Project 10073 Record — Middlebury, Vermont, 22 April 1966

On April 22, 1966, two college students in Middlebury, Vermont, reported observing unidentified aerial phenomena. The sighting, which lasted between 25 and 40 minutes, involved two objects described as round, star-like lights that appeared to change color between pale yellow, white, red, and green. The witnesses, who were outside at the time, observed the lights at an elevation of 20 to 30 degrees above the eastern horizon. One of the witnesses utilized an 8x rifle scope to observe the lights, noting that a red light appeared to be blinking. The objects were described as having an erratic course, circling three times, and hovering in the northeast for approximately 15 minutes before disappearing. No sound was reported by the witnesses. Major Allen H. Doyle of the 380th Strategic Aerospace Wing (SAC) investigated the report. His analysis concluded that the sighting was likely a B-58 bomber participating in an 'Oil Burner' project sortie. At the time of the sighting, the aircraft was operating at 7,000 feet, performing maneuvers that included a 180-degree turn. The investigator suggested that the distance, combined with the aircraft's maneuvers, caused the navigation lights to appear to change color and position as the fuselage, wings, or tail obscured the view. Furthermore, the investigator posited that the observer's claim of a hovering object was likely a bright star, such as Jupiter or Arcturus, which the observer focused on after the aircraft's navigation lights faded from view. The report concludes that the sighting was a well-lighted aircraft in the area, with local noise in the observers' vicinity potentially masking the sound of the aircraft.