Based on my experience in fighter tactics, it is my opinion that the object was controlled by something having visual contact with us. The power and acceleration were beyond the capability of any known U.S. aircraft.
On November 16, 1952, hundreds of people near Landrum, South Carolina, saw a large disc-shaped object, also seen by an air traffic controller through binoculars. On December 4, 1952, an F-51 pilot had a near collision with a blue-lighted UFO moving with “extreme” speed, maneuverability, and rate of climb. Intelligence officers questioned the pilot for two hours.62
Another near collision occurred two days later near the Gulf of Mexico between a B-29 and an incredibly fast UFO at eighteen thousand feet, observed visually and on radar. Before converging with an enormous “mother ship,” the object appeared to travel at 5,000 mph. The large object then departed at 9,000 mph. Although the speeds appeared simply unbelievable, the radar operators checked and rechecked, and were confident their results were accurate. When the National Security Council learned that this information had reached Keyhoe, “there was immediate consternation.” Apparently, the air force told Ruppelt to “find out how Keyhoe got those reports!” Ruppelt then told a surprised colonel that Keyhoe had already been cleared for them.63
The CIA continued to report an intense wave of UFO sightings in Algeria, France, Equatorial Africa, and elsewhere for the remainder of the year.64 ATIC received reports from abroad, too, including defense radar trackings of two UFOs over the Panama Canal Zone during the night of November 25-26, 1952. Later on the twenty-sixth, an F-94 chased a disc-shaped UFO near Goose Bay AFB in Labrador. Two crews at the base tracked a similar object again on December 15. A detailed UFO report came from American air force personnel in Japan from December 29, 1952. This case included ground and airborne radar, as well as visual confirmation involving the officers and crews of three aircraft regarding the UFO’s position, movements, and speed.65
On January 6, 1953, UFOs were reported from Dallas and Duncanville, Texas, by weather bureau and CAA personnel. Another Japan sighting occurred on January 9, including radar tracking and an interception attempt by an F-94. On the same day, B-29 pilots saw bluish-white, rapidly moving UFO lights in formation over Santa Ana, Texas.66
THE AIR FORCE GETS READY
Thus, despite the drop-off of UFO reports, the air force remained motivated to do something about the UFO problem through the rest of 1952. Of great importance was the work being coordinated by Air Force Maj. Dewey Fournet, who was leading a study based on the “top fifty” UFO reports to analyze the objects’ reported motions in an attempt to determine whether they were intelligently controlled. The project had originated from the summer following discussions among Ruppelt, Fournet, and two of Fournet’s superiors, Col. Weldon Smith and Col. W A. Adams. The project was active throughout the late summer and autumn. By now, Fournet’s group concluded that the movements of UFOs
Ruppelt followed the project and said the report “was hot because it wasn’t official and the reason it wasn’t official was because it was too hot.” The report circulated through high command levels of intelligence and was read with much interest. In Ruppelt’s cautious phrasing, its conclusions were accepted by people “just a notch below General Samford.” Yet no one was willing to stick his neck out and officially send it to the top. The CIA wanted to see the report, and Frederick Durant asked Fournet to present his findings to the CIA. The FBI referred to Fournet’s project in an October 27 memo:
Air intelligence still feels flying saucers are optical illusions or atmospherical phenomena, but some military officials are seriously considering the possibility of interplanetary ships.68
