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Releases / 4 / DOW-UAP-D095

Joint U.S.-Canadian Aviation Projects and UFO Sighting Reports, 1954-1955

File
DOW-UAP-D095
Type
Document, 57 pages
Agency
Department of War
Date
1955
Place
Various
Released
Release 4, July 10, 2026

The government's description

This file contains reports, memoranda, and correspondence concerning various then-developmental vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. The file includes assessments of the experimental potential of the “Avro Project Y2,” a joint U.S.-Canadian near-circular VTOL aircraft that is similar in appearance to contemporary popular descriptions of unidentified flying objects (UFO). A 1954 memorandum opines that VTOL aircraft with a circular planform may be mistaken for UFOs to observers unfamiliar with such technologies. It also recommends that UFO reports in the vicinity of Soviet military operations or assets be re-examined to assess whether they may be attributable to previously unknown advanced VTOL aircraft of foreign design.

The file also contains correspondence relating to a UFO incident involving a U.S. Air Force (USAF) KC-97 flying near Newfoundland, Canada in July 1955. A USAF committee found that the characteristics described in the report were inconsistent with those of known Soviet, American, or Canadian military systems. The committee was also “unable to explain the simultaneous ground radar returns and aircrew visual sightings.”

It also contains correspondence relating to the potential value of data from incidental radar collection of meteors entering the atmosphere. USAF Air Research and Development Command recommended using that data to improve the performance of the AN/FPS-17 radar system. Finally, the file contains correspondence indicating support for the Communications Instructions for Reporting Vital Intelligence Sightings (CIRVIS) program, a joint U.S.-Canadian civil-military program to standardize reporting methods for unusual or unidentified airborne and maritime hazards and threats.

Full text

Text taken from the war.gov PDF; 11 of the 57 pages are scans read by OCR software, so expect misread words. Blacked-out parts of the original stay blank, and pages with no readable words, like photos, are left out. Check anything important against the original.

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DECLASSIFIED
Authority:
NND 974373
Best Possible Image

Page 3

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DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
Head.quarters United States Air Force
Washington 25 1 D. C.
SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD TO THE CHIEF OF STAFF, tJSAF'
scn;NrIFIC ADVISORY BOARD :REPORT ON AVRO PROJECT Y2
~
Novembex· 1951+
----------:"
This document consists of ______ pages
Copy Number~-- of _,l.1,, ··- copies.
0
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Page 4

.

....
,

DEPARTMENT OF TBE AIR FORCE

t

Head.quarters United States Air Foree
Washington 25, D. C.
10 December 1954

Lieutenant General Donald I.. Pu·tt
Deputy Chi et of Staff, Development

Headquarters United States Air Force
Washington, D. C..

Dear Don:
In response to your request tor BAB commen·t,s on the Avco
"Saucer'' project, the SAB baa taken the following action:

The Aircraft and Propulsion Panels were brieted on September
28 ·by represente.tivea ot Bq. ARDC, at ·the time of the Fall meet~j.ng
of the Board in Omaha. The tentat:ive conclusions ot bo·tb panels
immediately atter this briefing were to the ettect that th.is pro­
.Ject warranted no more than limited support. l!oveve:r, to assu1·e
·thoro\lgb. consideration ot this project, I requested rt:?presentatives
of these two panels to supplement. the briefings given 'to -them at
~ by a. Tisi·t to A. V. Roe- Canada Ltd., Malton., Ontario.
With the advice of Clark Millikan and Dean Soderberg., a select

committee ,ms choaen to conclude this study. It was c~sed ot
Dean Soderberg, Chairman of the Propulsion Panel and senior member
o'f the group; Professor Markham, of the Aircraft Panel; and Mr .
Donovan, who has been serving both as a member or 'the Aircraft Panel
and as lie..:I.son member with the Propulsi,on Panel.
The attached report ot this ,group is ~orwarded with my «.PPt•oval,

representing the results ot the SAB's ccapleted study.

Sincerely,

/a/
J. H. DOOLr.rTLE

Actins Chairman
Scient.itic Advisory Board
Office ot the Chief of Sta.ff

Inclosure
•

-

S E C Ft B 'f

Page 5 · OCR

| December 6, 1954
Generel, Jemes H. Doclittle, Acting Chairman
Selentific Advisory Board
Offies of the Ghie? of Staff
Howiguerters Ualbed States Aor Fores
© Veshingtom, D. G.
Dear General, Doolittle:
a% your request we constituted ourselves an ad hoc exoup . oon . a
elude the studies of ‘the A.V. Roe Gompany project Y¥2, which wes pre- : |
sented to the Scientific Acvisory Board at the Omaha neviings in’ ‘Sop- - |
tember of this. years We visited the As Vo Roe Company in Toronto on
November 17 and 18. After considering the information available we
us, we present tae following report.
We. wig © com nae Ghee officials of ‘the Ay ‘Y. Ros Company fi
moot courtecia and 1 well-planned reception, making
bie uss of “Une available time.

Page 6 · OCR

hovering: fee Level, flight the intake is changed to @ om xual
frontal. inlet by a set of elides and door, In later versions the

redial engine has been replaced by radially disposed acta flow
turbojote of conventional type. . Thie modification was originally —
eongidered de an intermediate version which might aimplity the evel
© énuent preecdures, but 4 ae he wadial engine has been more realisti-
 eelly appraised, it is: now “Looked upon as an alternative ‘form of
equal promise. ae
It is evident thet the invention involves a whole array of for= 7
mideble problems of research sind development. Zven in the smallest .
versions the outer diameter of the radial flow turbine ie about :
twenty feet. The entire voter must be supported on air bearings in
‘the radial oe woll as the axial direotion, and itis evident that
the eocompenying peoblens of meckanionl design are very aiftioult, S
The: deaign requires that very Jerge air flow (a iainimum of about
800 b/s) be regulated by 2 conplicated ayeten of mechanieal shuts

oe a the inlet as weld as on the outlet side. The problens of - al

- iderabile: attention. The many eteuotar

aa in minsteny airerett, The Justicieation for entering into

Page 7 · OCR

«

«

such an undertaking must depend on (a) the significance of the ob-
jectives vhich the now airplane claims to £111 end (b) the sound-
ness of the meana proposed to attain these objectives,
The key feature on which the design of the Y2 is based ie the
utilisation fer hovering of the pressure built up in the conter of
@ on ennuler jet gtreeam. This preeaurs bulid@up inoreeses tha ligt , .
at standstill close to the ground in such a fashion as to indicate
the practicability of hovering a fow feet off the ground with n=
gines whose static sea level thrust, without this euguentation from
ground effect, would be ese than the alrplene gross weight. Also,
because of the nature of ‘the ground effect, the aireraft would be
wteble with respect to height when hovering; that is, it would not
require pilot attention te held & height abovs the ground, elthough
ae it would -fequire control, te nointein ite attitude. The thrust: aug
eo Oo nentation for hovering obtained by A. V. Roe in exall scale tests te Z
: of ‘the order of 60 to BOR. Because the appropriate variables vere. /
not investigated and the pertinent meagurementa not made during the
‘tena, data are not avatlable to extrapolate this result — : y to 2

predict accurately full scale augnen tation factors.
features which could make the full Beale sugeentstion Sectors |

but very Little kel shod of their being larger than in the

ss The possibility of stable hovering Lay nevertheless ’ an engaging

feature. "‘Uafortmately, at hap doninatea the evolution of the cone

Page 8 · OCR

figuration to such en extent. that ‘performance in level flight ap-
pears to have been aomhousl: re compromised. Since forward flight is, &
at ver alk ¢ the. important function of any aixplane, 1 we have attempted
to examine into the. inventor’s clata for the flight characteristics : 2
with particular care. . Bes
The inventor has advanced claims for favorable forusrd eaagnt -
characteriatics on the basis: ‘that tho redial flow angine has a very
favorable thrust to to wedght ratio (about. 222), > that the specific ‘ras

os on the projected: area of the ) Bene (about 600, « excluding air intakes}
se is > unuoualty high, oe he ag, characteristics of the ‘Plane are

of oa a ane the spect pon weight ie no Longer snusual and

Page 9 · OCR

&

lengthy and expensive experiments are needed to settle these questions
with finality. 7
The inventor has assumed that some improvement in the drag aite-
ation might be ‘obtained through boundary layer suction. The alleged
gain from this source 1s aenooloted with the distribution of the ex
hans. jot over the trailing edge of the airplane, 7% ia not wholly
© impossible thet euch a gain might in fect be present, but no reliable ee
test information is available at the present time o: this point. te:
this reapect this airplane differs from more conventional types only
| ‘because the exhaust jot is distributed over the trailing edge of the
: ° wing. The circular plan form offers no. particular aaa in ‘thi 7 :
We are confronted, therefore, with an airplane development, which Soe
does. not appear to pogsess any intrinsic advantages either with the: |

o & ovigine? radial engine or with the spoke arrangenent of ‘convention .

ao turbojeta. | ‘The pressure recovery on the induction side is curtain
to be poor fox both alternatives 7 even with the whaoet development 5
ee. details at could not approach the performance of conventional aire x ee
planes. the. ducting on the oahens® wilde presente equally form

oe aigtioultis from the point of view of lossse, and the wns ai :

o boundary layer suction ia only conjectural. These things . ight hav
_ : beon compensated for it the drag characteristics of the ‘Blane « con~

‘figuration could be. denonstrated to be favorable. ‘There is no

Page 10 · OCR

information to indlnete Get tale ia se. Ne baele lews appear to heve
been tranegressed in the design. It is merely a question of overempha-
sis on the hovering characteristics without any aseurance that the .
level flight characteristics would be tolerable.
in arpiving at a recommendation for action.by the United States
@ aie Porea, ve beve attempted to bring into foeus several considerations.
The kind of imaginative thinking about unconventional aircraft vid |
the inventor has displayed certainly has a place, and there is per : :
haps not enough of it in the plemning operations of the USAF. When a
: ‘ schens of thie Bind Le ready for more. serloue exploitation, however,
‘certain considerations are essential. The dreams sust stend the wet
gt herdheaded theoretioal and experimental evaluation. The argument
| thab such a procedure, if applied te aircraft developments fifty — =
years 860s would heve prevented povered flight is « apecious one. ce
tse development of an engine such ag the es 4g it ds to be carried

te a flight article of some kind, ia an uidertaking of such e nega .
28 4 ade that it simply cannot be undertaken on @ mere hunch. We. ao not 2

, feel | that the investor can. support the claims ne has made for iN,

perticulerly with, reference to level flight. Moreover, we find « a
Dee serious lack of attempt at a syotenatio exploration of the verious -

: key aerodynamic phenomena involved. There must alse be a eet of

goals for the aircraft, which would place it in a Glase aheed of

Page 11 · OCR

=

; . other developnents. in performencs, Lf the basie ideas should be
capable: of realisation. ; We ‘do not feel, thet the objectives of
the devalomment have been dlearly formated. In particular, we
feel that there has been a procecupation with the hovering ehar~
acteriatices ‘to such an extent that the nore direct essentials of ot
the eiroreft have boon Lost sight of,
We do not guas tion the abllity of the Be v.. Row Company
under tales sucesnsfully any well~coneeived project in the air
field which lies within ‘their natertal resources. Our visit con

dn det airorayt and | gins.

thoroughly sold on the 12 Project. te ie meni~

Page 12 · OCR

. & ; :
the bacis of the above, We Yecommend againet any contractual ee
support for this project util much Greater notmnttels ties have been aan
desonstrated. by Ae v. Rosa own analysis.
. Sincerely yours,
© oe Signed: Allen FP. Donovan

Joba R, Merkham .
©. Richard Soderberg, Chairman

Page 23

..

We h&Te preaate4 to 7011 ao■e eT14ao• Uult fl7fac aaw,era ai-e w:lthia
the oapa'bili\iea of \he exiatinc •au.te •f Ille ar\ 1 in thia oeunv7 ad
0uad&. !he ••tat• of \he art• ia well boa in ~opeaa ceU11tri••• !he
a.au.a effeo\ baa \••• bon to all oou.triea aad ~• &PJ)lica,1oa ta ut
be70n4 ill• oapa'bili\iea of th• Sevieta. It 1• poaaibl.e ta&\ hnan projeota
tor flT,lq •ucea ena\ed at th• •a4 of tile var. 91.e au 00•114.ered
P•••i'bl• tei>• la thia field ia auppoaecl to b• 1a ~ u.a. aov. W• haYe

repor\a •• •P

vit•••••• ot tl71ac aauea ia 8oTie\ \err1'9r7.

Ult.I
~1»11'211
1. !he eatlr• 1•-•lligen.oe oe1111W1l,7 be alerte4 to a poaalbl• SoT1et
aotivit7 h 11>.11 fiel4.

a.

All exiatinc tt.1•• oa toreip tl.Jiac·aauoera ahoul.4 \e reT1ewe4

u4 anal7se4.

1. llrm Ba\eicah llhoul4 'be iaterropted '7 iatelllc•aoe aaalyata
11ho haTe a full baolr.gr.ad •• ex1a,1ac 1a,e111ceaoe.
,. le\•r• Kie\he llhould be feud. Poaail>l7 Kietae OM.14 1l&Ye uuce4
hi• name k llruao Jer'beioh er aoae • tiler al.iaa.

s• .A. oolleotloa reca.uiN•nt aheul.l be plaeed. ea all aceoi•• ia the
field. i:D.Olu41q the .A.itach•••

Page 26 · OCR

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Page 27

SECRET
DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
HEADQUARTBM UNITED STATES AIR P'ORCIE
WASHIN<aTON &I. D. C.
JAN 131955
-
POI IIIIIAL UWOD
81IBJJIC!lt
Anicle "91e J'qi. . Diao• ill DeCIIDW I • - of-. Air
Iatellipae• lt:l.·•t
1. 111r1J1a tM latter ,-n ot ...,.._er I wu annached. _,
Jll.1or Boated. u4 uud fer a ..., auaar:, or atataat flt peai't1•
oa UPO' ■, pnt.-..q cluaitie&, 'for ue 1a '1w Air Iatellipaoe
wne
Dipat ia ooamectica Yi'tll . . &niel.• OD.. rnelJl.tioury of aircraft. I atatei. oar }'Olit.1• reprtiq IJO'• &al Uliea\N.
-U.t wr beat etton■ 1• '111• ti•l.4 wre coutaa1.ly tirecte4 'to
li■ ccvacillC, ld.aia:lsiaa, u4 Jl.ayiJaa 4on. Ul1' ... all &\tellpta
a\ ,ulioi'Q', an uclwliDC cluaitied Tebiclea a11Cla u AID.
2. Ma..1or Boaton &coepte4 "111• atataen, iaticat1111 tat
the artiele oa ta...,. aircraft 1NNl.t. lte ,ultliallei. withod . _
•GIIJMlmoa piece • WO'• _. nae•tea "1».t I gl.aaoe a, 'tile tiu.1.
tran.
3. I r-4 the tia&l iraft u4 aiaoe I Ml not l>ea ·pnm.~
ltrietel. an 1-111•
ect I ...,.r1.a IIIJor -..tor,. nprt1ac aom
Be re.,lie4 in tu attimatift Ml
iatiea'W. \Mt we wre oa aolil pva4 em "11&, 'tbe »reJect llierne­
fore .... - · - llad1e4 Tery CircnlllQeCi;q. .,. tiul. ·-•Uoa ,,..
to el.1aillate the lut paracraph ~ the article witll a 1ll'O i1e-1a,
vtaicll vu prolNlltly cmarloek.e4 lteton ~lica\1011..
Ul4 Air fiatt
.•1;1oa.
•• liaoe the reoeipt ot "1le aaoru4a trca the :lan.\i'ft
Seere\&ry at tile 8ciertitic .lbiaory Join. (!alt A), . , iawa\ipUeu
M f t revealed. '1ae tollowiq:
a.
.. toll.on:
!lie eneat ot coonliu.Uoa Oil the article ia AD waa
)Ir.~
Irr Jl&o--
- 2Cl.
- 2C1
Lt Colonel Pvrior - 2Cl
Celoul Zoller
Jlr. C11lllor•
ColOIIMll. Mw
••
- 2C
- 21
- 2l
)Ir. hlJJa vu lllller u. erroaeou illprueiea that tu
proJen 1IIM1. -..... fa'YOl'Uly cQU1UN4 lo" tu Air coaeil. aD4 ao
a4'Yiae4 JltJor »>atod.
e. eol.eul 1. •• VnQ-, m.tet ot tbe ~ i c a l Xnaioa,
..a
Diree\orate o'f Jleae&Nll
D ~ t . , &bi••• tlaat ,u pruen-t
••• Gt tM :pro.)ect w1'111a BCIJ/JJ ia u tollwa:
✓
SECRET

Page 30

DEPARTMENT .OF THE AIR FORCE
HEADQUARTERS UNITE£) STATES AIR··FORCE
WASHINGTON 25. D. C.
14 December 1954
MIIDWIDUM JOI. DIBl&TCll 07 IIDLLIGDCI, DOIi
SUBJJCT:
Scientitio Advisor, Board bport on .A.VIO •n11nc Saucer"
Project.
1. J.ttached tor yora: intonation. ia a cow of a recent n­
port of the Scientitic Mriaor, Board on their atud7 ot the •t17ing aaw»r• project ot .A.. v. aoe, Cu.ad&.
2. Your attention ia particul.arl.7 iDTited to ta. generally
negative tiDdiDga vit.b reprd to technical feasibility expreaaed
1D thia report, in contrut to~ pnenJ. 1.lqateaeion ot techni­
cal aouadDeaa ad optiJliatic expectation.a COllff,-d in the article.
on "The Pl1ing Diec• publiahed in the Decaber, 1954, iasue ot
1ihe .l1r Intelligence Dipat.
3. Thia report vu eul:aitted to Lt. Gen. D. L. Putt on
10 Deouber in reaponae to hie pretlou reqU11at tor SlB oaamta.
-,,,
Incloaure
l . .lvro rpt, 07 2
.'
CBIS!II I. IWDT
._cutiw Secretary
lcien.titic .Adrlaor, Board
- ottice ot 'tM Ohief ot Statt

Page 37

COYER$
•·
SUSPENSE
OIIIIIII a,
DATE
AIIISICiiNED ..,
.,.
-..:r
( Un.cl)
Memorandua for Record
Iniiial " l N " column t o denote review prior t o action.
action; ; for coordination.)
I n i t i a l "OUT~'
column t o d e n o t e review of completed action.
---,----
IN
OUT
{X for
OFFICE
OFFICE
Olll-2X
OIN-Xl
OfN•lU
Sit ARMY OFF
18:
o.\TI
....
2 5 JUL 1955
AJOD-X
C:OMlfENT NO.
.Af0Df-2X
C0IIMIIITI (U. ...... ~-·•,,,.)
1Porwar4ec1. ror your approval and signature.
c.
Colonel, USAF
Directorate of Intelligenoe
2 Incl•
n./o
d,...)
inal{s) Bo. ---·--"·-
---------
/ar• •1)ed1:am (or not ~tt~obt4},
- - - - - - ~ - - - - - cl:lSSL. icatlOD
this Co ...,... et"!•..,c·., .. ,.,11 ... e uill b, down.ed to
!~"'-"~
-·---- ln
cordance with Par
• A1B 20&-1.
~....
'.;.)k-'
..........,.,,,,
AFHQ "~: 53 0-86
;
PR!YIOUI EDITIONS OF THIS FORII

Page 38

COVER
..
ORIGIN OF
SUSPENSE
SIC
ASS l&NED BY
TE
12 Ju 55
SUBJECT
lleaonm4111. for Beeonl
ROUTIIQ
prior to act ioi.. bi tial "OOT• column to det.ote re..-iev of C<npleted
1 :
.aoD-2
P'RON:
DOil-20
Att&oMt. 1a an Air Statt 8wr7 Suet oGIIIIPlY1Jac nth paragrapll 2.a. of CWu
2.
2·Incla
Incl 1
MM~-1 Incl
.... ueet
2 1u1a
VIRGIL L. ZOLLER
Colon.el, USAJ
Directorate of Inte1111..,.
-
. .i..... t•) ...
.. ....,.
.1~
••
"°'
...,
......
..
ilasalf!catlon ot thia -
...........
o r _ _ . \e
0-88
'EltVfOUS EDfTIONJ 0, Tttt• J'eRM W.Y K
USED,

Page 39

SUSPENSE
at 161H OF &AS IC
DATE
0IN-2Cl~
D IY
TE
TYPE
SUBJECT
Memorandum. for Record
ROUTING
r to &ctioa. Initial "OUT" column to deuote reTiew of completed
T :
AFOIN-2
f'ltOM:
AFOIN-2C
Col. Ma.cDuff
COMi£NTS(
!Ot
15 JlllJ' 1,,,
AJOD-2C
l
AftD-lt'
COl.
e-..•.a
1. A con ot ~ •'"aebM.
te .UOD•ll ..._ .UOD-2.A..
1.
tt ia teaint tbat yow. tau the.tollolt1.nc two ~iou;
it.
•· PrQue a letter to t1ae »cs ,eJ=-tina, r.r .....-.i SUrtor4'• a1patve,
GOat&iaiJla the i-ec-alat1ca o f ~ 9 o f ~ :a.
'b. Prepare a ,-er for :rel-• to the BCD coataill1Jlc the 1.afort111.t1•
1:aclde4 iJl ~ 1 ~ 6 ~ ,-r
. '!Ilia pqer alllul4 -• cocml1u.te4
tbnq'b .DGD-2 prior to rel-•.
l Illcl
~b7
4M ll .r.l 55
FCRM
AFHQ tt JUL 94 0-88
.E. SCHIIIDD
·.·•·~:,~
Colonel, US.A.1'
Directorate ot Intellia•DO•
. ,£Rvtous u1n0Ns o, THtl '°""' MAY H usro.
7

Page 40

.,
,.
.; ,'
•
,.
*
.AFOIN-2C4
'
Col. MacDuff /bps/524-66
w/11 July 1955
MEMORANDtM FOR RECORD
PROBUM:
.. .... --
1.
To evaluate Kc 97 crew sightings and ground radar returns of object in
the Newf'o,mdland.. area ( 491
5950W) .
FACTS
DISCUSSION:
--···AND.... ·----. ..... 2.
OIN-2C directed ·the OIN-2C cotmllJ.ttee 011 8 July to evaluate the 6 July
Kc 97 sightings and GCI radar returns over Newfound.land as summarized and detailed
inCAF IN 15592, dtd 6 JuJ.y 55 and CAF IN 90703 dtd 7 July 55.
3. In arriving at the following conclusions the conmittee reviewed reports
summarizing the incident, the crew interrogations and the NEAD evaluation of
the j_nc1.dent. In addition certain new U.S. and Canadian developments in high
performance unconventional aircraft were considered.
CONCLUSIONS:
4.
It was concluded that no intelligence is available to support or deny
the existence of unconventional Soviet aircraft comparable to those un.der
consideration in the US and Canada and provid1.ng performance such as reported.
5. The committee was unable to explain the simultaneous ground radar
returns and aircrew visual sightings, and tentatively accepts the NEAC evaluation
attributing the :i.ncident to electrical phenomenon on the one hand and mis­
interpretation of -the s:i.ghtings by aircrew members on the other.
6.
It was further concluded that this inc:f.dent should be classified as UFOB.
7. This i ten1 is not consj_dered suitable for inclusion in D/I Policy Book
or the Daily Staff Di.. gest.
RECCMOOIDATIONS:
.......
8. Due to the serious technological threat should tmfriendly nations succeed
in developing high performance unconventional ai.rcraft increased effort should
be made by all collec·tion agencies to penetrate the Soviet Research and Development
establishments a.nd programs in order to give the U.S. adequate warning of any
developments in this area.
9. It is further recommended that in the event of future incidents of this
nature fighter scrambles be effected without delay.
COORDINATION:
....... i···• ■
•·
I ■■
■
-■ U
AFOIN-2C4, Col. MacDuff, ext. 52
AFOIN•-2Cl, Lt. Col. Farrior, ext.
AFOIN-2C2, CoJ.. Gould, ext. 56200
AFOIN-205, Col. OWynne,,ext. 55538

Page 41

'
DEPARTMEN
A.F RQ- 50 fl!."' 21 June 48)
44►
Hf}I
...., '
10-5
I
OFFICE OF PREPARATION
TO
.UOil-204
TEL.
- - - - , - - - - - - - - - + - - - - - + - - - - - - - - « - - - - - - - ' I GRADE - SURNAME
52466
Col Whitaain/t>PS
SUMMARY
l. On 6 July the cm ot a l'.C-97 taker ~rtecl the aigb:tillg ot an Wli4entifie4
e'b.1ect 1n the l'elffnndlaa4 aNt& 1
) • At the tiae ot the aightiq a
CICI raclar in the aaae ar-. obtaiaed a raclar r • ~ o~,aa !b.1ect vllich apparently,,..
14-'tical to 1:he one the KC-97 crew ba4 Dier viaual obeenation. A CQllllittee, appoiatec1.
by tbia Directorate t. eV&l:ct&te this sighting reviewed r-.,orta n111~:riz1Dg the inciclent
by the Bortlleaat Air CCIIIIM4.
!he e-:1 ttee ten:tativel.1' attribute4 the sighting to
electrical ph-.eacm and visual Jliainte17retaticm by aircrew J1811ltera. . At the auae tiae,
honver, the P--~ttee 41acuee4 the poaaibility that the object might have been an
hip pertomu.ce 'IUlCODva.ticmal aircraft. !bi• Directorate is or the op1Jlien that tbe
clevelopaent of such an aircraft by u untri~_nation woucl. conetitute a aeriou
teolmelopcal threat to the Uaited states, and therefore eve-ry ettort mat be aa4e to
14eatity ·aightiaga 1n the tature. ...
In ita cliacuaaioa of aethecla to be uaed to obta:f.B 1i.ent11'1catien or objects
aighte41a a similar fashion ill th.e tuture, the CGIIM:Jttee eoael114ecl that the aetho4
po•••••iD& the ••t l1ke.l.ihoe4 of su.ceeaa YWl4 1-e interceptio ot the ob.1ect by tia;b.ter
'tile •~t •t :tat.are incicleJlta ot.thia natve fighters
2.
ulq.
,
,
•. ••
•••ace
. .• . 3•. Atta.cul u !ab A ia a JropNe4
to the ee.uMr IIACCII, tirectiBg • •
• aCJ:'lllllJi. ot
llaJra aa reecaanua 1t7 tu Nll■i ttee.
•
•
DCCIIIIIDA.TIOJI
It.. Sipature of attached •aaage.
FRANK B. CHAPPELL
Colonel USAF
Directorate ot Intelligex1ce
l Incl
••a
to
C4r DAC
PrQoae4
~1703
I
00
11579

Page 46 · OCR

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Page 57

.
,r

IIBIIORANDt111 FOR THE RECORD

SUBJECT:

NOV

3 1955

CIBVIS Program

1. In accordance with AFR 200-3, Bq KATS, is responsible
for contacting commercial airlines and pilots to indoctrinate
them and secure their participation in the CIRVIS program as
outlined in the JAMAP 146 series.
2.

Intelligence Division, Rq JIATS, has done an out­
standing job in this indoctrination, having contacted coJD.ercial
airlines, the National Business Aircraft Association, and the
pilots in both. They have secured the cooperation of all
coapanies and associations through writing a multitude of
letters. They have gone into the field and personally lectured
to regional pilots' meetings and have succeeded in getting a
real interest in CIRVIS aroused for the first tiae. This has
been a treaendous task a.nd has only been accomplished by an'
exceptional effort. However, the only way to keep the interest
at a peak is to keep. eaphasizing the illlportance of the CIRVIS
program to them.. MATS' efforts aust continue.
3. Al'OIK-lA-P, wherein lies the responsibility for 11.oni­
toring the CIRVIS program. for APOIN, and in part for Hq USAF,
has long felt that JIATS should be compliaented in writing on
their fine job, and ~t the same tiae be urged to continue their
prograa. It is felt that any letter of recognition or
comaendation should COJl.e originally from CINCON.AD and an in­
foraal suggestion has been made along these lines.
4. However, this seeas like a good opportunity for
us to easily and naturally show our awareness of and satisfac­
tion for a job well done. Hence, the forwarding of the
correspondence from ADC by the letter indicating our apprecia­
tion.· It is felt that we should take this chance to help
the• continue the good work.

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