Cas 25 - 26 - 23 juin, Bakersfield (Californie)
Richard Rankin, aviateur vétéran et pilote d'essais, était allongé sur une pelouse à Bakersfield prenant le soleil
vers midi, lorsqu'il vit une formation de 10 objets circulaires plats, volant au-dessus de lui vers le nord. 9 de
ces objets à l'apparence de disques étaient arrangés en une formation en V, avec un 10ème object trailing
along in the rear. He called their appearance to the attention of a boy working in the yard, and said that they were
probably the Navy's experimental plane, the XF5U-1, or "Flying Flapjack," although he admitted that he looked in
vain for the number or location of their propellers, and I couldn't distinguish any wings or tail.
At 2:15 p.m., a second flight of the same, or similar, objects was seen flying in the opposite direction by the two
witnesses, this time going from north to south. Rankin counted only seven discs in the second flight; they were
still in V-formation, but this time without the straggler. He assumed that three of the planes
had landed at
their base, somewhere to the north.
Rankin said he hesitated to report what he had seen until he began to read of similar observations in the northwest
and elsewhere. On July 1, a week after the sightings, he made the report public in Portland, Oregon. An official
report was made to Hamilton Field Intelligence Officers Lt. Frank Brown and Captain William Davidson, and the Air
Force explanation for what the pilot saw is birds
. For some background material, see The Coming of the
Saucers, pp. 69-71.
Cas 854 - Autour du 29 juin, Jacksonville (Oregon)
In a sighting report received following the preparation of the Chronology, NICAP obtained information about a
V-formation of UFOs seen by a group of people on a Sunday either at the end of June or early in July. The date,
believed to be June 29, had not been definitely established at the time of writing. The report was sent to NICAP by
Paul Cerny, of NICAP's Bay Area Subcommittee.
Early on that Sunday afternoon, a group of people had gathered at Jacksonville, Oregon, a few miles west of
Medford, just above the California border. The group included Peter Vogel, M.D., and his wife (now Mrs. Kay G.
Kuehnel, of Santa Clara, California, who recently reported the sighting to Mr. Cerny), eight other members of the
Vogel family, and about ten others. About 1:00 p.m. PST, a V-formation of oval objects was noticed in the sky above
Ashland, 15 to 20 miles southeast of Jacksonville. The formation was traveling northwest toward Medford, east of the
observers. There were nine objects.
According to Mrs. Kuehnel, when first seen the objects were as white as snow geese
; as they came closer they
became blue-white, like a fluorescent-bulb light
. They were sharply outlined and seemed to be solid; also
translucent, like a light, pebbled, frosted bulb
. The size of the individual objects was estimated as more
than twice the diameter of the full moon -- presumably when the objects were nearest to the witnesses, although this
is not stated definitely. There was no sound, and no vapor trails were emitted as the formation approached Medford.
But when the objects seemed to be over the tower of Medford airport, they each made a spiral ascent, one after the
other, and each went behind a cloud that had not been there before and which the objects themselves seemed to
produce
.
After the objects had first been noticed in the direction of Ashland, Dr. Vogel went indoors and telephoned the
Medford airport tower; Mr. Milligan, Airport Manager, said that he could not see anything. Vogel then ran to his car
for his binoculars and camera, but by the time he returned the objects were already out of sight in the cloud, which
seemed to be directly over the airport tower.
Both Ashland and Medford were visible from the hillside where the witnesses stood. As the towns are 20 miles apart
and the formation had taken about 10 mn to travel that distance, Mrs. Kuehnel calculated their speed at about 120
miles an hour. Asked to compare one of the objects to a common object that would have appeared similar in the sky,
Mrs. Kuehnel answered, No known object that large and featureless
. The objects did not reappear, but the
cloud stayed an oval and stationary shape for over an hour
.
Cas 120 - 30 juin, près de Hailey (Idaho)
Several observers reported seeing a flight of objects pass over between Hailey toward Galena Summit, in Idaho,
during the afternoon. Walter Nicholson, of Twin Falls, said he saw 8 à 10
of the objects fly over in a
V-formation, going in a northwest direction over Galena Summit. He said the left wing, or leg, of the formation
contained 5 disc-shaped objects in perfect line, but the ones in the right leg seemed to waver
, and he was
uncertain as to exactly how many there were. The objects were extremely bright and moved very fast
.
Hunter Nelson, a forest ranger at the Russian John Forest Ranger Station, said he saw 7 to 9 of the discs. He was
marking timber about three miles from Galena Summit, according to the news account, when he saw the V-formation of
objects flying directly overhead, at an estimated altitude of 10 000 feet above the 8000 foot summit he was on. The
newspaper report said he heard a buzz
and observed vapor trails not unlike those left by conventional
aircraft
. He said it took the objects but a few seconds
to pass out of view.
In checking this report, Dr. McDonald found a number of inaccuracies in the newspaper accounts. In these, the
sighting was reported to have taken place in Major Valley -- there is no Major Valley in Idaho. The sighting took
place near Cherry Creek, in the Wood River Basin southeast of Galena Summit. Hunter Nelson, a State Forest Ranger,
was assisting Nicholson select timber for cutting, for use in the latter's business as a builder. Their proper
identification is not clear in the accounts. One Glen Brado, referred to in one of the news reports, had nothing to
do with the sighting. The time, given as 4:30 p.m., was felt to be closer to 2:30 by Nicholson. Nelson specified
that the objects were seen flying northwest, over Galena Summit - not north, as reported in one account. Although
Nicholson's impression now was that the formation was flying northeast, the original account quotes him as saying
the objects were seen flying northwest, over Galena Summit, which would agree with Nelson's description. No sound
was heard nor any vapor trails seen, in spite of references in the news accounts.
Both Nelson and Nicholson agreed that the objects were in a V-formation, point foremost. Both recalled a momentary
change of formation when the right wing began to swing forward but then fell back into line. The spacing between
each of the objects was estimated as four to five diameters by Nicholson. He told McDonald that they maintained
approximately uniform spacing at all times in a rather rigid manner. No flutter or swerving was seen. Both
emphasized the high speed of the objects, much faster than any aircraft of that day.
Neither could discern any shape of the objects because they were so high and small, like specks of bright light
glinting in the sunlight. Occasionally they would disappear, as though not reflecting the sun at those moments --
indicating a possible fluttering motion. As they watched the men had to back up a small hill to keep the formation
in sight as they receded into the distance. Duration was estimated by Nelson to be about 30 seconds.
Both Nelson and Nicholson agreed that the formation passed more or less over Galena Summit. This would tend to
confirm Nelson's impression that the objects were flying towards the northwest. Both witnesses were emphatic in
saying these could not have been aircraft. Both emphasized the vividness of their recollecting the incident, and
Nicholson said he could take Dr. McDonald to within a few feet of the spot from which the sighting had been made,
even now. Nelson said I can still see that formation
, adding that I have never seen anything like it
before or since.
Cas 237 - 4 juillet, près de Twin Falls (Idaho)
A. E. Mitchell, of Goose Creek, Texas, was visiting relatives in Twin Falls when, during a July 4th outing at Twin
Falls Park, seven miles east of the city, he was one of seven persons who reported seeing a group of disc-like
objects in a rough V-formation flying overhead to the west, at about 2:50 p.m. MST. They were flying high and at
great speed, Mitchell reported.
About ten minutes later, Mitchell and a group of others, now totaling more than twenty, saw a second flight of nine
or ten objects circling overhead in a loose formation. The objects gained altitude rapidly and, when almost out of
sight, were seen proceeding westward, All the witnesses agreed that the objects were not in any well-defined
formation while climbing (Case 238).
At 3:10 p.m., with a sizeable crowd of now nearly 60 persons peering skywards, a third group was seen circling and
climbing. Mitchell reported that I distinctly counted 18 before they climbed so high only two or three could be
seen
. He said that these objects, too, were last, seen moving westward, putting on a burst of speed as they
departed (Case 243).
Cas 290 - 4 juillet, Denver (Colorado)
Mr. and Mrs. L. A. Walgren, of 1574 Eliot Street, were sitting on their lawn watching the fireworks at the stadium
at Denver University during the late evening when they were startled to see a group of objects fly overhead in an
extended V-formation. The formation disappeared quickly in a northerly direction at a high rate of speed. The
objects were out of sight before the Walgrens could even get to their feet.
The witnesses described the formation of discs as giving the appearance of a rippling, V-shaped cloud.
The
undersides of the objects appeared to reflect the city lights. As they passed over, the Walgren's described hearing
a hollow, rustling sound, like an air blast in an empty barrel.
Cas 332 - 5 juillet, près de Auburn, (Californie)
Kjell Qvale, an automobile salesman in Alameda and a former Navy pilot for five years, reported that he and a group
of 50 other witnesses had watched a triangular formation of disc-like objects near Auburn at 2:30 p.m. PST, flying
south.
Qvale said that the discs, seen first directly overhead, appeared to be made of metal and looked like bright
silver.
He added that their round outline was clearly distinguishable. The objects were in view for three or
four minutes
, he said.
I have seen a lot of airplanes, and these were not airplanes. The only clue I could get as to their height, size
and speed was the fact that they disappeared one at a time, high in the sky, and not over the horizon. This effect
would be caused if they were very, very large and very high, and flying at a terrific speed -- 1000 miles an
hour
, he said.
Qvale was one of the very few UFO witnesses in the 1947 wave -- one of two, to be exact -- who openly expressed the
opinion that the objects seen could have been space ships
.
Cas 372 - 5 juillet, Dallas (Texas)
Dexter McEwen, of 4016 McKinney, reported that he had seen three disc-like objects flying near Dallas at 11:00
p.m.
They were moving horizontally
, he said, but very high in the sky, like falling stars, only they left no
streaks. They seemed to be moving in a V-formation
, he added.
Cas 518 - 6 juillet, Denver (Colorado)
Harold Wallace, of 11009 East Colfax, reported he saw a group of disc-like objects shooting
westward across
the sky at 9:05 p.m. MST. He said they were in a V-formation and made a dim light
.
2 mn later, Stephen Witkin, of 1325 Fairfax Street, said he saw two discs, of a shiny, silver color
,
traveling to the southwest.
Cas 387 - 6 juillet, Nouvelle Orleans (Louisiane)
Pvt. Robert G. Hellman, a Fort Bliss soldier visiting New Orleans, reported that he was on his way to his hotel
early in the morning when he saw a formation of four discs that flashed way up in the sky right above me on Canal
Street
. He said he wasn't exactly surprised, for I had been expecting to see something of the sort. There
were four of them, flying in a V-formation, one side of the V longer than the other; but the fact which struck me
was this: the discs were colored, like colored saucers, pink and silver, whirling through the sky.
Cas 451 - 6 juillet, Nouvelle Orleans (Louisiane)
At 5:10 p.m. on the same day, while boating on Lake Pontchartrain, Mr. and Mrs. H. Lee Brady, of 4125 St. Charles
Avenue, in company with a party of four others, reported seeing a V-formation of three disc-like objects at great
altitude headed north at great speed
. The witnesses described the objects as round and shiny
, and said
that after being in view for three or four seconds, they disappeared into a cloud
. Among the others present
were Allison T. Chenault, of 3231 Asheville Avenue, and Miss Lucille Coons, of 2014 Marengo Street. The other two
witnesses were not identified.
Cas 558 - 7 juillet, près de Greensboro (Caroline du Nord)
While driving near the Greensboro-High Point Airport, towards Greensboro, at 6:30 a.m. EST, Albert Riggs, of
Charlotte, reported having seen a triangular formation of three discs passing rapidly overhead. The discs,
grayish-black in color, had a slight side-to-side motion as they traveled approximately 200 to 300 feet above the
ground. Riggs said that as they passed overhead, he heard a zipping noise
. He estimated their speed at 500
miles an hour, and they quickly lost themselves in the distance.
Riggs, a cadet at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, said he had a companion with him at the time -- a
hitch-hiking soldier he had picked up near Winston-Salem.
Cas 662 - 7 juillet, Milton (Wisconsin)
Three Milton, Wisconsin, college students reported seeing a V-formation of three objects late in the evening. The
formation came out of the northwest and was described as moving in a westerly direction
. Paul Schroeder, John
Potts, and Harris Buros watched the objects for two minutes before they disappeared behind some tall buildings. The
young men described the objects as being circular in shape, aluminum-colored, rotating slowly and leaving vapor
trails. Seen at a distance they estimated was about ten miles to the west, the three witnesses said the objects
appeared to be at an altitude of about 4000 feet.
Cas 641 - 7 juillet, Des Moines (Iowa)
Merle Steffenson, a 15-year-old high school student of 2327 Maple Street, reported that he saw three disc-like
objects flying north in formation at about 6:00 p.m. CST, while he was riding his motor bike northeast on Avenue
Frederick M. Hubbell. They looked to me like they were awfully high
, he said. They must have been big
because they were so high and still I could see them
. Young Steffenson said they were silvery in color and
that they traveled northward in a straight course very fast
. At one point they turned at an angle and were
so thin I couldn't see them
, he asserted.
Cas 650 - 7 juillet, Columbus (Ohio)
Five summer students at Ohio State University were batting baseballs around on the varsity practice diamond at 7:45
p.m. EST when one of them noticed three oval objects flying in triangular formation overhead. The objects,
noiseless, appeared to be of a dull, metallic color, were estimated to be about ten feet in diameter, and were
moving at a high speed. The students were Charles Williams, 19 of Steubenville; Robert Fish, 19, of Akron; George
Whitacre, 23, of Springfield; Wendell Rice, 20, of North Canton; and William Santschi, 22 of Alliance.
Whitacre, an Army veteran, saw the objects first. They were flying east, over the Glentangy River. He called them
to the attention of the others, and none of the students were able to make out any apparent means of propulsion.
They estimated the formation was at an altitude of 1000 feet. The speed of the objects was so great that they were
out of sight within 15 s. All five witnesses were in agreement on the details of the observation, but none of them
had any idea what the objects might be.
Cas 652 - 7 juillet, Manchester (New Hampshire)
Two men made almost identical reports of seeing three yellow disc-like objects in V-formation moving northwest
over the city at high speed about 9:00 p.m. EDT. Roger Plaisant, of 842 Clay Street, and Henry Ray, of 834
Somerville Street, agreed that the objects seemed to be high in the sky, and Ray added that they appeared egg-shaped
,
and were quite bright.
Cas 689 - 7 juillet, Tacoma (Washington)
M. C. Streans, of 913 South L, reported that he had seen three discs from his bedroom window about 10:45 p.m. PST.
They were in V-formation and flying at terrific speed, and were brightly illuminated.
At about the same time, Sgt. John Samuelson, of McChord Field, called the Tacoma News Tribune to report
that he and Corporal Peter Walker had seen 2 discs flying at high speed and at great height over the Field, emitting
vapor trails.
