ufo_data/bin/rr0/tran1951.md

• January

• January 8, 10:45 PM: In South Fort Worth (Texas), W. J. Boggus, his wife and other drivers and passengers stopped to observe 2 groups of red and green lights staying stationary in a triangular formation in the sky, before leaving [[case Blue Book # 864 unexplained]]{.source}.

• January 12th, 10 PM: At Fort Benning (Georgia), 2nd Lieutenant of the US Army A. C. Hale observed a light with a fan-shaped trail. The light remained still like a star for 20 minutes, then disappeared in the distance [[case Blue Book #868 unsolved]]{.source}.

• January 16: In Artesia, New Mexico, two members of a General Mills balloon project observe their 110-foot balloon at an altitude of 112,000 feet when they spot a round, dull white object. It appears larger than the balloon, but does not move. Later, the balloon team, the Aeronautical Research Laboratory, the director of the Artesia airport, and three pilots see two objects from the airport. They fly side by side, circle the balloon, then head northeast. The second sighting lasted about 40 seconds unexplained Blue Book case, sometimes reported, probably in error, in 1952{.source}.

• January 20: At the Sioux City (Iowa) airfield, a DC-3 of the Mid-Continent Air Lines is about to take off when the control tower signals a bluish fire to the west but allows the departure. The tower then signals that the fire is heading towards them. The pilots see it coming and it brushes past them. A passenger colonel confirms: a B-29 fuselage without wings, a long black cigar and ultra-fast. Official explanation: a B-36 was in the area (probably had lost its wings) Log and Gigi{.source}.

• An article from Cosmopolitan magazine, titled "The Infamous Flying Saucer Hoax", blames Kenneth Arnold for setting off a chain reaction of mass hysteria and fraud.

• February 1st, 5:10 PM: At Johnson Air Base (Japan), the pilot and the radar operator of a night fighter F-82 observed an amber light making 3 to 4 360° turns to the right, redirecting itself towards the F-82 and then rising until out of sight [[case Blue Book #886 unexplained]]{.source}.

• February 16: In the USA, the Joint Chiefs of Staff approve the recommendation 51/1 of the PJBD for an extension of the Permanent Radar Network, which requires an extension and consolidation of the current control and alert system of Canada and the United States into an operational system to meet the defense needs of both countries.

• February 26

• (February 21?) 4:55: At Durban (South Africa), 3 men in a truck and various other people saw a dark red object shaped like a torpedo with a darker center flying straight [[case Blue Book #896 unexplained]]{.source}.

• 7:10am: At the USAF base in Ladd (Alaska), USAF Sergeant J. B. Sells observed a grayish, metallic object estimated to be 120 feet long and 10-12 feet thick. The object was stationary, emitting smoke, and after 1-1:30 minutes it flew away [[case Blue Book #897, possibly February 25th]]{.source}.

• March 5: Photograph (below) of George Adamski at Palomar Terraces (California). Adamski claims it is a mothership.

• March 10

• 9:51: At Chinnampo (Korea), the crew of a USAF B-29 bomber, including the scanner operators or the tail gunner, saw a large red-yellow light burst and become blue-white [[case Blue Book unexplained, no other information in the archives]{.source}.

• The US Army Air Defense Command takes command of all air defense forces assigned to air defense for the first time.

• March 13, 2:30 PM: At the USAF base in MacClellan (California), 1st Lieutenant of the USAF B. J. Hastie and Mrs. Rafferty observed for 2 minutes a cylinder with tails, 200 feet long and 90 feet wide, turning north and flying at an incredible speed [[case Blue Book #907 unexplained]]{.source}.

• March 15, 10:20: In New Delhi (India), 25 members of an aeronautical club, including the chief aeronautical engineer and his two assistants, observed for 7 minutes a metallic object in the shape of a cigar with a white exhaust that became black when it accelerated to an estimated speed of 1000 miles/h. It then made a large loop [[case Blue Book #908 unexplained]]{.source}.

• End of May: The T-2 section of the AMC becomes the ATIC.

• June 1st, 4:20 AM: Near Niagara Falls (New York), Sergeant-Chief H. E. Sweeney and 2 other men saw for 30 to 40 seconds an object shaped like a saucer with arc-shaped wings, emitting a yellow-orange light, flying towards the sky [[case Blue Book #925 unexplained]]{.source}.

• June 15, 11:30 PM: 10 km southeast of La Roche-sur-Yon, R. Gavache observed at mid-height between a band of clouds and the horizon, a spherical red fire, the size of an orange, a beautiful bright red stable, no twinkling, motionless then moved slowly towards the northeast then the southwest, rose a bit, with some very slow swaying, downward movement, observation time 20 minutes, no sound, good moonlight, 3 witnesses, ball lightning (?), thunderstorm the previous night, heavy weather during the day, but during the observation partially clear sky and dotted with stars BSAF, 1951, p. 174{.source}.

• June 22: Launch of dogs Dezik and Tzigane aboard a recoverable capsule; 4 minutes of weightlessness.

• July

• July 10: Start of development of Redstone and the US Army.

• Abduction of Pierre Monet.

• July 24, 7:10 AM: At Portsmouth (New Hampshire), Captain Cobb and Cpl. Fein, both officers of the USAF Hanscom base operations, observe for 20 seconds an tubular object 100 to 200 feet long, about 5 times longer than wide, with fins at one end, grayish in color with many black spots. The object flies between 800 and 1000 miles/h at an altitude of 1000 to 2000 feet, leaving a slight trail [[case Blue Book #943 unexplained]]{.source}.

• Summer: A New Zealand scientist, Doctor Rolf Alexander, during an interview with General Marshall, receives the following confidences: UFOs exist and are piloted by extraterrestrials, these beings are peaceful and authorities are aware that they do not constitute a threat to the planet, the USAF has ordered no action to be taken against these craft, there have been 3 UFO landings which have proven disastrous for their occupants.

• August 4: A single-engine plane vanishes over Alaska, along a route of approximately 60 km, without sending any message.

• August 25

• 9:58 PM: In Albuquerque, New Mexico, Hugh Young, a guard from the secret Sandia base, and another witness accompanied by his wife see a huge V-shaped formation of lights silently pass overhead, heading south. It appears to be a large winged craft with these lights. Its size is estimated to be 1.5 times the wingspan of a B-36 bomber or 350 feet. 8 blue-white lights shine along the trailing edge of the wing of the formation. The estimated speed is 650 km/h (300 to 400 mph) and the altitude 240 to 300 m (800 to 1000 feet). Dark stripes are visible from below, and 6 to 8 pairs of pulsating lights on the side band of the craft. The observation lasts about 30 s.

• 21:20: 4 Professors from Texas Technical College see a semi-circular formation of 20 to 30 lights moving quickly above Lubbock (Texas).

"- before 0 h"

• They see two other formations flying in the same direction and at the same speed. The lights are a yellowish white, and they shine dimly.

• The nearby USAF radar station notices an unknown flying at 1450 km/h and roughly 3900 m altitude at the same time. The spots remain on the screens for 6 minutes, and an F-86 Sabre quickly takes off, but fails to intercept the UFO.

• Dozens of witnesses see groups of lights passing quickly above them, forming a structure resembling a boomerang or a flying wing. The first observation, confirmed by a radar station, takes place in the suburbs of Albuquerque, followed by Lubbock (Texas). A group of professors, including Dr. W. I. Robinson, a geologist, observe that the phenomenon appears in the north at an angular elevation of about 45° above the horizon and disappears in the direction of the south unexplained Blue Book case n° 955{.source}

• August 26: Above the city of Washington, 2 radar stations simultaneously detect an unidentified echo whose speed is 1300 km/h. No terrestrial aircraft is capable of such a speed (the interceptors in service in the United States are unable to exceed 800 km/h).

• August 30: In the night, Carl Hart Junior, a student from Texas Tech, takes 5 photographs on which UFOs similar to those of August 25 can be seen (photo below).

• August 31

• Carl Hart Junior returns the 5 photographs taken the day before to the Lubbock Evening Avalanche. These documents have been authenticated by experts.

• 0 h 45: At Matador (Texas), Mrs. Tom Tilson and 2 or 3 other women, all apparently of excellent reputation, observe an object shaped like a pear, the length of a B-29 (100 feet), seeming of aluminum or silver, with some kind of opening on the side. It moves slowly drifting at an altitude of about 150 feet, then rises in a circular motion and disappears in a few seconds [[case Blue Book #962 unexplained]]{.source}.

• The 3 UFOs photographed in New Jersey. See photo at images/1951-09.jpg.

• September 1st: In San Francisco, USA, Australia and New Zealand conclude a Security Treaty ATS 1952 No. 2 Act 1952 No. 6; UNTS 131 p. 83; TIAS 2493] [Pine Gap Treaty, 1966{.source}.

• September 2: An unusual fireball is seen skimming across the California coast and disappearing before the eyes of many witnesses.

• September 6, 7:20 PM: In Claremont, California, Sergeant W. T. Smith and Sergeant L. L. Duel (?) observed 6 orange lights in an irregular formation, flying straight into the coast fog after 3 to 4 minutes [[case Blue Book #964 unsolved]]{.source}.

• September 10

• 11:10: At Fort Monmouth (New Jersey), during a demonstration of anti-aircraft guns pointed automatically by radar, an unidentified echo appears at low altitude. It flies at about 11000 m to the South of the station, heading North along the coast. The craft is moving too fast to be tracked automatically, so the Army Signal Corps operator switches to manual control. The operator estimates its speed at over 1100 km/h --- 700 miles/h, an incredible performance for the time, even for the best army jets. The group follows the craft for about 3 minutes, until it disappears from the screen to the North-East at about 13000 m altitude.

• 11:35: A USAF T-33 piloted by Lieutenant Wilbert S. Rogers and navigator Major Edward Ballard over Point Pleasant (New Jersey) saw far below them a silver-colored object - described by Rogers as round and flat and with a diameter between 9 and 15 m (30 to 50 feet), traveling at 1400 km/h. From its altitude of 6000 m (20000 feet), it began a rotating descent towards the UFO but was unable to catch up. They saw it descend towards Sandy Hook (climb and travel about 30 km?), before banking to the left at 90° (at 120°?) and disappearing towards the sea. Ground radar picked it up and estimated its speed at 1000 km/h.

• 3:15 PM: At Fort Monmouth (New Jersey), radar detected an object at an altitude of 18 miles moving slowly. Ground observers quickly confirmed the sighting although they could only observe a small silver dot. This sighting was later identified as a balloon.

• September 11

• 10:50: The radar at Fort Monmouth (New Jersey) detected a new unidentified echo at very high speed. No visual confirmation, as the sky was too cloudy.

• 13:30: The radar at Fort Monmouth (New Jersey) detected a second unidentified echo at very high speed. No visual confirmation, as the sky was too cloudy.

• Two other similar cases occur (5 since the beginning of the trial period); one of the detected echoes moves at a constant altitude of 28300 m. Among the witnesses is a group of senior officers responsible for evaluating this cutting-edge material.

• September 12: The project Grudge, dormant since December 1949, is reactivated under the name of project Blue Book, under the direction of Captain Ruppelt.

• September 13 (14?) 21:30: At the USAF base in Goose Bay (Labrador), Sgt. W. B. Maupin and Cpl. J. W. Green observe 3 objects on the radar. 2 are on a collision course, and one moves to the right at the radio request of one of the radar operators. No known aircraft are in the area. A third unidentified object then joins the first two. The observation lasts more than 15 minutes [[case Blue Book #969 unexplained]]{.source}.

• September 18, 0:20: In Goose Bay (Labrador), observation for 20 minutes of a disc the size of a B-36 Hynek, 1874, RO-11{.source}.

• October 2, 6 PM: In Columbus (Ohio), Howard Cross observed a bright oval object with a truncated tail flying straight, disappearing due to the distance after 1 minute [[case Blue Book # 980 unexplained]]{.source}.

• The Brazilian battleship Sao Paulo which "disappeared" near the Azores. See photo at images/saopaulo_300.jpg.

• 22:27: At Kadena (Okinawa), Sergeant M. W. Watson and Pvt. Gonzales, both radar operators, along with another Sergeant, detected a large sausage-shaped blip travelling at a speed of 4800 miles/h [[case Blue Book #984 unexplained]]{.source}.

• Two powerful tugboats are towing the São Paulo, the most beautiful unit of the Brazilian fleet, disarmed, to a demolition yard (discarded in 1945 after having only served in peacetime and bought by an entrepreneur for the scrap metal it represents). A storm forces one of the two tugboats to leave the convoy.

• October 4th: After the storm passed, the São Paulo disappeared from the Azores. The mooring that held it to the other tugboat had broken in the meantime. A large search operation was then set in motion. As the battleship had no radio, the 8 sailors on board could not give their position. In the morning, a cargo ship spotted some light signals that could be distress rockets. Another ship confirmed this observation. The search continued with more intensity, and airplanes reported black shapes in 2 or 3 different places, 35 to 40 km apart. A tugboat also observed a kind of black mass lying on the waves, but it disappeared afterwards. The investigation showed that the battleship had been properly ballasted and it was impossible for it to capsize before the search continued in the afternoon of the 4th.

• October 9

• 13 h 42 : At Terre Haute (Indiana), Roy Messmore, Director of Communications with the CAA Devices at Hulman Municipal Airport, observed a silver round object flying straight above him, reaching the horizon in 15 s unexplained Blue Book case{.source}.

• 13 h 45 : A very similar incident occurs near Paris (Illinois), 15 miles northwest, also listed as "unidentified" for years, but eventually reclassified [[case Blue Book #985 unexplained]]{.source}.

• October 11, 6:30am: In Minneapolis (Minnesota), the balloon researchers of General Mills, including aeronautical engineer J. J. Kaliszewski, aerologist C. B. Moore, pilot Dick Reilly in the sky, and Doug Smith on the ground. The flight team observed the first object, glowing intensely with a darker core and a halo around it. The object came high and fast, then slowed and made slow ascending circles for about 2 minutes, before finally disappearing in the distance to the east. Shortly after, a second object arrived, which was confirmed by the ground observers using a theodolite, who saw it fly through the sky. The total duration of the first observation was 5 minutes, and a few seconds for the second [[case Blue Book #989 unexplained]]{.source}.

• Autumn: The Twinkle project ends with the gradual disappearance of green fireball phenomena.

• November

• Around Boston, nearly a thousand people rally the authorities: they saw a "mysterious glow" above the sea.

• November 2: In Arizona, 165 witnesses witness the silent explosion of a giant green fireball in the sky.

• November 18, 3:20: At the USAF base in Andrews (Washington, D. C.), the crew of Capital Airlines flight DC-4 610 and Tom Selby, an air traffic controller at the USAF base in Andrews, observe an object with various lights. It follows the DC-4 for about 20 minutes, then turns around [[case Blue Book #1011 unexplained]]{.source}.

• Photo of Guy Marquand Bettmann{.source}. See photo at images/1951-11-23_Bakersfield_Marquand.jpg.

• November 24, 15:53: At Mankano (Minnesota), W. H. Fairbrother and D. E. Stewart, pilots of the USAF or ANG in their P-51 Mustangs, observe an object of milky white color of a shape similar to the Northrop flying wing (wide, slightly raised wing, without fuselage or tail). The wingspan of the object is estimated at 8 feet. It flies straight for 5 s [[case Blue Book #1013 unexplained]]{.source}.

• November 26, 10:22 PM: At Fructus (France), observation of a bolide appeared in the south at mid-Jupiter-horizon, heading horizontally towards the west. Emerald green in color, it left behind a wide trail ending in sparks, but without any sound. BSAF, 1952, p. 23 Bolides{.source}.

• December

• We observe in the sky a meteor of 60 m in width moving horizontally with a furiously burning tail, above the Atlantic.

"- December 7"

• 8:15: At Oak Ridge (Tennessee), J.H. Collins, an AEC guard, observed a 20-foot square, white-gray but not shiny, object flying above the mountains towards the clouds and returning twice, the maneuver lasting 30 to 40 seconds each time [[case Blue Book #1021 unexplained]{.source}.

• 4:30 PM: In Sunbury, Ohio, amateur astronomer Carl Loar observed a silver sphere for 30 minutes with his telescope. With two spots on the sides, the object seemed to explode and was replaced by a dark cloud and many spots [[case Blue Book #1023 unexplained]]{.source}.

• 27 December: Doctor Lincoln LaPaz declares that the project Twinkle is a failure and terminates it.

• In Tours (France), Mr. Pasquier saw unusual objects pass by four times BSAF 1952, p. 23 bolides{.source}.

• Controversial Photo of a Creature Recovered from the Crash Near Mexico. See photo at images/1951.jpg.

• Translation of the book by Frank Scully, Behind the Flying Saucers, under the title The Mystery of the Flying Saucers.

• Birth of the International Commission for the Investigation of Flying Saucers in France, which quickly becomes Ouranos. Founded by Marc Thirouin, it then brings together all people of good will interested in the phenomenon.

• The American astronaut Gordon Cooper observed UFOs for 2 days during test flights.

• Creation of the Civilian Saucer Investigation in Log Angeles.

• In Saint Paul (Minnesota), Donald Slayton, a test pilot on P-51, chased a disc at 3000 m which had approached him at 150 m. The UFO quickly escaped Hynek, 1979{.source}.

• At the Ladd Air Force Base in Fairbanks, P. Schumann, a lieutenant of the Air Defense Corps, and 12 observers saw and tracked an UFO on the tracking radar. The 12 sworn statements are lost Hynek, 1979{.source}.

• The release of the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still, inspired by a series of incidents involving flying saucers in the late 1940s, but also containing entirely new images. For example, one can see a circular room inside a flying saucer, lit by an invisible source, with an examination table used by doctors. The saucer itself is indestructible - a characteristic reported in later investigations of recovered wreckage. And the costume of the character Klaatu is almost identical to that worn by the extraterrestrial that George Adamski claimed to have met 2 years later.

• In France, the Bureau Scientifique de l'Armée de l'Air (BSAA) opens a file on the "Mysterious Celestial Objects" (MOC) which will become "Unidentified Flying Objects" (UFO) then "Unidentified Flying Objects" (OVNI). [[Record from the French Air Force dated September 20 1974 < Velasco 2004]]{.source}.