Michigan: A Place Where Planets Accelerate and Climb

K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base is a decommissioned U.S. Air Force installation in Marquette County, Michigan, near the city of Marquette. It was opened in about 1944 and decommissioned in the mid-1990's.

A case from there in Project Blue Book is found with difficulty due to an error in labeling the files in the online archives database. The file is labeled "1965 10 8695228  AverKISawyerAFB Michigan.  A search of files related to the 10th month had brought it up but a search under Michigan did not find it.

Here is the story. October 14, 1965, at 15/0050z a pilot and plane were flying under some cloud cover when a sharply outlined object, bright white that turned several shades of red, caught their eyes. At first, they thought it might be a missing Cessna plane but that was quickly struck down when the object accelerated at great speed. Its red color faded some as it moved away to the distance. At first the object had appeared stationary but then extreme acceleration told them it was in motion. The object would turn bright red when it sped toward or away from them.

Under the cloud cover there were no stars seen. None were noticed until the object light up into the clear above the clouds sky.

The object climbed rapidly and when last seen was heading to the SW and climbing. Again, the brilliant red color in its acceleration was noted. 

The main witness was the pilot of the tanker plane, Capt. Dewaine F. Jensen, 46 Air Refueling Sq., K.I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan. He was an experienced pilot of ten years.  He noted on the form in the area where other outstanding features should be noted that the object was "able to go from 3NM to 15NM or more awy from KC-133 in 10-30 second." At the time the KC-!33 was flying at 340 "KIAS." When the object was last seen it was at 250 degrees and CLIMBING.

The Air Force labeled this a sighting of VENUS. Someone, perhaps one of the consultants, had penciled in a question mark. "Venus on horizon at 230 degrees? - 3/9 mag. Motion attributed to refraction of setting planet."

The file is mentioned and the name if "Ever K I Sawyer AFB" and the "AverKISawyerAFB Michigan"; what the "Ever" or 'Aver" means is unclear.