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.