UFO Sighting, Fall of 1963, Thaxton, Virginia

This document collection details a correspondence between a private citizen in Thaxton, Virginia, and the United States Air Force regarding a UFO sighting reported in the fall of 1963. The witness initially reported observing bright, silver, glittering objects in the sky, which induced a feeling of fear and a hypnotic sensation. The witness described the objects as being approximately 100 feet in diameter and 12 feet high. Following the initial report, the witness conducted their own investigation and concluded that the objects were actually thistle blooms caught in cross-winds and air currents, which, when viewed from certain angles in bright sunlight, appeared as large, distant, silvery objects. The witness sent samples of the thistle blooms to the Air Force as evidence to support this conclusion. The Foreign Technology Division of the Air Force responded to the witness, confirming that their observation of floating thistle blooms was an interesting case that fell into the general category of 'angel hair' reports. The Air Force noted that similar observations have been attributed to migrating spider webs, rayon residue from chemical plant filters, and silver halides from cloud seeding operations. The Air Force expressed appreciation for the witness's contribution to the program and commended their ability to objectively re-examine the sighting, noting that it is rare for private citizens to accurately assess the relationship between the size and distance of reported objects. The correspondence includes internal Air Force memoranda, the witness's letters, and the official response from Major Maston M. Jacks.