Project 10073 Record Card — Gibson City, Illinois, 30 August 1961

This document collection details a UFO sighting reported by civilians near Gibson City, Illinois, on 30 August 1961. The witnesses, a married couple, observed seven yellow or orange lights at approximately 0235Z. The objects were described as being too high to distinguish specific shapes, though they appeared in a staggered line formation. The witnesses reported that the objects moved from the west, turned north, and then returned to a westward heading before fading out. The sighting lasted for 15 minutes. The report was processed through the 3345th Technical Training School at Chanute AFB. Initial military assessment noted that the objects moved at speeds exceeding those of operational aircraft with afterburners, leading the reporting officer to suggest the possibility of a satellite. However, subsequent correspondence between the Foreign Technology Division (FTD) at Wright-Patterson AFB and Chanute AFB clarified that air-to-air refueling operations were being conducted in the 'Panda Bear' sector during the time of the sighting. The FTD requested further details regarding the formation and the witnesses' observations to confirm this correlation. The final record card concludes that the event was a probable sighting of the refueling operation. No physical evidence, radar contact, or photographic documentation was obtained during the incident.