PROJECT 1947 - Holloman Air Force Base Reports EHO-15 and MTHT-150

Partial Listing of UFO Reports from Holloman Air Force Base

Late Aug. 1947. Alamogordo [Holloman] Army Air Field, New Mexico.

AMC Watson Labs Project MOGUL communications officer 1st Lt. Herbert G. Markley while watching 2 balloons with radar reflector to the SE in 10x binoculars saw traveling at "unprecedented rate of speed" a round white object in horizontal flight S to N several thousand feet over the tops of Sacramento Mtns.
[Case falsely explained by AF as "false radar targets" when no radar observation was involved. Possible additional witnesses AMC Watson Labs MOGUL Project Scientist Dr. James W. Peoples, and Joseph Olsen also of same project.]
(Sparks; BB Microfilm Roll 2, pp. 931-3; Sign Microfilm Roll 2, pp. 366; FOIA; Castner/CUFOS; Loren Gross Aug-Dec 1947 Supp, p. 28; July-Dec 1949 orig ed p. 25; Project 1947)

April 5, 1948. Holloman AFB, New Mexico (32.86° N, 106.10° W). 2 p.m. [?].

During a balloon launch, Geophysics Lab Section of AMC Watson Labs balloon observers Joseph Olsen, Johnson, Chance, saw 1 to 2 "irregularly rounded," round, gray-white or golden objects, indistinct in outline like a "major's insignia ... slightly concave on top," one [?] estimated 100 ft size. Both were rising straight up then one veered to the right, dropped, made a large loop, went upward again, then disappeared "suddenly" not due to distance. The other object arced off to the W at "terrific" or "tremendous speed," made 3 vertical loops or "violent maneuvers" then disappeared "suddenly" not due to "fading away in the distance."
(Sign Microfilm Roll 2, pp. 356-367; Berliner; cf. Ruppelt p. 71; Loren Gross Jan-July 1948 orig ed p. 25; Saunders/FUFOR Index)

January 30, 1949 Texas and southern New Mexico.

Many witnesses including AEC, AFSWP, 4th Army and others at various locations including Alamogordo and Holloman AFB witnessed at about 2255Z a short duration green fireball.
(Maxwell Microfilm roll 5 (pp.271-275))

May 12, 1949. Holloman AFB, New Mexico (at 32°50' N, 106° 4' W, elev. 4,070 ft). 9:30 p.m. (MST).

AF contract solar astronomer, Donald H. Menzel, of Harvard Observatory, was driven by military car from Holloman AFB, on Hwy 70 just outside the base, enroute to Alamogordo [and then to Sacramento Peak] [headed ENE on road azimuth 66°], when shortly after leaving the base he saw a bright reddish star Antares about 6°-8° East [to the lower left] of the nearly Full Moon estimated to be 15°-18° above the ridge line [99.3% illuminated Moon at about 19° elevation 136° azimuth, Antares at about 11° elevation 132° azimuth] rising above the Sacramento Mountain ridge. Shortly afterward he noticed first one small round white light low about 3°-4° over the ridge to the lower left of the Moon and star and then another identical light to the right of the first and in horizontal line, about 3° apart [at roughly 122° to 125° azimuth, 5°-6° elevation, seemingly over Moore Ridge, summit 7,264 ft, 32°42'22" N, 105°51'11" W, 15 miles away]. Each light was white possibly slight greenish tinge, about 0 to 1st stellar magnitude, the left one slightly brighter, both increasing in brightness as if possibly rising above a haze layer, both initially "fuzzy" but apparently sharpening in edge contrast. Each light suddenly disappeared one after the other before the car could be stopped. Menzel estimated that as the car traveled 50 mph it created a 3- mile baseline over which he nevertheless noticed no perceptible change in the lights' azimuths, or perhaps no more than 1° to 2°, hence a distance he calculated at 180 miles and object "diameter" about "¾ mile" (4,000 ft) [correct figure 2,300 ft].
(Sparks; BB NARA Microfilm Roll 88, pp. 904, 920-1; Roll 91, pp. 424-5; Maxwell Roll 6, pp. 241-9)

Oct. 11, 1949. Holloman AFB, NM. Bet. 10:45-11:00 a.m. (MST).

USAF M/Sgt. Ralph M. Stevens,Tech Aide in Lower Atmospheric Research, Elec & Atm Res Section, Holloman AFB, and Sgt. Marion H. Graves were at Ryan Site #4 tracking a balloon launch by theodolite when they spotted a high speed round white dish-shaped object in the NW at 60° in straight flight pass overhead to disappearance at 60° elevation in the SE. Size compared to B-29 [141 ft] at 150,000 ft range [1/10 full Moon].
(Sparks; BB files)

Oct. 12, 1949. Alamogordo, NM. 11:15 a.m.

Flight engineer-private pilot SSgt Clifford B. Hart, 3089th Experimental Gp, 2754th Exp. Wing, and aircraft mechanics SSgt J. D. Denning and SSgt Harry A. Boggs, all of Holloman AFB, sighted a high-speed white or aluminum round ball in the S at 45° elevation about 5-10 miles ground distance at about 8,000 to 10,000 ft height traveling about 1,500 mph which smoothly veered off to the NE after approaching to about 80° elevation [in the SE at about 2 mi distance] [Denning est closest distance 8-10 mi]. Appeared the size of a B-29 [141 ft wingspan] at 35,000 ft [1/3 Full Moon]. No sound, no visible means of propulsion, no exhaust, faded from view [due to distance].
(Sparks; BB files; AFOSI-LaPaz Catalog May 1950; BB Microfilm Roll 91, pp. 414ff.)

Jan. 7, 1950. S of Corona, New Mexico (at 34°13' N, 105°35' W). 10:15 p.m. (MST).

Holloman AFB Asst. Motor Maintenance Officer Capt. Robert H. R. Risley while driving S in automobile saw a yellowish-white ball of light at about 45° elevation descending at a 60° angle from SW to SE, changing color to orange with trailing flame, to just above a mountain range where it leveled off becoming bright blue-green traveling 10° to the E until it dropped behind the mountain.
(Sparks; FOIA; Saunders/FUFOR Index)

Jan. 12, 1950. Holloman AFB, NM. 7:00-7:05 and 9:00 p.m. (MST).

Airman John M. Gusich, 3024th Air Police Sq, file clerk in Air Provost Marshal's office, Holloman AFB, sighted bright white light similar to Venus, with erratically changing color to green and red, erratic left- right, up-down small motions, at about 10° to 15° above horizon in the N, at azimuth 353° to 355° moving level to the W. Sighted again briefly at 9:00 p.m. and had moved W to about 325° azimuth. Extremely cloudy in the W, S and E, clear only in the N, hence could not be Venus setting in the WSW, azimuth 252° elevation 5° (at 7:00 p.m.), setting at about 7:27 p.m. and well below horizon and totally invisible at 9 p.m. Similar sighting of star-like light in the N by Gusich next morning disappeared at 6:05 a.m. due to approaching sunrise was probably star Capella at azimuth 325° (about NW to NNW) elevation 3°.
(Sparks)

Feb 18, 1950, Driving north from Holloman AFB, NM. 0610-0640 MST

Major William J. Maynor, M/SGT Raymond F Gotainger, M/SGT William R. Royal Observed in a break in the clouds an object the size of a coffee cup at arm's length which appeared to be a very bright light and as the sum arose occasionally reflected the light of the sun from the lower half of the object. It diminished to such a degree that it was no longer visible after its movement of about 10 degrees. The AF suggested Vega, but a balloon at high altitude is a better suggestion.
(Maxwell PBB roll 7, frames 1212-1215.)

Feb. 24, 1950. Datil, New Mexico (34° 8' N, 107°45' W). 7:30-10 p.m. (MST).

USAF Corporal Lertis E. Stanfield, 3024th Air Police Sq., Holloman AFB, and other Holloman AFB Photographic Branch project staff for tracking aerial phenomena at the Datil observation post saw due S at about 30° elevation and took 5 photos of a circular luminous white object changing to red and green 15.31 arcmins (0.2552°) in diameter with a 3.785° long trail, using 1-5 Cineflex camera with 3-inch focal length lens. Angular velocity > 0.5°/.min in azimuth calculated by LaPaz. Object appeared brighter and closer, in smooth straight-line motion from about 8 to 9:30 p.m. to the W, blinking red and green. Disappeared high in the sky. Note 2nd sighting that night on Feb. 25, 1950.
(Sparks; BB NARA Microfilm Roll 91, pp. 400, 463-4; Maxwell Microfilm Roll 7 pp. 1226-52; Saunders/FUFOR Index)

Feb. 25, 1950. Datil, New Mexico (34° 8' N,107°45' W). 2-2:30 a.m.

White round light reappeared in the same position in the sky from 4 hours earlier, changing to red and green, moving slightly towards the NW, then disappeared behind mountain. Angular velocity 0.5°/.min [in azimuth?] calculated by LaPaz. Note this is 2nd sighting of the same night by this Holloman AFB UFO observation post.
(Sparks; BB NARA Microfilm Roll 91, pp. 465-6; Maxwell Microfilm Roll 7 pp. 1226-52)

March 11, 1950. Holloman AFB, New Mexico. 1:00 a.m.

USAF Air Provost Marshal Major William J. Haynor. app 270° about 30° above horizon at distance of 50 miles straight flight changed from light orange to blood red to amber to light green none 5 mts none ping pong ball held at arm's length disappeared from view (1) (2)
(Sparks; AFOSI-LaPaz Catalog May 1950; BB Microfilm Roll 91 pp. 381-3, 469-470)

April 27, 1950. Holloman AFB, Alamogordo, New Mexico.

While preparing for an MX-776A Shrike air-to- ground missile test Charles Riggs and other members of USAF contractor Land-Air, Inc., Askania theodolite crews saw, tracked, filmed 4 high flying objects on a cinetheodolite at station P-10 and a theodolite at station M-7. Triangulation resulted in 30 ft size and 150,000 ft altitude for the "high speed" objects located between Holloman AFB and Tularosa Peak.
(Sparks)

May 24, 1950. Holloman AFB, Alamogordo, New Mexico.

During an MX-674 Tarzon controllable vertical bomb test, Floyd Fannon and other USAF contract Land- Air, Inc., Askania theodolite crew members saw 8 unidentified objects then separately tracked and filmed 2 of the objects down the North American Aviation missile firing range. Cinetheodolite station P-8 filmed one object to the NE for 6 frames (1.0 sec) moving uniformly to the S from azimuth 38°26'59.2" to 38°33'59.2" and elevation 47°32'20" to 47°25'50". Cinetheodolite station P-10, located 5.6781 miles down range to the N (to azimuth 347.07723°) from P-8 and 7 ft higher, filmed another object, hence no triangulation possible, viewed to the E for 74 frames (14.6 secs) moving uniformly to the N from azimuth 86° 9' 9.2" to 85°47' 9.2" and elevation 25°48' 0" to 25° 7'50".
(Sparks)

July 1950, Holloman AFB, Afternoon. New Mexico.

Alerted to track an unidentified object with an Askania Cine-theodolite, Cliff Booth and his associate manned the instrument. They observed a cigar-shaped straw colored object with fins a third of the way done, and dark ports. It changes position now facing the camera, then it dropped. It turned sideways, dropped again. The exposed film showed a fuzzy image. Questioned by uniform officer. Not in Project Blue Book files.
(Lorenzen, Flying Saucers: The starting Evidence of the Invasion from Outer Space.)

Aug. 30, 1950. Holloman AFB, Alamogordo, New Mexico. 10:45 a.m.

During a Bell Aircraft MX-776 Shrike missile test (for the later Rascal air-to-ground strategic missile) USAF M/Sgt and 8 Bell Aircraft employees on base saw two glaringly bright circular to elliptical unidentified objects maintaining relative position to each other following the B-50 launch aircraft from above on both the dry run and hot run prior to missile release. Objects gave "strong glare at all times" not reflected sunlight, maneuvered at high estimated speeds up to 10x the B-50 or roughly 2,500 mph for short distances, left no vapor trails, hovered, accelerated rapidly, made abrupt "square" turns with apparent size changing to indicate ascent and descent.
(Sparks; Jan Aldrich; McDonald files)

Aug. 31, 1950. Afternoon, Holloman AFB, Alamogordo, New Mexico. 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. (MST).

After V-2 missile launch no. 51, Project TWINKLE Askania theodolite crews tracked and filmed multiple objects sporadically several times from several different directions at very high speeds over the course of 3 hrs. Askania cinetheodolite station P-5 filmed object with major axis varying from 8.65 to 13.243 arcmins (0.1442° to 0.22072°), minor axis 3.493 arcmins (0.05822°), one frame per second on 60 cm focal length camera, 35 mm color film. Tape recording of audio reporting. Frames 593 and 595 (2 secs of nearly 10 mins? of film of object) show elevation angle changing from 53°44' to 52°38' at a rate of 0.37°/sec. Attempted interception by 4 F-86 jets from 93rd FIS, Kirtland AFB, for 1 hr. failed to locate objects, which apparently returned after jets left. Cinetheodolite observers noted object with definite shape and 3-D depth but indistinct or not sharp edges, no smoke or trail, object seemed to "rock or oscillate," lost when observer looked away to get angle reading.
(Sparks; McDonald files; Jan Aldrich)

Jan. 22, 1951. 50 miles SE [ESE?] of Holloman AFB, New Mexico. 10 a.m. (EST [sic; PST?] 11 ? a.m.).

Pilots Capt. Ernest W. Spradley of Aerial Photo Lab and Capt. James E. Cocker of All-Weather Flying Division both AMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, a General Mills Aeronautical lab project engineer Mr. McAleese and an airman, were flying in a C-47 heading E [ESE?] at about 11,000 ft [10,000-12,000 ft] and tracking a Project GOPHER plastic balloon at about 50,000-70,000 ft [70,000-100,000 ft] when they saw a bright star-like object hovering seemingly next to the pear-shaped balloon or above and to the side. As they approached and flew under the balloon they noticed the object descend to the balloon's level and grow larger in apparent size until about 1/4 to 1/2 the 70 ft balloon, when it appeared to be round and flat like a dime, milky white or silvery in color with a clear outline. Cocker and McAleese left the cockpit, went to the astrodome to observe the object. After 3 mins they saw the object separate from the balloon and head W at high speed, after about 1 min it emitted a series of 3 bright flashes like photo flashes at 1 sec intervals and disappeared from sight.
(Sparks; BB Maxwell Microfilm Roll 8 pp. 956-9; Jan Aldrich; Saunders/FUFOR Index)

"March 14, 1951. Holloman AFB, New Mexico.

The Air Force was hosting a test of secret aircraft manufactured by Bell Aircraft. For that time period, it was cut-edge tech- nology. Bell's engineers were in a B-50 flying at 15,000 feet when they spotted a group of objects they could not identify, flying in a confusing 'swirl,' then breaking into a 'V,' then back to a swirl and a 'V' again. The objects were slightly higher than the engineers' plane and seemed to be moving at a higher velocity. Perhaps the Bell people got it wrong. Birds such as high-flying geese, can travel at well over 15,000 feet. But the Bell engineers said that what they saw were not birds."
(Swords, Powell et al., UFOs and Government page 115. PBB.)

July 14, 1951. Holloman AFB, New Mexico.

During the morning two radar operators at a missile tracking site caught a fast-moving object on their scope. At the same time a tracker watching a B-29 with binoculars saw a large UFO near the bomber. Another observer sighted the UFO and, with a 35 mm camera,shot 200 feet of film. The UFO showed on the film as a round, bright spot. (The film has never been released.)
(Sparks; McDonald list; Saunders/FUFOR Index; UFO Evid I, pp. 77, 84. In the PBB review of the UFO Evidence it is said that this case does not exist in PBB files.

Aug. 25, 1952. Holloman AFB, New Mexico. 3:40 p.m.

Civilian supervisor Fred Lee and foreman L. A. Aquilar saw a round silver object fly S, turn and fly N, make a 360° turn, fly away vertically.
(Sparks; Berliner)

Feb 26, 1953 Holloman AFB. Night

T. B. Holliday, President of Land-Air Corp. and John Proctor, Vice President reported an orange-yellow disc shaped object with colored spots around the rim which appeared to be rotating slowly. The light moved from west to east at a 10 degrees angle for two and a half minutes, then shot shot straight up and disappeared within four seconds.
(El Paso AP Feb 26. Gross 1953 Supplement Jan-Feb. page 45)

June 4, 1957. Holloman AFB and White Sands Proving Ground. 12:30 a. m.

A bluish-green light approached Holloman AFB from the direction of Sierra Blanca (Old Baldy Mtn.) The light was swinging to and fro like a pendulum. The light headed to the southwest and the White Sands Proving Ground where the pendulum Swinging was notice again. After about 10 minutes it ascended rapidly and disappeared. Radar supposedly pick up the object, but this could not be confirmed.
(APRO Bulletin July 1957, page I.)

Nov. 4, 1957. About 8-10 [4?] miles SSW of Orogrande, New Mexico (at about 32° 18' N, 106° 8' W, elev. 4100 ft). 1:10 p.m. (MST).

James Stokes, electronics instrumentation technician, Rocketsonde Branch, High Altitude Test Division, AF Missile Development Center, Holloman AFB, NM, a Mr. Duncan of Las Cruces, NM, and Allan Baker of Holloman AFB. Stokes was driving S down Hwy 54 when his radio faded and the car slowed [stopped?] as if the battery was failing then he noticed 6- 12 cars ahead of him had stopped and drivers were out looking at the sky (looking behind him to the NE), including Duncan and Baker. Stokes stopped and got out, saw pearl-white oval or egg-shaped object about 500 ft wide with slight purplish tinge heading S at high speed estimated 1500-2000 mph from the NE below elevation angle of Sacramento Mtns ridgeline (about 1°), descending from about 5,000 ft above ground level in shallow dive to about 1,500-2,500 ft AGL as it swerved to the W to pass to the S of Stokes and the other stopped cars about 2 or 3-5 miles at closest, then circling around headed W and disappearing. The same or another object appeared in the NE (as if the object had completely circled) and performed same rounded course but passing farther to the S of the parked cars [about 5 miles?] and disappeared in the W. Duncan took 35 mm film of the object. Stokes noticed a wave of heat from the object at closest approach, later that evening was sunburned, but it cleared up the next day.
(Sparks; APRO; BB files; McDonald list; Saunders/FUFOR Index; etc,)

Oct. 11, 1958. W of Holloman AFB, NM. 1:22:44.0 a.m. (CST).

Special AF intelligence radar FPS-17 (XW-2) designed for overseas service undergoing testing at Laredo, Texas, detected an unusual meteor (IFO) tracked at roughly ~105,000 mph, height 64 NM (73 stat. miles), for 0.75 sec increasing range from about 454 to 473 NM (±2 NM relative accuracy, ±5 NM absolute) at elevation angle 4.0°° ±0.5° azimuth 313.0° ±0.5° on Radar Misson 164. Slow-moving ~800 mph meteor train left behind by meteor persisted for succeeding 27.3 secs. Meteor apparently on ~300° (WNW) heading at descent angle ~20°, velocity ~125,000 mph, about 6 NM WNW of Holloman AFB passed through radar beams descending from ~68 to ~60 NM height from radiant approximately 5.3 hrs. RA -13° Declination, within ~10° of Orionid shower radiant.
(Sparks; McDonald list; NICAP; BB files) IFO (meteor)

March 2, 1967. Holloman AFB/White Sands Missile Range. 10:25-11:31 a.m.

(Sparks; NICAP website; Condon Rpt.)