Pilot Sees ‘Object’; Was It a F----- S-----?

 Saturday 27 March, 1954
Miami, Fla., Herald

Round and White

The Marines landed in Flying Saucer territory
Friday.

Spotting of a "round, unidentified object, white in color not glowing," was reported by Capt. Dan C. Holland, 33, of 5196 E. Fifth st., Hialeah.

Airline Pilots Sighting 5-10 ‘Saucers’ Nightly - 1954 Case

 Saturday, Feb. 13, 1954
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Press

U. S. Steps Up Sky Chase

Commercial Fliers Being Asked to Flash

Immediate Reports, Speed Up Interceptors

 By JIM G. LUCAS, Scripps-Howard Staff Writer

      WASHINGTON, Feb. 13—Commercial airline pilots report between five and 10 flying saucer sightings each night, it was learned today.

      Representatives of major airlines will meet Wednesday in Los Angeles with Military Air Transport Service (MATS) intelligence officers to discuss speeding up saucer-reporting procedures.

      The idea will be to “get the reports in the quickest possible way” so that the Air Force can send fast jet fighters to investigate.

      Heretofore, commercial pilots have landed and then reported to MATS through their companies.  By that time, the trail usually is cold.  Now, pilots are instructed to flash reports direct from the air to MATS intelligence Washington or to the nearest Air Force base.

Reports On “Saucers” Jam Phones

 Thursday, Jan. 7, 1954

Adelaide, South Australia, Advertiser

MELBOURNE. Jan. 6.

      Flying saucer reports today so blocked the telephone channels of the Civil Aviation Department's traffic control branch in Melbourne that the department had to ask the public for a "let-up."

      They followed an appeal by the department to forget their fear of ridicule and report unusual sights in the sky.

      In the past two days the reports were so numerous that the department had to qualify its appeal.

      It asked that all reports should be made in writing to its public relations section.

Traced Course Of Flying Saucer

 Thursday, November 26 1953

Rockhampton, Queensland (Australia) - Central Queensland Herald

LONDON.  November 19—The British War office today officially recognised the flying saucer.

A War Office report said that an anti-aircraft unit in south-east London, on November 3, picked up a signal on its radar screen unit and followed the track of the “object” which appeared “circular or spherical white in colour.”  The object was also seen through a telescope by men of the same unit the same day.

The Air Ministry said tonight that all reports of possible “saucers” were investigated, but in 95 percent of the cases there was a natural explanation.  They were either meteorites or reflections of sunlight or moonlight on aircraft.

“OPERATION UFO” The Official Truth about Flying Saucers BY Captain Walter Karig

 November 22, 1953

The American Weekly

Special Deputy to Chief of Information, U.S. Navy

What are these things we call Flying Saucers, the mysterious objects which have been reported floating, zooming, wobbling and soaring glowingly over our heads these last few years?  Are they optical illusions, guided missiles, maybe Russian, maybe men from Mars?

The Navy and the Air Force reject the popular name, Saucers, as well they might, because it belittles the subject. To those experts, the baffling phenomena are UFOs — Unidentifiable Flying Objects.

It has to be a doggone good unidentifiable flying object to earn the degree of UFO, but the percentage of those that pass the rigid examination runs pretty high. To surmount the test, the UFO has to be seen by persons of proved honesty and objectivity, who are able to report on the Thing's size, apparent shape, luminosity, speed and, if possible, radar return.

“Flying Saucer” Recognized

Saturday, November 21, 1953
Charters Towers, Queensland (Australia) - The Northern Miner

LONDON,  Friday. — The British War Office has officially recognised the flying saucer.

The War Office report said an anti-aircraft unit in south east London on November 3 picked up a signal on its radar screen unit [and] followed the track of the “object” which appeared “circular or spherical white in colour.”

The object was also seen through a telescope by men of the same unit on the same day.

Flying Saucer — Fact or Fancy ? | The Air Line Pilot Magazine

 October 1953

The Air Line Pilot Magazine

In an exclusive article to THE AIR LINE PILOT a well-known author reveals new facts on a controversial subject.

About the Article:

When Capt. Joe Hull's article, “Obituary of the Flying Saucers,” appeared last month, THE AIR LlNE PILOT had no idea of the furor it would whip up.  From letters received from our readers, the subject is obviously far from dead.  "’Give us another article, one for us 'believers,'" was the composite gist of their requests.  This is it.  The author, a freelance writer, has written numerous articles on Flying Saucers and is authoring a forthcoming book, “Flying Saucers from Outer Space.”  This article is based on research and facts compiled in the writing of that book.  It has been cleared by the Department of Defense and contains some facts released to the public for the first time.  This story may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the express permission of the copyright owner, Henry Holt and Co., New York.

By Major Donald E. Keyhoe, USMC, Ret.

IN a recent issue of the Air Line Pilot, Capt Joe Hull predicted that 1953 should mark the end of the “flying saucers.”  After several months behind the scenes at the Pentagon, I believe Captain Hull has been misled like other sincere converts to the theories of Dr. Donald Menzel.

JET PILOT CHASES ODD OBJECT

Naval Aviation News

 April, 1953

Naval Aviation News  April 1953

MCAS Cherry Point—A favorite ready room conversation for Second Marine Air Wing pilots has been the story of the “flying saucer” which recently outsped an F9F Panther jet flying more than 500 mph.

The jet pilot, 1st Lt. Ed Balocco, was on a local night flight from ALF [Auxiliary Landing Field] EDENTON when alerted by Norfolk Navy tower to watch for a silver object sighted from the ground near the North Carolina-Virginia line.

Over Washington, N. C, the VMF-224 pilot said, “I saw what looked like an airplane with red lights which appeared to be below me ....  It moved from below me 10,000 feet vertically in a matter of seconds.”

Balocco said he poured on the coal and could not close on the object at first, then closed rapidly.  At a distance of 10 miles, it looked about a quarter of an inch wide and three inches long to the lieutenant's vision.  From that he considered it a “big” object, the color of white heat and throwing out a glow.  It had what appeared to be two red lights on the left-hand side, flashing and bouncing off the end, inscribing an arc.

Airmen Sight Strange Object Soaring Over North Korea

 Monday, April 20, 1953

Washington, DC - Washington Star

By the Associated Press

SEOUL, Korea, Apr. 20–(Monday.)–AP–Four U. S. Army airmen Sunday reported seeing a small "white, rounded, delta-shaped object" flying at 60 to 80 miles an hour over Communist territory on the Korean western front.

An official intelligence report said the sighting was made north of Pork Chop and Old Baldy hills where heavy fighting has raged the past few days.

AN OFFICER with a front line division who asked not to be identified by name told Associated Press that other luminous objects traveling at super-sonic speeds of 800 miles per hour, had been observed in the Baldy-Pork Chop area and tracked on radar--also within the last few days.

However the official G-2 report made no mention of these other incidents.

Summary of Navy incident over the Sea of Japan involving EME and radar tracking and about 70 aggressive non-firing passes by unknowns

Tuesday, April 14, 1953

by Brad Sparks

April 14, 1953.  Sea of Japan (at 43°07' N, 135°40' E, about 200 mi E of Vladivostok, USSR).  9:23-11:50 p.m. (Japan time UTC+9).  US Navy Pacific Fleet P2V Neptune [probably P2V-3W electronic ferret ELINT spy] aircraft flying at 9,000 ft [and ~200 mph] course 245° observed 2 bright lights flashing in [Morse?] code letter "D."

Lockheed P2V-3W Airborne Early Warning/ELINT Neptune

The 2 unidentified aircraft paced the P2V from a position [radar-tracked] about 12 miles away to a point 170 NM (~195 mi) along its flight path, at 41°45'N, 132°20'E (heading towards N Korea [along course 242° at approx. 10:15 p.m.]), where 3 additional unidentified aircraft joined.  All unidentified aircraft closed to 3 miles when the P2V descended to 2,000 ft.

P2V continued along [great-circle course, bearing now 240°, additional ~76 mi to approx. 41°12' N, 131°04' E] when at 10:43 p.m. the P2V turned [ESE at 115° initial bearing and away from N Korea and the pursuing UFO's] and flew towards [Niigata] Japan to 39°05'N, 136°33'E [latter point ~160 mi from Niigata Air Base, Japan, 37°57' N, 139°08' E, along ~118° great-circle course], descending to 400 ft above the ocean.

At least 5 more unidentified aircraft joined making a minimum total of 10 UFO's.  Night was extremely dark with ceiling and visibility unlimited.  No recognition features seen [no wings, tails, etc.] on the unidentified aircraft despite 100+ separate aircraft Close Encounters to within 400 ft (except what was interpreted as an occasional jet glow).

From 10:43 p.m. until about 11:50 p.m. the P2V was the target of at least "70 aggressive non-firing passes" or "attacks."  UFO tactics were to have one UFO on the P2V's quarter at about 7 miles away.  The other UFO's made "high speed runs," some from abeam of the P2V but most from astern (behind the P2V) all 70 "attacks" passing under the P2V still flying at 400 feet [but now increasing to ~300 mph near max speed to escape attacks].  At least 10 passes were made by 4 UFO's in formation with runs from astern all passing below the P2V, at 400 ft.

Pilot Sees Flying Saucer

Naval Aviation News February, 1953

Naval Aviation News

VC-3 Leader is Only Observer 

VC-3—Four Corsairs from this squadron were flying down to San Diego for a qualification cruise abroad the Valley Forge when Lt. C. A. Johnson saw something that made him come alert.

Like a dutiful flight leader he called his three squadron mates to say “plane 12 o’clock about 20”.  Shortly after he noticed the “plane” was much nearer and heading straight for the flight on an opposite course and below.

     

F4U 5N Corsair in US Navy VC-3 Livery

He called the flight again, and while thus occupied the object passed directly below them “like a bat out of ----!”

Before he could stutter, “Hey, look at the flying saucer!” it was gone.

Air Force Reveals Pilot’s Story Flying Disk Buzzed Japan F-84

Wednesday, January 28, 1953

Associated Press

A UNITED STATES AIR BASE IN NORTHERN JAPAN, Wednesday, Jan. 28.—An American pilot saw at close range a mysterious flying disk make a pass at an F-84 Thunderjet over central Japan and then speed away, the Air Force reported Tuesday.

The hitherto secret report from intelligence files said the disk was seen at 6,000 feet on a bright, cloudless day, just before noon March 29, 1952, by Lt. David C. Brigham, of Rockford, Ill.  He said the disk was about eight inches in diameter and that it closed to within twenty feet of the Thunderjet before shooting up out of sight.

It was the second disclosure in recent days of mysterious objects zooming through the skies over Japan, near Russian-held territory.  On Jan. 21, the Air Force made public Intelligence reports of “rotating clusters of red, white and green lights,” sighted Dec. 29 by American airmen.

Nine Flying Discs Encountered by B-17-Utah, July 16, 1947

 

The ABC Program relative to UFOs has prompted me to provide details of my sighting of unidentified flying objects.

This is the first time I have offered this event to any type of media.

I was a member of the United States Air Force at the time that I saw nine flying discs.

I dutifully reported my sighting to the Operations Section at Travis Air Force Base as had been directed by the Senior Officer.

The pilot of our aircraft was also the officer in charge of the section that I was assigned to at the time. I was the Aircraft Distribution Officer of the Far East Air Materiel Command located in Fuchu, Japan in 1947.

I had a project to take B-17 aircraft from the theater to Middletown Air Depot, Pennsylvania to have them modified to be air rescue aircraft. This involves such modification to accommodate a lifeboat attached the bomb bay which could be dropped for rescue at sea.

Air Force Reports Small ‘Disc’ Makes Pass At Thunder-Jet

F-84 Thunderjet ca. 1952

Tuesday, January 27, 1953

Grand Rapids, Mich.- Grand Rapids Press

United States Airbase, North Japan— AP—The United States Air Force Tuesday night reported a small, metallic, disc-shaped object made a controlled, sweeping pass at an American jet fighter-bomber and was observed at very close range by another pilot.

The report, from Air Force intelligence files, said the sighting was made over northern Japan at 11:20 a.m., March 29, 1952, by Lt. David C. Brigham of Rockford, Ill.

The Foo Fighters Of WW2

 The Foo Fighters

WW II Document Research

(In search of "Foo-Fighters")

By Andy Roberts

(Originally published in: UFO BRIGANTIA No 66, JULY 1990)

Every student of the history of UFOs knows of the phenomenon seen during WWII and known as foo-fighters, kraut fireballs or a variety of other names. Basically they were balls of light which followed and hovered around `planes of all nationalities both in daylight and after dark.

Research into this subject has been undertaken by myself on behalf of the Fund for UFO Research.

The "Sea Fury Incident" August 31, 1954, Nowra, Australia

written by Bill Chalker

One of the most controversial radar visual reports of the fifties occurred on August 31st, 1954. The story leaked out in December, 1954, and made front page headlines.

The official navy file on the event
remained classified until the Directorate of Naval Intelligence released a copy upon my request in 1982.

During his 1973 visit to Australia, Dr. Hynek was able to interview the pilot involved in this famous incident, which became known as the "Sea Fury" encounter.