◆ SpookStack

airplanes flying so close to the mountain tops, flying directly south to southeast down the hog's back of a mountain range. I would estimate their elevation could have varied a thousand feet one way or another up or down, but they were pretty much on the horizon to me which would indicate they were near the seme elevation as I was. They flew like many times I have observed geese to fly in a rather diagonal chain-like line as if they were linked together. They seemed to hold a definite direction but rather swerved in and out of the high mountain peaks. Their speed at the time did not impress me particularly, because I knew thet our army and air forces had planes that went very faste What kept bothering me as I watched them flip and flash in the sun right along their path was the fact that I couldn't make out any tail on them, and I am sure that eny pilot would justify more than a second look at such a plane. I observed them quite plainly, and I estimate my distance from them, which was almost at right angles, to be between twenty to twenty-five miles. I knew they must be very large to observe their shape at thet distance, even on as clear a day as it was that Tuesday. In fact I compared o zeus fastener or cowling tool I hed in my pocket with - holding it up on them and holding it up on the DC-4 - that I could observe at quite a distance to my left, and they seemed smaller than the DC-4; but, I should judge their span woule have been as wide es the furtherest engines on each side of the fuselage of the DC-4. The more I observed these objects, the more upset I became, as I an accustomed and familiar h most all objects flying whether I am close to the ground or at higher altitudes. I observed the nin of these objects passing another high snow-covered ridge in between - Rainier and Mt. Adams, and as the first one was passing 2 south crest of th i the last object was ente the northern crest of the ridge. As I was flying in the direction of this particular ridge, I measured it and found it to be epproximately five miles so I could safely assume thet of these saucer like objects were at least five miles lon = accurately determine their pathway due to the fact that there were several high peaks that were a little this de of them as well as higher peaks on the other side of their pathway. As the lest unit of this formation passed the southern most high snow- covered crest of Mt. Adams, I looked at my sweep second hand and it showed thet they had travelled the distance in one minute and forty-two seconds. Even et the time this timing did not upset me as I felt confident after I would land there would be some explanetion of what I saw. A mumber of news men and experts suggested that I might heve been seeing reflections or even a mirege. This I know to be absolutely false, as I observed these objects not only through the glass of my airplane but turned my airplane sideways where I could open my window and observe theg with a completely unobstructed view. (Without sun glasses) Even though two minutes seems like a very short time to one on ground, in the eir in two minutes time a pilot oan observe a great things and anything within his sight of vision probably as many 9 sixty tines. I continued my search for the marine plane for another twenty minutes and while searchin ‘or this marine plane, wt observed kept going through my mind. I became more distu: taking & last look at Tieton Reservoir I headed for Yak. This image contains all the formation on the document. ee,