UFO TRAINING SCHOOL, SHEPPERD FIELD, 1962

A 43 page file in project Blue Book titled, 'UFO TRAINING SCHOOL' has some interesting things in it on the topic of UFO investigations. It was a how-to for those who would be called upon to conduct such investigations.

Of particular note was one page that stated:
"United States Air Force interest in UFO's is three-fold:
1. To determine if UFO phenomena presents a threat to the security of the United States.
2. To determine if the UFO Phenomena exhibits any technology advances which could be channeled into research and development.
3. To explain and identify the stimulus which caused the observer to submit his report as an unidentified flying object."

Now, any researcher on the subject will recognize the first two as near verbatim statements drawn from the Air Force Regulations, 200-2. In AFR 200-2, however, the statement reads that the Air Force interest is 'two-fold."  The third element is not listed

Interesting...

In 1973 UPI columnist Dick West will comment in one of his columns, titled "Credibility Gap."  Noting that the public had been assured repeatedly flying saucers were mere figments, people "stopped seeing them."   But, he went on, "those were the days when the government enjoyed a relatively high level of credence...If the government would lie about Vietnam and Watergate maybe it also was playing fast and loose with the truth about UFO's."

In 1964 in Detroit, Michigan, hundreds of citizens saw and heard a strange object in their skies. One night it woke them from their sleep. The Air Force response was a complex explanation that attempted to cover sightings from May 1 to late June."  The Blue Book summary page, that first file page that provides date, location, summary of case and the conclusion the AF reached, said that most of the sightings were due to a low flying aircraft equipped for infra-red photography mission and carrying a generator for Ac & DC curent to run various allied equipment. This was "probably" the answer and the case "evaluated as an aircraft" becuase it was the "most likely cause."  Other sightings were evaluated to be meteors, other aircraft, Venus, reflections of headlights off of fog, swamp gas,.

Several long newspaper articles, a lot of police work, and a lot of Air Force time that could have been avoided with a simple PSA stating that the AF would be using a plane to do some special projects so just ignore any lights or sounds you hear. They would get some complaints for people being awakened at 3:00 a.m. but.....a lot less overall paper work.

If, that is, that explanation holds any water in the first place.

The original of the regulation was issued 29 April 1952, then 12 August 1954, 5 February 1958, 14 September 1959, 20 July 1962 and then 19 September 1966.