◆ SpookStack

Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R00560R000100010001-0 thorough news coverage. If so, this would tend to give a false picture of total UFO activity. ; News coverage and publicity have been spotty and erratic over the years, largely reflecting the degree of official atten- tion to UFOs. In this connection, it is interesting to note that during the past six years the Air Force has constantly de- bunked UFOs; during that period no real ‘‘flap’’ has occurred in the United States. In the same period, concentrations have occurred. The following chart probably gives a more accurate picture of real increases and decreases of UFO activity. Eee PERIOD MAIN LOCATIONS CONCENTRATIONS as || 1947 | June-July 1950 | First Half 1952 uly-August | | x | 1952 | Sept.-October | | x | 1954 | April-December [| x | 1954 | October [|] x [1955 | august Western United States Midwest, West, & SW U.S. Cy Eastern United States Cec Europe World-Wide France Midwest United States x 1957 1960 | August xX | 1962 | May, July- August November Midwest, Southwest U.S., South America June-August Pacific Ocean, Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand Northern California Argentina September New Jersey June-July 1947 The first major wave of UFO sightings in the United States began in June 1947. Kenneth Arnold, a private pilot flying near Mt. Ranier, Washington, first reported a sighting to the press. On June 24 he observed 9 flat, shiny objects which fluttered and skipped along as if in a chain. In describing the sighting to newsmen, he said the strange objects flew ‘like a saucer skipped across water.’’ Newsmen promptly dubbed the objects ‘flying saucers,’’ and the name stuck. In the next three weeks, similar objects were spotted all over the country, but reports were concentrated in the north- west. Later research in library files, by a NICAP member traveling around the country, uncovered 125 separate UFO re- ports for June and July. These covered 25 states, with 30% coming from Washington. Washington 38 Colorado 16 Idaho 11 Utah 8 Oregon 6 California 5 New Mexico 3 Wyoming 2 Arizona 2 91 Ninety-one (72% of total) came from states west of the 100 degrees W longitude line. East of that line, Oklahoma had 9 reports, other states had only one or two. The Air Force Project Blue Book Report, released in 1955, lists for the same period: June — 13 sightings, 4 unknown July —-40 sightings, 8 unknown 53 Total The following chart lists the main sightings of this period. DATE LOCATION TIME NUMBER SHAPE COLOR OBSERVERS ACTIONS SECTION 1947 June 23 Iowa-Cedar Rapids --- 10 Discs Shiny Railroad Engineer Fast, fluttered tt 24 Wash.-Mt. Ranier 1400 9 Flat Bright Pilot (private) Fluttered, skipped " 24 Ore.-Cascade Mtns. --- 5-6 Discs a Shiny Prospector, Banked Contractor " 25 N.Y.-Glens Falls --- 1 Disc Red, blue County Deputy Unspecified Treasurer ' 26 Ariz.-Grand Canyon --- 1 Ball Silver M. D. High speed "28 Nev.-Lake Meade 1515 5-6 Circular Unspec. Pilot (USAF) Formation off wing I. 't 28 Ala.-Montgomery 2120 1 Light Bright 4 USAF Officers Zig-zag, 90° turn Im. "29 N.Mex.-Rocket test site --- 1 Disc Silver Rocket expert Flew straight Iv. July 1 N.Mex.-Albuquerque --- 1 Disc Bluish Chamber of Com- Zig-zag merce Executive ” 4 Ore.-Redmond 1100 4 Discs Unspec. Car full High speed " 4 Ore.- Portland 1305 3-30 Discs Shiny Police, Pilots (private) Oscillated Th. " 4 Wash.-Seattle 1745 1 Circular White USCG Yeoman Across wind vit. " 4 Idaho-Hauser Lake 1900 1 Disc Unspec. Over 200 persons Circled, shot up Approved For Release 2001/04/02 !°CIA-RDP81R00560R000100010001-0