Significant UFO reports, in this country and abroad, continue to disprove debunkers’ claims that sightings have practically ended. It is true that the national press seldom carries the local reports which occur regularly around the country. Even highly important, officially verified cases are frequently unmentioned — often because the reports are quickly played down or are not released at all.
A striking example of such "hidden reports" recently came to light when NICAP, through its LANS Subcommittee, secured details of an official log at Vandenberg APB, Calif. Entries in the log disclose AF officials’ serious concern over a sudden outbreak of UFO activities last October. Reports from interceptor pilots, radar trackers and other AF personnel were listed in the log, including the following:
"–Total of six fighter/interceptor aircraft scrambled to investigate (three flights of two aircraft each).... Pilots reported four radar contacts and one visual contact with UFOs.
"–Visual sightings reported objects with coloration of bluish-white, red and green."
Logged AF radar trackings included these reports:
"UFO tracked on radar, traveled from horizon to 45 degree azimuth in one second at 18,000 feet altitude...
"–UFO tracked on radar from 30 miles out over ocean to within one-half mile of radar site at 4,000 feet altitude.
"–Radar tracking picked up as many as 14 UFOs on screen at one time."
The reports were initially received on Oct. 6, 1967, from an official at Vandenberg’s Western Test Range, who confirmed that a "flap" state was in effect.
When rumors of the reports leaked out, official explanations quickly explained the UFOs as smoke, birds or the result of temperature inversions. Base radar experts privately rejected all of these. Attempts to duplicate refraction and temperature-inversion conditions indicated that neither could have caused the strange flurry of "unknowns."
Vandenberg Air Force Base officials today are continuing an investigation into reports of unidentified flying objects in this area Friday night.
Officials as yet have not completed the investigation and as is required by regulation will say only that "The sighting is under investigation by an Air Force, team and the results of the investigation will be made public by the Secretary of the Air Force."
One woman who asked that her name not be used said that about 10:30 Friday night she saw three brightly colored UFOs hovering in the north-west sky. She said that two of them disappeared a short time later.
It was learned yesterday that the Air Defense Command at Oxnard Air Force Base scrambled four F-101B aircraft shortly after midnight Friday in response to a report from this, area. There was no official information indicating whether or not the planes made contact and identification.
Air Force officials this morning said that an investigation into the UFO sightings here October 6 indicated they may have been caused by a combination of smoke and temperature inversions.
The investigation, which culminated with the scrabling (sic) of defense aircraft from Oxnard AFB, was triggered by pickups of radar units assigned to Vandenberg.
The investigation was headed by Lt. Col. Richard Dixon of Vandenberg.
The October 6 sighting of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) by Vandenberg radar units promoted sufficient interests to cause a 7-member scientific team to spend two days here investigating the reports, it was learned today.
The scientists, headed by Robert Low, here acting under an Air Force-University of Colorado contract let specifically to the university to conduct investigations into UFO reports. Team members include representatives of the Colorado school, Stanford's Research Institute, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and the Environmental Sciences Services Administration - (ESSA).
The scientists arrived here yesterday and departed this morning. Results of their findings were not immediately available and will have to be made public by the University of Colorado or the secretary of the Air Force, base officials said.
The October 6 incident, attributed to an unusual phenomena appearing on radar tracking devices being manned by veteran operators, culminated with the scrambling of Air Defense Command assets from Oxnard AFB. To date it has not been made public whether or not the pilots were able to locate the UFOs.
A board of officers was appointed at Vandenberg to investigate the. sighting reports and officials of the Secretary of the Air Force's office in Washington said later that the sightings may have been caused by conditions of temperature inversion.
Unofficial sources said that the scientific team yesterday attempted to establish a controlled situation similar to the conditions present on October 6 to see if the phenomena would reappear.
Scientists working with Low on the investigation include Dr. Norman E. Levine of the University of Colo.; Roy Blackmer, Carl Herold and Dr. R.T.H. Collis of Stanford; Dr. Marx Brook of the New Mexico Institute and Dr. Roger Lhermitte of ESSA.
