◆ SpookStack

- . TO tN To date, the Air Force has undertaken to investigate and analyze about 1500 reports dealing with these phenomena. As beforo, most of the rcports were identified and disposed of as friendly aircraft erroneously reported, known electronic and meteorological phenomena, light aberrations, hoaxes, and other known natural occurrences or man-made objects, The unexplained reports, however, which are in the order of 20 percent of the total, cannot be definitely associated with these familiar things. Difficulty in Evaluating Reports Tne difficulty in disposing of these unexplained reports is based largely upon the insufficiency of accurate basic data such as size, shape, composition and flight characteristice (speed, acceleration, altitude, exact maneuver pattern, etc.) of the objects. Although some instruments which are useful in obtaining more accurate data ef thie type have been available, the reports based on sightings with theae instruments have been very infrequent and comprise an extremely small percentage of the total, Moreover, oven these reporte have not included much of the information required. Because of tho inadequacy of this bapic data, the Air Forco has in the past devoted its efforts primarily to determining whether these unexplained sightings indicated the existence of a menace to the Unitod Stetes. Initially it was believed thet some pattern might evolve from the study of a large volume of reports. To date, no pattern has materialized to reveal anything whatecever which can be interpreted as indicative of purpose or consistency or which can be construed as a menace to the United States. Nonetheless, since these unexplained sightings persist, the Air Force will continue its investigations, giving the problem adequate but not frantic attontion. It is now felt, however, that reports from poople whose training and experience in observing acrial objects qualify them to obtain essontial data are the only ones likely to produce material suitable for systematic analysis. The Air Force ia planning to provido additional tools to help these observers obtein the basic data it needs. Reports of similar phenomena go back to Biblical times, There have been flurrice of them in various centurios, The current serics of sightings began generally in 1946, There aro many reasons why the volumo of these reportea has increased materially during tho past fow years. Aerial activity originated by mean has increased, and poople today have a greater curiosity about this activity than pefore. Also, our presacnt efficiont communication facilitioa and news media provide an incentive for reporting unusual observations, for publicizing thom and for recording them. However, tho ability to measuro these phenomena docs not acem to have advanced in stop with opportunitics for observing them. Tho _Air Force belicves that most of these phenomena will gradually be understood es more is known about occurrences in the upper atmosphere. -2-.