Small Metal Spheres: The Sky Really Was Falling

 A surprising amount of early unidentified objects had them being described a silver, shiny, and sometimes white spheres. An easy and vague enough description to be easily placed within the "weather balloon" classification. Trouble was sometimes these "spheres" were smaller 10 inches to three feet and moved against the wind and made other maneuvers that were hard to explain away. 

It has been theorized that such objcets might have been an early form of drone or remote controlled device.  

In the 1960's and 1970's some show up around the globe and bring mystery and lingering wonder to those who delve into them.

In Australia - In the November 1963 issue of A.P.R.O. Bulletin was a story from April 8th near Broken Hill in New South Wales, Australia. An odd sphere was found on the property of Mr. J. McLure. It could not be cut or sawed with a hacksaw or a file. It was 14 inches in diameter and weighed twelve pounds. It was spherical and hollow. An analysis at the Zinc Corporation noted it had been subjected to great heat. No one could recall seeing anything fall. A later spectrographic study revealed the object contained beryllium, titanium and magnesium. Officials denied it was a water or well weight. Later, an announcement came from Canberra the object was part of a "space vehicle."  The sphere was not going to be opened because negotiations with the foreign government were ongoing. News slowed hut then a storycarried in a Nebraska paper said a second sphere had been found to have follow also and it was located some 25 miles from the first. This second one was 16 inches in diameter and weighed 19 pounds. (pg. 6).

In Japan - a larger metal sphere fell in Japan. The Kera Object, Small Japanese UFO found by kids in 1972 Japan.

Republic of Chad - October 1970, a 4 inch steel ball landed and Operation Moon Dust personnel reported on the finding and location of this space debris. Apparently, also found near was something with the appearance of drive shaft. moondust-oct1970-chad.pdf (theblackvault.com)

In Florida- The Betz Ball of 1974 - an eight inch diameter, 22 pound sphere of metal - is a maze of a tale that has a lot of information but no clear and absolute resolution. A family found a metal sphere in the remains of a burned building; the young son thinking it might be a cannon ball, lugged it home. Over time it appeared to them to have unusual properties. Tests were run failing to find welding marks, hinting at objects inside the ball, and a makeup that was unique. The Wikipedia article is an apparent mouthpiece to the skeptical debunker camp and fails to address any issues become the limited scope of their investigation. For a bit wide range of information see this Nick Redfern article on the topic: The Betz Mystery Sphere: Alien Artifact or Doomsday Device? | Mysterious Universe. 

Chicken Little was right ....the sky was falling, or at least things orbiting high overhead were falling to earth.   The only clue to the Betz ball was a tiny triangle, a hollow center. How well those aspects might be found in the other accounts a trail might be found leading back to the nation with the falling space metal.

A Unified Theory of UFOs or A Game of Three-Dimensional Chess?

It is a classic scene from vintage television science-fiction, the command crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise are playing a game of chess - on three levels and multiple-dimensions.  Chess is a game of strategy and logic and great patience.  In many ways, there is a link between that multi-level playing board and the entire study of the subject of unidentified flying or aerial objects. "Three-dimensional chess" is used colloquially to describe complex, dynamic systems with many competing entities and interests, including politics, diplomacy and warfare. To describe an individual as "playing three-dimensional chess" implies a higher-order understanding and mastery of the system beyond the comprehension of their peers or ordinary observers (Wikipedia)

As discussed earlier in this blog, there are some cases and events that do not quite "fit." They seem to be statistical anomalies or outliers that require special explanations. The response of the 1940's and 1950's was one largely of total acceptance of any tale of sightings, encounters, and experiences. As a result, extremely diverse and hard to reconcile examples of craft, beings, and messages emerged. This would continue well into the 1970's.  In the early 1980's a standard image emerged of the large headed, large eyed, smaller statured creature. The UFO community's response to this vast disparity was to adopt it all and then generate theories that explained the disparity.

In the late 1960's but especially in the 1970's the field was in flux; there was so much going on and it was difficult to see the forest for the trees.  The government study, along with the early fieldwork of groups such as A.P.R.O. or NICAP, had suggested that there were several things being seen at one time.

• Unidentified aerial objects of undetermined origin.
• Natural phenomena unrecognized by the observer (such as Astronomical events (meteors, comets, sundogs, planets, and stars); weather conditions (thunderstorms, lightening, temperature inversions).
• Misidentified aircraft
• Pranks or hoaxes. This was always the lowest segment of any group

In the late 1960's and 1970's a new way of thinking emerged, fostered by the "New Age" movement and its mix of drugs, eastern mysticism, and new concepts in psychology and social dynamics. Continuing with the concept that the vast array of types and shapes and messages had to all fit in the same box labeled "UFO EXPERIENCE," a search for a common answer continued. One into which all the varieties, versions, and shapes would neatly fit.  People such as Jacques Vallee, and others as diverse as the battalion of "Contactees" and " New Age Drop-In Experiencers" conceptualized the UFO experience as a new emerging religious cult, a mystical-spiritual experience, better studied by sociologists, anthropologists, and psychologists than nuts and bolts scientists. 

If we conceptualize the topic of UFO's along the lines of that multi-level game of chess it becomes a bit clear that just as there are differing layers of protentional explanations, there are also layers of players at work as well. 

There was, from the beginning, the Military level (trained in standard and nearly unchanged mindsets and patterns of movement they were often too formal and rigid to respond to lightening swift changes in technology or society. Weary from years of a global battlefield they also were hypervigilant and , some, apparently uncomfortable in peace).

There was, from the beginning, the Scientific level (in the era of the first UFO's two generations were shifting positions, an older generation trained in science of the past, in many ways, and less able to abstractly conceive the possibility all those laws learned might have some flaws and the reluctance to accept new ideas or paradigms as their ancestors had when Galileo posited the position of the sun in the galaxy . Replacing them were younger scientists with a tendency to be more open, willing to test new ideas, and stretch the boundaries. As youth, they also carried a liability in ignoring issues of both ethics and morality in a pursuit of science just for the sake of science).

There was, from the beginning, the Government level (governments are always distant from the day-to-day realities they create and as a result they tend to develop false perceptions of their own value, their own power, and their role in their assigned tasks.  When protected levels are created, as they were with the Manhattan Project, the process of compartmentalization of secrets, of actions, of decisions, and a hording of power begins.  This would be the process - the nexus - where a secret intelligence arm began as a natural outgrowth of national security but fed by fear, paranoias, and hunger for power or prestige it grew, often unchecked and lacking any accountability).

The Unknown.  The mystery element, the mysterious dark helmeted knight whose origins are murky and who loyalty may be open to question. A covert government, an alien entity, a super secret cabal with goals shrouded in questions. 

The Experiencer or Observer. The people, normal everyday human beings, who observed or experienced something they cannot explain, can only poorly describe, and know with absolute certainty they saw or experienced what they have said they saw or experienced.

So, instead of trying to mix hairy aliens, tall Nordics "space brothers", and short grays together into one unified theory of the UFO Conundrum, maybe we should visualize it as a game of chess.

Multiple layers of
opposing factions all playing hard to win, all in opposition to the others, all willing for brief collaborative efforts to help improve the odds for their side and their master goal.

Maybe visualizing the issue in such a multi-layer and dimensional way the cases - those good and solid cases - might begin to make more sense.

Remember..."Three-dimensional chess" is used colloquially to describe complex, dynamic systems with many competing entities and interests, including politics, diplomacy and warfare..." 

"Why Don't We See UFO's ?"

A question often asked, and the reasons may be very simple. The culture of the world has largely shifted from a lifestyle of being engaged with the outdoors on a regular basis to one where the comforts and entertainments in the home take precedence. In the late 1940' s and 1950's there were more people regularly going to local parks, lakes, and just being outside than is found today. Air conditioning was a rarity, televisions and radios not in every home, and the economics meant the enjoyments of a free outdoors for picnics, get togethers, events, and walks was normative. In those years, there were also a large number of a) local amateur astronomy clubs in America and other regions of the globe, b) less acres of streetlights and illuminated signage washing out the visible sky, and c) people who looked up to see the night sky or the daytime sky. 

Some people - as evidenced by queries and comments when someone posts a video of the satellite strings moving into orbit around the globe - are unaware of what is going on in the skies. Where once people and school children learned the night skies, now there is less motivation or inclination to "look up" or "watch the skies."

It may be a case of "If a UFO appears in the sky and no one sees it was it really there?"  Some argue that with all the sensors and grids and watching electronics anything would be seen if it were there. Did you notice in the last two years several large asteroids "sneaked" up on our planet and nothing (or little) warned us?

The assumption that our radar systems would always be able to track an object of extra-terrestrial origins may be our hubris speaking.  

Cold War Plots, Flying Discs, and Contactees: Is There a Horrible Connection?

 In August of 1949 the report of PROJECT GRUDGE was put together (PBB Project Grudge in file 1949 08 1195541 [Blank]) and it included a list of reports, some of which are not found elsewhere. 

There is also a page of "RECOMMENDATIONS" that has a most intriguing aspect. 

Number 3 lists a recommendation that "psychological Warfare Division and other governmental agencies interested in psychological warfare be informed of the results of this study."

In 1951 when a formal group, created by executive order of the President, is formed as the Psychological Strategy Board it was not, apparently, the first such group formed.  What was the purpose and scope of the psychological warfare division? If it was in place, why was a "board" needed and by executive order?

In this 1949 to 1951 time there will emerge the first of the major "Contactee" episodes. They will occur regularly between 1951 and 1963.  The message, tone, experience, technology, and aliens encountered in this time period will be vary board and lack a truly cohesive element. As a mystical experience, related to religious or spiritual experiences, this would be the case.  Yet, the contactees are all marked one common element: an over-the-top "Buck Rogers" aspect.

In this same window of 1949 through 1963 various covert operations -such as MKULTRA and other projects are playing with people's minds, memories, and lives. They are giving drugs to unknowing subjects, they are conducting medical and psychological tests on unknowing subjects. All - under the guise of government sanctioned programs - to protect the American people. Most of these tests will go unchallenged until the 1970's and the Church Committee investigations. Thousands of documents were destroyed before they could be uncovered and read. 

During that same window of time arise a tremendous number of middle and south American UFO experiences that also share a common element with those contactee experiences. They are over-the-top, often violent, and describe encounters from monster aliens to luscious beauties from a Hugh Hefner fantasy. 

In both cases, the majority of "contactees" and those outlier South American experiences share a common sense of being "off kilter."  The vast majority of global cases - the really good, solid, and scientifically inexplicable cases - had a consistent substructure of form, movements, and other recorded elements.  In 1947 and repeated in 1949 was an awareness of this planform, maneuverings, and speed aspect they could not tie to any government no matter how much they tried. 

Is it possible that some contactees were the product of a covert government program to test mind-control, behavior modification, and post-hypnotic suggestions?  A two birds with one stone result would be a win-win situation for the military and the government as it would allow the troublesome topic of those unexplained objects to be hidden behind a blinder of ridicule and guilt by association.  It might allow for the use of secret technology out in the open and then hidden through such means with the same results.

As civilian watch-dog groups of the UFO phenomena developed (APRO, NICAP and others) and a willingness by larger segments of the population to believe in the theory of visitors, government agencies might have moved testing to other regions to test on citizens of those area in similar manner to tests conducted at home. 

These theories provide an explanation for the outlier aspects of those experiences and sightings. They help eliminate the confusing distractions of sub-sets of the UFO phenomena which have bothered so many for so long. 

Some have looked at the total and tried to make fit a plethora of alien beings, incredible diversity in alien craft shapes, and confusing messages of purpose until what results is a soap opera tale of feuding alliances and alien species. Instead, the truth may be a stripping away of those aspect that do not fit the larger and more consistent sightings over several decades. Then, maybe then, we will be closer to the truth that is poised and waiting to be discovered. 

"17 Saucers..Over Bronx"- July 1952

July 1952, New York City

 

Oddly Similar?

 Davenport, Iowa 1968 - Project Blue Book

The more recent object filmed and declared by the DOD to be a real object and an unknown.

Rev. Henry B. Standing Horse: Oklahoma Contactee, 1959

See the previous entry on the Oklahoma Space Convention of 1960 (Jan.2022). 

Standing Horse claimed his first sighting was in 1949, then one in 1956, and finally on July 12, 1959, he encountered a crew of three alien beings who looked very human. With them he traveled to the Moon, Mars, Venus, "Clarion" and to a planet at the far edges of the galaxy, "Orion." He blasted off from Earth near Sapulpa, Oklahoma where he was pastor of  The Holy Church of God, that was open to Native Americans and African Americans (an oddity in an era of wide-spread racism). 

From research by Marilyn A. Hudson for her upcoming, SOONER SAUCERS, Vol.2

For More information on the Famous and Infamous Corps of Contactees in the 1950's through the middle of the 1960's visit the following pages:

A Contactee Album! (utexas.edu)

1950s Contactees (utexas.edu)

When Prophecy Fails: A Social and Psychological Study of a Modern Group That ... - Leon Festinger, Henry Riecken, Stanley Schachter - Google Books

"You Can't Know the Players Without a Program": Who and what of Early 2000's

 SO what has been happening?   - - - Notes from some research...

2006, November 7, Chicago, Illinois; O’Hara Airport and crew and passengers of United Airlines witnessed a large metallic craft at 4:15 p.m. Explained as weather phenomena.

2007, Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), a DOD program, begins operations. It is recognized in 2012 (with implications of an earlier start) and ceased in 2017.

2015, January; GIMBAL video taken by an F/A-18 Super Hornet from the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt.

2015, National report;  Average UFO reports from US States 2001-2015 listed Oklahoma as reporting 1088 cases. Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/06/19/states-with-the-most-ufo-sightings/39306977/ and https://247wallst.com/special-report/2021/05/14/these-are-the-states-with-the-most-ufo-sightings/; Cheryl Costa’s, “UFO Sightings Desk Reference: United States of America 2001-2015: Unidentified Flying Objects Frequency–Distribution–Shapes.”

2016, January; “GOFAST”, video taken by crew associated with the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt.

2018, June 4, Stillwell, Oklahoma; A strange report of a person who had been encountering strange things since the middle of May. His dog began acting strange, an odd light – spherical and yellow to orange pulsating light – began to appear. It would hover over nearby trees.  A strange figure was seen – faintly military in appearance but wearing sunglasses, dark suits, and giving off a strange “vibe.” These strangers communicated through telepathic means. The strangers seemed to know what life decisions he was facing and calmed him about the different path being chosen for him. SOURCE: URECAT – UFO’s Related Entities Catalog. 

2020, June, Washington, D.C.; “Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee detailing information about Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP).

2020, June, Washington, D.C.; Formation of the “Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF), within the Office of the Navy.  Processor was Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program and its successor the “Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group” (AOIMSG).

2020, Washington, D.C.; "DOD is releasing the videos in order to clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real, or whether or not there is more to the videos. The aerial phenomena observed in the videos remain characterized as 'unidentified,'" the Pentagon said in a statement accompanying its official release of the videos (GIMBAL, FLIR, GOFAST) in 2020.

2021 November 23, Washington, D.C.; The successor to the UAPTF was the “Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group” (AOIMSG). Its oversight and direction is by an Executive Council, the Airborne Object Identification and Management Executive Council (AOIMEXEC). The AOIMEXEC is to be co-chaired by the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security (USD; I&S), and the Director of Operations, Joint Staff, and an acting director for the AOIMSG.

Who Was Lyle G. Boyd? :Co-author with Dr. Donald H. Menzel

According to the Science Fiction Encyclopedia (SFE: Ellanby, Boyd (sf-encyclopedia.com)( the name "Lyle G. Boyd" was the "Joint pseudonym of Lyle Gifford Boyd (1907-1982) and her husband William Clouser Boyd (1903-1983), the latter a professor of immunochemistry at Boston University, Massachusetts. They began to publish work of genre interest with Category Phoenix (May 1952 Galaxy; 2010 ebook), continuing to a total of fourteen stories in various contemporary SF Magazines until 1958, as well as a small number of essays for such magazines 1958-1959. The Star Lord (June 1953 Imagination; 2010 ebook) interestingly recasts the 1912 voyage of the Titanic as sf, with the titular Spaceship on its maiden voyage running into a Hyperspace iceberg-analogue known as the Thakura Ripples. On one occasion – the authors' final published tale, "A Toothache on Zenob" (October 1958 If) – the Ellanby byline was printed as Boyd Ellanbee."

Apparently, both wrote nonfiction under their own names. "William C Boyd collaborated with Isaac Asimov on the popular-science title Races and People (1955) (see Race in SF) while Lyle G. Boyd collaborated with US astrophysicist Donald H Menzel (1901-1976) on the highly skeptical UFO study The World of Flying Saucers (1963). [DRL]"

This is very fascinating - Lyle G. Boyd is referred to as "Mrs." in editions of newsletters from two UFO groups of the time period.  William C. Boyd was an immunologist. His wife's name was  Boyd, Lyle Ardetia Gifford, Birthplace: St Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri, USA 1907-1982. Summary Bibliography: Lyle G. Boyd (isfdb.org).

The couple may have written using a common surname of Boyd Ellenbee for joint fiction projects. Another resource indicates they published a work on eugenics using both William C. and Lyle G. Boyd.  

Little as to her educational background or experiences beyond the writing has been located to date. It is interesting that Menzel would have partnered with a science-fiction writer to produce this updated version of his first book on unexplained objects in the skies.

Especially, since 1957 to 1962 the Air Force, and especially its spokesperson Tasker is denouncing NICAP's head, Keyhoe as a mere "science fiction" writer. 

 

MUFON PODCAST INTERVIEW WITH CHERYL COSTA

 

ODNI: "A Handful Demonstrate Advanced Technology" (2020)

From the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Objects. 25 June 2021.

 "And a Handful of UAP Appear to Demonstrate Advanced Technology "

I"n 18 incidents, described in 21 reports, observers reported unusual UAP movement patterns or flight characteristics. 

 Some UAP appeared to remain stationary in winds aloft, move against the wind, maneuver abruptly, or move at considerable speed, without discernable means of propulsion. 

In a small number of cases, military aircraft systems processed radio frequency (RF) energy associated with UAP sightings. The UAPTF holds a small amount of data that appear to show UAP demonstrating acceleration or a degree of signature management.

 Additional rigorous analysis are necessary by multiple teams or groups of technical experts to determine the nature and validity of these data. We are conducting further analysis to determine if breakthrough technologies were demonstrated."

Prelimary-Assessment-UAP-20210625.pdf (dni.gov)

This was after the 2020 DOD announcement that videos of objects leaked were real and unknown. The videos were known as FLIR, GIMBAL and GOFAST. 

OUTER SPACE, ALIENS, AND UFO'S : Religious Vies

Examining some old or vintage resources on the topic of "flying saucers" I ran across the "UFO Investigator", the formal newsletter of NICAP.  I was amazed to see that a minister was a member of their governing board and had been an active investigator in New England. As I read, I realized there were many people, of many different faiths, who had found common ground on the topic of the possibility of extraterrestrial visitations. People from Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and other groups or philosophies were uniting in the possibilities presented.

Rev. Albert H. Baller, was a recognized authority on UFO's. He was a native of Trenton, NJ and had graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University and Boston University's School of Theology. At the time he worked with NICAP he pastored a Congregational Church  and had authored three books for children (published by Rand McNally). 

In the July 1957 issue was "Religion and Her Flying Saucer." Here it was noted that Protestant, Catholic and Jewish faithful were accepting the idea.  A Catholic Doctrine was cited from 1952, Washington, by Very Reverend Francis J. Connel, "for Catholics to know that the principles of their faith are entirely reconcilable with even the most astounding possibilities of life on other planets."

The article cited an address of His Holiness Pope Pius XII to the 77the International Congress of Astronautics. This last was found in "Flying Saucers from Outer Space" By Donald Keyhoe (Holt & Co.).

In addition, comments had been sent in by religious people and their leaders from Lutheran, Methodist and other groups sharing the view that the reality of other life forms should be considered and often expressed the concept that there was no conflict between faithful belief on Earth and other beings in the Universe.

In the April issue of the Voice of Healing, Gordon Lindsay shared chapters from his upcoming book on the topic of "Flying Saucers." (April 1954).

May alternative groups were also accepting and merging some beliefs to accept the possibility represented by the flying saucer theme. The French researcher Jacque Vallee linked encooutners and alien abductions to events recorded through human history; "“I pointed out in Invisible College that the structure of abduction stories was identical to that of occult rituals. I had shown in Passport to Magonia that contacts with ufonauts was only a modern extension of contact with non-human consciousness in the form of angels, demons, elves, and sylphs. Such contact includes abduction, ordeal (including surgical operations), and sexual intercourse with the aliens. It often leaves marks and scars on the body and the mind, as do UFO abductions.”[21]" (See UFOs and the Bible - Are Aliens Demons? (christianworldviewpress.com))

Others, however, simply viewed the idea as antithesis to a literal and fundamentalist view of scripture. A "The Bible did not tell us of other life forms" so there could not be any. If people were seeing anything they had to be "demonic", evil, or bad in some form. Some based their thinking on verses such as Daniel 9:27 and its mention of "wings of abomination."

The problem is that it is not always clear to which group these references infer: the alien space brothers of the "Contactee" new religion or the small, strange beings, reported since the 1940's?   Is one real and the other delusion? Are both? Are neither?

The newspapers, the military and the academics tended to mix the "Contactees" into the same bowl as the "flying saucers" and later "unidentified flying objects" and all were equally viewed as being as real as a spotted elephant.  Just as one bad apple may spoil an entire barrel of good apples; one psychological report (a crazy, a loon, a contactee, etc.) could result in the tossing out a room full of good, scientifically viable, and multiple witnessed reports.

Many diverse individuals wrote works on the topic of UFO's and Biblical history and literature. Some also explored some theological issues but not as many. The topic was a poplar level one and so more esoteric discussions may have had no ready audience. 

Unfortunately, today there are still academic reports being written that lump all these factors together instead of seeing them as separate strands sharing a time period but stemming from different stimuli.

I recall the old mini-series based on Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles, where the Catholic Priest is a missionary to the stars. He encounters the blue orbs - the remains of the original Martians - and it transforms him as any sacred encounter might. Science Fiction and religion have always had a close connection. "Science fiction writers continue to turn to religious characters, imagery and ideas to sort things out." Why do Catholic priests keep popping up in sci-fi? | America Magazine

It may be time to consider all these things. To sort things out.  Is it a case of "God vs the UFO's" or  "God and the UFO's."

Some interesting lines:

PIONEER CHRISTIAN WRITINGS ON FLYING SAUCERS AND UFO'S (bibeltemplet.net)

Biography of J. Gordon Lindsay (healingandrevival.com)

Quotes Found in Research

 "Another expert, Dr. Menzel, famous for his "temperature inversion" theory..."

--The Orbit, C.R.I.F.O. (Civilian Research, Interplanetary Flying Objects) Newsletter, April 7, 1954 (1:1), pg. 1. 

This was especially fascinating due to the building awareness that so many of the "explanations" proffered by the Air Force in Project Blue Book seemed to have come from the same mind. A reoccurring sentence, phrase, or similar common aspects were curious. Then, as files contained galley proofs of Menzel's second book on UFO's, it was clear, entire sections had been lifted for the purposes of explaining files and communicating the same to witnesses and those who questioned the event(s).

He was a consultant in the shadows, his name popping up only rarely but enough to indicate he was involved but not with a high profile, Toward the of the program he is sending Project Blue Book leader Quintanilla his "suggestions" that the project should shed Hynek because he was too positive and too willing to actually listen to witnesses. See the article elsewhere this blog for more on that subject.

About the time he was writing his first book on UFO's (1952-53) some sources indicate he was already working for the government as a disinformation or debunker catalyst. Some suggest that he was hired by the presidentially created Psychological Strategy group to function as a debunker. If so, this certainly goes a long way to understanding his role, the negative comments, and the attitude expressed in numerous settings.

UFO SYMBOLS: Secret Flights or Secret Tests?

 1975?: UFO Symbols - Think Aboutit - UFOs

Lucius Farish (a true UFO investigator) along with Dale M. Titler wrote about symbols for Official UFO magazine (the mid-70s) that included these representations:

Certain UFO witnessed have been prototypes, one obviously so due to its "friendly" markings on the undersides of the wings as it moved slowly over the heads to two scientists. It appears that prototype aircraft have felt themselves free of identification markers, required safety lighting, and other restrictions for many years. If a aircraft was developed in another country by that government or another the same situation might arise. For the suspicious who might recall the mind tests conducted by the CIA in the 1950's and 1960's, there may also be the thought of how these flights might provide ideal testing situations for using the concept of the "UFO" to achieve some clandestine goal. 

The top one was a 1959 sighting of words on a UFO in Salvador City, Brazel, Helio Agula.

The second one was a UFO seen by a Morris Heflin, Oklahoma City, Ok, April or May of 1971. "IX1478"

The bottom is March 1966, and the location is incorrect (probably based on the incorrect information in Hynek's UFP Experiences book and cited elsewhere repeating the mistake). The location was Temple, Oklahoma just north of the Red River. The witness was Eddie Laxon, who was a civilian employee at Shepherd Field, Wichita Falls, Texas. 

1969 UFO Bibliography

 UFOs and Related Subjects: An Annotated Bibliography, Lynn E. Catoe, Prepared by the Library of Congress, July  1969

Request date: 09-November-2014

Released date: 12-November-2014

Posted date: 15-December-2014

Source of document: Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC-R)

ATTN: FOIA Requester Service Center

8725 John J. Kingman Road, Suite 0944

Ft. Belvoir, VA 22060-6218

What Else Were They Doing? : Ultra Secrets, Hyper Fears, and UFO's

Sometimes in the process of research truths appear that bring deep sadness, anger, or mystification.  Finding, again, the evidence of the reality of a real-life horror in the Church Committee investigations of the CIA's MKULTRA project. Following the trial to learn of the two programs before that: Project Bluebird (which some records indicate goes back to 1949) and Project Artichoke in 1952. All designed to test the limits and potentials for mind control through drugs, hypnosis, and behavior modification of the forcible kind.   Following that twisted route it is clear how Alice must have felt tumbling down the rabbit hole.

Stumbling across a Project Blue Book file that lists a task of forwarding some reports to the people in the "psychological warfare" offices.  Of finding a mysterious extra objective tied to such studies. 

Learning that Jacques Vallee in one of his later works recounts a man who claimed knowledge of the CIA conducting abductions in Latin America disguised as "Alien Beings" as part of that same broad scale program. 

Given the early, early dates of these activities, the 1951 development of a Psychological Strategy Board for warfare applications, and the events of the entire UFO picture, it raises questions. Some of those "contactee" individuals were they two edged swords to advance the knowledge sought and debunk the issue of possible extraterrestrial or all too top-secret terrestrial craft development?  Some of those abductees were they part of that broader picture as well?  

In the early seventies, as lawmakers, and others, began to sniff that something might have run amuck in the government, the head of the CIA at the time ordered all records related to those projects destroyed. Investigators had to build their case using witness testimony and then later 20,000 pages of material related to the topic were uncovered in a FOIA request. What else might have been destroyed?

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE AIRCRAFT KIND: 1957 AND DANGEROUS SKIES

 Three events - 

July 17, 1957 - Dallas-Ft. Worth area. The flight of an AF RB-47h "ferret" craft - electrical counter-measures aircraft was on a testing run from Forbes AFB in Topeka, Kansas. They plan called for a flight down toward Dallas, Texas, a turn east to Louisiana and some of Mississippi and down into the Gulf of Mexico and wide turn toward the Texas Coast and then a reverse course back the way they had come. Coming back at several points things were registered on both ground and air radar. The first sighting was over Gulfport at 5:10 a.m. and the last reading was at Oklahoma City at 6:20 a.m. At one point the pilot and co-piloted reported seeing two objects with red color. Permission was given for the plane to 'give brief chase' because it was an apparent unknown. Fuel being low, that was cut short after a futile chase, and the aircraft turned back to head toward Oklahoma City and home to Forbes. At Oklahoma City the other object was finally lost. For a detailed and scientific look at the case go here. 

The Project Blue Book file will emphasize several times through the file that the CAA (Civil Aeronautics Administration and predecessor of the FAA), that the counter-measures aircraft had a encountered with the AA Flight # 655.  Yet, note the information below indicates the encounter reported by that plane occurred 50 miles west of El Paso. El Paso is located on the lower jutting quadrant of the state of Texas, far away from the course shown on the map of the RB flight.

July 17, 1957 - El Paso, Texas. An American Airlines Flight # 655 (?) , a DC-4 with 85 people aboard, narrowly missed collision with an unidentified aircraft, "which hurtled out of the early morning darkness over West Texas." An airline spokes man said the incident occurred at 4:30 a.m. "Texas Time" over Salt Flat, about fifty miles east of  El Paso, Texas. The time is a bit confusing because El Paso was on MST and Dallas on CST; time will be important later since neither time will match the report of the RB craft out of Forbes despite the Air Force report. The plane was flying 14,000 feet when the "mystery aircraft suddenly appeared." The Captain of the AA flight was Captain T. Bachner of Fort Worth. He was forced to dive his craft down and to the right to avoid collision. Forced to land at El Paso, two passengers, both from California, were taken to the local hospital. One paper indicated the plane was on a non-stop flight from Dallas to Los Angles. Yet, the encounter with the unknown occurred  over the Salt Flats,  some 50 miles east of El Paso. If this flight encountered the RB flight from Forbes it would have been while that plane was in the Ft. Worth and Mineral Wells region. So why wait to report it until they were 50 miles east of El Paso? Because the flight was coming from El Paso toward Dallas.  Source: "Airliner Misses Mystery Aircraft in Dark." The Daily News Telegram (Sulphur Springs, Texas, July 17, 1957).

July 22, 1957, Amarillo, Texas. Captain Schamel, pilot of a TWA Flight # 21, a DC-6, 4 engine Constellation, dropped some 500 feet attempting to dodge a mystery object on a collision course.  The unknown had lights running down each side when it was encountered around 10 p.m. while the aircraft was flying at 18,000 ft. A woman passenger, 68-year-old Mary Clark of Massachusetts and one of the aircraft hostesses, Dorothy Rekon, were injured slightly. One news article had the pilot saying he thought the craft an Air Force ship but not a jet but most merely stated the other object was not identified. Oddly, the brief Project Blue Book file has this identified as a Dallas to Tuscan flight and the event occurring "Between Amarillo and El Paso".  Since Amarillo is in the Texas Panhandle, the plane would have had to divert course north if heading from Dallas to Tuscan. 

This string of mystery objects and unknown craft in such a truncated time span had to be noted then and should be noted more often now. People, however, tend to be tunnel visioned and focus in on only one event and block out its Sitz im Leben.  Events seldom occur in a vacuum and often are surrounded by other events that expand, explain, or illuminate that other event. A form of chaos theory, if a mystery craft flies in Texas skies - there have to be others somewhere!

The Department of Commerce, Civil Aeronautics Administration (Washington, D.C.) - Stamped dated Nov. 8, 1957.

To Brigadier General Harold E. Watson, USAF, Air Technical Intelligence Center. Writer-Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH. From A.L. Coulter, Roy Keeley, Director of Flight Operations and Airworthiness.

A response to a letter from Watson (AFCUN04E4 of October 7, 1957) regarding investigations into two (2) incidents involving commercial airliners and the sighting of unidentified flying objects...previously reported in local newspapers.

"The first incident mentioned occurred on July 22, 1957, near Amarillo, Texas, and involved  TransWorld Airliner's Flight # 21. Subsequent investigation proved that the unidentified object was another aircraft which was displaying the proper navigation lights.  The true identity of this aircraft was never determined, however, it is assumed that it was a U.S. Air Force KC-97 aircraft which was known to be operating in the area at the time of the incident. [emphasis added]

The second incident mentioned occurred on July 17, 1957, near El Paso, Texas, and involved American Airlines Flight No. 655. Investigation of this incident definitely established the fact that the unidentified flying object was American Airlines' Flight No. 966, which had previously departed El Paso, Texas, en route to Dallas, Texas."

A P.S. at the bottom says: "July 22, En route from Chicago to Tucson- - TWA Airliner almost collided with UFO at 18,000 Altitude! It had lights, reported the Pilot..."

So from this it becomes clear that the Project Blue Book report related to the July 17 El Paso flight ignored the complete CAA information and added it as the explanation for the RB flight case. Add this to the "mistake" made later in the 1960's when the reported date was in September and no searches for information turned up any reports for Condon researcher Roy Craig, the inability of the AF Archives to locate any such file when Craig requested is via the Condon Project, and the fact that Dr. James McDonald was able to a) locate the correct date, b) locate the original files, and c) bring that information to the attention of a special study group indicares something was "afoot."

1957 was the year of the great egg-shaped craft at Levelland and elsewhere. Indeed the months of March and November were very busy in Texas and the cases for 1957 are among the highest in all of Project Blue Book. 

'BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR": 1947 STYLE

 Several official documents from 1947 provide a description of an object no one could identify.  It's shape, speed, maneuverability were all built from numerous interviews with "qualified" witnesses (those with experience and knowledge of aircraft). 

The consensus of those witness descriptions revealed a common form emerging. Yes, some were obviously weather balloons, some were ordinary aircraft, but....these engineers, pilots, designers, and scientists and trustworthy John and Jane Q. Public revealed they were seeing the same things. For those following aircraft designs of the day, the first thought was the "Flying Flapjack" of the Navy. Yet, there were, according to records, only two built, and only one was operational in June-July 1947 and it never left Connecticut.  There were a lot of "flying wings" in design and construction and test stages but all were the delta form or just had swept back wings. 

The speed was over 350 mph (sometimes estimated upwards to the 600 range and occasionally as high as 1000 mph).  Usually described in terms of "very fast", "terrific speed", etc. Average commercial craft and military ranged from 150 to 500 mph regularly seen in the skies. 

Maneuvers: Sudden stops, sharp 90 degree turns, reversals and hovering, swift angled or straight vertical climbs, just as speedy disappearances. Most observing these would note that the G-forces would have been incredible and beyond capabilities of the day.

Altitude: As low as 300 ft. and as high as 100,000

Color: Shiny, metallic aluminum like surfaces or a dull cream or white

Lighting: Bright white light, sometimes rows of red, green, amber or blue along the sides, sometimes a  red-orange glow on the flat back edge.  Sometimes the entire object would glow red.

Sound: Consistently no sound; a few instances were a sound was heard but may have been merely coincidence of environment (a train in the distance making a roar or hum, etc.). Other times only the sound of something moving and displacing air (a swish, whoosh, etc.).

Last Seen: Mt. Rainer, Washington; Phoenix, AZ; Bakersfield, CA; elsewhere. 

WHO WERE THE IMPERSONATORS?

 In 1967 there were stories of strange government looking individuals showing up, flashing credentials or wearing uniforms, interrogating eyewitnesses, claiming photographs and negatives, and generally adding a menacing aspect to reported episodes of reported sighting event.

Jenny Randles in her work THE TRUTH BEHIND THE MEN IN BLACK ( St. Martins, 1997) relates how the matter came to the attention of officials after letters requesting return of photos by witnesses left authorities with questions. They had no files, no photos, and digging into several stories learned that some impersonations had, apparently, been going on. Her book reproduced the memo:

                               DEPTARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
                                OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF
                                  UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
                                      WASHINGTON, D.C.
                                        1 March 1967
                             
REPLY TO   AFCCS
ATTN OF

SUBJECT    Impersonations of Air Force Officers

     To         

           Information,  not verifiable,  has reached Hq USAF that persons claiming to 
           represent  the  Air Force  or other Defense  establishments  have contacted 
           citizens who  have  sighted  unidentified flying objects.   In one reported 
           case an individual in civilian clothes, who represented himself as a member 
           of NORAD,  demanded and received photos belonging to a private citizen.  In 
           another, a person in an Air Force uniform approached local police and other 
           citizens who had sighted a UFO, assembled them in a school room and told them 
           that they did  not see what they  thought they saw and that they should  not 
           talk to anyone about the sighting.  All military and civilian personnel  and 
           particularly Information Officers and UFO Investigating Officers who hear of 
           such reports should immediately notify their local OSI offices.


           HEWITT T. WHELESS, Lt. General, USAF
           Assistant Vice Chief of Staff

The NORAD case was Rex Hefflin of Orange Co., California who had captured Polaroid images of an object while during his work as a highway repair surveyor in 1965.  He  claimed a visit from a strange man who said he was from NORAD (North American Air Defense). Later, he stated men who claimed to be Air Force Intelligence also visited him. 

This added, to rumors widely afoot, of strange men in dark or black suits warning, intimidating, or just showing up acting a little strange, gave the whole concept of "Men in Black" credence for many.

The first instance of strange men in suits showing up was in the narrative of the Maury Island Hoax in July 1947. In that era, the presence of "men in suits" was most often members of the FBI, who would interview people for government jobs and talk to their families and known associates for classified jobs. The military often, through its Intelligence network engaged the FBI for background work, reports can be found where this was the case, and the FBI was asked to provide some investigations into the motives of some early "flying disc" reports. This was done by Brid. General George F. Schulgen in a meeting with the FBI July 7, 1947.

So, there is a detailed report by the FBI into the Maury Island incident, the two main hoaxers, and events surrounding in that clearly states their actions in creating a hoax, perpetuating it and attempting to make money from the same. They apparently were in collusion with a local reporter and a newspaper. They used the crash of an Air Force plane, the death of two military personnel to try and add legitimacy and interest in the story they were trying to sell to publisher Ray Palmer. An action that resulted in souring the subject of flying discs even more for many military. 

However, the FBI was just one potential government group. There was also the CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE GROUP, until it was replaced in late 1947 with the CIA. There were several alphabet intelligence agencies operating in a manner similar to the NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY and a couple coming out of the Department of Defense. All falling within the realm of covert, government, and classified agencies. 

There were also, unfortunately, the potential that some of these may have been people from the fringe area of the UFO field itself. The same level of individuals who hoax haunting to prove the validity of the paranormal. A twisted, convoluted reasoning that might have been seeking to protect the "space brothers" in some contactee cult or who were acting out some fantasy of aiding the colonizing aliens. 

They, also, could have been merely a lie used by witnesses to ramp up the interest in their story and garner some publicity.

So, a word of advice, if you take those really great photos or that awesome video, do share copies of it with something like MUFON, do share a copy with local media, do post it online. Do not give away the original without a receipt.

Always check and verify credentials presented and have witnesses around for any discussions.

The Saucer Dance (July 9, 1947)

July 9, 1947, as headlines were either about General Ramey 'emptying the saucer' from Roswell or news that atomic secrets stolen a year earlier had been returned (and not recently). 

In the Dallas-Ft. Worth area a local dance instructor from the Arthur Murray Dance Studio, demonstrated her newly created dance: The Saucer Dance. 

 Citing that there were just too many people seeing and talking about the odd objects she set it to music, and some dance steps. 

The events of 1947 - unidentified flying object-wise - fall into three general categories.

January though May - Thing are going on but we will ignore it and hope it goes away. Sightings are limited to isolated areas in the United States or in foreign nations where it is fairly easy to wave the hand and mutter, "loonies!"

May through September - May through June there is a uptick in reports (some from highly qualified individuals) but since they cannot be seeing the things they say - they aren't. Bluff and derogatory remarks, ridicule, flat out denials and verbalized questions about the soberness or  trustworthiness of anyone claiming to see such things that "cannot be there." July 4th holiday and there is an explosion of sightings - across the country and before massed crowds of people outside at picnics and similar celebrations - suddenly they cannot be laughed off due to the numbers, geographical spread, and quality of those reporting. At the end of July an official report is being compiled that identifies the common shape (disc, round, curved front and flat tail end), the common speed range (300- 1000 mph) and extreme maneuvers (80 degree turns, rapid moves that would have been intolerable to a pilot to the current knowledge), etc. In this time period a combination of dire hints of death sentences (in case they are atomic project products), large scale ridicule of any and all witnesses, and a series of probable hoaxing events to aid visuals to the picture - the number of reports and stories go down. 

October through December - the topic is sometimes termed "the almost forgotten flying saucers" of earlier in the year. Yet, by late December the Air Force is forming the first of several investigative or record gathering projects labeled "SIGN".  It is born from several "estimates of the situations" and "analysis of flying disc" reports generated in and for the Office of Intelligence for the Air Force. As of December 22, 1947 those documents can only state  the objects being seen are real, not all can be explained away as misidentifications or natural phenomena, and they did not have a clue where those mysterious remaining ones came from (although they had compiled the probable physicality of the objects based on dozens of high quality reports.

The government, according to those reports, did not know what the objects were in those best quality cases. Did they turn out the lights, shut the door , and go hit a dance floor trying out that "Saucer Dance?"

That remains a mystery - like so much about those early months and years.

Farmington, NM and Exploding Skyhook Balloons (1950)

 In Dr. Donald H. Menzel's work with Lyle Boyd, The World of the Flying Saucers , the reigning debunker of the day excelled.  "A burst balloon has caused many a saucer scare, but the invasion of Farmington, New Mexico, on Saint Patrick's Day 1950 was one of the most dramatic. The "saucers" began to fly about 10:15 A.M. M.S.T. and soon filled the air. In numbers estimated from 500 to thousands, for the next hour the gleaming saucer-shaped objects soared over the sown, moving erratically at incredible speed, darting in and out among each other..." The answer, he went on to explain, was more prosaic. A Skyhook balloon had been launched that morning from Holloman Air Force Base near White Sands, New Mexico. Near Farmington, in the cold atmosphere of at 60,000 feet the balloon had become brittle, burst, and disintegrated  into hundreds of tiny pieces of plastic. Light as feathers, shining in the sunlight, they floated over the town and away.

Sounds good. What the neat explanation failed, intentionally, to share was the fact that the sightings went on for three days, numerous witnesses saw the disc like objects on all three days, and years later records indicate there was no such Skyhook balloon released at White Sands. Added to that is the way this episode, like the Roswell incident, were so completely buried that most people were unaware of the episode when its half-century anniversary occurred. Tales emerged of newspapers being snatched up, people told to not say anything, etc. 

According to local news and accounts the events were March 17,18, 19, 1950, Farmington, New Mexico. 

Check out the story in detail at Farmington NM 70th Anniversary of Mass UFO Sighting (exonews.org)

Also, see The Farmington, New Mexico UFO Armada Case - UFO Insight

Psychological Strategy Board of the U.S. And UFO's

 Under the Truman Administration in 1951 (4 April) there was the creation of the Psychological Strategy Board (see U.S. Dept of State, Office of the Historian, at Foreign Relations of the United States, 1951, National Security Affairs; Foreign Economic Policy, Volume I - Office of the Historian; see also CIA FOIA pages at PSYCHOLOGICAL STRATEGY BOARD (PSB) | CIA FOIA (foia.cia.gov)).

This group to be made up of the U.S. Secretary of State, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Director of Cental Intelligence or a designated representative. The purpose was primarily propaganda and essentially vague in its particulars:

"It is the purpose of this directive to authorize and provide for the more effective planning, coordination and conduct, within the framework of approved national policies, of psychological operations.  

There is hereby established a Psychological Strategy Board responsible, within the purposes and terms of this directive, for the formulation and promulgation, as guidance to the departments and agencies [Page 59] responsible for psychological operations, of over-all national psychological objectives, policies and programs, and for the coordination and evaluation of the national psychological effort."

What was precluded was "overt economic warfare" and "This directive does not authorize the Board nor the Director to perform any “psychological operations”."

The board did, apparently, have the ability to sub-contract with experts in a variety of fields.

It was finally abolished 3 September 1953 under Executive Order # 10483, due to concerns of a lack of oversight or control of what was being done in the group. This may have been merely a tug of war for control or a serious concern over rogue groups without clear cut goals, rules, and accountability. The group remained, under new name and some new guidelines, until it was again abolished by President Kennedy in 1961. 

Also of note, is that this group was thought to be a response to both the Korean Conflict (1950-1953) and to the emergence of a new "Red Fear" in the form of McCarthy censorship and accusations of infiltration of communist sympathizers or spies into the fabric of American life. From 1947 there were some who believed that the "flying discs" being reported were tales shared to generate fear for political reasons. As early as July 6, 1947, stories were in the papers of "Russian atom saucers" and by 1949 senators were sharing stories of advanced Russian weaponry made to look like saucers. This was a ruse and a cover story because documents indicate that into 1948 the government, and the Air Force, did not know what the objects were and that the operation and form of the crafts seen had a startling consistency in descriptions. 

The work of Project Blue Book was included in that larger pond of resources tapped by the PSB.  In most official and public declarations of the goals of PBB there are usually only two purposes listed. In one period, however, there are more and that involves sending data to those involved in the field of psychological warfare. From the CIA FOIA documents Dulles solicited ideas and implementations of psychological activities from all agencies and he pointed out that only "overt economic warfare had been banned by presidential order." (see PSYCHOLOGICAL STRATEGY BOARD (PSB) (cia.gov)) . Given the timing of the Robertston Panel in 1952-1953 it is clear that it dovetailed with the goals of the PSB. 

The outright ridicule, claim of balloons, experimental aircraft, reflections, endless meteors, and misidentifications of known craft would ignore the serious questions some of the most repeated and most qualified witness accounts. The question of why they were being allowed to raise a hazard to civil airways by flying so close to commercial jets, of why radar was fallible were we still using it to safeguard our nation, and why had these things suddenly begun to be seen in the skies in such high numbers?

It has been theorized, and it may be that the archives of this group may prove, that some debunkers of the time related to the UFO phenomena might have been sub-contracted to work behind the scenes or even more publicly to discredit the topic and the witnesses. 

The CIA was prominent in the board's leadership. It should be noted that the CIA was not organized until 1947 but it had functioned under another name since about 1946.  Truman established the National Intelligence Authority in January 1946. Its operational extension was known as the Central Intelligence Group (CIG), which was the direct predecessor of the CIA. Numerous teletype communications in the files of Project Blue Book include notations for the "CIG." IN its creation the CIA was give carte blanche regarding federal funds use and could withhold all information on its own workings, staffing, and spending. Under the guise of National Security a group was being normalized that would, in truth, function outside the lines of normal authority to the representative of the people of the United States. As a management plan it was a disastrous move and out of step with founding national ideals. The move to create such an agency was ill-conceived and poorly planned. As an intelligence agency they lacked the ability to gather information and for a decade their performance was poor. As a central intelligence agency there was a distinct lack of cohesion to what they did. The military continued to collect its own intelligence and share only what it wanted. Politicians did the same. Although a dream of a central "intelligence" clearing house and analysis center might have been the nebulous idea it was implemented with out clear design, organization and guides. 

The first directors of the CIA is an intriguing list:

Rear Adm. Sidney W. Souers, U.S. Naval Reserve (January 23, 1946–June 10, 1946), Since this is before the creation of the CIA in 1947, he would have been head of the CIG

Lieut. Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, U.S. Army (June 10, 1946–May 1, 1947). Since this is before the creation of the CIA in 1947, he would have been head of the CIG. Of note is the fact that early in the post- Arnold and Roswell Incident period, Vandenberg repeatedly makes statements 

Rear Adm. Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter, U.S. Navy (May 1, 1947–October 7, 1950). The leader during the transition from CIG to CIA. Strangely, he would become one of the first board members and active participant in the creation of the first major civilian organization designed to research the topic of "flying saucers" or, as they were called "Unidentified Flying Objects" and "Unidentified Aerial Objects."  Evidence is present that states the military - spurred on by several possible government groups and agencies - post the Roswell Incident implemented an intentional debunking program to clamp the lid on the sightings and their reporting in newspapers. It was one using ridicule as part of the arsenal (see militarydebunk (roswellproof.com)). By late July and through September air bases across the country were inviting the public for tours of the local installations with demonstrations of the "weather balloon." In later years he joined NICAP in 1956 and remained as a special board member until 1960.  (see United Press International (February 28, 1960). "AIR FORGE ORDER ON 'SAUCERS' CITED; Pamphlet by the Inspector General Called Objects a 'Serious Business'" (Fee). The New York Times. p. 30. WASHINGTON, February 27 (UPI) – The Air Force has sent its commands a warning to treat sightings of unidentified flying objects as "serious business" directly related to the nation's defense, it was learned today."). His most well known quote, from an address to congress, was that while government was urging its people to view the subject seriously they were using ridicule t silence the public.  

Gen. Walter Bedell Smith, U.S. Army (October 7, 1950–February 9, 1953). The leader who would have been active participant in the original Psychological Strategy Board group from 1951 until 1953.  

Allen W. Dulles (February 26, 1953–November 29, 1961). The leader under the 

PROMOTING A PLANE: THE FLYING FLAPJACK

 In January 1947 the cover of a model makers periodical showed the "Flying Flapjack". Vought XF5U "Flying Flapjack" as seen on the cover of Model Airplane News Cover Art for January, 1947, by Jo Kotula (Model Airplane News Cover for January, 1947 (jitterbuzz.com)

Watching the video it is clear the object photographed in Phoenix in 1947 did not move or maneuver in any similar ways to the Vaught aircraft.

The Phoenix Photo of 1947

 July, 7, Phoenix, AZ:  Photo taken July 7 about 5 p.m.; Internal comments in the Project Blue Book indicate that other photos may have been taken that day as well but no corresponding report has been found. It is significant that the summary sheet note two things that internal information seems to contradict. (1) Handwritten , faint, but readable label of “Prob Hoax.” And the information that the sighting was accompanied by “the sound of a jet”. 

The image was taken about 5 p.m. on July 7, 1947 at the home of William Rhoades of Phoenix. Apparently, the FBI had been asked to acquire the negative by a Fugate with AAF Office of Intelligence, and that was done Aug. 30, 1947. Rhoades turned them over, with the understanding the negatives would go to Fugate and the Army and that it was unlikely he would ever get them back. Initial investigations pointed out that the images were similar to the report (Incident # 17) of Kenneth Arnold in June. It would be remarked on in a list in December of 1947 an USAA reporting on the ‘flying discs’ and admitting there was a common planform in use. One that matched

the Arnold and the Rhodes sightings. In June 1952 there is an interview with Rhodes about how he had taken photos, turned them over to the military and they had never been returned. This triggered, in that edging era, an entire re investigation of the man. They utilized the FBI, the local police, the Better Business Bureau, the Credit Bureau, and the local Chamber of Commerce (as well as others not specified). They sought to discern the professional and social status of the “SUBJECT.” In 1952, the United States was deep into the first years of what became the “McCarthy Era” with the congressional passage of the Subversive Activities Control Act of 1950, which made up Title 1 of the Internal Security Act of 1950 (also called the McCarran Act). So despite the fact the man was a Navy veteran, an upstanding citizen in 1947 and still in 1952, he was deeply investigated.  

The fact that his mother was a Russian who married an American Citizen was no doubt a trigger but also the fact that 1952 saw a return of high numbers of very public sighting of those things in the skies. So, in an about face of 1947, in 1952 the conclusions are “hoax.” Forget the 1947 briefing report noting the similarities between sightings just two weeks apart and separated by several states and the recognition then that a strange unidentified craft was playing in the skies overhead, in 1952 it would be labeled a hoax. First, though, they had to find them. Initially denying they had the negatives and the photos, they finally found copies of the original photographs in a confidential file of “Unidentified Missiles” labeled as “A-34921AC” and “34921AC.”  

That being the case, when the photographic examination takes place in 1952 one question is very vague: were they examining the original photographs or the copies made of the originals? 

Early after the 1947 sighting a “Dr. Irving Langmuir” examined the photos and he “discounted the photographed objects as being merely paper swept up by winds.” The attendant AMC Conclusion at that time was “In view of the apparent character of the witness, the evaluation of Dr. Langmuir seems entirely probable.” Yet, in 1952 it being summarily labeled a “hoax," and evidence is present4ed on the summary sheet that followed a long standing tool of PBB, one right out of a magicians handbook, give the information but not all of the information.

Distraction and mis-direction in stating the "sound of jets" were heard on the space asking about sound and the sighting of the object. Inside, the report it is clear before he saw the object he heard what sounded like a jet engine but while the object was overhead he heard nothing.  Given this was Phoenix with airports and air fields the sound of jets may have been heard but may have had nothing to do with the object seen, especially since it was soundless while overhead. 

The witness in describing the object said it reminded him of the craft on the cover of the 1947 Mechanics Illustrated of May. (shown here) . On that cover was a "Flying Flapjack" but the witness seem to indicate from his sighting that this one was flying backwards.

Who Were the Scientific Advisors of the Air Force Before 1948?

 When the odd objects began to ramp up their sightings in early 1947, most of the investigations were all in-house but occasionally an outside consultant would be used. 

Newspaper articles of June and July 1947 were filled with the suggestions and theories of scientists in several fields. 

In a late 1947 report on the "investigation" into the objects being reported there was mention of "scientists" consulted. Who were they?

Harvard, M.I.T., C.I.T. were all institutions deeply involved with a variety of research from the 1920's onward in the fields of aeronautics, astronomy, physics, electricity, and more. 

Most sources suggest Dr. J. Allen Hynek was not contracted as a consultant until 1948, as Project Sign swung into action.

Language, handwriting, and other factors in files related to Project Blue Book seems to indicate there were at least two consultants (perhaps more) who were utilized at one point or another. At some point, J. Allen Hynek began to sign his comments with "JAH."  I suspect it was because of the motives of the individuals making the comments were driven by opposing goals. 

Identifying who and when various consultants worked with the program would go a long way to illuminating the process, attitudes, and shifting sands of the entire project from 1947 to 1969 and, maybe, even bring light to today's approach to the topic. 

Here are some of the names who were consulted circa 1947- 

Dr. Irving Langmuir - Nobel winning scientist in the field of chemistry. He also worked in other fields, was the father of the incandescent light bulb, and early work in the field of plasma (both electrical and the biological type, in fact he gave plasma to the discovery of blood platelets).  He was called in to examine the photographs of William Rhoads in Phoenix, Arizona taken on 7 July 1947. Just two weeks after the sighting by Kenneth Arnold the similarity to his original sketch and the photos taken by Rhoads will be remarked on in a special analysis report of 18 Dec 1947 among the AMC and the Directorate of Intelligence for the Air Force. They will note the similar appearance of the two sightings and the "fact" that the sightings to date had a common look to them: a rounded front end and a straight back edge. It gave a slight shoe heel shape. The only suggested craft made by human industry, even the ones on the drawing board, all looked more delta or like variations on the Flying Pancake. Rhoades noted that he thought the object looked similar to the Flying Flapjack depicted on the May 1947 cover of Mechanics Illustrated "but the thing he saw was flying backwards."  The flapjack shaped aircraft was rounded at the back and the front had two sharp jut outs which held propellers. It looked more like a half circle with two prongs out in front.  Yet, Rhodes indicated the rounded part was in front and the image looks more like a rubber heel in shape.  Models were being advertised for the Flying Flapjack in hobby magazines in January of 1947 and Rhoades liked modeling and radio as well as remote control were interests of the ex- Navy man. Yet, as deeply as the FBI and OSI looked into his story at the beginning in 1947 , surely they would have uncovered all that and been able to labeled it a prank of remote control model at that time. No, instead the copies of his pictures show up in a classified file of  "unknonw missiles" in the files of the USAF. "Missile" was one of the terms used in the early days of the period for the unknowns: flying discs, flying objects, flying saucers, flying missiles.

1947: A "Secret" Memo and an "Analysis of "Flying Disc" Reports.

 On 26 September 1947 a memorandum for the Assistant Chef of Air Staff went out on the subject "Radar Pick-ups of High-Speed Targets in the Far East." The "SECRET" memo covered events from July 1 to September 16 in the Far East.

July 1, 1947, Chitose AAB, Hokkaido, Japan, an object tracked on radar traveling in excess of 500 mph (or 435 knots) at an altitude of 9000 or more ft.

August 28, 1947, Radar Station, Fukuoka, Japan. A target picked up in orbit at a range of 26-30 nautical miles, 390-415 knots, and an altitude of 1500 ft.

September 16, 1947, Radar Station, Fukuoka, Japan. Radar picked up at 89 miles at a speed of 840 - 900 mph (730-380 knots) and an altitude between 10,000 to 20,000 feet.

The first two fell within the range of potential Soviet jet aircraft but the last one was not known. No aircraft were reported in the areas where the targets were picked up.

The "Preliminary conclusions" stated, "Great stress was given by the reporting agency to the high degree of proficiency of the radar operators and controllers in each case. An operator of even moderate proficiency would have no trouble differentiating between a target and a weather phenomena.  Frontal activity as seen on a radar screen would show depth while the reflection from a meteor exists for such a short period of time that it would probably not be distinguishable from static interference. Therefore, it appears that the incidents were not due to natural phenomena.

Further, it was concluded the July 1 "pickup" was of more than one object. The size comparable to responses received from four F-51 type aircraft. "When this target initially reversed course at point A, it broke up into two responses and then again merged into one marge response on its outbound course. The track of this target, if an aircraft, could " indicate a photographic mission." 

The second sighting of August 28 was "probably a jet-propelled aircraft. Soviet jet aircraft are believed to have performance sufficient for such a mission (speed of about 390 knots).

For the last event in September, "the speed indicated in the last report seems unreasonable for piloted aircraft since it was well into the supersonic range. The target, if an aircraft, would require an extremely large fuel supply for this speed. If rocket propelled, it is hard to visualize operation for a long enough period of time to enable it to return to its base. The cable report of this last sighting indicated that further details, including weather, would follow. Upon receipt of this information a better evaluation may be possible."  James F. Olive, Jr. Col. G.S.C. Chief, Air Intelligence Division AC/S2 concluded the report with one last point. "Present information does not permit a definite evaluation that all objects reported were either aircraft or airborne missiles but does support the conclusion that they were not natural phenomena."

A document of  titled, "ANALYSIS OF 'FLYING DISC' REPORTS " (AFOAI-CA; 18 December 1947) was sent to the attention of the Director of Research and Development and the Director of Intelligence. Stamped on the file is :" George C. McDonald, Major General, USAF, Director of Intelligence."  It was stamped "22 Dec. 1947". The five (5) page document was unclassified per executive order 12356, Section 3.3. NND 863511 by G. Lewis, NARA, on 3/13/1986.

The introductory page has 5 pointed enumerated points. 

1, Contents are two papers (a) one summarizing "Analysis of Flying Disc Reports" prepared by the Directorate of Intelligence, USAF and (b) one prepared by the AIR MATERIAL COMMAND, subject: "AMC Opinion Concerning "Flying Objects"."

2. The Directorate of Intelligence report presents a summary of information and observations of the "flying discs", and the line of investigation pursued, since the first sightings.

3.AMC was asked to conduct an independent study, and the attached reply indicates that "it is possible within the present U.S. knowledge -provided extensive detailed development is undertaken - to construct a piloted aircraft which as the general description...(of the flying discs)...which would be capable of an approximate range of 7,000 miles at subsonic speeds."

4. THE AMC report recommends the issuance of "a directive assigning a priority, security classification and code name for a detailed study of this matter to include the preparation of complete sets of all available and pertinent data" which would be available to all interested agencies."

5. IN view of the conclusions reached as a result of the study of the problem made in this office, the Director of Intelligence concurs in the AMC recommendation and forwards it for your consideration [a different look to the font for this line] "and reply to the CG< AMC. Request reply be coordinated with this Directorate."

Enclosures were: 1. Subj: "Analysis of 'Flying Discs=' Reports." and 2. Subj: "AMC Opinion Concerning 'Flying Discs", dtd Sept 23 1947.

Quick Summary of the contents of the "SECRET" stamped "Analysis of 'Flying Disc' Reports" (18 Dec 1947). With notes.

The summary (1) stated "the past months" reports had been coming in from around the world concerning "unidentified flying objects", variously identified as "flying discs", lights, trails, etc. have been by "separate and unrelated" sources. [Note: This, it should noted dovetails with other sources saying the sightings had first begun around May and supports the presence of other reports from much earlier in the year. The reliability and quality of most witnesses was noted and many witness in different locations reported the same phenomena at the same time. [Note: It should be noted that at this time the official stance was that such reports were bogus and people making them were suffering from mass hysteria, mistaken identifications, or were hoaxers].

Beyond the boundaries of the U.S. "an object and its trail" have been seen over Newfoundland, a light that had the appearance of a twin jet plane was observed over Hooker Island from an aircraft going from Midway to Alaska sighted a disc larger than a DC-3. In the Far East, three incidents of rapidly moving, unidentified objects made by U.S. radar operators.

There had been no connections found between the "ghost rockets" sightings in Sweden which might have been the result of guided missile operations, and the unidentified flying objects sighted in the U,S and  Pacific areas.

The Discussion (2) showed that study of the various reports had established that "certain features were common."  The shape of the mystery objects was consistently a thin disc, rounded at the top and flat on the bottom, perhaps approximating a "C-5h" in size. The front half of the disc is often circular, sweeping back to a square tail across the full width. [Note: this appears to be precisely the plan form drawn by Kenneth Arnold and many others, including the photo from Arizona labeled a "hoax."]. Repeatedly the surface was described as "metallic" or "mirror-like". Another marker of these objects was "extreme maneuverability, coupled with high lateral stability" as well as "high speed" making sudden or lateral " moves. A few reported indicated an ability to "hover" to appear suddenly as if from a five and to "disintegrate" or "disappear", perhaps by increasing speed. There was also the ability to group quickly in a tight formation and to take sharp evasive action.  Trails and sound reported in only a very few reports. Estimated level speed is approximated at greater than 380 knots. 

Formations of 3 to 9 objects have been reported. [Note: the official stance was one-off objects and to dismiss claims of multiples. Some Project Blue Book reports will condense down multiple reports and hide them in one single object report that can be written off].

One night time sighting saw a change in glow of the object from blue-white  , when approaching, changing to a "reddish glow" as it went away. This "could indicate ram-jets."

Some typical reports included. five police officers in Portland, OR on 7 July 1947. On the same day by WIlliam Rhoads of Phoenix and snapped a photo [Note: This is the photo they label a hoax and the story discredited, yet here they are mentioning the planform consistent with the round front and square tail of the consistent reports].  On July 10, a Mr. Woodruff, FAA mechanic, saw a circular object a high speed  and leaving a trail. Haram Field, Newfoundland.  On 11 July, three people in Cowdrey, Newfoundland. saw a disc flying high velocity and leaving a smoke trail. Here the list makes an error when it says "29 July, Kenneth Arnold....saw a formation of flying objects." It does note "his sketch of their shape corresponds clearly to that shown in the photographs made by Mr. Rhoads.  [Note: previous comments on the this case].

On the same day, two USAF pilots at Hamilton Field, Calif., saw two flying discs trailing an F-89, following it toward Oakland, Calif.

The object mentioned in this report that the sketch made by Kenneth Arnold, "corresponds closely to that shown in the photographs made by Mr. Rhoads" (Arizona). Here is one of the Rhoads photos. 

Arnold Sketch

Rhoads (AZ) photo

Continued....

Aug. 4, Bethel, Alaska, a DC-3 crew saw a disc larger than a DC-3. The aircraft was flying at 190 mph and the disc flew out of sight in about 4 minutes.

Nov. 12, the crew on the bridge of the ship on Ticonderoga on the river in Oregon, saw two discs flying an estimated 700-900 mph going north and then into a curving turn to the west in a long and low arc.

Other forms of reports involved "lights" and "radar" sightings.

Some of the lights cases mentioned were -

June 28 - Marshall Field, AL

6 July - Brimingham, AL

Sept. 12 - Midway to Honolulu flight ; observed a blue-white light approaching that changed into a red glow at an estimated 1,000 knots.

The radar cases were the ones mentioned at the beginning of this article from Japan.

The Investigations Made for the Report:

• Requested AMC conduct individual study of phenomena. Their report in document of 23 September 1947.
• Scientists asked if discs might be natural phenomena; some were, they said, but not all could be explained as natural phenomena.

• Request the FBI to check possible subversive motive behind early cases reported; FBI reported a negative on uncovering any subversive activities related to any of the cases named.
• Weather Service was to have meteorologists check possible balloons and related activities but were  unable to find links relation to times, dates and locations.
• Foreign aircraft check resulted in the names of two German designers/designs that could potentially be exploited by U.S.S.R. (a) The Horton Brothers (see previous Schulgen memo). Their "parabola" flying wing was crescent shaped. (b) EF-130 long range bomber originally designed and built in Germany and then transferred to the Soviet Union where it was shut down in June 1948. [Note: the EF-130, while innovative and more in the delta wing arena did not conform to the rounded front and straight line back mentioned earlier in this document. See the photos). 

CONCLUSIONS

1. Discs are "real and tangible."
2. "Possibly: human controlled via pilot or remote controls.
3. If they exist, based on available information, they are foreign in origin. As such, it is important to locate country and origin of objects.
4. Directorate of Intelligence of USAF will continue to collect and analyze all reports of sightings, lights, trails, etc.