brown ball; 8 ft in diameter; flashlight style focused light; Conclusion: balloon or garment bag balloon. This startling finale required 12 pages to report.    Inside this report, however, was a telex style page: “OK Air Force Station reported employees of some (blacked out business) picked up UFO on radar at Wink, TX and followed it to Salt Flats, NM." The report went on to explain that between Wink, Texas and Salt Flats, New Mexico was a distance of 95 miles.  Also noted, and possibly unrelated, was a power outage reported at Tinker;  Nellis reported a downed F-4 near a Nevada Test site.  Meanwhile, or in addition to this, the OBJECT was tracked to NM 2500 knots.  At 5 miles south of Salt Flats object STOPPED for 4 sweeps of radar then grew smaller and faded out. ZUNI NMEX reported UFO – low to surface full of oscillating lights. UFO demonstrated ability to move in any direction slow or fast; observed through binoculars low to horizon with oscillating lights. No a/c in area. Report showed diagram that object climbed and descended as well as following a straight line.