PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD 2 . LOCATION 12. C'JNCL\J!IONS' Rft~ Station r ore 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION 0 Was Ualloon 0 P robably Balloon ..... I 0 Possibly Balloon 3. DATETIMI GROUP Local 2100 .:CJ GtOund Vi suol ~ GroundRodo" 0 W n5 AIrcraft -~G~.M;;T~;:::===~======--hr--:C Air-Vi .,ol 0 Air-Intercept Rador 0 Probably Aircraft 0 Po ul bl y AI rcroft 0 Was Astronomical M f\f 0 Yea JO Probably Astronomical %J No 0 Pouibly Astronomical 10 min---grC)Uild observers g t':~,!!'.:;.ent Dato for Evolu~tion 11. COMMENTSDirection of movement was not reported.for visual observation. Planet Mu-s and a number of' bright stars were at elevation reported for objt, to SW Visual sighting :pos3ibly a celestial aRIIP SUMMARY 011 SIGHTING Very bright white or yellowish, circular objt, size described anyvhere fr orange size to basketball size. Objt appeared to be at about a 45 angle in relation to ground and remained there during entire period. Ground observers say objt appeared stationary; radar observer said objt was moving very slowly. Radar return probably caused by radar b'"" .... ~-I ATIC PORM 329 (RBV 21 8BP 52) cing off clouds. D!PARTM!NT 0P TM! All SWP MESSAGE DIVISION Mar 61) G/r1ks ACTION : CIN-14 OOP-2, OOP-CP-l~SAFS-3 FM CSGP 3918 UPPER HEYFORD.ENG TO RJWFALIADC ENT AFB COLORADO RJEDSQ/AIR TECH INT CENTER WPAFB OHIO RJEZHQ/HEDUSAF WASH DC RJEZHQ/SEC USAF WASH DC RJDXGW/7AD HIGP WYCOMBE ENG UNCLAS FROM BDOI .6576. SECTION I OF II SECTIONS. UFO. ATTN: AFCIN & SAFIS HQ USAF AND DIO 7AD. TK FOLLOWING IS AN INITIAL REPORT OF AN UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT CUFO> IN THE VICINITY OF RAF STATION UPPER HEYFORD ON 10 MARCH 1961 A. DESCRIPTION OF OBJECT: 1. SHAPE WAS CIRCULAR. 2. SIZE IS DESCRIBED AS BEING ANYWHERE FROM AN ORANGE SIZE TO BASKETBALL 5 IZE. 3. THE COLOR WAS WHITE OR YELLOWISH AND VERY BRIGHT. . NUMBER OF OBJECT WAS ONE. 5. NO FORMAT ION. D!PARTM!NT 0P TM! A?R STAPP MESSAGE DIVISION PAGE TWO RJDXGO 11 6. NO DISCERNABLE FEATURES OR DETAILS. 7. NO TAIL, TRAIN, OR EXHAUST WAS SEEN. 8. NO SOUND WAS HEARD. 9. NO PERTINENT OR UNUSUAL FEATURES WERE OBSERVED. B.U DESCRIPTION OF COURSE ~F OBJECT. 1. THE TOWER OPERATOR WAS THE FIRST TO SEE THE OBJECT. HE THEN NOTIFIED THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND ALL OTHER OBSERVANCES WERE AS A RESULT OF HIS CALL; 2. THE OBJECT APPEARED TO BE AT ABOUT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE IN RELATION TO THE GROUND 3. THE OBJECT REMAINED AT THE SAME RELATIVE ANGLE DURING THE ENTIRE PERIOD. 4. ALL THE GROUND OBSERVERS INDICATE THAT THE OBJECT SEEMED TO BE STATIONARY. THE RADAR OBSERVER SAID THE OBJECT WAS MOVING VERY SLOWLY. THE INITIAL CONTACT INDICATED THE OBJECT WAS MOVING DUE EAST. THE SECOND CONTACT HAD THE OBJECT MOVING AT A HEADING OF 050 DEGREES FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES. THE OBJECT THEN TURNED TO 100 DEGREES AND WAS TRACKED FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES BEFORE CONTACT WAS LOST. RAF STATION GAYDON WAS CONTACTED BUT THEY COULD NOT PICK UP THE OBJECT AS IT TRACKED TOWARDS THEIR STTN. LATER, GAYDON DID PICK UP A RETURN ABOUT 8 NM NORTH TF UPPEJ HEYFORD AND TRACKED IT FOR AWHILE. ABOUT TWO D!PARTM!NT ~ TR! AIR STAFF MESSAGE DIVISION PAGE THREE RJDXGO 11 HOURS AFTER THE INITIAL SIGHTING, MIDLAND RADAR CONTROL VECTORED ANAIRCRAFT TO THE OBJECT ON THE SCOPE, BUT THE AIRCRAFT COULD SEE NOrHING. AT THE TIME, THE AIRCRAFT REPORTED HE WAS AT 6000 FEET AND ON TOP OF THE CLOUDS WITH NO CLOUDS ABOVE HIM. ALL CONVERSATIONS BY THE MIDLAND TRAFFIC CONTROL ARE ON TAPE AT THE TRAFFIC CONTROL 5. THE OBJECT SEEMED TO DISAPPEAR AND THEN REAPPEAR GRADUALLY. NONE OF THE OBSERVERS ARE SURE WHEN THE OBJECT FINALLY DISAPPEARED. 6~ THE OBJECT WAS VISIBLE FOR FROM ONE MINUTE TO TEN MINUTES BY THE GROUND OBSERVERS. RADAR HAD THE OBJECT FOR ABOUT TWENTY MINUTES. C. MANNER OF OBSERVATION 1. GROUND-VISUAL SIGHTING AND GROUND-ELECTRONIC SIGHTING. THE RADAR WAS AN APS S ENROUTE SURVEILANCE RADAR. 2 . NO OPTICAL AIDS WERE. USED EXCEPT BY THE CONTROL TOWER OPERATORS, AND THE BINOCULARS OFFERED NO HELP. IN IDENTIFICATION. D. TIME AND DATE OF SIGHTING. E. LOCATION OF OBSERVERS. THE OBSERVERS WERE ALL ON RAF UPPER HEYFORD. SIGHTINGS WERE FROM THE CONTROL TOWER, AIR POLICE OPERATIONS BUIL- D!PART'M!NT OP M AIR STAFF MESSAGE DIVISION UNCUSSIPIID PAGE FOUR RJDXGO 11 DING, CENTRAL SECURITY BUILDING, AND NEAR THE WEST END OF THE RUNWAY F. IDENTIFYING INFORMATION ON OBSERVERS 2. CLARENCE W. COCKRAN, TSGT, 1268 AACS SQ, MIDLANDS CONTROL. JOHN C. GORDON, SSGT, 3918 OPRON, AIR POLICE "B" FLIGHT COMMANDER. JAMES E. SCHAFFER, SSGT, 3918 OPRON, AIR POLICE PASS AND REGISTRATION SECTION. CLINTON HOWARD, A2C, 3918 OPRON, SECURITY SECTION AIR POLICE. BENNY M. WELLS, A2~, DETACHMENT 17, 28TH WEATHER SQ, WEATHER OBSERVER. LOWELL J. DEAL, A2C, 1268 AACS SQ, CONTROL TOWER OPERATOR. G. WEATHER AND WINDS-ALOFT CONDITIONS AT TIME AND PLACE SIGHTING 1. OBSERVERS WERE CONSISTENT IN DESCRIBING THE WEATHER AS CLEAR GENERALLY WITH SOME HAZE AND GROUND FOG. 80,000' -UNAVAILABLE. 3. CEILING PARTIALLY OBSCURE, 4/10 FOG. 4. VISIBILITY WAS 8 TO 10 NM, FOG AND HAZE 5. CLOUD COVER WAS 8/10TH. 6. NO THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA. 7. TEMPERATURE WAS 47 DEGREES F. RTM!NT 0P TH! A?R STAFf MESSAGE DIVISION PAGE FIVE RJDXGO 11 H. NOTHING UNUSUAL THAT CAN ACCOUNT FOR THE SIGHTING. I. NO INTERCEPTION ACTION TAKEN. .J~ .:rHERE WAS NO AIR TRAFFIC OR KNOWN BALLOON RELEASE IN THE VICINITY TO~ACCOUNT FOR THE SIGHTING. K. THE BASE INTELLIGENCE OFFICER, RAF UPPER HEYFORD IS THE PRE- PARING OFFICER OF THIS REPORT. THE REPORTING OFFICER DID NOT WITNESS THE UFO. THE ONLY THEORY THAT HAS THUS FAR BEEN ADVANCED. THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A TEMPERATURE INVERSION CAUSING SOLID SECTIONS OF CLOUD DRIFTING WITH THE WIND. THIS MIGHT ACCOUNT FOR THE -. RADAR RETURN. THE BRIGHT LIGHT CANNOT BE SO EASILY ACCOUNTER FOR. AS ALL THE OBSERVERS INDICATE THAT THE LIGHT WAS VERY BRIGHT, THIS WOULD SEEM TO NEGATE ANY THEORY OF REFLECTION. THE HEADINGS OF THE OBJECT, AS TRACKED BY RADAR WERE MORE OR LESS CONSISTENT WITH THE WIND DIR -ECTIONS AT THE TIME. THE REPORTING OFFICER CAN OFFER NO LOGICAL EX -PLANATION FOR THE SIGHTING. THERE WERE NO AIRCRAFT OR BALLOONS IN THE AREA THAT COULD ACCOUNT FOR THE SIGHTING AND INVESTIGATION HAS TURNED UP NO INDICATIONS OF BALLOONS IN THE VICINITY. AIRCRAF~ TRAFFIC WAS NONEXISTANT AT/THE TIME OF SIGHTING. THE MIDLANDS RADAR CONTROL HAD NO AIRCRAFT TRAFFIC FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS AFTER ZCZCSQPQ47CZCSQG429ZCGYB958 DE RJDXGO 21 FM CSGP 3918 UPPER HEYFORD ENG TO RJWFAL/ADC ENT AFB COLORADO RJEDSQ/AIR TECH INT CENTER WPAFB OHIO RJEZHQ/HEDUSAF WASH DC RJEZHQ/SEC USAF WASH DC RJDXGW/7AD HIGH WYCOMBE ENG UNCLAS FROM BDOI 6575. FINAL SECTION OF II SECTIONS. THE SIGHTING. L. THERE IS NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE AVAILABLE. THE MIDLANDS RADAR IS 1~0T EQUIPPED WITH A Cr\i'1E.RA FOR T.L\KlNG PHOTOG~A?!1S. T~!Z ONLY p;-rr.siC~L EVIDENCE WOULD BE THE TAPE RECORDINGS AT MIDLANDS CONTROL. 2Z/163IZ MAR RJDXGO