Abstract: Aerospace trade publications, visual reports and personal interviews with test pilots and engineers confirm the existence of multiple highly classified aerospace vehicles. These include boomerangs, black triangles, diamonds, arrowheads, and Spaceplanes/Trans Atmospheric Vehicles (TAVs). Funded by the so-called “black budget,” many of these programs are exempt from congressional oversight and public scrutiny. Developed along the famous “aerospace alley” region of southern California, many of these USAPs represent America’s super-secret “ace in the hole,” and provide a unique “power projection” capability for multiple military and intelligence agencies. Companies such as Lockheed, Rockwell, Northrop, McDonnell Douglas and Boeing made tremendous advancements during the “Reagan build-up” era, and many of these programs have now passed their “sunset” duration of deployment. Therefore, it’s now time for a re-examination of these programs and a renewed push for the “dis-lodging” of those that can be declassified without representing any threat to the national security of the United States.

Blackstar: The two-stage-to-orbit Spaceplane

During the 1980s, Soviet-era aerospace companies developed plans for what they called a “space fighter.” The primary roles for this spaceplane concept were the following: military reconnaissance, satellite interception, space station defense, and crew transfer applications. This full-scale development program fell under the jurisdiction of what came to be known as the Russian Kosmolyot I and II project. Upon getting word of these advancements in Russian aerospace technology, White House, and Pentagon officials became “deeply concerned” that America would lose the advantage in developing an operational spaceplane. Therefore, on December 1, 1985, American efforts to develop a two-stage-to-orbit spaceplane appear to have shifted into high gear, and oversight command for this program was transferred from the Department of Defense to a joint venture composed of the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office (CIA/NRO). The new code-name for this project was called “COSMIC WIND,” which was later renamed “Blackstar.” Through the tremendous efforts of former Aviation Week and Space Technology editor William Scott, a clear picture of this historically significant program has now emerged.

Approximately one month after the official go-ahead for this program the space shuttle Challenger exploded 72 seconds after launch on January 28, 1986. Since at least 70% of all payloads associated with the NASA shuttle program were classified DOD/intelligence agency applications, the Department of Defense/CIA/NRO lost what it termed its “assured access to space.” Not wanting to interrupt their schedule of launching highly classified satellites, the United States Air Force, CIA and the National Reconnaissance Office were now forced to rely on Titan booster rockets. However, there were multiple Titan rocket failures during the mid-1986 time-frame, and the “spook groups” found themselves “out of business.” The loss of these two space assets provided further emphasis and urgency for America to accelerate its plans to develop an operational spaceplane.

The derelict and dilapidated remains of the A-12 Avenger II mock-up outside at the Fort Worth Aviation Museum. Is this really all that American taxpayers received for their $5 Billion investment?

(Image credit: Michael Schratt)

Frantic to maintain its control of the “high ground,” a desperate call went out to various aerospace defense contractors who could quickly design, build and test fly a two-stage-to-orbit spaceplane system. These included Lockheed, Rockwell, McDonnell Douglas, and Boeing. A significant majority of these contractors (except for Boeing in Seattle) had locations within what has been termed “aerospace alley” which extends from San Diego, north to Los Angeles, continuing to Lancaster/Palmdale/Air Force Plant 42, and concluding at Edwards AFB. As with most “Unacknowledged Special Access Programs” (USAPs), funding for the Blackstar program was covertly spread out over multiple projects including the ill-fated US Navy A-12 Avenger II, and the X-30 NASP (National Aerospace Plane). This wouldn’t be the first time that highly compartmented so-called “black” programs were used as a “sacrificial lamb” to cover the funding of even more highly classified projects. Many of these super-secret programs are referred to in the military/intelligence agencies as: “ace in the hole” or “trump card” technology. They are also referred to as “silver bullets.” Under extreme pressure, and on a tight schedule, the Lockheed Company in Burbank may have taken the leading role in designing a small spaceplane, and “farmed out” much of the construction/manufacturing to McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis.

The “Blackstar” system consisted of two separate components which operated as a single integrated unit: 1) a large “mothership” or carrier aircraft measuring approximately 200 feet in length. 2) a smaller “parasitic” aircraft/orbiter which could fit conformally under the belly of the mothership, and air-dropped at altitudes up to 90,000 feet. Flight testing of the Blackstar program appears to have started in 1989, and by October of the same year, the Blackstar program had flown its first operational mission. Four large carrier “Mothership” aircraft may have been produced, with eight spaceplane/orbiters possibly being built. The program was based out of Area 51/Groom Lake, utilizing the “old CIA A-12 hangers”, including and two new massive hangers that were three times larger than their historic neighbors. During flight testing and operational missions, ground controllers at Groom Lake carried the call sign “EARTH” when communicating with the spaceplane. Other bases of operation may include Alaska or Patrick AFB in Florida.

Three view drawing of large SR-3 “Mothership” with smaller XOV spaceplane below.

(Image credit: Michael Schratt)

The massive mothership was referred to the “SR-3”, aka “elegant lady,” while the smaller spaceplane was designated “XOV” (Experimental Orbital Vehicle) or “Speedy.” Early in the program under the “COSMIC WIND” code-name, the large carrier aircraft was referred to as the “MAV” (Manned Aerial Vehicle), while the smaller spaceplane was designated the “AAV” (Advanced Aerial Vehicle). Resembling the 1960’s era North American Aviation XB-70 Valkyrie, the SR-3 was certainly an imposing sight to behold. Eyewitnesses who were fortunate enough to see this aircraft during the daytime described it as being “huge” or “giant.” Others simply called it the “Super Valkyrie.” Indeed, as reported by at least two former North American Aviation test pilots, the technology existed in the 1950s to develop a two-stage-to-orbit spaceplane system. With the advantage of 30 years of additional technological developments, and almost unlimited access to black budget funding, its well within the capability of the America aerospace industry to design, build and test fly such a vehicle.

With a wingspan of 120 feet, the SR-3 featured a triangular/delta wing configuration, with large “tip-sails” or winglets that rose up 12 feet and were canted at a 35-degree angle. It also featured a dorsal ridge or “spine” that extended immediately behind the cockpit, and ran down the length of the fuselage to the trailing edge of the wing. A retractable set canards (with their own winglets) were also located just aft of the crew compartment (reference email to Michael Schratt from Nancy Certain 9/13/16). These canards had the capability of retracting forward to support low speed applications. The SR-3 carried a crew of three consisting of the pilot, co-pilot and launch control officer (LRO) who sat facing backwards. The bottom of the aircraft featured a large XB-70 like triangular “splitter” air-intake which was divided into two banks at the rear of the craft. However, the most prominent feature was what appeared to be a “relieved section” or “scooped out” portion of the bottom which was designed to allow the smaller spaceplane to fit inside forming an aerodynamically efficient mating of the two aircraft (reference detailed report from James Petty to Michael Schratt 12/5/16).

Original SR-3 Mothership sketch by Nancy Certain.

According to eyewitness and Rocket scientist James Petty who saw both the Mothership and its smaller parasitic aircraft flying over Salt Lake City Utah on October 4, 1998, the more massive SR-3 carrier aircraft is powered by six modified variable-cycle J-93 engines (reference in-person 90- minute videotape interview of James Petty conducted by Michael Schratt 3/12/16). However, there appears to be a discrepancy regarding precisely what type of propulsion system was used to power the mothership. Those within the vicinity of SR-3 flight operations described hearing a VERY LOUD PULSING ROARING noise during take-off roll and climb out. This was confirmed by witness Nancy Certain Ph.D., from Doylestown PA, who saw the massive carrier aircraft during the day from a half-mile distance at an altitude of approximately 2,500 feet in 1993. Others stated that as the aircraft accelerated and gained altitude, the frequency and intensity of the pulsing noise increased. This may indicate the use of a combined cycle scramjet engine which can operate at both low and high speeds. Either way, it’s clear that this aircraft utilizes some form of “multi-cycle” engine.

The mothership has a weight of 275,000 to 300,000 pounds and a range of 6,000 miles (unlimited with aerial refueling). The SR-3 is capable of speeds over Mach 6 and can climb to an altitude of 150,000 feet. It features a white/grey exterior surface, with two being built by 1988. Fuel for the SR-3 consists of liquid hydrogen/liquid methane with JP8 used in the case of the J-93 engines. The contractors involved with designing and building the SR-3 mothership may have consisted of Lockheed, Rockwell, and Boeing. Final assembly took place at Boeing’s large assembly facility in Seattle. It’s interesting to note that on October 14, 1986, Boeing filed a patent (4,802,639) for a two-stage-to-orbit spaceplane system that closely matched the Blackstar operational capabilities, although the physical characteristics of the craft were different than what was reported by multiple eyewitnesses.Once reaching an altitude of 90,000 feet and a speed of Mach 3, the SR-3 air-drops its smaller parasitic aircraft, and either returns to its original base of operation or takes on additional fuel for an extended mission.

Three view drawing of Speedy XOV spaceplane.

(Image credit: Michael Schratt)

Detail view of XOV linear aerospike engines showing “radiator like” screens. Illustration.

(Image credit: Michael Schratt)

Detail view of XOV Speedy aft section depicting “radiator like” screens in place, and also removed showing 10” diameter tube “honeycomb pattern.”

(Image credit: Michael Schratt)

The smaller XOV/Speedy spaceplane was manufactured in two sizes and featured a highly swept wing lifting body configuration. One measuring approximately 60-65 feet in length, with a crew of two that sat side-by-side, and another measuring 97.5 feet with a single pilot. These were named “XOV-1” and “XOV-2.” Flying in an inverted low earth orbit orientation, the XOV featured a two-door “Q-bay” on its upper surface for the operation of a large aperture adaptive optics system that featured “inches resolution.” This “reconnaissance package” had the capability of correcting for atmospheric disturbances, thereby generating extremely high-resolution images of ground-based targets. The Q-bay could also serve as a launching platform for hyper-velocity depleted uranium “Rods-from God.” The XOV could attain altitudes of between 150-250 miles, and speeds exceeding 17,500 mph (Mach 20). The primary propulsion system for the XOV were four linear aerospike engines that were grouped in two banks at the aft end of the vehicle. These engines were developed by a joint venture which included Aerojet and the Pratt & Whitney/Rocketdyne Company, which later became Aerojet Rocketdyne. Witnesses who have observed the back of this vehicle described seeing what looked like “radiator screens” covering the exhaust ports. Others described it as looking like “ventilation grating.” Embedded within the exhaust ports were multiple 10-inch diameter “tubes” which served to mix cooling air, thereby reducing the vehicle’s infrared signature. These tubes gave the exhaust ports an unusual “honeycomb” appearance. Ground tests of this unique engine took place at Groom Lake during 1988.

Circular receptacle for SRB on aft end of Speedy. Illustration.

(Image credit: Michael Schratt)

The larger 97.5-foot long spaceplane also featured articulating intakes and variable geometry exhaust ports. On either side of the exhaust ports, a dark circular opening was seen which may have served as a solid rocket booster (SRB) receptacle. These could be loaded into the craft “like a shotgun shell” and then removed after the conclusion of a mission. The SRBs served to provide an extra boost, pushing the spaceplane into a low earth orbit flight path. Once in orbit, the spaceplane had the capability of “dipping back down” into the atmosphere and then climbing back up again. Using this technique of “skipping” over the outer reaches of the atmosphere, the spaceplane could dramatically increase its range. After completing its mission, the spaceplane would glide back to earth “like the space shuttle” and land horizontally at multiple military locations in the United States.It could then be “turned around” within 48 hours or “every other day” to fly another mission. Compared to the space shuttle which can take months or even years to prepare for flight, the Blackstar system represented a cost-effective alternative. Another unique advantage was its capability to serve as a “rapid response” military/reconnaissance platform that could surprise an enemy by flying unpredictable flight paths, unlike spy satellites.

The outer wing sections of the XOV featured a “droop down” articulated capability, which took advantage of “compression lift.” The only movable control surfaces on the Speedy spaceplane were what appeared to be flaps/speed brakes located on the upper and lower rear surface of the vehicle. A short “stubby tail” which extended from aft of the Q-bay to the extreme end of the craft served as both a vertical stabilizer and an attachment point for joining with the larger carrier aircraft. The outer structure of the craft may have been built at the McDonnell Douglas facility in St. Louis and featured an advanced composite material that was “stacked” in layers forming a sandwich to attain the desired thickness. Red colored thermal protective areas were located along the leading edges of its wings. The entire bottom surface featured dark-colored thermal resistant “space shuttle tiles.” Four “channels” or “strakelets” were seen on the bottom of the craft. These one to two-foot deep longitudinal “grooves” helped to maintain the rigidity of the structure and may have served as a way to dissipate heat during high-speed operations. Apparently, these grooves/inlets were “very complex,” and most likely took multiple attempts to perfect.

Illustration (Image credit: Michael Schratt)

The XOV incorporated a very unusual landing gear configuration which included a four-wheel nose gear arrangement, and a retractable “ski-like” landing gear skid that extended directly from the bottom of the craft. Approximately at the mid-point on the lower surface of the wings, a retractable “pogo-type” outrigger landing gear helped to stabilize the craft during roll-out. Generally speaking, highly swept low aspect ratio lifting body configurations have high landing speeds. Therefore, the Speedy spaceplane was said to have a landing speed between 250-300 mph, with the central retractable landing skid taking the brunt of the force. Certainly, the craft was a “handful” for even the most experienced test pilots. Only those with practical application in flying multiple different types of aircraft would qualify for handling such a strange and exotic aircraft. Pilots who were the “Maverick” type, and had previous air racing experience would be at the top of the list. Fuel for the XOV was a “gelled Boron” based “slurry” or endothermic type that had the consistency of toothpaste. Work on the spaceplane proceeded slowly until 1989 when the program made tremendous progress, and engineers were working “around the clock” 24 hours a day, seven days per week, for three years. It was also during this timeframe that a “fuel breakthrough” was made, which further accelerated the program.

Drawing depicting the modified Lockheed C-5C Galaxy with “chipmunk cheek” extensions.

(Image credit: Michale Schratt)

Letter from John Andrews to Pete Eames describing the emergency landing of a classified aircraft (which was tracked going Mach 4.2) at Kadena AFB on February 12-13, 1994.

On February 13 of 1994, things took a drastic turn on the project. On that day, an XOV spaceplane was involved in an incident that resulted in the craft making an emergency landing at Kadena AFB in Japan. This particular aircraft was tracked by Kadena air traffic controllers going Mach 4.2, and other aircraft in the vicinity had to be diverted to avoid a collision. Subsequently, the entire base was put on a “Red 3” lockdown for three days. Apparently, during the launch sequence, the stubby vertical fin/pylon on the spaceplane somehow made contact with its carrier aircraft and was forced to make an unscheduled detour. Within 24 hours, a highly modified Lockheed C-5 Galaxy cargo transport aircraft was dispatched from Holloman AFB to retrieve the damaged spaceplane. To “fill a gap” in their intelligence gathering capability, the CIA/NRO convinced Congress in May of 1994 to allocate 100 million dollars to put the SR-71 Blackbird spy-plane back into service so that the Blackstar program could get back on track. Three of these unique C-5 aircraft were produced which featured eight-foot-wide “chipmunk cheek” extensions on each side of the fuselage. Originally, these modifications were specifically incorporated for the purpose of transporting large containers which protected satellites during transit to launch sites. However, they were also later used to transport classified aircraft to multiple locations around the world. These highly modified aircraft also utilized an extra set of six-wheeled landing gear. Two of these aircraft were operated by NASA and carried the tail numbers 00503, and 00504. The third was operated by the CIA and featured a large red “CL” marking on its vertical stabilizer. Upon arriving at Kadena AFB, the damaged aircraft was quickly loaded inside the C-5, which then made a direct flight back to Holloman AFB.

Spaceplane being unloaded from C-5 cargo aircraft at Holloman AFB

(Illustration credit John MacNeill/Tom Bogan)

Original sketch of XOV spaceplane by F-15 pilot at Holloman AFB.

Tarp covering “stubby vertical tail.” Note extended flaps/speed brakes.

(Image credit: Michael Schratt)

Sometime around February 15 of 1994, the C-5 arrived back at Holloman AFB with its precious yet damaged cargo inside. The aircraft then taxied to a remote part of the long runway at the base. Eyewitnesses who saw the spaceplane being unloaded from the much larger cargo aircraft during the daytime indicated that it was a complicated process which took at least three hours to complete. Apparently, the outer wing panels of the spaceplane have the capability of folding to allow for transportation in the C-5. One witness (a transient F-15 pilot), who saw the entire event unfold through binoculars from the cockpit of his aircraft while it was parked on the ground, sketched what he observed. “no-nonsense” military security guards were overseeing the entire unloading process. Once the spaceplane was pulled from the opened “clamshell” door of the C-5, it was immediately apparent that some damage had occurred to the spaceplane. A large tarp was seen covering the stubby vertical tail. However, this tarp did not completely obscure the view of the aft section which revealed a large “chunk” missing. In addition, the F-15 pilot also identified multiple missing tiles on the spacecraft’s bottom right wing section. It’s unknown at this time if this event in conjunction with other technical challenges “shelved” the Blackstar project, or if it secretly continued its covert activity. In the end, the Blackstar program represents one of the “crown jewels” of the military-industrial complex. It’s unlikely that the engineers or test pilots associated with the project will get the credit they deserve anytime in the foreseeable future. Like many other black programs, it’s entirely possible that it will remain another unacknowledged “silver bullet” being hidden away in some dark and mysterious hangar located somewhere in the southwest.

Triangles:

Special Note: The following report originated via the personal collection of UFO researcher and author David Marler. It has been reproduced for this report exactly as it appeared in the original text. Emphasis in certain areas is strictly mine.

Illustration of the August 25, 1990 Woodhead Pass Triangle.

(Image credit: Michael Schratt)

Woodhead Pass Triangle drawing.

(Image credit: Michael Schratt)

Cardstock model of the Woodhead Pass Triangle by Michael Schratt.

Dear Mr. Marler,

I have just read your book “Triangular UFOs an estimate of the situation.” I found the book to be most informative since I myself had a close sighting of a triangular UFO in 1990. I always assumed that what I saw was a top-secret military aircraft, and over the years I have read about such projects as the TR-3B (TR-3B real or fictitious who knows?) At any rate, I was quite happy with my assumptions until I read your book which revealed that such craft were seen as far back as the 1930’s and even in the late 1800’s. Obviously, I found this to be quite thought provoking and as led me to re-assess what I saw that night. I therefore decided to send you this e-mail outlining the events of that night, and would appreciate any comments from your perspective. Please keep in mind, it is now 23 years since my sighting, and some of the detail is by now a little fuzzy. I have therefore left out anything of which I am not certain. I have also attempted to attach what I know to be a poorly drawn sketch (it goes without saying I’m no artist). Also, I would add that at the time a serving Police Officer, and have since retired after 30 years of service.

On the evening of August 25, 1990 my then wife and I had attended at Manchester Main Road football stadium to watch the band Fleetwood Mac. At the end of the concert, it took some time to get out of the makeshift car park, and through the heavy traffic, the time was around midnight. Our route home to Barnsley took us over the Woodhead pass, which crosses over the Pennine hills, and is surrounded in the main by open moor land. That particular night, stretches of the road were covered with low cloud or mist causing poor visibility. As a result, I was forced to drive slowly, approximately 20 mph. Due to the late hour, the road was quiet, and my wife had wound back her seat and fallen asleep. I cannot say exactly where the sighting took place due to the poor visibility, but I believe I was nearer to the Barnsley end of the Woodhead Pass, possibly around the Board Hill area.

Whilst driving slowly, and trying to concentrate on the road, my attention was drawn skywards due to intermittent flashes of light which I assumed to be sheet lightning (though there was no accompanying sounds of thunder). It was whilst glancing skywards that I saw the nose of a huge black triangular craft push through the low cloud and mist. As the craft emerged further, I could see it was approximately 200-300 feet in length and width at its widest part. It travelled pointed end first, and was well illuminated around its undercarriage. The craft was moving at a speed of around 10 mph, and was approximately 200 feet above the road. On seeing the craft, I wound down my car window, but could hear only a very low (almost imperceptible) humming sound. I could see that the craft was of a solid construction (not inflatable). This fact, the slow speed, and quietness gave the craft an eerie impression. I have little knowledge of aerodynamics, but even I knew that conventionally something so big and solid should be traveling at hundreds of miles an hour in order to stay aloft. (Therefore, to my mind, it was somehow defying gravity).

As previously stated the undercarriage was well illuminated with a large white light at each corner, and a light in the center. The undercarriage also appeared recessed, and I could see some sort of superstructure. As the craft passed above, I slowed the car to a virtual stop, and leaned out of the driver’s side window. The side of the craft appeared to have several illuminated windows, and at one of the windows I saw two to three figures that appeared to be human. (Certainly nothing about the figures made me think they were anything other than human, reinforcing my belief that the craft was a military project). I could see one of the figures either pointing or waving in my direction. Whilst watching the craft, it slowly and silently slipped back into the low cloud and disappeared. At this stage I drove off the road and climbed out of my car, but could see and hear nothing. By now my wife was awake, but too late to see the craft. I observed the craft for approximately 30 seconds which does not sound long, but believe me it was. I submit my story for your information, and would welcome any insight or comment from yourself. For obvious reasons, I do not make my story common knowledge, and I would be grateful if you kept my details private.

Regards, GS

Barnsley England


(name withheld by request of the primary witness)

Illustration of the November 22, 1985 Madison WI. Triangle.

(Image credit: Michael Schratt)

(Image credit: Michael Schratt)

The question all of us need to be asking here is would extraterrestrials by flying around in our atmosphere using triangular shaped craft with “tubes and pipes” on their bottom surfaces? It’s interesting to note that during the Hudson Valley Boomerang wave (1982-1989), many eyewitnesses reported seeing “huge metallic beams” on the underside of the craft. Others reported seeing “metal type work, like cross-beams, and tubular things hanging down here and there.” A similar looking mechanical under-structure featuring “tubes and pipes” was also identified on the bottom surface of the triangular shaped craft during the Belgium wave of 1989-1990.

In addition, during the January 5, 2000, southern Illinois triangle sightings, Shiloh police officer David Martin described seeing what he called “building blocks” and “plumbing pipes” on the bottom of the craft that he observed. What on earth could these pipes be used for? What is their exact function? One possible explanation could be that they are being utilized as liquid nitrogen cooling pipes to chill a super-conductor or liquid mercury plasma. These pipes would be used to cool the central “core” of the craft, which may explain the “donut shaped” or circular opening seen by multiple eyewitnesses. In fact, it appears that due to their placement, these pipes not only cool the central portion of these vehicles but the entire craft itself as one fully integrated unit. It seems clear that the material used to manufacture these triangular shaped craft is truly of an exotic nature. This is because materials must be in an extremely low energy state (very cold) to become “superconductive.” Of course, this requires a tremendous amount of energy or electrical power to achieve, which may explain the low frequency “humming” sound heard by multiple eyewitnesses in the vicinity of these craft. The cryogenic equipment associated with these objects produce extremely powerful electromagnetic fields around the craft which may explain the reports of strange effects such as radio static, and automobile engines mysteriously turning off and coming back on when the craft departs.

Are we hearing the effects of an electrical transformer associated with these vehicles? Multiple reports from Belgium, New York, Connecticut and Southern Illinois indicate that these triangular shaped objects fly/float/hover virtually silently, but in many cases, emit a sound similar to a “sewing machine,” or a “machine shop running in the distance.” Has the American aerospace industry finally achieved the “Holy Grail” of aviation by constructing triangular shaped craft that utilize an onboard power source (possibly a nuclear reactor), in conjunction with high voltage electrical transformers which supply the necessary power to chill the core of a superconductor? These craft would lack the wings, propellers, jet engines, and control surfaces of standard aircraft, and could mimic the form fit and function of “extraterrestrial UFOs.”

Illustration of the November 1985 Yorktown Heights Triangle.

(Image credit: Michael Schratt)

Yorktown Heights Triangle enlargement illustration.

(Image credit: Michael Schratt)

Stadium Triangle drawing. (Image credit: Michael Schratt)

It was November of 1985 when Yorktown Heights NY resident Maureen Davis had a genuinely incredible night-time encounter with a massive shaped triangular object which was described as being the size of a “football stadium.” She had been parked at the intersection of Route 132 and Oakside Road waiting for her husband to get off the bus. Then, Maureen noticed something strange in the sky towards the northeast. It appeared to be a massive isosceles triangular-shaped “thing” that was hovering silently near what seemed to be the Lake Osceola area. To her amazement, the bottom of the craft opened up, and she got a very rare glimpse of the interior. She described seeing multiple levels of lights on the inside (similar to a multi-story terrace-shaped apartment complex). After approximately three minutes, a pulsating red light flew up into the opening, and the circular “hatch” disappeared. The strange triangular shaped object then appeared to speed away at incredible speed, without causing a sonic boom. (Reference In The Night Sky Page 38 by Linda Zimmermann). So, what did Maureen Davis see? Was it an extraterrestrial spacecraft from another world? Or, was it something that had a more “earthly” explanation? Let’s examine one feature of this encounter. Specifically, the craft’s departure. Many times, in UFO cases, we hear of the craft departing like a “spark off of a grinding wheel.” In other cases, we read of UFOs accelerating with “fantastic speed”, without generating a sonic boom. Could there be a “down to earth explanation” to these flight characteristics? As an aircraft reaches supersonic speeds, it creates shock waves, and a tremendous amount of aerodynamic heat builds up on its surface. To combat this heating, the space shuttle orbiter uses thermal resistant tiles throughout its entire airframe. However, this approach could only be considered a “band-aid” fix at best. In 1967, the Norair Division of Northrop began experimenting with highly charged electrostatic fields on a metal test probe. The results of these studies concluded that an aircraft’s “sonic boom footprint” and could be significantly reduced or eliminated entirely. They also discovered that the problems associated with supersonic heating could also be drastically lowered. Obviously, these breakthroughs could have potentially incredible military applications to advanced aircraft. Now, factor in the billions of dollars spent each year on classified “black” programs, and its entirely within the capability of the American aerospace industry to design built and fly aircraft that could be mistaken for “extraterrestrial” UFOs. Ref: AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Technical Paper No. 68-24 published January 23, 1968)

Cardstock model of March 31, 1999 Kirby England Triangle.

(Image credit: Michael Schratt)

Bottom surface of the March 31, 1999 Kirby England Triangle.

(Image credit: Michael Schratt)

It was March 31, 1999, when Colin Saunders and three others were driving along the Old Fosse Way near the village of Monks Kirby when they noticed a group of lights off to the left that was approximately 200 feet in the air. As they got closer, they could see four red light that were at an angle of about 30 degrees. Incredibly, a diamond shaped outline seemed to appear around the lights. At this point, the strange craft tipped up vertically “like an airship or submarine” in slow motion as though it were underwater. By now, the craft had fully materialized into a triangular shape. The surface of the craft appeared to have a dark grey liquid mercury appearance that “rippled” up and down its surface. However, the most interesting feature of the unknown object were multiple “raised box-like sections” that extruded from the top. Mr. Saunders never got a look at the bottom of the vehicle but noticed the identical “box-like” pattern on the bottom of a sketch drawn by one eyewitness of a triangle that was seen in Belgium during 1993. He surmised that this might have been the same or similar series of craft. Could these unique features be part of a “heat sink” or cooling apparatus similar to the mechanical “tubes, pipes and cylinders” which were seen on the bottom of the Belgium triangle between 1989-1990? (Source: Triangular Perspectives by Colin Saunders)

Belgium Triangle illustration by John MacNeill

Belgium Triangle drawing.

(Image credit: Michael Schratt)

Starting in November of 1989, thousands of eyewitnesses in Belgium began seeing triangular shaped UFOs that appeared to hover over the town of Eupen. These witnesses included multiple gendarmes (national police). The triangular craft were described as being “as big as a football field,” and having a bright spotlight at each corner, with an amber colored light in the center. The UFOs were reported to be flying slowly silently over rooftops, and beaming high-intensity searchlights onto the ground. Later, on March 30, 1990, two Belgian F-16s were scrambled to intercept the unknown aircraft. The object was confirmed to be a “hard target” by at least three ground-based radar stations, and two onboard radars within the fighter aircraft which came within 12 miles of the UFO. According to a military official, these UFOs “exceeded the limits of conventional aviation.” In a highly publicized press conference, Belgian Air Force Col. Wilfred De Brouwer stated that the UFO dived from 10,000 to 4,000 feet in two seconds (equivalent to 40 G’s), and accelerated from 600 to 1,100 mph at the same time. The bottom surface of the craft appeared to have a very mechanical looking configuration which included tubes, pipes, cylinders and crisscross effects. As mentioned earlier in this report, these may be associated with the cooling of a superconductor or rotating plasma. Could this have been an extraterrestrial spacecraft? According to a police officer (Brig. Heinrich Nicholl) who saw the craft over Eupen, he assessed that the craft was a “very sophisticated and ultra-secret military project.” Students of this line research will recall the comments of the late Ben Rich who stated in 1995 that “we have things out in the desert that are 50 years beyond what you can comprehend.” Obviously well within the time-frame of the Belgium Triangle sightings of 1989- 1990. (Ref: Associated Press Report 7/12/1990, New York Tribune 11/15/1990, Wall Street Journal 10/10/1990)

Drawing of the Helena Missouri triangle by Michael Schratt. (based off of the original sketch provided by the primary eyewitness)

Cardstock model of the March 5, 2003 Helena Missouri triangle.

(Image credit: Michael Schratt)

The following short note was sent to the Center for UFO Studies and addressed to Dr. J. Allen Hynek almost two decades after he passed on April 27, 1986. It has been reproduced in this report for the very first time.

1/17/05

Mr. Hynek,

Dear Sir,

I don’t know what this ship is, but I was in the Navy, and I have never in my life ever seen anything as this. The government knows more than they say they know, I’m sure. The American public knows it’s the truth, and we as a nation will keep fighting for our right to know. Some of us already know, even at Roswell and Area 51, where the truth is out there. I will never forget what I saw and heard that night. I know of someone else who saw it as well.

Yours Truly,

Respectfully submitted,

M.M.

Helena Missouri

Author’s special note: 

During my three-year investigation of the over 60,000 UFO cases which comprise the CUFOS (Center for UFO Studies) archives, I uncovered many incidents which included a detailed report, and a sketch drawn by the primary eyewitness. Some of these cases had been buried for up to 30 years, and have never seen the light of day. One such example dated January 17, 2005, referenced a sighting of a massive triangular UFO which was seen on March 5, 2003, at 9:50 P.M. in Helena Missouri. The witness described an encounter with a gigantic superstructure looking triangular craft that measured approximately one football field in length, and about two stories high. The sighting lasted about 10 minutes and occurred off the front porch of his house. According to the witness, as the craft flew overhead, it “made pictures fall off the living room wall, and shook the whole house.” The unusual UFO featured a large “fluorescent” light on the bottom that intermittently flashed every 15 seconds. Near the end of each corner, a bright steady light was also observed.

The entire craft appeared to be covered with a “glass frame,” which may have been some type of transparent panels. He also described a “walkway” complete with a “railing.” In addition, the primary eyewitness stressed multiple times that the craft was made of what he termed “rusty looking old bridge steel.” The structural configuration of craft appeared similar to the criss-cross bracing found on the supporting towers of the George Washington Bridge which spans the Hudson River and is located between New York and New Jersey. He also clearly described seeing “rivets from an old bridge” which appeared to be used to fasten the entire craft together. Although the witness stated the craft was “not from this world,” a careful examination of his original sketch points to an earthly origin. The crossbeam and girder construction, in conjunction with regularly spaced “rusty rivets” is clear evidence of human-made technology. In addition, the use of a “walkway,” glass frame, and flashing lights support an earthly explanation. Of particular note is the fact that a French fighter pilot over Europe also saw a similar craft exhibiting triangular superstructure on the night of November 5, 1990, as highlighted on page 290 of Timothy Good’s book: Earth, an Alien Enterprise.

Boomerangs:

Hudson Valley Boomerang illustration by Tom Bogan

Monique O’Driscoll was driving home near Kent NY on the night of February 26, 1983, when her daughter who was with her noticed some strange lights on a nearby hill. The lights appeared to be hovering, but then started moving to the east at about 15 mph. By now, Monique could discern that the lights were connected to some type wing shaped dark mass. The lights were very bright and appeared to be red, white, blue and yellow. The unknown object then moved towards the vicinity of White Pond, and Monique stepped on the accelerator to catch up with it. When they arrived at the pond which was frozen at the time, Monique stopped her vehicle and noticed through her windshield that the craft passed directly over her car. At this point, she saw that the lights on the craft appeared to be flashing in sequence up and down its “wings.” It then moved over an area of the pond about 200 feet from shore. It was hovering no more than 30 feet high, and Monique could see the brilliantly flashing lights reflecting off the frozen pond below.

She also noticed that the craft was entirely silent, and stated that she could see “the underbelly part. It’s solid. It had metal-type work, like cross-beams and tubular things hanging down here and there. I was so close I could’ve thrown a ball and hit it.” This author also uncovered a rare letter from well-known researcher and lecturer Stanton Friedman which is worth highlighting in part. “I have always been bothered by the Westchester County sightings because I never heard of actions that would label the technology alien. Wings in outer space could only be decoration, but do of course match an earthling approach.” (Source: Reporter Dispatch White Plains NY September 11, 1983, Philadelphia Inquirer September 28, 1984, Letter from Stanton Friedman to Tony Gonsalves January 17, 1990)

Hudson Valley Boomerang illustration by Tom Bogan

March 24, 1983 Taconic State Parkway illustration by John MacNeill

Illustration of airborne relocatable over-the-horizon radar system by Tom Bogan (Composite panels removed for clarity exposing interior structure)

On the night of March 24, 1983, hundreds of motorists driving along the Taconic State Parkway (NY) observed a massive “V” or boomerang shaped craft. Drivers pulled off to the side of the road, slammed on their brakes, and got out of their vehicles to observed the unknown object which was hovering silently at tree-top level. The craft appeared to be making a “zig-zag” flight path as it headed north towards Yorktown Heights. Multiple witnesses described seeing a powerful white spotlight beaming down from the craft to the cars below. The mysterious craft seen making 180 degree flat turns without banking. Others who were directly below the object stated that they could see “pipes, beams or cylinders” on its lower surface. In addition, multiple witnesses reported seeing what looked like “transparent panels” revealing an interior mechanical structure resembling the crossbeam and girder construction similar to that of a truss bridge. (Source: Patent Trader Mt. Kisco NY March 25, 1983, Reporter Dispatch White Plains NY September 11, 1983, Danbury Item Port Chester NY March 26, 1983)

What did the over 25,000 eyewitnesses observe during the Hudson Valley Boomerang wave of 1982-1989? Did they see an “alien” spacecraft or something that was built by the U.S. Navy? It’s interesting to note that the March 24, 1983 sighting took place exactly 24 hours after President Ronald Reagan give his address to the nation outlining his plans for the so-called “Star Wars” or SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative). Could there be a connection? During the Reagan era (1981-1989), multiple black programs excelled and became operational. One of these could have been a mobile airborne relocatable over-the-horizon radar system which was designed to track and monitor incoming Soviet ICBMs. This system would be completely impervious to a Russian missile attack, and addresses virtually all of the flight characteristics observed by witnesses of the Hudson Valley UFO wave. It’s time for the field of Ufology to overcome its “UFO bias” and carefully examine every possible earthly explanation before concluding that a UFO is extraterrestrial in origin.

{ http://www.openminds.tv/ }

Open Minds UFO Radio: Bryce Zabel has a long list of achievements in the feature film and television industry. Much of this includes UFO and alien related projects. This includes writing and producing the NBC series Dark Skies and the Syfy movie Official Denial. He also was on the writing staff of Steven Spielberg’s Taken and ABC’s Lois and Clark (don’t forget, Superman is an alien). More recently, he co-wrote the book A.D. After Disclosure: When the Government Finally Reveals the Truth About Alien Contact with Richard Dolan. He is currently working on two UFO related movies. One is about the Betty and Barney Hill abductions and the other is a movie about the work of Roswell researchers Stanton Friedman and Don Schmitt.

Bryce also co-wrote a book titled A.D. After Disclosure: When the Government Finally Reveals the Truth About Alien Contact. It is a fictional book that tries to imagine what would happen if the government announced that we are being visited by aliens. In this interview, we discuss with Bryce if we are living in a bit of a post-disclosure environment now, since the revelation that the government has been investigating UFOs. We also discuss Art Bell who recently passed away. Bryce knew Art and even cast him in an episode of his TV series Dark Skies.

Read more bout Bryce at his website BryceZabel.com

Get the book here at Amazon.

Open Minds UFO Radio: Michael Schratt is a military aerospace historian. He has lectured across the country on the subject of “Mystery Aircraft” and classified propulsion systems buried deep within the military-industrial complex. His speaking engagements include the “OSHKOSH” AirVenture 2006/2007 event, (the world’s largest air show). Michael has developed many contacts with first-hand experience dealing with classified “black programs,” including former USAF pilots, retired Naval personnel and aerospace engineers who have maintained a TOP SECRET Q “MAJIC” clearance. He has written for Open Minds Magazine and OpenMinds.tv and currently works as an aerospace draftsman/researcher in Arizona.

In this episode, we discuss black triangle UFO sightings and the possibility that some of them are advanced aircraft developed in classified projects, including the famous Phoenix Lights sighting in Arizona in 1997.

For more about Michael, visit him on Facebook.

Madison Triangle

(Image Credit: Michael Schratt)

Open Minds UFO Radio: Michael Schratt is a military aerospace historian. He has lectured across the country on the subject of “Mystery Aircraft” and classified propulsion systems buried deep within the military-industrial complex. His speaking engagements include the “OSHKOSH” AirVenture 2006/2007 event, (the world’s largest air show). Michael has developed many contacts with first-hand experience dealing with classified “black programs,” including former USAF pilots, retired Naval personnel and aerospace engineers who have maintained a TOP SECRET Q “MAJIC” clearance. He has written for Open Minds Magazine and OpenMinds.tv and currently works as an aerospace draftsman/researcher in Arizona.

In this episode, we discuss black triangle UFO sightings and the possibility that some of them are advanced aircraft developed in classified projects, including the famous Phoenix Lights sighting in Arizona in 1997.

For more about Michael, visit him on Facebook.

Madison Triangle

(Image Credit: Michael Schratt)

A few weeks ago a story about a UFO encounter by pilots over Arizona and New Mexico made headlines. While this encounter was impressive, the journalist who broke that story has a much more exciting case involving many more pilot witnesses and the scrambling of jets. He also was able to obtain multiple audio files, radar data and other information from the FAA regarding this unusual incident.

Tyler Rogoway (Credit: The Drive/The War Zone)

Tyler Rogoway is a defense writer for the website The Drive. He writes for a section called The War Zone. Rogoway often writes about advanced aircraft developed by militaries all over the world. However, in an interview on Open Minds UFO Radio, he shared that he also has an interest in the rare occasions in which a high-performance aerial vehicle cannot be identified. In other words, UFO cases.

“I’ll tell you, anyone that is in the aerospace world and journalism and tell you that they have no interest in the legacy of UFOs and the whole history that goes along with it is lying to you,” Rogoway recently told Open Minds UFO Radio. “It is an interesting thing, even for the sake of lore and intrigue. So I have followed it very closely.”

Rogoway explained that when people see things in the sky, they cannot identify, it might not be a craft from outer-space, it may be something the government is working on they are keeping secret. This makes it essential for him to keep an eye on the UFO phenomenon. He says he has never seen anything he could not explain himself. He has also been to many of the bases that are alleged to have alien bodies or crashed alien spacecraft, and he has never seen anything out of place.

However, because of the recent revelations that the Department of Defense (DoD) has had a project that takes UFOs seriously, he has felt more emboldened to write about unusual cases he has come across. It should be noted; however, his first story on the Oregon incident was posted on November 15, 2017, a month before the shocking DoD revelations.

Portland International Airport from Rocky Butte.

(Image Credit: Wikimedia/© Steven Pavlov / http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Senapa / CC BY-SA 4.0)

The sighting over California and Oregon took place on October 25, 2017. According to his first article on the incident, Rogoway first found out about the sighting from “friends in the aviation world.”

He says at first he felt it was most likely a case of a misidentification, which he says happens every day. Then he found an interesting post on Reddit that seemed to be referring to the sighting.

Reddit user Duprass wrote: ”Just landed in Seattle coming from the bay area. Beginning over Southern Oregon we kept overhearing Seattle Center attempting to track an airplane with no transponder who wasn’t talking. A handful of crews were able to track it visually…”

Duprass also mentioned that he heard Seattle Center, an FAA air traffic control center, was having trouble tracking the object on radar. This was when they asked pilots to see if they could get a visual sighting of the object. Among other details, Duprass also said he heard jets were scrambled.

Rogoway then found audio files at LiveATC.com that seemed to be related to the incident. Although Rogoway provides links to the audio in his story, the links no longer work. He says air traffic control and the pilots discussed the object for about half an hour.

Rogoway quickly sent a request for information to “the 142nd Fighter Wing based at Portland International Airport, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), and the FAA.”

He writes:

NORAD’s reply was quick and clear. An incident involving multiple airline crews, air traffic control, and F-15Cs from the 142nd Fighter Wing based out of Portland did occur. According to the limited information NORAD supplied, airliner pilots were asked by FAA air traffic controllers to help track and possibly identify a “white aircraft” traveling in the flightlevels nearby—roughly between 35,000 and 40,000 feet based on the radio recordings. NORAD also said that the incident did result in F-15s from Portland being scrambled to investigate, but by the time they got up and ‘looked around’ the mystery aircraft couldn’t be found.

This answer intrigued Rogoway even more. He says the 142nd Fighter Wing’s F-15Cs are upgraded with some of the best radar and long-range targeting systems in the world. He writes, “The fact that they ‘didn’t find anything’ is surprising to say the least.”

An F-15 Eagle from the 142nd Fighter Wing takes off from Portland Air National Guard Base in Oregon during an operational readiness inspection on Wednesday, June 14.

(Image credit: U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman John Hughel)

Rogoway says the FAA confirmed the event occurred, but said they had nothing further to add to what he already knew. The 142nd Fighter Wing did not respond at all.

Rogoway found another Reddit post from someone who claimed to be an air traffic controller. Reddit user The Flying Beard claimed that the situation was being investigated. The Flying Beard wrote: “I think the FAA is pursuing this at higher levels. From a safety standpoint, if the military is running super secret test stuff in the NAS [National Airspace], that’s bad. If I were one of the pilots that had a sighting, I’d definitely be filing a NASA form and any other official reports that you can…”

Rogoway’s initial article on this story added a lot more detail and some intelligent analysis. He also said he submitted a Freedom of Information Request (FOIA) to the FAA for more information.

On February 15, 2017, Rogoway posted a follow-up story regarding his investigation of this incident. He writes, “Now, through the Freedom of Information Act, we present what could be one of the most insightful instances of official documentation surrounding such an encounter that had already been confirmed to have occurred by both the FAA and the USAF. These materials include fascinating audio recordings of radio transmissions and phone calls made as the incident was unfolding, as well as pilot interviews, and conversations between FAA officials made in the aftermath of the highly peculiar incident.”

Rogoway and The War Zone put together videos with the audio synced with the radar information they received. The first video covers the initial spotting of the object. It was first seen over Northern California traveling “very fast at 37,000” feet at about 4:30 pm PST. The object then took a turn to the north where it came into the vicinity of nearby air traffic. The craft had no transponder, never communicated with air traffic control, and somehow could disappear from radar.

Soon after being first caught on radar, it dropped off of the radar. That is when nearby aircraft were asked to get a visual. Over the next half hour, and hundreds of miles, several airline crews, shared their visual sightings.

Rogoway writes, “The exchanges between nearby pilots and air traffic control regarding the unidentified aircraft were constant in the audio, with the same description coming back time and again—that of a white aircraft cruising at around 37,000 feet that is too far away to tell the type or if it has markings of any kind on it.”

Jets were scrambled about 30 minutes into the incident. However, Rogoway notes that the jets headed south from the last known location of the unidentified craft. According to the pilot reports, the object headed north.

Besides air traffic control audio, Rogoway was also able to obtain phone calls made by the FAA regarding the incident. Names are bleeped out for privacy, and Rogoway notes that there is no way to know if any of the audio has been redacted.

Rogoway also explains some of the terms heard in the audio. “DEN” is an acronym for the Domestic Events Network, which he explains is a hotline for the FAA to reach federal authorities. The term “WADS” and “Bigfoot” are also used. WADS is an acronym for Western Air Defense, which is a part of NORAD that monitors airspace over a large part of the U.S and Canada. Bigfoot is their nickname.

In the phone calls, FAA managers can be heard discussing how to handle the situation. They contemplate having civilian aircraft scheduled to land in Portland stay airborne so they can keep an eye on the unidentified aircraft. They decide against this because they say they are not sure “if [the unidentified object] are equipped with anything.” Presumably meaning they are not sure if they would be putting the civilian craft in danger. They conclude there is something out there and that military involvement was the best idea. There is also some debate over procedure as to who should have contacted the military and requested the scrambling of the jets.

The calls also include deliberation over how to report the incident. One controller says, “I have a feeling someone is going to go through this with a fine-tooth comb.”

The audio files also included interviews with pilots. The most interesting, Rogoway writes, is an account from a Southwest pilot.

He writes:

The call with the pilot of Southwest 4712 was by far the most interesting. He immediately notes how strange the encounter was and how he has never seen an incident like it in nearly 30 years of flying jets. The pilot noted, “if it was like a Lear (private jet) type airframe I probably would not have seen it this clear. This was a white airplane, and it was big. And it was moving at a clip too because we were keeping pace with it, it was probably moving faster than we were… It was a larger aircraft yeah.” He also said they watched the object from Northern California all the way to their descent into Portland.

The final FAA calls confirmed the incident occurred, and just how “weird” the event was. Rogoway points out that the conversations demonstrate just how rare these sorts of events are. One FAA official says the event was “a weird enough thing that there is not a set procedure… It’s not often we hear about an unknown guy up at that altitude.”

The entire incident is fascinating, and the amount of material Rogoway obtained is incredible. Rogoway says he was also surprised how much information he received. In his Open Minds UFO Radio interview, Rogoway says it has crossed his mind that the FAA was more forthcoming after the news of the DoD UFO program. He certainly felt they seemed more willing to share recently than they were in November when he first broke the story. However, he does not know for sure if the DoD news has anything to do with it.

In the end, the FAA never found out what the unidentified aircraft was. They concluded it was large and fast. They state that it seemed to be flying faster than a nearby 737. 737s have a cruising speed of just over 500 mph. It had no transponder and somehow seemed to be able to evade radar. Although it dropped off the radar, it could still be seen visually. Another important mystery is why the F-15s could not find the aircraft after the commercial airlines visually tracking the object landed in Portland. Rogoway says he believes the high-tech equipment on those F-15s should have been able to find it.

• Read more about the entire investigation on The Drive’s The War Zone here.
• Header image credit: Maintainers from the 142nd Maintenance Group,  {the F-15 Eagle for a training mission from the Air Dominance Center, Savannah Ga., Jan. 28, 2017. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Shelly Davison, 142nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs) 

A defense journalist with an interest in UFOs was able to do some digging after an anonymous tip and retrieve an audio file of the communications between air traffic control and two pilots during a UFO encounter on February 24, 2018. The sightings occurred over Arizona and New Mexico and news of the event has made worldwide headlines. One of the pilots has come forward to share his experience.

Tyler Rogoway, a defense writer for The War Zone section of a website called The Drive, was first made aware of this incident via a tip from an anonymous source. Rogoway told Open Minds UFO Radio, the email he received seemed credible. The source was “speaking very solidly like he knew what he was talking about.”

The source told Rogoway, “we were transiting the area, and we heard these wacky communications, and it weirded me and my co-pilot out and we have no idea who to ask, so if you can look into it, that would be great.”

American Airlines Airbus A321 at LAX. This is the type of aircraft involved with the sighting.

(Credit: Glenn Beltz/Wikimedia Commons)

Rogoway did some digging using flight tracking tools that can be found online and narrowed down the location, date and time the incident likely took place. Once he felt he had enough information, Rogoway decided to contact the FAA’s Albuquerque Center to find out if they knew more. Rogoway was able to get in touch with the head manager at Albuquerque Center who Rogoway says was very cooperative.

The manager had not heard of the incident, but he looked into it and found audio of the pilot and control tower communications. He then sent it over to Rogoway who was surprised how easy the process was. Rogoway has experience requesting information from the FAA, and it is usually a longer process. He is not sure if the agency is more open about these topics since the Department of Defense revealed they took UFOs seriously, or if he just talked to the right person.

A Learjet 36. The same model of craft involved with this UFO incident.

(Credit: Jerry Gunner/Wikimedia Commons)

The audio he received is exciting. The incident lasted about six minutes and involved a Learjet owned by Phoenix Air and an American Airlines Airbus.

The audio begins with the Learjet pilot asking air traffic control, ”Was anybody, uh, above us that passed us like 30 seconds ago?”

“Negative,” control replied.

The pilot responded, “Okay. Something did.”

Then an unknown voice blurts, ”A UFO!”

The pilot laughed and replied, ”Yeah.”

A few minutes later, the FAA controller asks an American Airlines flight in the area to keep a lookout for the object.

“American 1095, uh, let me know if, uh, you anything pass over you here in the next, uh, 15 miles,” the air traffic controller radioed.

“American 1095, affirmative,” the controller added. “We had an aircraft in front of you that reported something pass over him and, uh, we didn’t have any targets. So just, uh, let me know if you see anything pass over you.”

The American Airlines pilot replied, ”Alright.”

The Learjet pilot then speaks up again, adding: “I don’t know what it was, it wasn’t an airplane, but it was…the path was going in the opposite direction.”

A little time passes in the audio before the American Airlines pilot comes back on stating he spotted the object.

“It’s American 1095. Yeah, something just passed over us,” the pilot said. “I don’t know what it was, but at least two-three thousand feet above us. Yeah, it passed right over the top of us.”

Albuquerque Center then asked the pilot to describe what he saw.

“Can you tell us if it was in motion, or just hovering?”

“I couldn’t make it out if it was a balloon or whatnot, but it was just really beaming light or had a big reflection and several thousand feet above us going the opposite direction,” the pilot replied.

Someone then asked the pilot, ”was it a Google balloon?”

“Doubtful,” he replied.

The anonymous jokester from earlier then blurts out again, ”UFO!”

Rogoway posted his article on this event on March 8, 2018. He includes some analysis and cautions that there are high altitude balloons launched every day over the U.S. He wrote, “the regulations surrounding their operations don’t necessarily mandate the launching party contact the FAA or provide a radar reflector or a transponder.”

“But even with these possibilities in mind,” Rogoway adds, “the pilots don’t sound that convinced that the object they saw was simply a balloon passing by, and there seems to have been some sort of combined closure rate involved as well.”

Soon after Rogoway posted his story, the Phoenix New Times picked up the story. They also requested the audio and received a copy. The story then sat dormant until March 26, 2018, when The Huffington Post ran an article. Soon after, dozens of stories began popping up. CNN posted their version on March 30, 2018. Unfortunately, many of these outlets do not credit Rogoway, and CNN claims “authorities said it was a weather balloon.” However, they do not say what authorities make this claim, and Rogoway reports he is not aware of any authorities making such a claim.

Amid the flurry of articles on the case, one of the pilots came forward. Blenus Green, a retired B-1 air force pilot, lives in Abilene, Texas. Abilene news station KRBC TV interviewed him on March 29, 2018. He says he was flying the American Airlines Airbus when the sighting took place. Green remembers they were over Roswell, New Mexico on their way to Texas when they were asked to look for the object spotted by the Learjet.

Screenshot from KRBC TV interview of pilot Blenus Green regarding his UFO encounter.

(Credit: KRBC TV)

“Albuquerque Center asked us if we could look and just be on the lookout and see if we see anything, and I’m like ‘okay.’ So, sure enough, I was looking out the windscreen because I wanted to see if it was there and yeah, I did. I saw it,” Green said.

“It was very bright but it wasn’t so bright that you couldn’t look at it,” Green explained. “You know, you almost wanted to look at it to try to figure out what it was. It didn’t look anything like an airplane. You know, most airplanes, you’re going to see some kind of wing surface, some type of a tail, really no matter what type of airplane it is.”

Green thought the object was odd.

“What was weird about it, normally, if you have an object and the sun is shining this way, the reflection would be on this side, but this was bright all the way around. It was so bright that you really couldn’t make out what shape it was,” Green said.

Although he didn’t know what it was, he wasn’t frightened, claims Green.

“I wasn’t scared at all, I was just really fascinated by it. Just trying to figure out what it was because it was so out of the ordinary.”

Although this story is the one that has gone viral, Rogoway also wrote about another UFO investigation he undertook. This case included many more witnesses and radar data. We’ll have more about this case in an upcoming article. Until then, you can listen to the Open Minds UFO Radio interview with Rogoway below, and visit his page on The Drive’s The War Zone here.

Open Minds UFO Radio: Tyler is a defense journalist and editor of Time Inc.’s The Drive’s The War Zone page. Tyler broke the story of the recent UFO sighting over Arizona and New Mexico by pilots that is making international headlines. His digging was able to produce FAA audio of the incident. Perhaps even more exciting is the work he has done on a better documented UFO case seen by many pilots and captured on radar over California and Oregon. The military scrambled fighter jets in this case.

In this episode, we discuss Tyler’s interest in the UFO Phenomenon, mainstream attitude towards the topic, and the details of the incredible cases Tyler has brought to light recently.

For more about the Arizona/New Mexico event click here.

For more about the California/Oregon event click here.

To read Tyler’s articles, visit: www.thedrive.com/author/tyler-rogoway

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Open Minds UFO Radio: In this episode, we held a UFO roundtable at Treefort’s Hackfort in Boise, Idaho. Treefort is a massive music festival held in downtown Boise. Alejandro was invited to participate on a media panel, and also moderated a panel on UFO tech with Ben Hansen, UFO researcher and former host of Syfy’s Fact or Faked: The Paranormal Files, and Marc D’Antonio, the Mutual UFO Network’s photo and video analyst. Marc appears on several TV shows, such as NASA’s Unexplained Files, and most recently, an upcoming episode of the reboot of In Search Of. Karen Brard, the owner of the International UFO Congress, was also present to lend her insight. We discuss UFOs and the youth, the success of our Hackfort UFO panel and recent UFO news.

For more information about the International UFO Congress, visit: UFOCongress.com

For more information about Marc D’Antonio, visit: fxmodels.com

Fore more information about Ben Hansen, visit: BenHansen.com

{ http://www.openminds.tv/ }

To the Stars Academy (TTSA) posted a third Department of Defense (DoD) UFO video in coordination with the posting of an opinion piece by TTSA member Chris Mellon in The Washington Post. Mellon is a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for intelligence. He served during the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. Mellon is a current the national security affairs advisor for TTSA.

This video is perhaps the most impressive, but very few details about the video were released, and although most of the media attention has been supportive of the DoD’s UFO program, some doubts and confusion have also arisen.

The new video is being referred to by the TTSA as the “2015 GO FAST FOOTAGE.” According to TTSA, this video, as with the others, is from the Advanced Targeting Forward-Looking Infrared (ATFLIR) system of a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet. The actual footage of the object is a little over 30 seconds long. The TTSA video presenting the footage is about two minutes long with an introduction that includes a description of the telemetry seen on the screen of the ATFLIR system.

Two Navy jet-fighter pilots are commenting on the object in the video. Both appear to be very excited about the object. When the video starts, the UFO darts across the screen as the ATFLIR operator is attempting to get a lock on it, which he finally does. The object seems to be moving very fast below the jet-fighter. The telemetry shows that the aircraft capturing the video is at 25,000 feet traveling at 259 knots (approximately 300 mph).

The object appears to be round. ATFLIR displays heat, but as demonstrated in a graphic on the TTSA website, aircraft shape is still discernible with these systems, and in this case, no wings or exhaust are apparent.

The ATFLIR display reveals significant information regarding flight conditions and characteristics of the imagery.

(Credit: To the Stars Academy)

As to when and where this video comes from, we have only a couple of pieces of information. The TTSA website states, “The date, location, and other information has been removed by the originating authority as part of the release approval process.” However, the title indicates the video is from 2015. Also, in the Washington Post article, Mellon describes the video as a “Navy encounter that occurred off the East Coast in 2015.”

Chris Mellon

(Credit: To the Stars Academy)

It should be noted that these videos have were all posted by TTSA. The DoD has not directly provided them to anyone else, yet. TTSA notes on the GO FAST video, “While TTSA was the first to obtain a copy, it should be available to any member of the press or public via the Freedom of Information Act [FOIA].” However, of the several researchers who have submitted FOIA request I am aware of, none have received copies of the videos. In fact, the responses the DoD have given are a bit odd.

John Greenewald of TheBlackVault.com is an experienced FOIA researcher with perhaps the most extensive online repository of documents received via FOIA requests. Greenewald has several FOIAs filed in regards to these videos and their release. One of the first he submitted was for the records of Luis Elizondo, the former head of the Advanced Aviation Threat Identification Program (AATIP), the agency that investigated these videos and determined them to be unknown. Greenewald also sent a FOIA to the National Security Agency (NSA) for information about AATIP. In both cases, he was told no records exist. The response may be due to the way in which the requests were submitted. For instance, when he filed the first FOIA, he was not sure of the exact name of the DoD UFO program. In the second FOIA, he was asking for NSA records in a particular database which may not have records on AATIP. Greenewald says over the phone an NSA representative did confirm to him the name of the program is Advanced Aviation Threat Identification Program. AATIP has been called Advanced Aerial Threat Identification Program, among other variations. Apparently, the NSA is aware of the program.

FOIA response received by Greenewald.

(Credit: John Greenewald/TheBlackVault.com)

Government UFO documents researcher Paul Dean has filed a FOIA requesting the forms regarding the declassification of the videos. The response he received says his request “has been placed in our [Office of the Secretary of Defense and Joint Staff] complex processing queue and is being worked based on the order in which the request was received. Our current administrative workload is approximately 2,246 open requests.”

It may be some time before Dean receives any further information. All of this indicates that TTSA’s suggestion that researchers use FOIA to obtain more information is going to be a lengthy and challenging process.

The documents are particularly relevant because there have been some mixed messages from government agencies. Although the DoD confirmed to the New York Times that AATIP existed, according the UK tabloid The Sun, a spokesperson for the U.S., Defense Intelligence Agency told them “There is some confusion about this program and claims about its purpose in press reporting… the Defense Intelligence Agency has not released any information, files or videos.”

More recently, an article covering skeptic perspectives on the videos in CNET claims a spokesperson for the Office of the Secretary of Defense said “The Department of Defense did not release those videos. I cannot confirm their authenticity. I don’t have any additional info to provide.”

Still, despite these confusing statements, mainstream media seems to mostly be taking Elizondo’s word in regards to his conclusions regarding the mysterious nature of the videos. Senator Harry Reid and Navy pilots have backed his claims. However, even though Elizondo says AATIP still operates today, most mainstream media outlets are still reporting that the program closed in 2012. That is when the DoD says they stopped funding AATIP. Elizondo says AATIP continued after 2012, and he told me that since he left AATIP this past October, a high ranking official has replaced him as the chief of the program. In his interview for the International UFO Congress, Elizondo explained that after they lost funding, “we very quickly continued our efforts and we started to dual-use a lot of what we were doing.”

“…as an example, one may be interested in putting out a requirement looking for let’s say advanced ICBM technology,” Elizondo continued. “So you would go out, and you would ask folks, ‘I want you to be able to give me a paper that helps me understand anything coming into Earth’s orbit with these particular profiles.’ So hypersonic velocities, loads over ability et cetera, and what might be useful for let’s say identifying North Korean ICBM missiles coming into the continental United States could also be useful in identifying other objects, things that are coming in with that same flight pattern but not necessarily a ballistic missile.”

Luis Elizondo during the International UFO Congress interview filmed by To the Stars Academy.

(Credit: International UFO Congress/To the Stars Academy)

In an interview on Open Minds UFO Radio, Leslie Kean, one of the authors of the New York Times article that broke the AATIP story in December, referred to a memo regarding the release of the videos by the DoD. She was not at liberty to share the document with the public at that time. The release of this memo would help clear up some of the questions.

Despite the many loose ends and unanswered questions dangling out there, the media seems to be accepting that indeed UFOs are a real phenomenon in which the U.S. government has had an interest. The gist of Mellon’s Washington Post article, titled “The military keeps encountering UFOs. Why doesn’t the Pentagon care?,” is that it is time the U.S. government take this issue more seriously.

When asked by a BBC Radio 5 host what the military should do about UFOs, Mellon responded, “The first thing we need to do for national security and scientific reasons is to increase collection, analysis and research and development.”

“We have in existence proof here that there are propulsion capabilities and aeronautical capabilities beyond what we have,” Mellon explained. “Ergo, we ought to expand research and development in promising leads that might provide us with similar capabilities. At the same time, we can easily and dramatically expand our knowledge and understanding simply by putting someone in charge and try to answer the question.”

According to Mellon, various government agencies and branches of the military do have an interest in UFO incidents, but they do not share information with each other. Nor do they apply the necessary resources to figure it out. He seems to agree that these cases Elizondo has identified as significant are worthy of a renewed effort to take a serious look, with the appropriate resources, at the UFO phenomenon.

Mellon writes, “…the national security implications of these incidents are concerning — but the scientific opportunities are thrilling. Who knows what perils we may avoid or opportunities we might identify if we follow the data?”

• Note: This article was updated on March 22 as a result of a clarification by Leslie Kean. The DoD memo regarding the release of the videos was in the possession of the authors of the New York Times article posted on December 16, 2017. She is not aware of whether TTSA also has a copy of the memo. She adds, “there is absolutely no question that the videos were cleared by the DOD from their files.”

Open Minds UFO Radio: After more than 50 years of researching and publicly speaking about UFOs, former nuclear physicist Stanton Friedman is doing his victory lap. After a historic career conducting over 700 lectures, writing six books, and countless media interviews, Stanton is retiring from Ufology. To honor Stanton’s work and learn from his unique experience, Open minds UFO Radio will conduct several interviews with him over the next few months. In this interview, we talk about how Stanton got started becoming the face of ufology.

For more about Stanton, visit: www.stantonfriedman.com

 – Header image courtesy of Nathan Arizona

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On St. Patrick’s Day in 2006, the police in Nanuet, New York assumed that the high volume of calls reporting UFOs was just the result of too much partying on this festive day. In all fairness to the police, with the amount of green beer and other alcohol consumed every March 17, it wasn’t an entirely unreasonable assumption. However, this sighting involved numerous sober witnesses, and there is also a curious history of mass sightings on St. Patrick’s Day in the Hudson Valley of New York stretching back 35 years.

Has our government been scheduling test flights of exotic aircraft on March 17, realizing that eyewitness reports will be deemed unreliable? Perhaps there are clever ETs who are aware of the holiday—and human drinking habits—and therefore decide that it is the perfect day for some low-level reconnaissance? Or, is it merely an odd coincidence?

When examining the NUFORC database, it quickly becomes evident that, historically, March is not an active month for sightings. Compared to the warmer months, in general, March has just a small fraction of the reported cases. The earliest St. Patrick’s Day report in the database was in 1969, in Odessa, Washington, where a “brilliant metallic, glowing disc-shaped craft with red & blue lights in a circle at the bottom” was seen by over a dozen witnesses for over ten minutes.

Unfortunately, when it comes to one of the most spectacular and pivotal St. Patrick’s Day mass sightings, both the NUFORC and MUFON databases are silent. Due, no doubt, to the fact that the number of reported cases is minuscule in comparison to the actual number of sightings, there are no reports for March 17, 1983; the date that the famous Hudson Valley wave had its first major event. A massive triangular or boomerang-shaped craft hovered over a very busy highway, Interstate 84, stopping traffic and bathing onlookers in a brilliant, white light.

Numerous witnesses that night in towns along I-84 in New York and western Connecticut saw the massive, football field-sized, silent craft hovering or moving extremely slowly. Mesmerized by the size of the object and the multicolored lights, people watched for many minutes as the craft descended so low it was no more than ten feet above the treetops at times. While witnesses ingrained every detail of the spectacular craft in their memories, the “official” explanation for the mass sighting was a formation of aircraft—just some fun-loving pilots playing a prank on St. Patrick’s Day revelers. (It goes without saying that witnesses were insulted and infuriated by this excuse,)

Depiction of Hudson Valley UFO created by Michael Schratt. (Credit: Michael Schratt)

Depiction of Hudson Valley UFO created by Michael Schratt.

(Credit: Michael Schratt)

Another March 17 mass sighting occurred in the area in 1988, and this time, NUFORC did receive three reports from Westchester County, NY, summarized below:

• Yonkers, NY: “We saw this ENORMOUS craft hovering silently in the sky. This object was at least the size of an aircraft carrier and about 7 or 8 stories tall.” Numerous witnesses watched as the silent, oval craft, described as being like “polished aluminum or stainless steel” with multicolored lights, passed below the top floor of an apartment building, descending to no more than about 150 feet above the ground. Later, green lights in a kite-shaped formation were in the area, but they had a distinct humming sound. One witness called the FBI and was told that “Marine choppers were on maneuvers over Yonkers that night.” The witness stated that perhaps the green lights had been the Marine helicopters, but that certainly didn’t explain the shiny, metallic oval craft. The witness also added: “What the heck were Marines doing flying over Yonkers, when the closest base at the time was 1.5 hours away in New Jersey?”
• Ossining, NY: About 20 miles to the north of the city of Yonkers, a far more frightened family of witnesses also watched a large, egg-shaped craft. According to the person reporting the incident, “It was like a nightmare. It was so low, on top of the trees, and you could hear the swishing sound from the leaves. It made a humming sound, big, size of a football field. It was turning all colors, bright pink, blue, white, green. I thought this is it! We are finished! It’s the end of the world.”
• Briarcliff Manor and Pleasantville, NY: “Extremely large craft. Multiple colored lights. Was outside on the porch when it began to get warmer and brighter. All the lights in the house went out, and then we saw the object over the house. It hovered there for about 20 minutes. And then it just zipped away.”

This craft—or one that was similar—was also seen that night throughout Rockland County, NY, which is on the west side of the river, across from Westchester County. I can trust the integrity of at least two of the multiple eyewitnesses to the sightings which took place from Stony Point to Pearl River, as in an odd twist it turns out I know both of them. When recently researching newspaper archives for information about this sighting, I was surprised when I found a local article with testimony from someone with whom I attended college.

The other witness, who was an even greater surprise, came forward when I was writing my first UFO book—my husband! I hadn’t yet met him in 1988, and he didn’t share his experience with me until I was well into the project, when he casually asked if I was going to include his sighting, to which I believe my response was something to the effect of, “Say what!?”

These instances just go to prove that you never know who has experienced something strange.
I interviewed another witness to a St. Patrick’s Day UFO in Yonkers in the late 1980s. While it very well may have taken place in 1988, the witness could not recall for sure, and the shape of the craft was very different, so I mention this case separately.

The witness began her description by stating emphatically, “NO, I was not drinking,” as that was the immediate reaction to any sighting taking place on March 17. She described the craft as being “silent, as big as two football fields” with “bright green lights” (which she admitted seemed appropriately Irish!).

Rather than being scared, however, she said that “to be honest, it was beautiful…I loved it.”
This large, eight-sided craft hovered in place for a full 20 minutes, and “it was low enough to see all the mechanical detail underneath it.” The proximity and duration of the sighting allowed her to sketch the craft with its unique structural “wiggly lines” in the gunmetal surface, and the specific placement of the numerous, brilliant green lights.

Sketch of object witnessed in Yonkers.

(Credit: Linda Zimmerman)

Finally, we return to the details of the 2006 St. Patrick’s Day sighting, which appears quite similar to the 1988 event. The witness and his family saw a large oval with multicolored lights approaching slowly. Of special interest to me in this case, as I have previously written about dogs’ reactions to UFOs, is that the witness noticed that “Dogs started barking all over the neighborhood.” The family watched for 20 minutes as the craft ever-so-slowly passed overhead. Once it had gone, one of the witnesses called the police, who stated they were “getting tons of calls” and assumed “everyone had a lot to drink this St. Patrick’s Day.”

Also similar to the 1988 sightings, there appeared to be a conventional aircraft response to the unusual craft, as the witness reported that for “the next four hours the sky was full of helicopters with searchlights,” although whether or not these helicopters were military or civilian was not indicated. Unfortunately, this case also has something in common with the 1983 sightings, as despite this being one, solid object that made no noise, “The newspapers reported the next day it was likely ultralights in formation.”

There are numerous other St. Patrick’s Day UFO reports from across the country over the past several decades, but none to compare with the three Hudson Valley mass sightings. While the craft varied from triangular or boomerang-shaped, to oval and egg-shaped, to the eight-sided vehicle with green lights, they were all enormous, were brightly lit, and didn’t appear to care if they were seen. In fact, by hovering over major highways and densely-populated towns and cities just north of Manhattan, they most definitely seem to have wanted to be witnessed by as many people as possible.

In closing, the question must be asked: Were these intentionally planned flights by our government, or extraterrestrials, to allow so many people the opportunity to glimpse these remarkable craft on St. Patrick’s Day, or was it all just the luck of the Irish?

Open Minds UFO Radio: This is an exclusive interview of Luis Elizondo, the former head of a secret Pentagon project to investigate UFOs. The project was called the Advanced Aerial Threat Identification Program (AATIP). An article on Dec. 16, 2017 in the New York Times revealing the program made worldwide headlines. Thus far, short media interviews are all Elizondo has participated in. In this exclusive interview, Elizondo answers questions from UFO Congress social media followers and friends.

See the entire 2018 International UFO Congress presentation, including a review of how this revelation came about, and insight from Nick Pope, who ran a similar UFO program for the UK’s Ministry of Defense, at the UFO Congress Video-on-Demand page. IUFOC Video-on-Demand: https://www.ufocongressvideos.com

{ http://www.openminds.tv/ }

Bryce Zabel

Bryce Zabel has a long list of achievements in the feature film and television industry. Much of this includes UFO and alien related projects. This includes writing and producing the NBC series Dark Skies and the Syfy movie Official Denial. He also was on the writing staff of Steven Spielberg’s Taken and ABC’s Lois and Clark (don’t forget, Superman is an alien). More recently, he co-wrote the book A.D. After Disclosure: When the Government Finally Reveals the Truth About Alien Contact with Richard Dolan. He is currently working on two UFO related movies. One is about the Betty and Barney Hill abductions and the other is a movie about the work of Roswell researchers Stanton Friedman and Don Schmitt.

In this interview, we discuss Bryce’s current project, some interest from a famous Hollywood actor/comedian and what it is like making UFO/Alien related entertainment projects. We also discuss Bryce’s upcoming talk at the 2018 International UFO Congress.

For more about Byce, visit his websites: www.StellarProductions.today – www.BryceZabel.com – www.AfterDisclosure.com – www.WhatIfBeatles.com

For more about the UFO Congress, visit: UFOCongress.com

As an example of the fact that UFOs and ufology are a world-wide phenomenon, the redoubtable Philip Mantle and Flying Disk Press (one of the very few publishers still keeping the public informed about the history of ufology) takes us to what has to be the golden age of subject. This time the revelations come from Roberto Pinotti and the files of ‘Centro Ufologico Nazionale’ (CUN) the leading Italian society who still investigates the phenomenon. Translated from the Italian language, this book is volume one in a series that, in this case, covers the years from 1907 until 1978 and 1958 was especially productive.

The book, which is profusely illustrated with some remarkable images, is an absolute treasure trove of information and the reader can open it at any page and is guaranteed to find something of interest. That said, rather that outright examples of visitations from ETs, the vast majority of examples presented here appear to be ‘high strangeness’ encounters rather than anything else, which are of course still valid and perhaps even more interesting, but not proof of anything extraterrestrial. In fact the book takes a ‘no questions asked’ approach and a refreshingly literalist view of the subject and has obviously been compiled and written by a true believer.

Italian UFO Researcher and Author Robert Pinotti

The author was a friend of, and collaborated with the late Gordon Creighton who was the long time editor of the UK’s Flying Saucer Review (FSR) and his influence becomes clear as one reads the book. Some of the images are astonishing and there are a few of what is claimed to be the inside of a UFO (pages 96 & 97) which also show the pilot who is human looking and is wearing what look like wrap-round sunglasses. There is also a report of analysis carried out on metallic residue left at a landing site, and surprisingly the residue comprises only earthly constituents in various proportions. This is encouraging if, for no other reason, than it seems the elements in the periodic table are universal. There is no doubt that for the dedicated ufologist this book is an essential part of their library and deserved to be read and if anyone is interested the CUN website is:

The book is now available on Amazon in paperback and kindle. You can contact the author and the publisher via the FLYING DISK PRESS blog at:
http://flyingdiskpress.blogspot.co.uk/

Professor Ludvig in the 70s.

(Credit: Sovershenno Sekretno)

Sovershenno Sekretno, a very popular and respected Russian newspaper, published an article in its October 2011 issue. The author is Vladimir Kucharyants, writer and journalist. The title is (in English) Worlds of Professor Ludvig.

Professor Genrikh Mavrikiyevich Ludvig was a highly educated Russian scientist, an inmate of Stalin’s concentration camps, a philosopher, a scholar of ancient languages, daring architect, a teacher, a freethinker who lived in the stifling ideological climate of Communism…a person who did not break down under enormous pressure, torture, and betrayal.

Vladimir Kucharyants was his student in the 1960s, but only in recent years has discovered the scope of Professor’s Ludvig’s knowledge, ideas, and legacy. There is much more that needs to be discovered, and the Russian writer continues his quest. He is still not sure who Genrikh Ludvig really was: a phenomenally educated scientist who possessed encyclopedic knowledge; a mystic; a person who was ordained into secret knowledge.

Those who research the UFO phenomenon and ancient astronauts hypothesis will learn from the Sovershenno Sekretno article that Professor Ludvig was able to study amazing ancient manuscripts during his sojourn in the Vatican’s library (in the 1920s). There he read about extraterrestrials who had visited the Earth in antiquity; subsequently, he began his research of Maya civilization, and interpreted their symbols to be spaceships and spacesuits. In addition, Professor Ludvig mentioned that the library contained manuscripts about alchemy and ancient codes.

The Sistine Hall of the Vatican Library.

(Credit: Maus-Trauden/Wikimedia Commons)

When the NKVD (KGB) arrested him in 1938, Professor Ludvig was accused of being a Vatican (but also Turkish, Polish, German and American) spy. He survived the concentration camps and torture, and carried his incredible knowledge, language skills (he was fluent in 20 languages, including ancient ones), ideas and beliefs with him, through the years full of suffering and ordeals. He was informed on or denounced to the secret police by his wife.

Professor Ludvig prison picture.

(Credit: Sovershenno Sekretno)

Kucharyants mentions that Professor Ludvig showed his students photocopies of the Vatican’s ancient manuscripts ( containing information about extraterrestrials that had visited our planet) with drawings, described to them the hidden essence of ancient myths; he told them of the Fiery Pillar that destroyed an advanced ancient civilization; he showed the students photos of the fortress walls discovered in Babylon, melted with the horrendous temperature and believed that nuclear blasts could cause this.

Professor Ludvig was very much interested in Sumerian civilization and possessed great knowledge about it; he discussed the esoteric meaning of pyramids in Egypt (he considered them to be sort of “energy machines”); he studied the Etruscan civilization; he knew about Cabbala.

A Gulag labor camp.

(Credit: www.gulag.eu)

Professor Ludvig was also an inventor, and designer of military technology. He helped his country, even during his imprisonment. During his days as an inmate of the GULAG, during World War II, he had at least 17 inventions to his name: such as the construction of military airfields in marshy areas; a noiseless underground station for testing aerial engines; a bomb thrower for close distance tank warfare; and many more. His reward was extension of the prison sentence in 1942 for another ten years, after he was denounced for his criticism of Stalin’s policies inside the concentration camps.

Professor Ludvig in the 20s. 

(Credit: Sovershenno Sekretno)

Ludvig knew the secrets of herbs and their esoteric medicinal properties, and once this knowledge helped him survive, when he had to cure the wife of the concentration camp commander, or face death.

There is much more information in the Sovershenno Sekretno article (for example, his friendship with another great and highly talented Russian scientist Alexander Chizevsky, whose work I have described in my articles). I urge all those who are interested in the ancient astronauts hypothesis to learn more about Professor Ludvig. I will also try to discover more, although there are few sources available.

Genrikh Mavrikiyevich Ludvig who passed away in 1973, had fantastic intellect, and made incredible discoveries. I am sure his former student Vladimir Kucharyants, who was able to uncover Professor’s notes and writings from the 1930s, will find more documents and materials.

With the recent revelation by the Pentagon and their admission that there has been an ongoing program to investigate Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon; the fact that Montana has had several cases of interest within that context came to mind.

First and foremost is the Mariana UFO incident from August 1950 when Nicolas Mariana filmed 16 mm color movies of two UFOs that appeared as shiny, circular craft. It has withstood years of research conducted by a slew of investigators, including the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP), the Air Force, and Dr. Robert M. L. Baker, as well as others, without being debunked, and is believed to be one of the strongest cases supporting the existence of unidentified flying objects and remains unexplained.

Another extraordinary case in Montana happened at Malmstrom Air Force base in March 1967 when two maintenance crews reported seeing UFOs in the early morning hours over the E-Flight (missile) silos. Later that morning, one of the Minuteman missiles had gone off alert; meaning it had become inoperable. This was at one of the two sites where the maintenance crews had been stationed during the night.

Thinking this to be due to the crews doing maintenance or perhaps even neglecting their duty, crew commander, Figal, looked into the incident. Just as inexplicably, the entire flight of ten ICBMS went inoperable also; with all the missiles being reported a “No-Go” at this point. After a check was conducted, it was found that each of the missiles had gone off alert status due to a guidance and control fault and not due to a power outage. It has been conjectured that perhaps the UFO had caused the missiles to become inoperable, as the cause was unknown.

Malmstrom Air Force Base missile maintenance team removes the upper section of an ICBM at a Montana missile site.

(Credit: U.S. Air Force/ John Parie)

I discovered this next case, Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) Case #55741, after I became MUFON’s State Director of the Montana chapter through the Case Assistance Group. I was doing a bit of inventory and getting some background information on the types of cases that Montana had been dealing with. Even though I had been a Field Investigator for Michigan for over seven years, this was my first stint as a State Director, thus I wanted to be as prepared as I could. Montana, with its “big sky,” fewer city lights to block out the stars and breath-taking mountain ranges, is a sky-watcher’s dream and definitely different than what I was used to living in an urban area.

This incident, listed on the database as a CE-2, happened at around midnight on May 10, 2004 when an entire Army Special Forces unit saw an unknown spherical shaped object through night vision goggles while on security duty in Kabul, Afghanistan. Kabul, the largest city in Afghanistan, is the capital of Kabul Province and is located along the eastern sector of the country. It has a population of 3.3 million people and is the largest city in Afghanistan. Geographically it sits 5876 feet above sea level between the Hindu Kush Mountains along the Kabul River. The climate, which tends to be cooler than rest of the Southwest Asia due to the elevation, is semi-arid with most of the precipitation occurring in the winter months, usually as snow.

Kabul, Afghanistan

(Credit: Google Maps)

In his report, the Montana resident stated that while out on detail in Kabul, Afghanistan, he and an entire Army unit of fifteen men witnessed a UFO. The witness stated he was unsure of the exact date but felt it was around May 10th of that year. He stated that this craft was “huge” and was so close they could have thrown a rock at it and hit it. He said it seemed to come out of nowhere and floated over one of the mountains from the south which was east of the base they built. The object made no noise. The bizarre thing was that he could not see it with the naked eye, but it could be seen through his night vision goggles. He described the object has having the appearance of a light bulb but was a sphere and was about the size of the moon in comparison. He said it had a translucent appearance but was glowing, lighting up the surrounding area with its lights.  When they saw it, they stopped and looked in amazement and awe.

As they watched it, it was hovering about 50-100 feet in the air, moving slowly about five to ten mph. It was about 100 yards from the outside perimeter of the base camp and as they were watching the craft, their commander was at the base camp, about a quarter of a mile to the southwest of their position. The commander could also see the object. He got on the radio and announced to the unit to “get back to work, its nothing,” meaning the craft they were looking at.

The squad leader was in the passenger seat and his friend was driving. He stated they were “pulling roaming security” from one traffic control point to the other from the south of the base to the north of their base camp. After their commander told them to go back to work, they watched this craft for about ten more minutes before they had to turn around and head back north. The craft stopped about ¼-mile northeast of their position and appeared to stop over campfire that some locals had made.

The UFO then shot out a beam at their camp, but they couldn’t see the base of the fire from where they were, just the flickering of it on the back of the mountain. They could not see what was happening down on the ground with that beam of light. In the meantime, their squad leader stopped watching and wanted to go back to work, so the specialist turned the Humvee around and they started driving north to the north T.C.P.

US Army (USA) Soldiers use a High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) to cross a river during a fact-finding mission, in the Organ Province of Afghanistan, during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.

(Credit: US Department of Defense)

The witness stated he wanted to keep watching the object, but they lost sight of it when they left because a hill blocked their view; which was the same hill that blocked the beam they had seen. After a minute of driving north he observed that the object had taken off from over the local’s campsite.  He stated it took off at a rapid speed, making in a 90-degree angle straight up until they could no longer see it. To him it appeared that the lights on the craft seemed to have a delayed reaction because the craft took off so fast, what he said was an alarming rate. It made dashes of light across the sky as it did, then it was gone. His report to MUFON was the first time that he had told anyone about this incident besides his family.

William Puckett, was the lead investigator for this case and did an excellent job investigating this reported sighting. He concluded at that time that this was an Unknown and closed the case on April 10, 2014. I looked over the information that was listed on the report and listened to the audio clip interview given by the witness. I felt him to be credible, giving good details in a coherent, factual manner. I didn’t detect anything in his manner of speaking that would indicate intentional deception.

Given the increased interest in cases involving military personnel with the revelation that the Pentagon has had a program to investigate UFOs, maybe this next case needs to be looked into further. One thing that stood out when listening to his interview was that he mentioned being in the Paktika Province of Afghanistan, not Kabul and that the mission was secret. Another question I had was that if the object could only be seen through infrared glasses, were they all wearing them? He states that all fifteen of them saw the object. Also notable is the fact that his commander, who was at the base camp, was seeing the object too a quarter of a mile away, so it’s possible that there were many more witnesses to this object.

As it is stands now, it is just one of the thousands of cases reported by military personnel who have either witnessed or interacted with a UFO. While doing research of the MUFON CMS database, 157 such cases were found where the military was somehow involved; either by witnesses stating UFOs were chased by military craft, usually F-16s, or former military personnel were reporting their own experiences to MUFON. Thus, like those 157 cases that I personally found amongst the files, this case remains unknown. Nevertheless, this case stands out as significant if only for the fact that these men were Special Forces Security Unit, and by virtue of their training, were excellent and reliable observers; even if they hadn’t been on duty and on high alert. While it is only the opinion of this Field Investigator, and no supporting evidence has been found, like videos or photos, it might be worthwhile to make further attempt at contacting the four others listed in the report in an effort to get a clearer picture of this sighting. While these three cases may be exceptionable, they may not be the last.