"LENSFLARE, WEATHER BALLOONS," "OPTICAL ILLUSIONS, SWAMP GAS." "95% OF ALL UFO SIGHTINGS CAN BE EXPLAINED" "AND QUICKLY DISCREDITED." "BUT 5% HAVE ENOUGH EYEWITNESSES" "AND FACTUAL EVIDENCE THAT THEY DEMAND" "TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY." "JOURNALIST LESLIE KEAN" "HAS BEEN RESEARCHING THESE CASES FOR OVER TEN YEARS," "FOCUSING ON THE MOST CREDIBLE EVIDENCE AND WITNESSES." "I'VEWORKEDWITHHIGH-LEVEL OFFICIALS, PILOTS, GENERALS," "AND A FORMER U.S. GOVERNOR TO SHOW THAT THERE IS" "A PHYSICAL PHENOMENON THAT EXISTS." "IT'SCOMINGTHISWAY ." "IT IS DEFINITELY" "COMING THIS WAY." "AHUGE,TRIANGULAROBJECT." "DARKGRAYOVAL." "LIKEA FRISBEE?" "LIKEA UFOTYPETHING." "NOWNEWEVIDENCE," "AUDIO RECORDINGS, RADAR DATA, AND NEVER-BEFORE-HEARD" "WITNESS TESTIMONY MAKE THESE SIGHTINGS" "PART OF THE SELECT 5% THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE." "IT'STIMETO CORRECT THE RECORD ONCE AND FOR ALL." "THELARGEMAJORITYOF UFO REPORTS ARE MADE" "BY CIVILIANS IN ISOLATED CASES" "WITH ONE OR TWO CORROBORATING WITNESSES" "AND CAN BE EASILY DISMISSED." "HEREHECOMES" "FROM THE SIDE!" "HE'S COMING TOWARD US NOW!" "THIS IS UNREAL." "BUTWHENASIGHTING" "OCCURS OVER A NUCLEAR-ARMED AMERICAN MILITARY BASE" "AT THE HEIGHT OF THE COLD WAR AND IS SEEN BY 60 AIR FORCE PERSONNEL FOR 45 MINUTES," "IT DEMANDS CLOSER SCRUTINY." "HEREWEHAVE" "A SENIOR OFFICER MAKING A REPORT OF A UFO" "DIRECTLY OVER THE MOST IMPORTANT BASE" "IN THE WHOLE NATO NETWORK, AND THERE'S NO RESPONSE TO HIM." "I FOUND THAT ABSOLUTELY ASTOUNDING." "NOW,30YEARSLATER, KEY WITNESSES HAVE COME FORWARD" "TO TELL THEIR REMARKABLE STORY." "THETEAMANDWITNESSES" "WERE TOLD TO TREAT THE INVESTIGATION AS TOP SECRET," "AND NO FURTHER DISCUSSION WOULD BE ALLOWED." "THISISTHEEXTRAORDINARY INCIDENT AT RENDLESHAM FOREST." "MYNAMEIS  COLONEL CHARLES HALT." "IN 1980, I WAS A DEPUTY BASE COMMANDER AT R.A.F." "BENTWATERS-WOODBRIDGE, ENGLAND." "AT THAT TIME," "BENTWATERS WAS THE LARGEST TACTICAL FIGHTER WING" "IN THE FREE WORLD." "AND OUR MISSION," "AS A KEY NATO INSTALLATION, WAS TO BE PREPARED" "SHOULD ANYTHING HAPPEN." "EARLY IN THE MORNING" "OF THE 26TH OF DECEMBER, I WENT IN TO COLLECT" "THE POLICE BLOTTERS, THAT'S THE CHRONOLOGICAL LIST" "OF WHAT HAPPENED THE PREVIOUS 24 HOURS." "AND AS I WALKED INTO THE OFFICE," "THE ON-DUTY DESK SERGEANT STARTED TO LAUGH." "HE SAID, "COLONEL, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BELIEVE THIS." "LAST NIGHT, THREE OF OUR POLICEMEN" "WERE OUT IN THE FOREST CHASING UFOs." "THEY CALLED IN AND THOUGHT THEY THOUGHT THEY SAW" "A DOWNED AIRCRAFT." "THEY WENT OUT AND INVESTIGATED," "AND THEY HAD SOME TYPE OF AN EXPERIENCE."" "I SAID, "WELL, PUT SOMETHING IN THE BLOTTER TO THE EFFECT" "THAT THEY SAW SOME LIGHTS AND WE'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT" "FOR NOW." "HALTPLANSFORTHE UFO STORY" "TO GO AWAY, DESPITE GROWING RUMORS" "AROUND THE BASE ABOUT A STRANGE CRAFT" "SEEN IN THE WOODS ON CHRISTMAS NIGHT." "BUT WITHIN DAYS, HE IS FORCED TO ACT." "TWONIGHTSLATER, WE WERE HAVING" "THE CHRISTMAS PARTY, AND WE WERE JUST FINISHING" "THE MAIN COURSE AND GETTING READY FOR DESSERT" "WHEN THE ON-DUTY FLIGHT LIEUTENANT" "CORNERED THE BASE COMMANDER AND I AND SAID," ""WE HAVE TO TALK." "THE UFO IS BACK."" "I WAS SURE I COULD PUT THIS THING TO REST." "SO I TOOK MY LITTLE POCKET RECORDER," "WHICH I CARRIED EVERYWHERE, AND A PN-27," "WHICH IS A GEIGER COUNTER, AND WE WENT OUT" "INTO THE FOREST." "LATEINTHEEVENING" "ON DECEMBER 27, 1980, COLONEL HALT TAKES" "A TEAM OF FOUR OFFICERS, INCLUDING A FLIGHT COMMANDER" "AND A DISASTER PREPAREDNESS EXPERT," "OUT TO THE SITE WHERE THE ALLEGED CRAFT" "HAD LANDED TWO NIGHTS EARLIER." "LOANDBEHOLD," "I FIND HALF OUR SECURITY FORCE OUT THERE," "FIVE, SIX, SEVEN VEHICLES, JEEPS, SIX-PASSENGER PICKUP" "TRUCKS, AND THEY'RE TRYING TO LIGHT UP THE FOREST." "HERE I'M THINKING, "THIS IS" "A PUBLIC RELATIONS DISASTER JUST WAITING TO HAPPEN."" "SO I TELL THEM TO KNOCK IT OFF AND GET AS MANY PEOPLE" "AND THINGS BACK TO THE BASE AS THEY CAN." "AND WITH MY LITTLE TAPE RECORDER," "I TOOK A SMALL TEAM INTO THE FOREST" "TO THE ALLEGED LANDING SITE." "HALTANDHISTEAMLOCATE THREE INDENTATIONS IN THE SHAPE" "OF A TRIANGLE AT THE ALLEGED LANDING SITE." "THERADIATIONREADINGS ARE TEN TIMES THE NORMAL," "OR BACKGROUND, LEVEL, SIGNALING THAT THERE" "IS DEFINITELY MORE TO THE SIGHTING" "THAN HALT HAD FIRST ALLOWED." "WEFINDRUBMARKS" "ON THE TREES FACING THE SITE AND QUITE A FEW" "BROKEN BRANCHES ON THE GROUND, AND WHEN WE LOOKED UP," "WE NOTICED A BREAK IN THE TREE CANOPY ABOVE US." "IT WAS OBVIOUS SOMETHING HAD COME UP THROUGH" "OR DOWN THROUGH THE TREES." "AS WE'RE INVESTIGATING," "WE ALSO HEAR THE BARNYARD ANIMALS." "THE COWS AND THE CHICKENS SORT OF WENT INTO A FRENZY" "FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AND THEN GOT VERY SILENT." "AND THEN SOMEBODY SUDDENLY NOTICES A GLOWING RED OBJECT" "ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE FOREST." "AND I IMMEDIATELY TURNED" "MY TAPE RECORDER BACK ON." "ASHOLTANDHIS TEAMRACED TO GET CLOSER," "THE DETAILS OF THE OBJECT COME INTO FOCUS." "ITWASOVAL, THIS WAS ALL REDDISH ORANGE," "AND THERE WERE, LIKE, PIECES OF MOLTEN METAL," "DRIPPING OFF IT, AND THEY WERE FALLING TO THE GROUND." "IT HAD A BLACK-LIKE CENTER." "THIS WAS SOLID BLACK," "AND THIS WOULD ACTUALLY, LIKE, BLINK," "ALMOST LIKE AN EYE." "IT MOVED HORIZONTALLY" "THROUGH THE TREES, ABOUT FOUR TO SIX FEET" "OFF THE GROUND, ZIGZAGGING, BOBBING UP AND DOWN" "A LITTLE BIT, SO THEY WERE SEARCHING" "FOR SOMETHING." "AND IT DEFINITELY" "WAS UNDER SOME TYPE OF INTELLIGENT CONTROL." "HALT'SDESCRIPTIONMATCHES MANY OTHER SIGHTINGS OF UFOs." "WITNESSES OFTEN REPORT RED ORBS THAT DART AND SEARCH" "AS IF UNDER INTELLIGENT CONTROL." "BUT FOR HALT AND THE OTHER OFFICERS," "THEIR EXPERIENCE IS ABOUT TO BECOME" "ANYTHING BUT TYPICAL." "WEWATCHEDIT FORPROBABLY TWO OR THREE MINUTES," "AND SUDDENLY IT SILENTLY EXPLODED" "INTO FIVE WHITE OBJECTS, AND EVERYTHING DISAPPEARED." "WELL, THIS REALLY PUTS US ALL BUT IN SHOCK." "I'M THINKING, "I'M NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN THIS." "PEOPLE WILL NEVER BELIEVE THIS." "THIS IS JUST TOO BIZARRE."" "WHEN SOMEBODY IN THE PARTY LOOKS TO THE NORTH" "AND SAID, "LOOK, WHAT'S THAT?"" "AND WE SEE FOUR OR FIVE OBJECTS THAT ARE ELLIPTICAL" "WITH MULTI-COLOR LIGHTS PROBABLY 3,000 OR 4,000 FEET" "IN ELEVATION, AND THEY'RE MOVING" "AT HIGH-SPEED WITH SHARP, ANGULAR MOVEMENTS." "WE HEAR A LOT OF CHATTER ON THE RADIOS." "AND WE WERE HAVING DIFFICULTIES THE WHOLE TIME TOO." "THERE'S A LOT OF INTERFERENCE." "SOME SAY THEY'RE SENDING" "DOWN A BEAM TO THE WEAPONS STORAGE AREA." "AND WE WERE ALL EXTREMELY NERVOUS" "ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING." "SUDDENLY,ONECOMESOVERHEAD AND STOPS." "IT SENDS DOWN A BEAM AT OUR FEET." "WHEN THE BEAM CAME DOWN, WE STOOD PERFECTLY STILL." "I DON'T THINK ANYBODY MOVED." "EVERYBODY JUST STOOD THERE" "IN SHOCK." "AND IT'S GOING THROUGH MY MIND," ""THERE HAS TO BE SOME TYPE OF A REASON FOR THIS." "IS THIS A COMMUNICATION?" "IS THIS A WEAPON?" "IS THIS A WARNING?" "WHAT DO WE DO NOW?"" "HALTANDHISMEN  ARE TRANSFIXED" "BY THE CRAFT LOOMING OVERHEAD." "THE SIGHT IS SOMETHING" "UNFAMILIAR TO THESE TRAINED MILITARY PROFESSIONALS." "I'VENEVERSEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT." "AND WHILE WE'RE STANDING THERE, JUST AS SUDDENLY" "AS IT APPEARED, CLICK, IT'S GONE." "I'M THINKING, "THERE IS NO REAL EXPLANATION" "FOR ALL OF THIS." "WHY DID I GET INVOLVED?" "THIS IS NOT EXACTLY CAREER-ENHANCING."" "OVER60AIRFORCEPERSONNEL ARE REPORTED" "TO HAVE SEEN A UFO DURING THE TWO NIGHTS THAT COMPRISE" "THE RENDLESHAM INCIDENT." "ACCORDINGTOWITNESSES," "THIS REALLY SHOOK UP THE BASE." "THIS WAS DURING THE COLD WAR." "THIS WAS A NUCLEAR-ARMED OUTPOST," "AND IT WAS AN INCURSION, A NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERN" "FOR BOTH THE BRITISH AND THE AMERICANS." "ASTHECOMMANDINGOFFICER ON DUTY, HALT IS REQUIRED" "TO REPORT THE EVENTS TO HIS SUPERIORS," "SO HE FILES A BRIEF MEMO HOPING TO PUT THE MATTER" "TO REST." "DUE TO THE BASE'S LOCATION" "WITHIN ENGLAND, THE MEMO IS FORWARDED TO" "THE BRITISH MINISTRY OF DEFENSE, WHICH QUICKLY CONCLUDES" "THAT THE EVENT IS OF "NO DEFENSE SIGNIFICANCE,"" "AND CLOSES THE CASE." "AND IT WOULD REMAIN THAT WAY" "FOR OVER A DECADE." "MYNAME'SNICKPOPE." "I WORKED FOR THE MINISTRY" "OF DEFENSE FOR 21 YEARS, AND FOR MUCH" "OF THE EARLY '90s, I RAN THEIR UFO PROJECT." "MY JOB WAS TO INVESTIGATE SIGHTINGS" "AND DETERMINE WHETHER THERE WAS EVIDENCE" "OF ANY POTENTIAL THREAT TO THE UNITED KINGDOM." "IN1994,NICKPOPE INSTIGATES A COLD CASE REVIEW" "OF THE RENDLESHAM FOREST INCIDENT." "ONEOFTHETHINGS THAT PROMPTED ME" "WAS THE APPARENT LACK OF ANY FORMAL RESPONSE" "TO COLONEL HALT'S REPORT." "HERE WAS ONE" "OF THE MOST SENIOR OFFICERS EVER TO GO ON THE RECORD," "MAKING A REPORT OF A UFO LANDING" "IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO TWO OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BASES" "IN THE WHOLE NATO NETWORK, AND THERE'S NO RESPONSE TO HIM." "I FOUND THAT ABSOLUTELY ASTOUNDING." "POPEBEGINSAN EXHAUSTIVE THREE-YEAR STUDY," "UNCOVERING SEVERAL KEY ERRORS IN THE INVESTIGATION," "INCLUDING A CONFUSION OVER JURISDICTION." "THERENDLESHAM FOREST INCIDENT" "INVOLVED THE TWIN BASES, BENTWATERS AND WOODBRIDGE." "NOW, OF COURSE, THESE WERE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE BASES," "BUT ON BRITISH SOIL." "SO THERE WAS TOTAL CONFUSION" "ABOUT WHO WAS IN CHARGE." "ANOTHER PROBLEM WAS" "THAT THE LANDING SITE HAD NOT IMMEDIATELY" "BEEN CORDONED OFF." "PEOPLE WERE COMING AND GOING," "CONTAMINATING THE SITE." "IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN" "SEARCHED THOROUGHLY WITH A METAL DETECTOR." "SOIL SAMPLES SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN." "THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN." "YEARSINTOHISREVIEW," "POPE UNCOVERS ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL FAILURES" "OF THE ORIGINAL INVESTIGATION." "IWASLOOKING" "AT THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT" "THE UFO WAS TRACKED ON RADAR." "ONE OF THE WITNESSES SAID THAT," "FOR AN INSTANT, THERE WAS" "AN UNCORRELATED TARGET THAT WAS HANGING" "OVER THE BASES FOR ABOUT TWO OR THREE SWEEPS OF THE RADAR," "AND THEN IT DISAPPEARED." "BUT WHEN THE AMERICANS" "MADE THE REPORT TO THE UK, THE DATE WAS WRONG," "SO OF COURSE, THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE" "WERE LOOKING AT THE WRONG NIGHT." "AND BY THE TIME" "WE REALIZED THE ERROR, THE RADAR TAPE" "HAD BEEN DESTROYED." "THE ORIGINAL INVESTIGATION HAD BEEN FATALLY FLAWED." "BUTPOPEWOULDGOFURTHER THAN SIMPLY DETAILING" "THE FAILURES OF THE ORIGINAL INVESTIGATION." "SOON HE WOULD ENCOUNTER AN EYEWITNESS WHO CAME" "CLOSE ENOUGH TO TOUCH ONE OF THESE REMARKABLE CRAFT" "AND PRODUCE STRIKING IMAGES OF A LANDED UFO" "UNLIKE ANY HE HAD SEEN BEFORE." "ITWASVERYCLEARTOME" "THAT WE DID HAVE SOLID EVIDENCE THAT AN UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT," "OR OBJECTS, WAS OPERATING OVER THE UK." "JUSTAFTERCHRISTMAS IN 1980," "OVER 60 AIR FORCE PERSONNEL WITNESS WHAT THEY DESCRIBE" "AS MULTIPLE UNKNOWN CRAFT OVER THE TWIN NATO BASES" "BENTWATERS AND WOODBRIDGE, ENGLAND." "THE EXPERIENCE RATTLES THE SOLDIERS," "INCLUDING DEPUTY BASE COMMANDER COLONEL CHARLES HALT." "I'MTHINKING, "I'M NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE" "TO EXPLAIN THIS." "PEOPLE WILL NEVER BELIEVE THIS." "THIS IS JUST TOO BIZARRE." THESIGHTING" "IS NEVER OFFICIALLY EXPLAINED, LEAVING THE WITNESSES" "TO QUESTION WHAT THEY BELIEVE THEY SAW" "UNTIL A DECADE LATER WHEN NICK POPE," "A BRITISH MINISTRY OF DEFENSE OFFICIAL IN CHARGE" "OF UFO INVESTIGATIONS, INSTIGATES A COLD-CASE REVIEW" "OF THE NOW INFAMOUS SIGHTINGS." "ITWASSOONCLEARTOME" "THAT THE ORIGINAL INVESTIGATION HAD BEEN FATALLY FLAWED." "TROUBLEDBYTHESEFAILURES, POPE TAKES" "HIS INVESTIGATION DEEPER." "IN 1994," "HE INTERVIEWS A MAN WHO WOULD BECOME A KEY WITNESS" "IN THE CASE:" "SGT." "JAMES PENNISTON," "THE SENIOR AMERICAN AIRMAN IN CHARGE OF SECURITY." "TWODAYS BEFORE COLONEL HALT'S SIGHTING," "SGT." "PENNISTON HAD ALSO SEEN THE UFO." "AND HE AND TWO OTHER AIRMEN HAD ACTUALLY APPROACHED" "THIS OBJECT, AND HE GOT CLOSE ENOUGH" "TO PRODUCE SOME SPECTACULAR DRAWINGS." "PENNISTONCLEARLY GOT VERY CLOSE." "SEE THE ESSENTIALLY TRIANGULAR SHAPE HERE." "AND IT'S INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT INDENTATIONS" "WERE FOUND AT THE LANDING SITE IN THE SHAPE OF A TRIANGLE" "AND PEAK RADIATION READINGS WERE RECORDED" "IN THOSE THREE INDENTATIONS." "ASTHETHREEOFUS GOT CLOSER TO THE CRAFT," "WE STARTED EXPERIENCING RADIO DIFFICULTIES." "THE AIR AROUND US WAS ELECTRICALLY CHARGED," "AND WE COULD FEEL IT ON OUR CLOTHES," "OUR SKIN, AND OUR HAIR." "NOTHING IN MY TRAINING" "PREPARED ME FOR WHAT I WAS WITNESSING." "SGT." "PENNISTONOBSERVED THE CRAFT FOR NEARLY 45 MINUTES." "ONEOFTHEMOSTINTRIGUING PIECES OF INFORMATION" "WERE THE STRANGE SYMBOLS THAT HE SAW ON THE SIDE" "WHICH HE SAID REMINDED HIM A BIT OF EGYPTIAN HIEROGLYPHS." "AND HE SKETCHED THIS IN HIS POLICE NOTEBOOK." "MANYYEARS AFTER THE INCIDENT," "SGT." "PENNISTON DECIDES TO STEP OUT OF THE SHADOWS," "SPEAK PUBLICLY ABOUT HIS SIGHTING." "OVER80AIRFORCEPERSONNEL, ALL TRAINED OBSERVERS," "WITNESSED THE TAKEOFF." "THE TEAM AND WITNESSES" "WERE TOLD TO TREAT THE INVESTIGATION AS TOP SECRET," "AND NO FURTHER DISCUSSION WOULD BE ALLOWED." "ITHINKIN LOOKINGBACKAT THE RENDLESHAM FOREST INCIDENT," "IT WAS VERY CLEAR TO ME THAT WE DID HAVE SOLID EVIDENCE" "OF A COMPELLING UFO CASE, THAT AN UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT" "OR OBJECTS WAS OPERATING OVER THE UK." "THERENDLESHAMFOREST INCIDENT IS NOW CONSIDERED" "ONE OF THE MOST CONCLUSIVE UFO SIGHTINGS IN HISTORY" "AND INCLUDES SEVERAL ARCHETYPAL CHARACTERISTICS" "SEEN IN THE MOST CREDIBLE UFO CASES." "TRIANGULAR AND DISC-SHAPED CRAFT THAT MOVE SILENTLY" "AND ACCELERATE INSTANTLY TO UNKNOWN SPEEDS." "ITSTANDSAS ABENCHMARK AGAINST WHICH ALL OTHER" "UFO CASES CAN BE MEASURED, AND WHEN YOU ADD IN" "ALL THE CASES THAT INVOLVE HIGH-LEVEL MILITARY PEOPLE," "GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, PILOTS, CASES THAT HAVE BEEN" "OFFICIALLY INVESTIGATED, YOU HAVE A BODY OF EVIDENCE" "THAT SIMPLY CAN'T BE IGNORED." "THERE'SSOMETHINGVERY," "VERY STRANGE." "BUTWHATHAPPENS WHEN AN ENTIRE CITY" "WITNESSES A UFO REPORTED TO BE AS LARGE AS" "TWO OR THREE FOOTBALL FIELDS?" "ITWASTHESHAPE" "OF A BOOMERANG." "ALARGEBLACKOBJECT" "COMING RIGHT TOWARDS US." "ITHOUGHTIWAS GOING" "TO PASS OUT BECAUSE I WAS SO ENTHRALLED" "IN LOOKING AT THIS THING." "ANDI SAIDTHAT" "A MILE LONG." "IN1997," "THOUSANDS IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA, WITNESSED AN ENORMOUS CRAFT." "DOTHESELIGHTSBELONG TO VISITORS FROM OUTER SPACE?" "ITWASBEINGBLASTED ALL OVER THE TELEVISION," "SO PEOPLE WERE GOING OUTSIDE OF THEIR HOUSES" "AND LOOKING UP AT THE SKY." "NOWNEWEVIDENCE" "IS INTRODUCED IN ONE OF THE MOST ENDURING" "UFO CASES IN HISTORY." "ALLHELLBROKELOOSE," "BASICALLY." "AND WE HAD A COMPLETE LOCKDOWN." "OFFICIALEXPLANATIONS ARE DISSECTED." "THEAIRFORCESTATED THAT FLARES WERE DROPPED" "AROUND 10:00 P.M. BUT WITNESS REPORTS" "CAME IN OVER AN HOUR BEFORE THE FLARES WERE DROPPED." "SO USING THAT EXCUSE MAKES A MOCKERY" "OF WHAT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE SAID THEY SAW." "ANDA FORMERGOVERNOR REVEALS HIS STARTLING ADMISSION." "IKNEWMOREABOUT THE LIGHTS OVER PHOENIX" "THAN I LET ON." "THISIS" "THE PHOENIX LIGHTS." "I'MFIFESYMINGTON, THE FORMER GOVERNOR OF ARIZONA," "AND IN THE SPRING OF 1997, THERE WAS A VERY UNUSUAL EVENT" "THAT OCCURRED WHILE I WAS THE GOVERNOR." "I GUESS SOME PEOPLE REFER TO IT AS "THE LIGHTS OVER PHOENIX."" "ITWASTHURSDAYNIGHT, MARCH 13, 1997, 8:30 P.M." "MYDAUGHTERMONICA CAME RUNNING IN" "TO SAY THERE WAS SOMETHING COMING IN OVER THE END" "OF CAMELBACK MOUNTAIN." "AND SO FOUR OF THE KIDS" "GOT UP, RAN OUT, AND I RAN OUT WITH THEM." "ANDI LOOKEDTO THENORTH." "MY WIFE AND I SAW" "THREE BRIGHT WHITE LIGHTS IN TRIANGLE FORMATION" "COMING RIGHT TOWARDS US." "ITHADFIVEBIG LIGHTS" "IN FRONT, AND IT WAS THE SHAPE OF A BOOMERANG." "ITWASASOLIDCRAFT, SILENT, VERY LOW TO THE GROUND," "AND THE THING THAT TOOK ME WAS THE SIZE." "PROFOUNDLY ENORMOUS, PROFOUNDLY MASSIVE." "I MEAN, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE SHOPPING CENTERS THIS BIG." "WESTOODANDWATCHEDITCOME,  AND IT FLOATED DIRECTLY OVER" "OUR HOUSE, AND IT WAS PROBABLY FIVE TO SIX MINUTES" "THAT WE HAD FULL VIEW OF THIS." "MYWIFEANDI," "WE JUST STARED AT EACH OTHER." "AND I LOOKED AT HER RIGHT" "IN THE EYE, AND I SAYS, "WE JUST SAW OUR FIRST UFO."" "DOTHESELIGHTSBELONG TO VISITORS FROM OUTER SPACE?" "HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE VALLEY THINK" "IT'S A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY." "WHATISDESCRIBEDAS" "A GIANT, BRIGHTLY LIT BOOMERANG, SOARS THROUGH THE AIR." "NOOFFICIALEXPLANATION OF THOSE STRANGE BRIGHT LIGHTS." "THATNIGHTIT WASBEING BLASTED ALL OVER THE RADIO," "ALL OVER THE TELEVISION." "SO PEOPLE WERE GOING" "OUTSIDE OF THEIR HOUSES AND LOOKING UP AT THE SKY," "AND IT WAS BEING VIEWED BY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE" "ACROSS THE VALLEY." "[multiple telephones ringing]" "THERE WERE BARRAGES OF PHONE CALLS COMING" "INTO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND TO THE DEPARTMENT" "OF PUBLIC SAFETY." "PEOPLE WANTED ANSWERS." "SO OF COURSE, I WAS MAKING MY INQUIRIES" "IMMEDIATELY TO THE HEAD OF THE NATIONAL GUARD," "AND I HAD MEMBERS OF MY STAFF CALLING LUKE AIR FORCE BASE" "TO FIND OUT IF THEY WERE FLYING" "SOME EXOTIC AIR CRAFT OVER THE VALLEY," "AND NOT REALLY GETTING ANY ANSWERS." "I MEAN, EVERYBODY WAS JUST SORT OF," ""OH, MY GOSH, WELL, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS."" "SOMETHINGSTRANGEHAPPENED IN THE SKIES OVER ARIZONA" "THAT STILL HASN'T BEEN FULLY EXPLAINED." "IT'SSOMETHING UFO ENTHUSIASTS" "ARE CALLING A MAJOR SIGHTING." "PILOTSREPORTSEEINGIT" "IN THE AIR, YET MILITARY RADAR SCREENS" "PICK UP NOTHING." "WHATEVERITWAS," "IT HAS MORE THAN A FEW PHOENICIANS WATCHING" "THE SKIES TONIGHT." "WELL,INTHEWEEKS" "FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT, OVER 700 WITNESSES CALLED IN" "REPORTS TO LOCAL OFFICIALS AND TO THE NATIONAL" "UFO REPORTING CENTER, A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION" "IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON." "AND THESE WITNESSES INCLUDED" "PILOTS, POLICE OFFICERS, AND MILITARY PROFESSIONALS." "ALTHOUGHDESCRIPTIONS OF THE CRAFT DIFFER," "SEVERAL OVERRIDING CHARACTERISTICS PREVAIL." "IT IS A MASSIVE SOLID OBJECT, NOT MERELY LIGHTS," "IN THE SHAPE OF A DELTA OR TRIANGLE." "AND IT MAKES NO NOISE AS IT MOVES OVER THE VALLEY." "MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT IS VIEWED FROM MULTIPLE VANTAGE POINTS" "BY WITNESSES ACROSS THE COUNTY FOR A TOTAL OF 106 MINUTES." "WELITERALLY WERE LAYING DOWN ON THE GRASS" "LOOKING UP AT IT." "ITWASASOLID," "SOLID, SOLID OBJECT." "SOMETHINGTHAT" "I'LL NEVER EXPLAIN." "REALDEAL." "ITWASAMAJORUFOEVENT  SEEN BY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE" "ACROSS THE STATE OF ARIZONA, AND THEY WERE EXPECTING" "A SERIOUS RESPONSE FROM THE GOVERNMENT." "WELL,YOUCANIMAGINE THE BUILDING HYSTERIA" "THAT WAS GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY" "ABOUT WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AND WHAT WE WERE GONNA" "DO ABOUT IT." "I'M GOING TO ORDER" "A FULL, YOU KNOW, INVESTIGATION OF THIS" "THROUGH DPS." "WE'RE GOING TO MAKE" "ALL THE NECESSARY INQUIRIES, AND WE'RE GOING TO GET" "TO THE BOTTOM OF IT." "WE'RE GONNA FIND OUT" "I WAS PROBING, TRYING TO GET ANSWERS," "BUT EVERYBODY WAS SORT OF DENYING THAT THEY SAW IT" "IN OFFICIAL CHANNELS, WHICH REALLY HAD ME PERPLEXED." "AND COUNCILWOMAN BARWOOD REALLY TOOK THE LEAD." "SHE CALLED SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN, AND THE SENATOR WAS" "THE FIRST PERSON TO GET SOMETHING" "OUT OF THE AIR FORCE." "THEAIRFORCETELLS SENATOR MCCAIN THAT THE LIGHTS" "ARE HIGH-INTENSITY FLARES DROPPED BY THE NATIONAL GUARD" "BETWEEN 9:30 AND 10:00 P.M. BUT SINCE THE SIGHTINGS" "BEGAN AT 8:15 P.M., OVER AN HOUR BEFORE" "THE FLARES WERE DROPPED, AND IN A DIFFERENT PART" "OF THE CITY THAN THE UFO WAS SEEN," "THIS FAILS TO EXPLAIN WHAT MANY WITNESSES SAW." "THEYWEREALLSHOT RIGHT AROUND 10:00 AT NIGHT." "THEY WERE ALL SOUTHWEST OF PHOENIX," "THEY WEREN'T EVEN OVER THE CITY" "OR EVEN IN THE COUNTY." "WHAT MY WIFE AND I SAW" "HAPPENED AT 8:30." "SEEMSTOME THISBIG OBJECT" "CAME OVER AT 8:30, THE AUTHORITIES DECIDED" "THEY BETTER DO SOMETHING TO COVER IT UP," "SO THEY HAD A FLARE SHOW AT 10:00." "ITWAS AN INTENTIONAL DIVERSION, YES." "WHAT'SREALLYCONFUSING IS THAT THE LIGHTS THAT WERE" "SHOWN ON TV THAT NIGHT WERE ACTUALLY THE FLARES" "DOTHESELIGHTSBELONG-- BECAUSETHENEWSFOOTAGE" "WAS TAKEN AT 10:00 P.M. WHEN THE FLARES WERE DROPPED" "STRANGEDOTSOF LIGHT-- BUTTHATDOESN'TEXPLAIN" "WHAT ALL THE WITNESSES SAW." "THE FLARES WERE DROPPED" "OVER TWO HOURS AFTER THE SIGHTINGS BEGAN." "THESE WERE TWO SEPARATE EVENTS." "CASTINGFURTHERDOUBT ON THE AIR FORCE'S EXPLANATION" "IS THIS NEVER-BEFORE-HEARD RECORDING OF A CALL" "MADE BY AN AIRMAN AT LUKE AIR FORCE BASE" "TO THE NATIONAL UFO REPORTING CENTER EARLY IN THE MORNING" "ON MARCH 14TH." "APPARENTLY,WEGOTACALL" "FROM PRESCOTT VALLEY AIRPORT, A SMALL AIRPORT NORTH OF US," "REPORTING AN OBJECT THAT HAD A NEAR MISS" "WITH A SMALL CESSNA." "THE CALL CAME" "APPROXIMATELY 8:32 THAT THEY ENCOUNTERED SOMETHING" "OVER PHOENIX, ARIZONA, OVER THE AREA OF 7TH AVENUE" "AND INDIAN SCHOOL ROAD." "THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS." "ACCORDINGTOTHEAIRMAN, LUKE AIR FORCE BASE" "LAUNCHED TWO F-15s TO INVESTIGATE THE INCIDENT" "SHORTLY AFTER 8:30 P.M. HE SPOKE WITH ONE" "OF THE F-15 PILOTS AFTER THEIR RETURN," "DESCRIBING HIM AS VISIBLY SHAKEN." "THECOMMANDPILOT OF THIS PARTICULAR FLIGHT" "I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS MAN SCARED," "AND HE WAS SCARED TO DEATH." "HE'S NOT SURE WHAT IT WAS." "HIS STATEMENT WAS THAT THEY FOLLOWED THIS AIRCRAFT." "IT WENT ON A STRAIGHT-LINE COURSE" "HEADING TOWARDS SKY HARBOR AIRPORT," "WHICH IS ONE OF OUR MAIN AIRPORTS HERE," "AT APPROXIMATELY 18,000 FEET, DESCENDING TO 10,500." "HE SAW FIVE DISTINCT LIGHTS IN A TRIANGULAR PATTERN." "FIRST THREE LIGHTS WERE IN A TIGHT TRIANGULAR FORMATION," "AND THEN THE OTHER LIGHT WAS AT ABOUT 400 YARDS," "ALSO ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE TRIANGLE." "IT SCARED THE HELL OUT OF HIM, AND AFTER THEY LANDED," "THE BASES-- WE HAD A COMPLETE LOCKDOWN." "ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE, BASICALLY," "AND THE FACILITY WAS CLOSED." "DESPITETHESHOCKING TESTIMONY," "THE AIR FORCE CATEGORICALLY DENIES THE ENCOUNTER." "BUT LIKE THE RENDLESHAM CASE BEFORE IT," "OFFICIAL ATTEMPTS TO DISMISS THE SIGHTINGS ARE UNSUCCESSFUL." "ITWASTHESTORY THAT WOULDN'T GO AWAY," "AND THE GOVERNOR KNEW HE WOULD HAVE TO ADDRESS IT." "GOVERNORFIFESYMINGTON IS DETERMINED TO FIND OUT" "WHAT THOSE LIGHTS ARE ALL ABOUT." "SOONTHEPHOENIXLIGHTS" "WOULD REACH NATIONAL PROMINENCE" "AS GOVERNOR SYMINGTON REVEALS HIS ASTONISHING NEWS." "IKNEWMOREABOUT THE LIGHTS OVER PHOENIX" "THAN I LET ON." "TO ESCORT THE ACCUSED" "INTO THE ROOM SO THAT WE MAY ALL LOOK UPON" "THE GUILTY PARTY." "IT'S TIME TO CORRECT THE RECORD" "ONCE AND FOR ALL." "WELL,WHENYOUSERVE IN PUBLIC OFFICE," "YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL DEALING WITH SENSITIVE," "INCENDIARY SUBJECTS LIKE UFO SIGHTINGS." "AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, IF YOU'RE A PUBLIC OFFICIAL" "AND YOU START TALKING ABOUT UFOs," "YOU REALLY GET ATTACKED." "IT'S UNBELIEVABLE." "WESTARTTONIGHTWITHTHOSE STRANGE DOTS OF LIGHT." "IN1997,THOUSANDSWITNESSED A UFO OVER PHOENIX." "REPORTS DESCRIBED A DELTA-SHAPED CRAFT" "SEVERAL FOOTBALL FIELDS IN LENGTH." "LIKE THE CRAFT AT RENDLESHAM, IT WAS VIEWED" "FROM MULTIPLE VANTAGE POINTS BY WITNESSES ACROSS THE COUNTY" "FOR A TOTAL OF 106 MINUTES." "THOUSANDSOFPEOPLESAW IT," "AND THERE WAS QUITE A BUILDUP OF PUBLIC INTEREST," "ALMOST CLOSE TO HYSTERIA." "UFOENTHUSIASTS" "ALL OVER THE COUNTRY-- THREEMONTHS" "AFTER THE SIGHTING, USA TODAY FEATURES" "THE PHOENIX LIGHTS ON ITS FRONT PAGE," "FORCING GOVERNOR SYMINGTON INTO THE SPOTLIGHT." "INEARLYJUNE, THERE WAS SOME MAJOR PUBLICITY," "AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, WE FOUND OURSELVES" "SORT OF BESIEGED." "SO I ORGANIZED" "THIS PRESS CONFERENCE TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE" "TO KIND OF CLIMB OFF THE EMOTIONAL MOUNTAIN A BIT." "ONJUNE19TH,SYMINGTONHOLDS A NEWS CONFERENCE TO ANNOUNCE" "THE MYSTERY HAS BEEN SOLVED." "ANDNOWI'LLASK" "OFFICER STEIN AND HIS COLLEAGUES" "TO ESCORT THE ACCUSED INTO THE ROOM SO THAT WE MAY" "ALL LOOK UPON THE GUILTY PARTY." "DON'T GET HIM" "TOO CLOSE TO ME PLEASE." "[laughter]" "NOW, THIS JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT YOU GUYS" "ARE ENTIRELY TOO SERIOUS." "[laughter]" "IT REALLY WAS A VERY FUNNY SPOOF." "BUT UNFORTUNATELY, IT WAS TAKEN THE WRONG WAY." "ITWASAN INSULT." "AND I'M GREATLY OFFENDED." "AS ARE MANY, MANY WITNESSES." "BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE" "COULD HAVE CAME FORWARD." "BUT INSTEAD," "THEY BECAME RECLUSIVE." "THEY REFUSED TO TALK ABOUT IT" "BECAUSE OF THIS, BECAUSE OF THE RIDICULE." "IWASANGRYOVERIT BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT I SAW" "AND I DID NOT LIKE THAT KIND OF AN ATTITUDE." "WHEN THIS THING WAS OVER MY HOUSE FOR FIVE MINUTES," "SOMEONE SHOULD CARE." "SOMEONE SHOULD CARE." "THATPRESSCONFERENCE, IT REALLY DID UPSET" "A LOT OF PEOPLE." "AND I REGRET THAT." "BUT WHAT REALLY BOTHERED ME WAS THAT I KNEW MORE ABOUT" "THE LIGHTS OVER PHOENIX THAN I LET ON." "AND I SHOULD HAVE TALKED MORE OPENLY ABOUT" "MY OWN EXPERIENCES SOONER." "ON MARCH 13TH," "I WAS HAVING DINNER WITH MY FAMILY." "WE HAD THE TV ON, AND I WAS WELL AWARE" "OF THE NEWS ABOUT THE UFO, SO I SAID," ""I'M GONNA JUMP IN MY CAR, AND I'M GONNA GO DOWN" "LINCOLN DRIVE PAST SQUAW PEAK AND SEE IF I CAN SEE" "WHAT'S GOING ON." WHEN I GOT HERE," "THERE WERE PEOPLE MILLING AROUND," "JUST ENJOYING THE PARK." "AND I WAS HERE FOR PROBABLY" "FIVE OR TEN MINUTES, AND SOMEBODY SAID," ""LOOK AT THAT!" "LOOK AT THAT!"" "AND OUT TO THE NORTHWEST WAS THIS GREAT BIG MASSIVE CRAFT," "PROBABLY AROUND 3,000 OR 4,000 FEET." "TOOK OUT A WHOLE CHUNK OF THE SKY." "AND YOU COULD SEE OTHER AIRCRAFT IN THE DISTANCE," "BUT AIRPLANES LOOKED LIKE LITTLE TOOTHPICKS" "COMPARED TO THE SIZE OF THIS CRAFT." "AND IT CAME RIGHT AT US, MADE NOT A SOUND, AND JUST" "MOVED, ALMOST SORT OF GENTLY AND SMOOTHLY," "NOT THAT FAST, IT JUST GLIDED OVER SQUAW PEAK." "AND WE HAD A MAGNIFICENT VIEW OF IT SILHOUETTED." "GOVERNORSYMINGTON OBSERVES THE OBJECT" "FOR NEARLY A MINUTE BEFORE IT SPEEDS AWAY" "ACROSS THE VALLEY." "ITJUST," "ALL OF A SUDDEN, DISAPPEARED." "YOU KNOW, I SERVED" "IN THE US AIR FORCE, AND I'VE BEEN FLYING" "ALL MY ADULT LIFE, AND I'VE NEVER SEEN" "ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE." "IT OBVIOUSLY HAD UNBELIEVABLE" "AERONAUTICAL CAPABILITIES, SOMETHING WAY BEYOND ANYTHING" "WE HAVE IN OUR INVENTORY." "THAT'S FOR SURE." "BUT I THOUGHT, "I BEST BE QUIET ABOUT IT," "'CAUSE I'M THE GOVERNOR, AND IF I GO START TALKING" "ABOUT IT, IT'S GONNA CREATE" "MORE HYSTERIA." AND ONE SHOULD NOT LOSE SIGHT" "OF THE FACT THAT I HAD A STATE TO RUN." "SYMINGTONMAINTAINED HIS SILENCE" "THROUGHOUT HIS SECOND TERM." "BUT NOW, NEARLY 15 YEARS LATER," "THE FORMER GOVERNOR DRAWS LESSONS" "FOR ALL PUBLIC OFFICIALS." "ITHINKAS FARAS" "GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED, WE'RE SORT OF DRIVEN" "TO ALWAYS HAVE AN EXPLANATION FOR EVERYTHING." "AND IT'S HARD FOR GOVERNMENT ENTITIES TO SAY," ""I DON'T KNOW." YOU KNOW, "WE CAN'T EXPLAIN IT."" "AND ADMIT TO COMPLETE VULNERABILITY." "BUT I LEARNED A HARD LESSON ABOUT THIS SUBJECT" "BASED ON PERSONAL EXPERIENCE." "PUBLIC OFFICIALS" "NEED TO BE MORE OPEN AND MORE COURAGEOUS" "IN DEALING WITH ISSUES LIKE THIS." "WE NEED TO DEAL WITH IT LEGITIMATELY AND OBJECTIVELY," "AND IF WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS, THEN WE SHOULD SAY," ""WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS." IT'S TIME TO SQUARE UP" "AND DO THE RIGHT THING." "THEPARTICULARSOF WHAT" "WAS SEEN THAT MARCH 1997 NIGHT ARE STILL AVIDLY DEBATED," "AND THE PHOENIX LIGHTS CASE REMAINS UNSOLVED." "BUT WHAT IS NOT IN QUESTION IS THAT THE CASE" "REVEALED AN URGENT NEED IN UFO STUDY," "AN OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT PROCESS FOR RECEIVING" "AND INVESTIGATING REPORTS." "ASITSTANDSNOW" "FOR PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES, THERE IS NO OFFICIAL BODY" "FOR THEM TO GO TO IF SOME KIND OF EVENT" "TAKES PLACE WHICH THEY FEEL NEEDS TO BE REPORTED." "AND WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THAT, IN TERMS" "OF THE AVIATION COMMUNITY, THE FAA HAS ACTUALLY TOLD" "ITS EMPLOYEES IN ITS MANUAL THAT IF THEY SEE A UFO," "THEY ARE NOT TO TELL THE FAA ABOUT IT." "SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY SAYING RIGHT IN THEIR MANUAL THAT WE," "THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, DO NOT WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING" "ABOUT UFO SIGHTINGS." "PILOTSANDPEOPLE" "IN THE AVIATION COMMUNITY IN PARTICULAR" "MAKE EXCELLENT WITNESSES." "BUT VERY OFTEN," "WHEN THEY SEE UFOs, THEY DON'T GO ON THE RECORD" "BECAUSE THEY FEAR THAT THEIR CAREERS WILL SUFFER." "ANDIT'SAREALPROBLEM, BECAUSE IT MAKES" "THE CASE HARDER TO REPORT, AND IT REALLY LIMITS" "THE AVAILABLE DATA ON THE PHENOMENON." "WITHOUTANOFFICIALAGENCY COLLECTING SIGHTINGS" "COUPLED WITH THE RIDICULE SURROUNDING REPORTS," "IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ACCURATELY RECORD" "THE FREQUENCY AND MAGNITUDE OF UFO ACTIVITY." "BUT PARTICULARLY IN THE AVIATION COMMUNITY," "THIS RISKS A GRAVE SAFETY HAZARD." "IF THESE UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS ARE REAL," "MID-AIR COLLISIONS WITH OUR AIRCRAFT" "COULD BE CATASTROPHIC." "LESSTHANADECADE AFTER THE PHOENIX LIGHTS," "THESE ISSUES ARE BROUGHT TO LIGHT" "WITH THE ALLEGED INCURSION OF A UFO INTO ONE OF AMERICA'S" "BUSIEST AIRPORTS." "SEVERALPILOTS" "AND UNITED AIRLINES WORKERS SWEAR THEY SAW ONE, A UFO." "ITDEFINITELYWASNOT  AN AIRPLANE AS WE KNOW IT." "FRIVOLOUS AND SENSATIONALISTIC UFO REPORTS" "HAVE EXPLODED ACROSS THE INTERNET," "MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT THAN EVER TO WEED OUT" "THE CREDIBLE FROM THE QUESTIONABLE." "IN RESPONSE, A HANDFUL OF EXPERTS" "ARE APPLYING RIGOROUS INVESTIGATIVE" "AND SCIENTIFIC STANDARDS TO EVALUATE EVIDENCE" "OF THIS PHENOMENA." "ONE OF THESE IS" "VETERAN JOURNALIST, LESLIE KEAN." "I'VEBEENLOOKINGINTO" "THE UFO SUBJECT FOR ABOUT TEN YEARS," "ALWAYS FOCUSED ON THE HARD-CORE, FACTUAL INFORMATION," "RADAR EVIDENCE, THE PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE," "THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE THAT HAD BEEN STUDIED" "IN LABORATORIES, AND NOT ON THE MORE" "CONSPIRACY-ORIENTED MATERIAL THAT'S FLOATING OUT" "IN THE CULTURE AND ALL OVER THE INTERNET." "IN JANUARY OF 2007, I WAS STRUCK" "BY AN AMAZING STORY THAT WAS ON THE FRONT PAGE" "OF THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE." "A NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES" "OF UNITED AIRLINES WITNESSED A DISC-SHAPED OBJECT." "IT LOOKED LIKE A METALLIC DISC HOVERING OVER" "THE UNITED AIRLINES TERMINAL, SPECIFICALLY, OVER GATE C-17." "AND THIS WAS AT RUSH HOUR, A BUSY AFTERNOON" "AT AROUND 4:00, 4:30." "AND IT WAS SEEN BY" "A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE GROUND." "IT WAS SEEN BY PILOTS," "BY CREW MEMBERS, BY MANAGERS, BY PEOPLE" "THAT WERE MOVING PLANES AROUND." "IT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE" "ABOUT 22 TO 88 FEET." "AND THEY SAID" "IT WAS HOVERING OVER GATE C-17 FOR AT LEAST FIVE MINUTES." "AND THEN THE THING SUDDENLY JUST SHOT UP," "DIRECTLY UP THROUGH UP THE CLOUDBANK" "ABOVE IT, AND CUT A CRISP HOLE" "THROUGH IT, VERY CLEAN, LIKE A COOKIE CUTTER." "THE WITNESSES, TRAINED AVIATION PROFESSIONALS," "WERE CONFOUNDED BY WHAT THEY HAD SEEN." "I'VEBEENAT O'HARE FOR QUITE SOME TIME," "AND I'LL TELL YOU, IT DEFINITELY WAS NOT" "AN AIRPLANE AS WE KNOW IT." "THEO 'HARECASEADDSTO" "THE GROWING MOUNTAIN OF UFO DATA," "ECHOING THE COMMON CHARACTERISTICS" "OF EARLIER UFO SIGHTINGS:" "IT WAS A DISC-SHAPED OBJECT" "THAT HOVERS SILENTLY AND ACCELERATES INSTANTLY" "TO UNKNOWN SPEEDS." "BUT THE MOST CRITICAL" "PIECE OF EVIDENCE IS YET TO BE REVEALED." "SEVERALMONTHS AFTER THE INCIDENT," "KEAN OBTAINS A COPY OF THE CONTROL TOWER TAPES," "WHICH INCLUDES A NEVER-BEFORE-HEARD RECORDING" "OF A UNITED AIRLINES SUPERVISOR CALLING IN TO REPORT" "THE SIGHTING." "YOUKNOWWHAT,I'LLKEEP  A PEELED EYE FOR THAT." "ALLRIGHT." "OKAY." "OKAY,BYE." "THISIS,YOUKNOW," "VERY, VERY IMPORTANT EVIDENCE." "IT SHOWS THAT" "THERE WAS SOMETHING THERE." "IT WAS REPORTED TO THE TOWER," "BUT IT WAS STILL TREATED LIKE SOME KIND OF A JOKE," "AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S AT LEAST PARTLY DUE" "TO THE FAA POLICY OF DISCOURAGING UFO REPORTS" "EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS IN RESTRICTED AIR SPACE," "A BUSY AIRPORT IN THE MIDDLE OF RUSH HOUR," "AND NOBODY KNEW WHAT THIS THING WAS GONNA DO." "I MEAN THIS WAS A SERIOUS HAZARD." "SO THE FAA INITIALLY DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING," "BUT ONCE THESE TAPES WERE RELEASED," "THEY HAD TO SAY SOMETHING." "UNDERPUBLICPRESSURE," "THE FAA RELEASES A CURSORY EXPLANATION" "TWO MONTHS AFTER THE SIGHTING." "WELL,THEFIRSTTHING" "THAT THE FAA TOLD PEOPLE WAS THAT THIS WAS SOME KIND OF" "LIGHT REFLECTION OFF THE BOTTOM OF THE CLOUDBANK." "THEY SAID IT WAS-- "THE AIRPORT LIGHTS CAN DO" "FUNNY THINGS ON THE CLOUDS." BUT THE PROBLEM IS," "THE AIRPORT LIGHTS HAD NOT EVEN BEEN TURNED ON YET." "THE SECOND EXPLANATION THAT THE FAA GAVE WAS THAT" "IT WAS A WEATHER PHENOMENON, MOST LIKELY WHAT IS CALLED" "A HOLE PUNCH CLOUD." "A HOLE PUNCH CLOUD" "IS A NATURAL PHENOMENON THAT IS CAUSED BY ICE CRYSTALS" "FALLING FROM ABOVE A CLOUD DOWN TO A CLOUD BANK BELOW" "AND MELTING A HOLE IN THE CLOUD." "THE PROBLEM IS THAT" "YOU HAVE TO HAVE FREEZING TEMPERATURES" "FOR THIS TO OCCUR." "WELL, WE KNOW FOR A FACT" "THAT IT WAS TOO WARM AT O'HARE THAT DAY." "THE TEMPERATURES WERE NOT BELOW FREEZING" "AT THE LEVEL OF THE CLOUDBANK." "SO IT IS AN ABSOLUTE" "PHYSICAL IMPOSSIBILITY FOR THAT EVENT TO HAVE BEEN" "CAUSED BY A HOLE PUNCH CLOUD." "ULTIMATELY, THE O'HARE CASE" "AND THE FAA RESPONSE TO IT ARE TYPICAL OF HOW" "THE U.S. GOVERNMENT HANDLES UFO SIGHTINGS." "FIRST THEY AVOID HAVING TO TALK ABOUT IT AT ALL," "BUT IF THAT BECOMES IMPOSSIBLE, THE AUTHORITIES WILL JUST" "THROW OUT WHATEVER EXPLANATION THEY THINK MIGHT FIT," "WHETHER IT'S PLAUSIBLE OR NOT." "AND IT'S A REAL PROBLEM." "THIS HAS HAPPENED COUNTLESS TIMES FOR DECADES." "IT'S A STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR CASES LIKE THIS." "DESPITETHECURRENT SITUATION, THERE WAS" "A PERIOD IN U.S. HISTORY WHERE OPEN SCIENTIFIC STUDY" "WAS ENCOURAGED AND SIGHTINGS" "WERE ACTUALLY WELCOMED BY THE GOVERNMENT." "FORTHEPASTTHREEYEARS, A LARGE NUMBER" "OF PERFECTLY SANE AND RELIABLE PEOPLE" "HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS FLYING SAUCER BUSINESS." "WE READ ABOUT THEM, TALK ABOUT THEM," "WONDER ABOUT THESE REPORTS OF STRANGE PHENOMENA" "IN THE SKIES." "I'MINCLINEDTO BELIEVE" "THAT IT'S OF AN EXTRATERRESTRIAL ORIGIN." "BACKINTHE'50sAND' 60s , THERE WERE A LOT OF SIGHTINGS" "THAT WERE BEING REPORTED." "THERE WAS A LOT OF COVERAGE" "IN THE MEDIA, AND OFFICIALS COULD NOT" "FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON." "AND THIS WAS" "DURING THE COLD WAR, SO THERE WAS HEIGHTENED CONCERN" "IN THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT UNEXPLAINED THINGS" "IN THE SKY." "SO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT" "SET UP AN AGENCY WITHIN THE AIR FORCE" "CALLED PROJECT BLUE BOOK." "AND ITS PURPOSE WAS" "TO TAKE REPORTS FROM THE PUBLIC AND TO INVESTIGATE CASES." "PROJECTBLUEBOOK OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES IN 1952," "WITH ITS FIVE PERSON STAFF RECEIVING OVER 1,500 REPORTS" "IN THE FIRST YEAR ALONE." "IWASDRIVINGNORTH" "ON 101 HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 3:00 IN THE AFTERNOON." "INOTICED TERRIFIC BLUE LIGHTS" "PAST THOSE OF MY AIRPLANE." "ILOOKEDTO MY RIGHT," "AND THERE, IN THE SKY, WERE THREE TUBES" "OF FLUORESCENT LIGHT." "ANDITWENTOVERME," "PRACTICALLY RIGHT OVER MY HEAD." "THEOBJECTTRAVELED" "IN A STRAIGHT LINE." "ICOUNTEDEIGHTOFTHEM" "PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OUT TO SEA." "IBEGINTO HEARAHISTLING," "WHISTLING SORT OF A SOUND." "ABEAUTIFUL,SILVERY," "PINK-TINGED MOONLIGHT." "BETWEEN1952AND1969," "BLUE BOOK RECEIVES OVER 12,000 UFO REPORTS," "NEARLY 800 OF WHICH ARE UNRESOLVED." "IT IS SOON CLEAR THAT THE SCOPE" "OF THE UFO PHENOMENON IS FAR GREATER THAN" "THE SMALL AIR FORCE OFFICE CAN HANDLE." "BLUEBOOKWASPLAGUED FROM THE START." "IT WAS UNDERSTAFFED, INCOMPETENT IN CERTAIN WAYS," "AND EVENTUALLY, IT JUST BECAME, LIKE," "A PUBLIC RELATIONS EXERCISE FOR THE AIR FORCE." "SO IN 1966, IT WAS DECIDED THAT ITS FUTURE WOULD HINGE ON" "A GOVERNMENT-FUNDED STUDY COMMISSIONED AT THE UNIVERSITY" "OF COLORADO." "THEUNIVERSITYSTUDYIS" "HEADED UP BY DR. EDWARD CONDON, A PHYSICIST AND FORMER HEAD" "OF THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS." "CONDONWASBIASEDAGAINST UFOs FROM THE BEGINNING." "IN FACT, IN A 1967 ARTICLE, HE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING," ""MY ATTITUDE IS THERE'S NOTHING TO IT," "BUT I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO REACH THAT CONCLUSION" "FOR ANOTHER YEAR." THECONDONREPORT" "IS COMPLETED IN 1968 AND INCLUDES" "SOME VALUABLE ANALYSIS OF UNRESOLVED UFO CASES" "IN ITS NEARLY 1,500 PAGES." "BUT THAT GOES" "LARGELY IGNORED IN FAVOR OF THE TWO-PAGE SUMMARY" "WRITTEN BY CONDON HIMSELF, WHICH DECLARES" "THAT FURTHER SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF UFOs IS UNWARRANTED." "IN 1969, THE AIR FORCE ANNOUNCES THE TERMINATION" "OF PROJECT BLUE BOOK, EFFECTIVE THE FOLLOWING MONTH." "SINCE THEN, THE REPORT HAS BEEN CITED" "COUNTLESS TIMES BY OFFICIALS AND SCIENTISTS TO JUSTIFY" "DISMISSAL OF UFO STUDY." "IT'SREALLYATRAGEDY." "I MEAN, THIS WAS THE ONLY OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION" "BY OUR GOVERNMENT." "WHEN IT CLOSED," "THE GOLDEN AGE OF UFO STUDY IN AMERICA WAS OVER." "SINCE1970,MANYCASES HAVE CHALLENGED THE ASSERTIONS" "BEHIND THE CLOSE OF BLUE BOOK." "BUT A 1986 SIGHTING" "NEAR ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, WOULD PRODUCE STANDOUT EVIDENCE" "THAT DEMANDS TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY." "YEAH,THISIS 1-2AGAIN." "ON SOME OTHER EQUIPMENT" "OVER HERE, WE HAVE CONFIRMED THAT" "THERE IS A FLIGHT SIZE OF TWO AROUND YOUR 1550 SQUAD." "WHERE?" "ISHE FOLLOWINGHIM ?" "ITLOOKSLIKEHEIS,YES." "INTHISCASE, A CAPTAIN WITH 30 YEARS" "OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE PUTS HIS REPUTATION ON THE LINE" "BY REPORTING AN ENORMOUS CRAFT THAT FOLLOWS HIM" "FOR NEARLY AN HOUR, AN ENCOUNTER THAT WOULD" "YIELD THE LONGEST RECORDED DATA OF A UFO TO DATE," "HARD EVIDENCE THAT WOULD BE BROUGHT ALL THE WAY" "TO THE WHITE HOUSE." "WEWEREALLEXCITEDABOUTIT," "SO I SAID, "WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS?"" "HE SAYS, "WELL, IT'S A UFO."" "MYNAMEIS RICHARDHAINES, AND I HAVE BEEN" "A RESEARCH SCIENTIST FOR NASA SINCE 1967." "MY INTEREST IN UNIDENTIFIED AERIAL PHENOMENA" "GOES BACK THIRTY YEARS AT LEAST." "WHEN I WAS A SKEPTIC," "I WAS JUST QUITE CONVINCED THAT I COULD EXPLAIN" "THE PHENOMENON." "BUT I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY" "TO TALK WITH COMMERCIAL PILOTS WHO WOULD COME IN" "TO FLY OUR SIMULATORS." "AND, ONCE IN AWHILE, A PILOT" "WOULD TELL ME THIS REMARKABLE STORY" "THAT HAD HAPPENED TO HIM." "AND, OVER THE YEARS," "I BEGAN TO REALIZE THAT I WAS WRONG," "THAT I COULD NOT EXPLAIN THE PHENOMENON." "SO IN THE 1970s, I BEGAN COLLECTING" "FACE-TO-FACE PILOT INTERVIEWS, SOMETIMES IN THE COCKPIT" "OF THE AIRPLANE." "SOMETIMES WE WOULD" "RE-FLY AN ACTUAL ENCOUNTER." "AND, SO FAR, I HAVE COLLECTED" "OVER 3,000 SIGHTINGS FROM VIRTUALLY" "EVERY COUNTRY OF THE WORLD, AND QUITE A NUMBER OF THEM" "WERE VERY SERIOUS." "THESE WOULD QUALIFY" "AS NEAR MISS BY FAA STANDARDS." "AND SO, LOOKING AT" "AIR SAFETY AS OUR CONCERN, WE FORMED NARCAP," "NATIONAL AVIATION REPORTING CENTER ON ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA." "NARCAP IS A REPORTING CENTER FOR PILOTS" "AND AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A REPORT" "OF THEIR SIGHTINGS IN A COMPLETELY" "CONFIDENTIAL MANNER." "THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT," "BECAUSE A LOT OF PILOTS ARE AFRAID FOR THEIR CAREERS." "THEY BELIEVE THAT THEY WILL BE RIDICULED," "AND THE IMPLICATION IS THAT IF YOU SEE SOMETHING IN FLIGHT," "YOU'RE NOT COMPETENT TO FLY THE AIRPLANE, WHICH IS ABSURD." "WE'VE GOT TO TURN THAT SITUATION AROUND." "YEAH,THISIS 1-2AGAIN." "ON SOME OTHER EQUIPMENT OVER" "HERE, WE HAVE CONFIRMED THERE IS A FLIGHT SIZE" "OF TWO AROUND YOUR 1550 SQUAD." "WHERE--ISHEFOLLOWINGHIM ?" "ITLOOKSLIKEHEIS,YES." "IN1986," "NARCAP LEARNS OF A SIGHTING NEAR ANCHORAGE, ALASKA," "THAT WOULD BECOME ONE OF THE BEST-KNOWN" "PILOT CASES ON RECORD." "A KEY INVESTIGATOR ON THIS CASE" "IS FORMER FAA DIVISION CHIEF JOHN CALLAHAN." "IWASTHEDIVISIONSMANAGER FOR THE ACCIDENTS" "INVESTIGATIONS AND EVALUATION DIVISION," "FAA HEADQUARTERS." "THE RULE WAS," "IF ANYTHING CAME UP THAT WAS NEWSWORTHY" "OR WAS AN ACCIDENT, WE HAD TO KNOW" "BEFORE THE SMOKE CLEARED." "SOMETIME IN JANUARY OF '87," "I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE ALASKAN REGION." "APPARENTLY, A UFO HAD CHASED THIS JAPANESE 747 ACROSS THE SKY" "FOR, LIKE, 31 MINUTES." "AND SOMEHOW THE MEDIA FOUND OUT" "ABOUT IT, AND NOW THEY WANT MORE INFORMATION." "THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL THEM." "SO I SAID, "TELL THEM IT'S UNDER INVESTIGATION."" "I TOLD THEM TO PACKAGE UP ALL THE DATA, THE VOICE TAPES," "THE COMPUTER TAPES, THE MILITARY TAPES," "AND SEND THEM OVERNIGHT DELIVERY ON THE RED EYE FLIGHT" "TO THE FAA TECH CENTER IN ATLANTIC CITY." "CALLAHANASSEMBLESATEAM OF FAA ANALYSTS" "WHO SYNCHRONIZE THE RADAR WITH THE PILOT'S" "RADIO TRANSMISSION." "THE RESULT IS RECORDED" "ON THIS VIDEO BY CHIEF CALLAHAN, AND BECOMES AN ESSENTIAL CLUE" "IN UNRAVELING THE CASE." "OKAY,HEREWE GO ." "CAPTAINKENJUTERAUCHI, A SENIOR CAPTAIN" "FOR JAPAN AIRLINES FLYING A 747 CARGO FLIGHT" "FROM PARIS TO TOKYO, THOUGHT HE SAW A MILITARY TEST" "OF SOME ADVANCED NATURE." "WHENHELOOKED" "AT HIS AIRBORNE RADAR, HE SAW A LARGE TARGET," "SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE, TEN MILES IN FRONT OF HIM," "AND THE FIRST THING HE DID IS, HE CALLED THE FAA" "AND WANTED TO KNOW IF THEY HAD ANY TRAFFIC" "UP THERE FOR HIM." "VIEWINGTHISONE-OF-A-KIND RADAR EVIDENCE," "CALLAHAN'S TEAM IS ABLE TO CONFIRM" "THE UNIDENTIFIED TARGET NEAR TERAUCHI'S PLANE." "BUT IT IS THIS NEVER-BEFORE-HEARD INTERVIEW," "CONDUCTED BY DR. HAINES WITH THE JAPANESE PILOT," "THAT ILLUSTRATES THE EXTRAORDINARY DETAILS" "OF THE CRAFT." "WHATHETOLDME" "WAS REMARKABLE." "IT WAS A HUGE OBJECT," "SOMETHING FAR BIGGER THAN HIS OWN AIRPLANE." "BIGWALNUTTYPEOFSHAPE, AS LARGE AS THREE OR FOUR" "AIRCRAFT CARRIERS, HAD LIGHTS COMING FROM IT" "AND SMALL CRAFT COMING AND GOING FROM THE BIGGER CRAFT." "HOWLONGDIDITTAKE TOMOVE FROM THE 12:00 POSITION?" "CAPTAINTERAUCHI MADE NO EXCUSE FOR BEING AFRAID." "HE SAID HE WAS FEARFUL." "THE CAPTAIN" "AND HIS FIRST OFFICER WERE EXPECTING A COLLISION" "AND WERE BRACING THEMSELVES." "THAT'S HOW SERIOUS THIS WAS." "THEANCHORAGECONTROLLER CLEARLY TAKES" "THE SIGHTING SERIOUSLY, BECAUSE HIS NEXT STEP" "IS TO CONFIRM THE UNIDENTIFIED TARGET" "WITH NEARBY ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE." "THEMILITARYGUY SEES THOSE TARGETS." "THE CONTROLLER WORKING THE RADAR SEES THESE TARGETS." "ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THERE'S A GREAT BIG SHIP" "OUT HERE AND THAT STAYS WITH HIM FOR A WHILE." "ASCAPTAINTERAUCHI WAS APPROACHING FAIRBANKS," "HE RECEIVED PERMISSION TO CARRY OUT A 360-DEGREE TURN." "HE WANTED TO TRY TO GET AWAY FROM THAT OBJECT THAT WAS" "ON HIS LEFT-HAND SIDE." "HIS SUPPOSITION WAS THAT" "THE OBJECT WOULD CONTINUE IN A STRAIGHT FLIGHT," "AND HE WOULD BANK TO THE RIGHT AND LEAVE IT BEHIND." "YEAH,THISIS 1-2AGAIN, ON SOME OTHER EQUIPMENT" "OVER HERE, WE HAVE CONFIRMED" "THERE'S A FLIGHT SIZE OF TWO AROUND YOUR 1550 SQUAD." "ITLOOKSLIKEHEIS,YES." "ASTERAUCHICONTINUED" "THE 360-DEGREE TURN, THE OBJECT TRAVELED AROUND" "THE CIRCLE WITH HIM." "WHICH IS VERY INTERESTING," "BECAUSE IT HAS TO BE GOING FASTER THAN THAT AIRPLANE" "TO KEEP UP." "SO THE PHENOMENON HAD TO BE" "UNDER GOOD CONTROL, PERHAPS INTELLIGENT CONTROL," "TO MAINTAIN PRECISE STATION WITH THAT AIRPLANE." "THEPILOTSEESIT." "HIS CO-PILOT SEES IT." "THE MILITARY BASE AND THE ANCHORAGE CONTROLLER" "TRACK IT ON RADAR." "AND A UNITED AIRLINES" "PASSENGER JET FLYING NEARBY ALSO REPORTS" "UNKNOWN TRAFFIC IN THE AREA." "INALL,THEALASKASIGHTING" "SHARES MANY CHARACTERISTICS WITH THE MOST CREDIBLE" "UFO CASES, INCLUDING RENDLESHAM," "PHOENIX, AND CHICAGO." "IT IS A MASSIVE," "DISC-SHAPED OBJECT THAT MOVES AS IF UNDER" "INTELLIGENT CONTROL AND IS CAPABLE" "OF ACCELERATING INSTANTLY TO UNKNOWN SPEEDS." "AND MOST REMARKABLY, THE ENCOUNTER LASTS" "NEARLY 55 MINUTES OVER A SPAN OF 350 MILES," "PROVIDING THE FAA WITH SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF DATA." "IHADTHEANALYSTS PUT TOGETHER A CHART" "THAT WOULD EXPLAIN EVERY HIT AROUND THE 747," "AND EVEN A BLIND MAN COULD SEE THERE WAS A TARGET THERE." "BUT I'M THINKING IT'S A STEALTH BOMBER," "FIGURING, "WHO BELIEVES IN UFOs?"" "WHENCALLAHANRETURNS TO WASHINGTON," "A MEETING IS ARRANGED WITH THE WHITE HOUSE" "SCIENTIFIC TEAM TO REVIEW THE MATERIALS." "ITWASTHREESCIENTISTS FROM REAGAN'S STAFF." "THERE WAS THREE GUYS THAT SAID THEY WERE WITH THE CIA." "AND I PLAYED THE TAPE THREE TIMES FOR THEM." "WHEN THE VIDEO GOT DONE, THEY WERE ALL EXCITED ABOUT IT." "THEY'RE DROOLING." "THEY CAN'T WAIT TO GET" "THEIR HANDS ON ALL THIS DATA." "THIS IS THE FIRST TIME" "THEY EVER HAD MORE THAN A FEW MINUTES" "OF RADAR DATA TO GO THROUGH." "AND THEN THE CIA GUY," "HE STEPS FORWARD AND HE SAYS, "THIS EVENT,"" "POINTING TO THE TV MONITOR, "NEVER HAPPENED." "WE WERE NEVER HERE." "WE'RE CONFISCATING" "ALL THIS DATA, AND YOU'RE ALL" "SWORN TO SECRECY." SO I SAID," ""WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS?" I'M STILL THINKING" "IT'S THE STEALTH BOMBER." "HE SAYS, "WELL IT'S A UFO."" "TWOMONTHSAFTER CALLAHAN'S MEETING," "THE FAA RELEASES AN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION FOR THE SIGHTING," "WHICH, LIKE THE PHOENIX AND CHICAGO CASES," "SEEKS TO EXPLAIN AWAY THE PHENOMENON." "THEYSAIDIT WAS A SPLIT BEACON." "IT WAS A GHOST TARGET." "IT WAS RING AROUND." "IT NEVER HAPPENED." "BUT THE JAPANESE PILOTS" "DO NOT SEE GHOST TARGETS." "THEY DON'T SEE RING AROUND." "THEY DON'T SEE SPLIT BEACONS." "WE ONLY SEE A DOT OR A SLASH" "ON RADAR." "YOU HAVE TO RELY ON THE PILOT" "TELLING YOU WHAT'S THERE." "CAPTAINTERAUCHIDECIDES TO GO PUBLIC WITH HIS ENCOUNTER" "AT GREAT PERSONAL RISK TO HIS REPUTATION." "BECAUSEOFHISWILLINGNESS TO FILL OUT THE FORMS AND BE" "INTERVIEWED IN GREAT DEPTH, JAPAN AIRLINES DECIDED THAT" "HE SHOULD NO LONGER FLY." "AND SO CAPTAIN TERAUCHI" "WAS ASKED TO FLY A DESK, AS THEY SAY." "THISCASEILLUSTRATES WHAT'S AT STAKE." "UNTIL THE U.S. GOVERNMENT CHANGES ITS POLICY" "ON UFO SIGHTINGS, WITNESSES ARE ALWAYS" "GONNA BE AFRAID TO COME FORWARD WITH CRITICAL" "AND IMPORTANT EVIDENCE." "THISISHOW" "SCIENCE PROGRESSES, IS TO ALLOW PEOPLE" "TO OPENLY AND HONESTLY DESCRIBE WHAT THEY'RE SEEING." "WE'RE NEVER GONNA GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS PHENOMENON" "UNTIL WE HAVE AN OPEN DISCLOSURE." "THESEDAYS, IF YOU GO ONTO SITES" "LIKE YOUTUBE, YOU'LL SEE ALL SORTS" "OF VIDEOS OF UFOs, AND THERE'S A HUGE AMOUNT" "OF FAKE VIDEOS, PHOTOS WHICH HAVE BEEN MOCKED UP" "WITH VARIOUS COMPUTER PROGRAMS, AND IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE" "THESE DAYS TO PICK OUT THE SIGNAL" "FROM AMIDST THE NOISE." "ANDTHEONLYPICTURES" "THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN" "SO THOROUGHLY ANALYZED AND VETTED THAT WE KNOW" "THAT THEY ARE A GENUINE UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT." "ONEOFTHEMOSTVIEWED UFO VIDEOS ON THE WEB," "WITH OVER 17 MILLION YOUTUBE HITS," "IS THIS CLIP, CLAIMED TO HAVE BEEN SHOT" "IN 2007 IN HAITI." "ALONG WITH OTHER RECENT IMAGES" "SUBMITTED ONLINE, IT HAS UFO WATCHERS BUZZING." "BUT WITH ADVANCES IN SPECIAL EFFECTS SOFTWARE," "IT IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO DISTINGUISH" "BETWEEN REAL AND FAKED IMAGES, MAKING EXPERTS" "IN THE VISUAL EFFECTS COMMUNITY A VALUABLE VOICE" "ON THE SUBJECT." "I'MDOUGTRUMBULL." "I MAKE MOVIES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH" "SCIENCE FICTION SPECIAL EFFECTS." "I WORKED ON 2001:" "A SPACE ODYSSEY, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS" "OF THE THIRD KIND, BLADE RUNNER," "STAR TREK:" "THE MOTION PICTURE." "AND SO I DO MOTHERSHIPS" "AND SPACESHIPS AND UFOs FOR A LIVING." "WE HAVE A SITUATION RIGHT NOW WHERE EVERYBODY" "WHO HAS A LAPTOP CAN MAKE A FAKE UFO." "I CAN MAKE A FAKE UFO ON MY CELL PHONE." "I MEAN, IT'S JUST ALL OVER THE PLACE." "MY PERSONAL BELIEF IS THAT I'M CONVINCED THAT THERE IS" "SOMETHING VERY REAL." "BUT I'VE NEVER SEEN" "A PHOTOGRAPH THAT I COULDN'T DUPLICATE" "OR FAKE DIGITALLY OR OPTICALLY" "OR PHOTOGRAPHICALLY AND MAKE IT LOOK" "JUST LIKE THAT, AND SO I'M MY OWN WORST ENEMY" "IN THAT RESPECT, BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT'S POSSIBLE." "ONBREAK FROM HIS LATEST PROJECT," "TRUMBULL SHARES HIS OPINION ON THE AUTHENTICITY" "OF THE 2007 HAITI VIDEO." "ITHINKIT 'SREALLYGOOD." "I DON'T BUY IT AS A REAL UFO OR UFOs," "BUT I THINK IT'S A PRETTY WELL-DONE SPECIAL EFFECT," "BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING VERY DYNAMIC CAMERA MOVES." "THEY'RE MATCHING THE IRREGULAR MOVEMENT" "OF THE CAMERA TO THE MOVEMENT OF THE OBJECT." "THEY SEEM TO HAVE KIND OF AIRCRAFT-LIKE" "BALLISTIC TRAJECTORIES." "IT ALL KIND OF MAKES SENSE," "LIKE, THEY'RE FLYING IN FORMATION." "BUT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS HAPPENING HERE" "THAT KIND OF GIVE AWAY THE ILLUSION" "TO A CERTAIN EXTENT." "LET ME JUST FREEZE ON THIS." "SEE NOW, AND LOOK AT THESE TWO PALM TREES." "THEY'RE IDENTICAL." "THAT FROND, THIS FROND," "THAT FROND, THAT FROND." "THESE ARE ACTUALLY" "A PHOTO COMPOSITE OF ONE PALM TREE" "PUT IN TWO PLACES." "SO IT'S REALLY" "THE SAME PALM TREE TWICE." "THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN IN NATURE." "IT'S ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE." "THERE'S OTHER THINGS" "THAT HAPPEN, LIKE, WHEN THIS THING" "GOES THROUGH THE TREES, EVEN THOUGH THIS SEEMS TO BE" "AN EXTREMELY BRIGHT LIGHT, IT'S NOT AFFECTING" "THESE FRONDS AT ALL." "THERE SHOULD BE" "MORE LIGHT HAPPENING UP IN THE FRONDS OF THE TREES." "SO YOU'D GET A LITTLE TWINKLY LIGHT" "AND SOME INTERACTION, BUT THERE ISN'T ANY," "BECAUSE THAT'S A MUCH HARDER THING TO DO." "SO GOOD JOB, BUT I DON'T BUY IT." "WHILEVACATIONERS WITH VIDEO CAMERAS MAY STUMBLE" "UPON IRREFUTABLE PROOF OF UFOs IN THE FUTURE," "THERE ARE ALREADY IMAGES OF THE PHENOMENON" "THAT HAVE BEEN SCIENTIFICALLY TESTED" "AND WIDELY ACCEPTED." "THEBELGIANSIGHTINGS OF THE LATE 1980s" "AND EARLY '90s ARE SOME OF THE MOST WIDESPREAD" "IN HISTORY, WITH OVER 2,000 WELL-DOCUMENTED" "AND RESEARCHED REPORTS BY PILOTS, POLICE," "AND MILITARY PROFESSIONALS." "ITHOUGHT," ""THIS IS AN INTRUSION OF OUR AIR SPACE." "WE HAVE TO FIND OUT, BECAUSE IT'S AN AIR DEFENSE ISSUE."" "THE18-MONTHEPIDEMIC OF UFO SIGHTINGS" "RATTLES THE BELGIAN GOVERNMENT AND BRINGS" "THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY ITS MOST CONCLUSIVE PIECE" "OF UFO EVIDENCE TO DATE." "ILOOKAT IT ANDSAID," ""OH, MY GOD, THAT'S TOO MUCH." MY FEELING AT THE TIME" "I MUST ADMIT IT-- WAS IT WAS A FAKE." "THISISTHEBELGIANWAVE ." "MYNAMEIS PATRICKFERRYN, AND I WAS ONE OF THE TWO" "CO-FOUNDERS OF SOBEPS, WHICH IS A NON-PROFIT ASSOCIATION" "DEVOTED TO THE STUDY OF AERIAL-SPACE PHENOMENON." "IN 1989, THE SITUATION WAS VERY QUIET HERE IN BELGIUM" "CONCERNING UFOs, SO QUIET THAT WE DECIDED" "TO CLOSE THE ASSOCIATION, BECAUSE THERE WAS" "NO SIGHTING ANYMORE." "AND ALL OF A SUDDEN," "STRANGE THINGS STARTED TO HAPPEN" "IN THE AREA OF EUPEN." "AND THIS WAS," "HISTORICALLY SPEAKING, THE BEGINNING" "OF THE BELGIAN UFO WAVE." "[speakingnativelanguage] MYNAMEIS ALBERTCREUTZ." "ON THE EVENING OF NOVEMBER 29, 1989," "I WAS THE DISPATCHER AT THE EUPEN POLICE STATION." "ATAROUND5: 30P.M., A TEAM OF POLICE OFFICERS" "INFORM CREUTZ OF AN OBJECT FLYING OVER A NEARBY FIELD" "AND REPORTEDLY LIGHTING IT UP" "LIKE A SOCCER STADIUM." "IJOKEDWITHTHEM, SINCE IT WAS" "THE END OF NOVEMBER, THAT IT WAS" "SAINT NICHOLAS COMING DOWN." "THEN THEY SCREAMED," ""LOOK OUT YOUR TOP FLOOR WINDOW, AND YOU'LL SEE IT."" "I GO TO THE WINDOW, AND I SEE THE OBJECT" "ABOUT 200 OR 300 METERS IN FRONT OF ME" "LIKE A BOAT FLOATING IN THE SKY." "IT WAS MAGNIFICENT TO SEE, AND IT MADE ME THINK" "THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE ON THIS EARTH," "IN THE UNIVERSE." "I FOUND IT BEAUTIFUL." "[multiple phones ringing] IMMEDIATELY,THEDISPATCHER" "IS FLOODED WITH CALLS FROM CONCERNED CITIZENS." "SOHEORDERSLOCALOFFICERS STATIONED NEARBY" "TO FOLLOW THE OBJECT." "ONEOFTHESE" "IS DIETER PLUMMANS, CHIEF INSPECTOR" "OF THE KELMIS POLICE FORCE." "PLUMMANS IS ON DUTY" "WITH HIS PARTNER CATCHING DRUG DEALERS" "NEAR THE NETHERLANDS BORDER WHEN THE CALL COMES IN." "[speakingnativelanguage] WHENWEHEARDTHE CALL" "ON THE RADIO, WE WERE DRIVING" "IN THIS DIRECTION." "WE SAW A LIGHT," "OR SOME TYPE OF OBJECT, RESTING OVER THE TOWN" "OF HENRI-CHAPELLE, AND WE ASKED OURSELVES," ""WHAT IS THAT?"" "ITOLDTHEMTOPURSUE THE OBJECT AND OBSERVE IT." "SO THEY FOLLOWED IT TO HENRI-CHAPELLE," "WHERE THE OBJECT HOVERED MOTIONLESS OVER" "THE BELOEIL RETIREMENT HOME." "ITHINKTHISISPRETTYMUCH THE EXACT SPOT" "WHERE WE STOPPED AT THE TIME." "WE SAW A HUGE OBJECT ABOVE US" "WITH ROUND LIGHTS ON THE THREE CORNERS." "AND AT SOME POINT, A MUCH SMALLER OBJECT" "FLEW OUT FROM BEHIND, AND IT HAD" "A REDDISH BLINKING LIGHT THAT BLINKED IN RHYTHM" "WITH THE LARGER LIGHT." "PLUMMANSANDHISPARTNER" "OBSERVE THE OBJECTS FOR SEVERAL MINUTES," "AND THEN SUDDENLY, THE RED ORB IS REELED BACK" "INTO THE LARGER CRAFT." "THEOBJECTTHENROSEUP," "AND FLEW AWAY." "CREUTZANDPLUMMANS' ACCOUNTS ARE AMONG THE MANY" "THAT BEGAN TO FLOOD IN THAT NIGHT." "IN ALL, A TOTAL OF 13 POLICE OFFICERS" "CALLED IN REPORTS OF AN UNIDENTIFIED" "TRIANGULAR CRAFT SPOTTED IN EIGHT DIFFERENT" "LOCATIONS AROUND EUPEN." "OVER 60 ADDITIONAL" "CIVILIAN REPORTS ARE MADE THAT EVENING," "PRODUCING A CONCENTRATED MASS OF SIGHTINGS" "THAT WOULD SOON BRING INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ATTENTION" "AND COMPEL THE BELGIAN GOVERNMENT" "TO RESPOND." "ITWASREALLY" "AN HISTORIC NIGHT, BECAUSE THE SIGHTING REPORTS" "WERE ALL SO SIMILAR." "BUT THE BIG SURPRISE WAS THAT" "THIS WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING." "THEDAYAFTER NOVEMBER 29TH," "IT WAS A HUGE COVERING IN THE MEDIA." "IT WAS ON TV." "IT WAS IN THE NEWSPAPER," "EVERYWHERE." "AND IMMEDIATELY," "WE TOOK OUR CAR, AND WE WENT TO EUPEN" "TO INTERVIEW THE PEOPLE WHO SAW IT." "WECOLLECTED150DIFFERENT SIGHTINGS FROM THE SAME AREA," "DESCRIBING ALMOST THE SAME THING." "AHUGE,TRIANGULAR, DARK OBJECT." "WHATISVERYINTERESTING IS THAT TRIANGULAR OBJECT" "WASN'T REPORTED AT THE TIME IN 1989." "AT THE TIME, IN UFOLOGY, PEOPLE WERE SPEAKING" "ABOUT FLYING SAUCERS, DISCS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT," "BUT NOT A TRIANGULAR, DARK-SHAPED OBJECT." "THIS WAS NEW." "THEBELGIANSIGHTINGS OF NOVEMBER 29TH" "GARNER INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION, PROMPTING AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE" "FROM THE GOVERNMENT." "APOINTMANISASSIGNED" "TO HEAD UP THE GOVERNMENT INQUIRY," "MAJOR GENERAL WILFRIED DEBROUWER," "HEAD OF OPERATIONS FOR THE BELGIAN AIR STAFF." "IN1989,IWAS INCHARGE OF PROTECTION OF THE AIRSPACE" "OF THE COUNTRY WHEN A TOTAL OF 143 SIGHTINGS" "WERE REPORTED IN THE AREA OF EUPEN." "WHEN RECEIVING SUCH REPORTS AT MILITARY LEVEL," "A LOT OF OFFICERS WILL REJECT IT," "BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN THEIR TERMS OF REFERENCE." "IT'S FRUSTRATING." "IT'S FRUSTRATING" "HAVING TO DECLARE THAT YOU DON'T KNOW" "WHAT IS GOING ON." "SO WHEN IT CAME TO MY OFFICE," "I WANTED TO REACT THE SAME WAY," "BUT I THOUGHT, "THIS IS AN INTRUSION" "OF OUR AIRSPACE." "WE ARE THE COUNTRY" "HOSTING NATO, AND WE HAVE TO FIND OUT, BECAUSE" "IT'S AN AIR DEFENSE ISSUE." DEBROUWER'SFIRSTACTION" "IS TO CONTACT THE U.S. EMBASSY, TO FIND OUT IF ANY" "STEALTH FLIGHTS HAD TAKEN PLACE IN THE AREA" "WITHOUT WARNING THEM." "NOW,THEYCAMEBACK" "VERY QUICKLY AND CONFIRMED FORMALLY" "THAT NO SUCH FLIGHTS HAD TAKEN PLACE OVER BELGIUM." "SO THAT WIPED OUT THAT THEORY." "BUTTHESIGHTINGSCONTINUE, INCLUDING MANY CASES WHERE" "SEVERAL PEOPLE WERE INVOLVED IN A SINGLE SIGHTING," "POLICE OFFICERS, MILITARY, AND GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL," "AND AN AIR FORCE WEATHER FORECASTER." "HIGHLYCREDIBLEWITNESSES, ALL OF THEM CONVINCED" "THAT THEY SAW SOMETHING EXCEPTIONAL." "ONEOFTHECASES THAT MOST INTRIGUES DEBROUWER" "OCCURS JUST TWO WEEKS AFTER THE INITIAL SIGHTINGS" "WHEN SEVERAL WITNESSES REPORT A TRIANGULAR-SHAPED CRAFT" "NEAR THE RURAL TOWN OF ERNAGE." "DEBROUWER IS PARTICULARLY STRUCK" "BY THE ACCOUNT OF COLONEL ANDRE AMOND," "A CIVIL ENGINEER WHO IS ALSO DIRECTOR OF INFRASTRUCTURE" "FOR THE BELGIAN ARMY." "[speakingnativelanguage]" "IWASDRIVING FROM MY HOUSE," "MY WIFE BY MY SIDE, TO GO PICK UP MY SON" "AT THE GEMBLOUX TRAIN STATION." "I NOTICED THREE YELLOW PANELS" "MOVING PARALLEL WITH ME BESIDE THE ROAD." "UNDER THEM WAS A PULSATING RED LIGHT." "I DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT IT WAS." "MY WIFE SAID, "IT'S PROBABLY JUST A PLANE,"" "BUT I WANTED TO SEE IT, SO I SLOWED DOWN." "AND THE OBJECT STAYED WITH MY CAR." "SO I ACCELERATED AND SLOWED DOWN TWO OR THREE MORE TIMES," "AND EVERY TIME, THE UFO WOULD CATCH UP WITH ME." "THEN THE UFO TRAVELED BEHIND THE SARRE-ERNAGE WOODS." "SO I TURNED LEFT AND STOPPED ON A SMALL HILL" "IN FRONT OF A FARM." "THE UFO CAME OUT FROM BEHIND THE WOODS OVER THERE." "I SAW A HUGE, BRIGHT, WHITE BEACON COME OVER" "UNTIL IT WAS ABOUT 100 METERS IN FRONT OF US." "YOU COULD HEAR TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY" "AND A TRAIN GOING BY ABOUT ONE KILOMETER AWAY," "BUT AT NO POINT COULD YOU HEAR ANY NOISE" "COMING FROM THIS OBJECT ONLY 100 METERS" "IN FRONT OF US." "WE OBSERVED IT" "FOR SIX TO EIGHT MINUTES." "AND THEN MY WIFE SAYS," ""ANDRE, COME ON, GET IN THE CAR." "I DON'T LIKE THIS."" "AND, AT THAT POINT, THE GREAT WHITE BEACON RETREATS," "AND IT DARTS AWAY TO THE SOUTHWEST" "IN ABOUT THE TIME IT TAKES TO LET OUT A BREATH." "IN MY EXPERIENCE, THAT KIND OF ACCELERATION" "REQUIRES A VERY LARGE AMOUNT OF ENERGY" "THAT WOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT MATERIALS" "THAT COULD SUPERCONDUCT AT A LOW TEMPERATURE." "AND TODAY, 20 YEARS LATER, I KNOW ONE THING." "THERE IS NO MAN-MADE OBJECT ABLE TO DO WHAT I SAW" "THAT OBJECT DO THAT DAY, NOT THEN AND STILL NOT NOW." "IT'S IMPOSSIBLE." "COLONELAMONDSENDSAREPORT" "TO THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE AND IS ONE THE OF MANY" "MILITARY PROFESSIONALS WHO CONVINCES" "THE BELGIAN GOVERNMENT ACTION WAS NECESSARY." "WEDECIDEDTO SETUP A PROCEDURE TO LAUNCH," "IN THE FUTURE, AIRCRAFT TO TRY TO IDENTIFY" "THESE SIGHTINGS, BUT ON CONDITIONS." "FIRST OF ALL, WITNESSES WOULD REPORT" "TO THE POLICE." "THEY WOULD CONFIRM THE SIGHTING," "AND THEN WE WOULD CALL A RADAR STATION" "WHICH HAD THE AUTHORITY TO SCRAMBLE F-16s." "[speakingnativelanguage] IAMYVESMEELBERGS." "IN 1990, I FLEW F-16s IN THE 350TH SQUADRON" "IN BELGIUM." "WE HAD HEARD ABOUT" "THE WAVE OF UFOs, PARTICULARLY IN THE REGIONS" "OF LIEGE AND EUPEN." "ONTHEEVENING OF MARCH 30, 1990," "MEELBERGS' UNIT IS INFORMED OF A STRING" "OF UFO SIGHTINGS AROUND THE TOWN" "OF LEUVEN." "WEIMMEDIATELYTOOKOFF" "IN FORMATION, TWO F-16s" "FLYING EAST OF BRUSSELS." "OURGOALWASTOINTERCEPT OR COME AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE" "TO THE OBJECTS AND TRY TO IDENTIFY IT" "AS BEST WE COULD." "THESPEEDAT WHICH THE OBJECT WAS MOVING," "THE LARGE VARIATIONS IN ALTITUDE AND COURSE," "WERE PARTICULARLY UNIQUE." "INAIRCOMBAT, WE ARE USED TO SEEING OBJECTS" "MOVE VERY QUICKLY." "BUT, IN THIS CASE," "THE OBJECT'S VARIATIONS WERE UNFORESEEN," "WHICH PROVED THAT WE WERE DEALING WITH AN OBJECT" "VERY DIFFERENT FROM AN AIRCRAFT." "UNDERPRESSURE FROM A HUNGRY PRESS AND PUBLIC," "DEBROUWER HOLDS A PRESS CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS" "MEELBERGS' FLIGHT." "THE F-16s REGISTERED OBJECTS THAT WERE FLYING" "AT A NORMAL SPEED BUT SUDDENLY TURNING" "AND ACCELERATING TO SPEEDS WHICH WERE MUCH HIGHER" "THAN THE SPEED OF SOUND." "NOW, THIS CAN NOT BE DONE" "BY ANY CONVENTIONAL AIRCRAFT." "UNFORTUNATELY, ONLY ONE OF OUR F-16 RADAR TAPES" "PROVIDED SUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO ANALYZE," "WHICH MEANT THAT WE COULDN'T COMPARE THE TAPES TO EXCLUDE" "ELECTRO-MAGNETIC INTERFERENCE, WHICH IS A REFLECTION" "OF AN OBJECT, SOMETIMES ON THE GROUND," "THAT CAN GO THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE" "AND BOUNCE BACK TO THE F-16 RADAR." "DUETOTHEFAILUREOF THE SECONDARY RADAR RECORDING," "GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS CANNOT VERIFY" "THE PILOTS' ACCOUNT." "BUT MEELBERGS REMAINS CONVINCED." "PERSONALLY,I BELIEVE THERE WAS AN OBJECT" "AT THAT LOCATION THAT DAY." "WE HAD GROUND WITNESSES," "RADAR STATIONS, AND AIRPLANES, THREE DIFFERENT SOURCES" "WATCHING THE SAME OBJECT AT THE SAME TIME" "IN THE SAME PLACE." "THERE WAS SOMETHING" "IN THE AIR THAT NIGHT." "THEINDIVIDUALSIGHTINGS OF THE BELGIAN WAVE" "ARE REMARKABLE AND IMPRESS DEBROUWER" "AND OTHER INVESTIGATORS WITH THEIR LEGITIMACY." "BUTWHATTHEYDIDN'THAVE  WAS SOMETHING IRREFUTABLE," "A PIECE OF EVIDENCE THAT WOULD BRING THIS FULLY" "INTO THE REALM OF SCIENCE." "ONA SPRINGEVENING," "IN A VILLAGE NOT FAR FROM WHERE IT ALL BEGAN," "THIS EVIDENCE WOULD FINALLY ARRIVE," "AND THE RESULTS WOULD BE MORE THAN THEY HAD IMAGINED." "MYFEELINGAT THETIME-- I MUST ADMIT IT" "WAS IT WAS A FAKE." "MORETHANAYEAR AFTER THE BELGIAN WAVE BEGAN," "UFO REPORTS CONTINUE TO FLOOD THE OFFICE OF SOBEPS CO-FOUNDER" "PATRICK FERRYN." "FORALMOST18 MONTHS," "WE COLLECTED MASSIVE OBSERVATIONS" "AND WE MET SEVERAL HUNDRED PEOPLE." "WE COLLECTED SOMETHING LIKE 60 PHOTOGRAPHS" "OF UNIDENTIFIED FLYING THINGS AND ALMOST THE SAME AMOUNT" "OF VIDEO FILM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY," "THEY'RE ALL VERY BAD." "ALL YOU CAN SEE IS SMALL DOTS" "OF LIGHT ON A DARK BACKGROUND." "BUT WE WERE LUCKY" "TO FIND ONE GOOD PICTURE." "AND THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN" "IN THE SMALL VILLAGE OF PETIT-RECHAIN," "WHICH IS NOT THAT FAR FROM EUPEN." "ONTHE4THOFAPRIL,1990,  AT 10:00 IN THE EVENING," "A GIRL WAS WALKING HER DOG IN THE GARDEN, AND SHE SAW" "A VERY STRANGE OBJECT." "SHE CAME BACK IN AND TOLD HER BOYFRIEND," ""WE HAVE SOMETHING STRANGE HERE." "CAN YOU COME AND HAVE A LOOK?"" "AND HE WENT OUT, AND HE TOOK HIS CAMERA." "HE ONLY HAD TWO PICTURES LEFT, SO HE LEANED AGAINST THE WALL" "AND DIDN'T MOVE AT ALL, AND SET AN EXPOSURE TIME" "OF ABOUT ONE TO TWO SECONDS." "HETOOKTWOPICTURES," "AND WHEN HE GOT HIS FILM DEVELOPED," "HE SAW THAT ONE OF THE TWO PICTURES WAS BLANK." "THERE WAS NOTHING ON IT, SO HE THREW IT AWAY." "BUT A SECOND ONE WAS INTERESTING." "HE SAW THREE LIGHTS AND SOMETHING REDDISH" "RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE." "BUT THAT WAS ALL." "I RECEIVED THE ORIGINAL AT THE TIME." "I LOOK AT IT AND SAID, "OH, MY GOD, THAT'S TOO MUCH."" "MY FEELING AT THE TIME-- I MUST ADMIT IT" "WAS IT WAS A FAKE." "SO I BUILD A SMALL MODEL," "AND I TRIED TO REPRODUCE WHAT WAS ON THE SLIDES." "AND I IMMEDIATELY UNDERSTOOD THAT IT WAS NOT A MODEL." "SO WE DECIDED TO SEE SOMEONE WHO WAS AN EXPERT" "IN DIGITAL ANALYSIS, SOMEONE WHO HAD THE RIGHT TOOLS" "TO DETECT AND TO PROVE IT WAS A FAKE OR NOT." "THESLIDEIS PUT UNDER AN INTENSIVE," "YEAR-LONG STUDY BY PROFESSOR MARK ACHEROY," "A NUCLEAR PHYSICIST AT THE ROYAL MILITARY ACADEMY" "IN BRUSSELS." "PROFESSORACHEROY'SANALYSIS" "OF THE BLUE COMPONENT OF THE SLIDE SHOW" "THAT ONE SIDE OF THE TRIANGULAR OBJECT" "IS PERFECTLY IN FOCUS, BUT THE TWO OTHER SIDES" "ARE BLURRED." "THIS PROVES THAT THERE IS" "AN INDEPENDENT MOVEMENT OF THE OBJECT." "IT WAS NOT A FAKE." "THESLIDEIS FURTHERANALYZED" "BY SCIENTISTS AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING PROFESSOR" "ANDRE MARION, A NUCLEAR PHYSICIST" "AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PARIS-SUD." "PROFESSORMARIONDISCOVERED" "THAT THERE WAS A MAGNETIC FIELD AROUND THAT OBJECT," "BECAUSE HE OBSERVED A PATTERN LIKE IRON FILINGS" "BEHAVE IN A MAGNETIC FIELD." "PROFESSORMARION'SFINDINGS" "TRIGGER SPECULATION THAT THE CRAFT MAY HAVE MOVED" "USING A MAGNETO-PLASMA DYNAMIC PROPULSION SYSTEM," "AN ELECTRICALLY-POWERED ENGINE THAT USES A MAGNETIC FIELD" "TO GENERATE THRUST." "SUCH A SYSTEM" "COULD ALSO ACCOUNT FOR THE LACK OF WIND AND NOISE" "REPORTED BY WITNESSES." "INTHEHISTORYOFUFOSTUDY ," "THE PETIT-RECHAIN PHOTOGRAPH STANDS OUT AS ONE OF THE MOST" "CONVINCING PIECES OF EVIDENCE OF A SIGHTING TO DATE." "NOT ONLY DOES IT REINFORCE THOUSANDS OF REPORTS" "FROM ACROSS BELGIUM, BUT IT REVEALS" "MANY SHARED ATTRIBUTES OF THE MOST CREDIBLE UFO CASES." "ITISATRIANGULARCRAFT THAT MOVES SILENTLY" "AND ACCELERATES INSTANTLY TO UNKNOWN SPEEDS." "ANDWHAT'SINTERESTING ABOUT THE BELGIAN SIGHTINGS" "IS THAT WE IN THE UK HAD A VERY SIMILAR WAVE" "OF SIGHTINGS THREE YEARS AFTERWARDS." "MANY OF THE WITNESSES TALK ABOUT A LARGE," "TRIANGULAR-SHAPED UFO WITH THREE LIGHTS" "ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CRAFT AND A LARGER, SLIGHTLY DIMMER," "LIGHT IN THE CENTER." "SO IT'S CLEAR THAT," "IN BOTH CASES, GOVERNMENTS ARE LOOKING AT THIS" "AND ARE COMING TO THE CONCLUSION THAT WE ARE DEALING" "WITH A REAL PHENOMENON." "THEBELGIANWAVE IS REMARKABLE" "NOT JUST FOR THE SHEER NUMBER OF SIGHTINGS, OVER 2,000," "BUT FOR HOW WELL THEY WERE REPORTED" "AND OFFICIALLY INVESTIGATED." "ITLASTED" "FOR ALMOST 18 MONTHS." "AND ALL OF A SUDDEN," "EVERYTHING STOPPED." "OFTHE2,000REPORTEDCASES, 650 WERE INVESTIGATED." "AND OUT OF THE 650, 500 REMAIN UNEXPLAINED." "THE QUESTION REMAINS OPEN," "WHAT IS IT?" "AND I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER." "THAT'S FOR SURE." "I CAN ONLY SAY WHAT IT WAS NOT." "IT WAS NO AIRCRAFT, NO HELICOPTER," "NO BLIMP, NO ZEPPELIN, NO ULM, NO RPV." "YOU JUST NAME IT." "THEBELGIANWAVE" "REMAINS A MYSTERY." "AND EVEN NOW, 20 YEARS LATER," "WITNESSES ARE LEFT WITH MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS." "IAMFRUSTRATED, BECAUSE AFTER 20 YEARS," "NO ONE HAS A VALID EXPLANATION." "INDEED,THEREWERE" "TWO OBJECTS IN THE SKY." "WE HAVE NO OTHER EXPLANATION." "IHADNEVERSEENSUCH  A FLYING OBJECT BEFORE THAT DAY" "OR SINCE THEN." "AND TO THIS DAY," "I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS." "IS IT SOMETHING EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL?" "COULD BE." "I CAN ONLY SAY WHAT I SAW." "FORTHETHOUSANDS OF WITNESSES" "IN THE BELGIAN WAVE AND MANY OTHERS WHO HAVE" "DOCUMENTED THEIR ENCOUNTERS AT MILITARY BASES," "MAJOR AIRPORTS, OR IN THE SKIES" "ABOVE OUR CITIES, THERE IS BUT ONE CONCLUSION:" "THERE IS SOMETHING OUT THERE, AND WE NEED" "TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY." "THEDIFFICULTY,OF COURSE," "OF STUDYING UFOs, IF, IN FACT, THEY ARE MANIFESTATIONS" "OF SOME ADVANCED CIVILIZATION, IS THAT WE ARE MORE OR LESS" "IN THE SAME POSITION OF, LET'S SAY, LABORATORY MICE," "ATTEMPTING TO UNDERSTAND THE CIVILIZATION OF BIOLOGY" "TECHNICIANS IN THE LABORATORY." "IT'S JUST BEYOND" "OUR IMAGINATION." "AND ARTHUR C. CLARK SAID THAT" "SUFFICIENTLY ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY IS INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM MAGIC." "HISTORYISFILLED WITH ACCOUNTS OF NEW PHENOMENA," "POORLY UNDERSTOOD PHENOMENA, THAT HAVE BEEN RIDICULED," "MADE FUN OF." "WHY?" "BECAUSE SCIENCE HASN'T HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK INTO IT" "OR WON'T LOOK INTO IT FOR VARIOUS REASONS." "WE'VE GOT TO TURN THAT SITUATION AROUND." "WEHAVETHISPROPENSITY IN OUR CULTURE TO RIDICULE" "UFO SIGHTINGS." "IT'S A PROBLEM," "AND WE NEED TO BE MORE MATURE ABOUT IT IN THIS COUNTRY." "YOUKNOW,IT 'SNOT ALL AIRCRAFT LIGHTS" "AND WEATHER BALLOONS AND HOAXES." "THERE IS" "A GENUINE PHENOMENON HERE." "IT'S SOMETHING THAT" "THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY SHOULD WANT TO LOOK AT." "IT SHOULD WANT TO ENGAGE ON THIS." "I MEAN, POTENTIALLY, IT HAS INCREDIBLE THINGS" "TO TEACH US." "WEHAVETO KEEPINMIND  THAT OUR CIVILIZATION IS ONLY" "ABOUT 40,000 YEARS OLD, WHICH IS A BLINK" "IN THE LIFETIME OF OUR GALAXY." "SO WE ARE BABES IN THE WOODS." "AND WITH 200 BILLION STARS, THAT ADDS UP TO" "AN ENORMOUS NUMBER OF PLANETS, INCLUDING, WE NOW KNOW," "EARTH-SIZED PLANETS." "SO THE POTENTIALITY" "FOR LIFE OUT THERE DOES SEEM TO BE" "VERY GREAT INDEED." "WEHAVEVERY," "VERY SOPHISTICATED ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES" "THAT ARE BEING USED ALL OVER THE UNIVERSE NOW" "TO LOOK AT PLANETS, STARS, NEBULOSITIES," "BUT I STARTED ASKING, I SAID, WELL, "HAS ANYBODY DONE" "A REALLY SOPHISTICATED, TECHNOLOGICALLY ASTUTE APPROACH" "TO PHOTOGRAPHING UFOs SO THAT YOU COULD REALLY GET," "YOU KNOW, WHAT I SOMETIMES CALL THE ZAPRUDER FILM" "OF UFO SIGHTINGS?" AND THE ANSWER WAS NO." "SO IN THAT VACUUM, I DECIDED TO UNDERTAKE" "WHAT HAS BECOME KIND OF A HOBBY PROJECT FOR ME." "I'VE STARTED APPLYING VERY SOPHISTICATED, DIGITAL," "MOTION CONTROLS AND TRACKING TECHNOLOGY" "THAT WE USE IN SPECIAL EFFECTS, SOME OF WHICH WE DEVELOPED" "DURING THE MAKING OF CLOSE ENCOUNTERS," "TO TRY TO PHOTOGRAPH A UFO." "TRUMBLE'SPROJECT," "KNOWN AS "UFOTOG," OR "UFO PHOTOGRAPHY,"" "USES PRECISELY CALIBRATED CAMERAS AND RADIO ANTENNAS" "TO RECORD IMAGES AND DATA IN THE NIGHT SKY." "BY SIMULTANEOUSLY OBSERVING THE SAME AREA" "FROM MULTIPLE VANTAGE POINTS, TRUMBLE'S EQUIPMENT" "CAN PINPOINT THE SPEED, TRAJECTORY, AND ALTITUDE," "OF ANY RECORDED OBJECT AND MORE ACCURATELY" "DETERMINE IF IT IS A CONVENTIONAL AIRCRAFT." "MYPLANIS TO MAKEIMAGERY THAT WOULD BE" "SCIENTIFICALLY VALID AND THAT COULD BE SCRUTINIZED," "JUST LIKE THE ZAPRUTER FILM, TO WHERE REALLY GOOD SCIENTIFIC" "PHOTO-OPTICAL ANALYSTS COULD LOOK AT THAT AND SAY," ""WELL, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED."" "AND I THINK OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS," "IT'S JUST UNLIKELY THAT WE WON'T ENCOUNTER" "SOME EVIDENCE OF INTELLIGENT LIFE" "IN THE UNIVERSE." "I JUST THINK IT'S GONNA HAPPEN," "AND ITS PROBABLY GONNA HAPPEN FAIRLY SOON," "AND I'D LIKE TO BE PART OF THAT." "IT'SREALLYAN EXCITINGTIME TO BE INVOLVED" "WITH UFO RESEARCH." "AND THERE SEEMS TO BE" "GREATER CHANCES THAT WE'RE GONNA CAPTURE" "EVEN MORE SOLID DATA." "BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO BE" "EXTREMELY CAREFUL TO HOLD IT TO THE ABSOLUTE HIGHEST STANDARDS." "THEREWASSOMETHINGTHERE." "AVERYSMALL,BLACKOBJECT." "CLOCKWISE." "THISISAFFIRM." "WE DO NOT HAVE ANYBODY UP THERE RIGHT NOW." "IWASDRIVINGNORTH ON 101 HIGHWAY." "INTHESE, THE MOST CREDIBLE UFO CASES" "OF OUR GENERATION, WE HAVE HEARD FIRSTHAND ACCOUNTS" "THAT DEFY DISMISSAL." "A NATO BASE COMMANDER," "AN FAA DIVISION CHIEF, DECORATED PILOTS," "POLICE OFFICERS, A FORMER GOVERNOR." "ALL HAVE PUT THEIR REPUTATIONS ON THE LINE" "TO DELIVER TESTIMONY THAT THEY, AT FIRST," "WERE UNWILLING TO ACCEPT." "TOGETHER," "WITH THE EVIDENCE COLLECTED, FROM RADAR DATA TO PHOTOGRAPHS," "TO NEVER-BEFORE-HEARD AUDIO RECORDINGS," "THESE SIGHTINGS PRESENT A CASE THAT CANNOT BE IGNORED." "IT'STHEACCUMULATION OF OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE" "FROM PILOTS, GENERALS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS," "THAT PROVE, IN MY OPINION, THAT WE HAVE AN ACTUAL," "PHYSICAL PHENOMENON THAT HAS NOT BEEN EXPLAINED." "IT'S TIME TO EMBRACE THIS INFORMATION" "AND THE NEW REPORTS MUCH MORE OPENLY." "THECOMMANDPILOT OF THIS PARTICULAR FLIGHT," "HE WAS SCARED TO DEATH." "HE'S NOT SURE WHAT IT WAS." "ITWASTHESHAPE OF A BOOMERANG." "AHUGE,TRIANGULAROBJECT." "ASLARGEAS THREEORFOUR" "AIRCRAFT CARRIERS." "ANDITCAMERIGHTATUS ." "IT MADE NOT A SOUND." "ITDEFINITELYWASUNDER" "SOME TYPE OF INTELLIGENT CONTROL." "IT'SCOMINGTHISWAY ." "IT IS DEFINITELY" "COMING THIS WAY." "THREETUBES" "OF FLORESCENT LIGHT." "DARKGRAYOVAL." "LIKEA FRISBEE?" "LIKEA UFOTYPETHING." "ITLOOKEDLIKE SOMEONE HAD POKED A HOLE" "IN THE CLOUD." "ITJUST,ALLOFA SUDDEN," "DISAPPEARED." "THEREISNO DOUBTABOUTIT." "THIS IS WEIRD."