UFO CHASE BY AF JETS REVEALED TO NICAP

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Source: NICAP UFO Investigator, June 1959, Vol 1 No. 8, Page 7 

                Radar confirmation of a dramatic UFO chase by AF jets has just been received at NICAP headquarters. The attempted interception took place in the summer of '58, near an AF base in the southwest.

                According to an AF radar man at the base, two jets were vectored in on two unknown objects which were flying together. As the jets tried to close in, one UFO disappeared from the radar-scope and then quickly reappeared behind the first jet. (This disappearance and reappearance, the radar man explained, was carried by the UFO’s racing up out of the radar beam, then descending quickly at a new spot where the beam again picked it up.)

                When this UFO streaked upward and then back behind the jet, pilot No. 1 reversed his course, again attempting to close in. As before, his quarry swiftly climbed out of range. During these maneuvers, both the jet and the UFO were tracked by the AF ground radar men.

                After these two futile attempts, jet pilot No. 1 turned back to join his companion, who was having the same difficulty with the second UFO. Moments later, pilot No. 1 looked back and saw the other mystery object once more trailing him. Determined not to lose it this time, he whipped around at near-blackout limits. But before he could finish the turn, the unknown device was gone in an almost vertical climb.

                Back at the base, ground radar registered the UFO's third evasion, and a similar escape of the other object from pilot No. 2.

                Helpless, completely outmaneuvered, the frustrated jet pilots finally gave up and returned to their base.

                The UFO’s swift evasive maneuvers, seen by both pilots und fully confirmed by expert radar men, prove beyond any question that these objects were intelligently controlled machines. The technical explanation of their disappearance and reappearance from the radar-scope also was confirmed by the pilots who saw the UFOs streak up and back at the same moments. This explanation, given by a number of radar experts in other cases, was first stated by CAA Senior Traffic Controller Harry Barnes, who with several assistants tracked a group of UFOs over Washington in July of '52.

                This newly reported 1958 jet chase occurred just after the AF had publicly repeated its denial that flying saucers were real. Despite scores of similar AF jet chases in the past year, the group enforcing the silence policy continues to issue this denial, though the combined visual and radar evidence is indisputable.

                Under these circumstances, we can give only the more routine "on the record" cases and meantime try to persuade other observers to brave the ridicule and release the reports they now are withholding.

                Compared with the jet chase described above, some of the recent sightings may seem relatively dull. But they are equally important; they help to offset the official censorship and prove that UFOs are still operating in our skies. 

Sighting Digest 

April 3; Central Florida —A greenish-yellow UFO which ascended and descended several times at about 7:30 p.m. was reported by John F. Wilmeth, a Treasury Enforcement Law Officer for 28 years. He said the object dimmed as it rose and brightened as it came down again, returning to the same spot in the eastern sky three times. Wilmeth could see light from the object reflected in a lake. The moon was not visible at the time. 

April 13; Sandwich, Ill. — A UFO similar in appearance to the one seen over Montreal the night before was reported by Jeff Benson and another witness at about 6:55 p.m. (CST). The apparent brightness of the object, which was first noted at about 10° elevation in the NNW sky, was comparable to a first magnitude star. Bringing a 60 power telescope to bear on the UFO, the two men saw that it was a red spheroid with three bright lights near the edge. It moved slowly toward the NE. 

May 6; Galt, Ontario, Canada — at 10:30 p.m. a reporter photographed a UFO which moved over the city for about an hour. The object first appeared in the sky west of the city, where it was seen by many residents. It brightened and faded several times as it moved constantly. The reporter, Phil Potentier, snapped the picture as the UFO moved past the old Post Office tower. The photograph shows a white, ellipsoid above the tower. The UFO was last reported east of the city at 11:15 p.m. 

May 11; Montreal, Canada — An unidentified object which moved slowly overhead between 11:10 and 12:00 p.m. was seen by three residents. Salesman Andre Parizeault, former member of the Army Engineer Corps, reported that the UFO rose and fell noticeably in its flight. He observed the object both with and without binoculars. Through binoculars, the object appeared to be pear-shaped with red and green glowing lights. A Montreal paper said that many persons had reported seeing mysterious luminous objects over the city recently. 

May 12; Austin, Texas - Eight UFOs following each other at 4 minute intervals beginning about 8:00 p.m. were reported by Mr. T. H. Phillips. He and his family clocked the objects because of their peculiar appearance as they moved from N to S slightly east of the city. Mr. Phillips said the objects were as bright as Venus when they first appeared, then became alternately bright and dim. After the fifth object came into view, the family called a newspaper. Reporter Nat Henderson said he saw the object at the position stated by Mr. Phillips. In appearance, the UFOs resembled fast-moving stars. 

May 14; Melbourne, Fla. — Dana Franklin, advertising representative for the Orlando Sentinel, and his wife saw a huge, yellow ball-shaped UFO at about 1:00 a.m. Franklin, a former pilot, said the object glowed brilliantly. As it approached the house it made a 40° turn to the SE, Losing some of its brilliance. At this point it appeared to be of many different colors, intermingling and pulsating, and it took on the shape of a cigar or cone. Then the UFO began climbing rapidly toward the east, until it was only a white light in the distance. After a sudden burst of light it disappeared. 

May 17; Indio, Calif. - Civil Aeronautics authorities received reports that mysterious lights were circling over the desert near the Santa Rosa Mountains about 11:00 p.m. One observer said, "It had a comet-like tail and it was going much faster than a plane." A plane from March AFB investigated and the pilot was said to have reported back that the lights were caused by searchlight activity. But an observer in La Quinta, described as "reliable," said: "That was no searchlight. It's above the clouds and it's moving too fast." CAA officials said the lights did not register on radar.

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