Air Intelligence Information Report: Sighting of Unidentified Object, 31 May 1949

On 31 May 1949, at approximately 1110 hours, 1st Lt. James J. Giles of the 49th Fighter Group was piloting an F-80 aircraft on a routine mission over Misawa Air Force Base in Japan. During the flight, at an altitude of 20,000 feet, Lt. Giles observed an unidentified object that appeared to be a reflection of sunlight off an aircraft. The object was estimated to be 20 to 30 miles distant, at an altitude above 30,000 feet, and was described as a flickering silver, circular object. It was traveling at a high rate of speed in a northerly direction for a distance of 7 to 10 miles before disappearing into an overcast layer. Lt. Giles, who was flying with another pilot, Lt. Nelson, confirmed that he had the other F-80 in sight at the time and that the object could not have been a shadow of either aircraft. Following the incident, an investigation was conducted by the Far East Air Forces. Operational units were contacted, and it was determined that no weather, tactical, civil, or special classified aircraft were in the area at the time of the sighting. The report notes that consultation with navigators from the 3rd Rescue Squadron suggested the object might have been the planet Venus, which was visible as a morning star at the time, or potentially a foreign aircraft on reconnaissance. The weather conditions were reported as clear with no ceiling and 20 miles visibility, with scattered low clouds 45 to 50 miles offshore. The observer, Lt. Giles, was considered reliable and experienced, with 300 hours of flight time in F-80 aircraft. The report concludes that the object was likely the planet Venus or a foreign aircraft.