MORE SIGHTINGS !

IN 1992 I BEGAN SPENDING MORE TIME IN SEDONA THAN USUAL AS A MANAGER AT ONE OF THE LODGES THERE. IT WAS MORE THAN A FULL TIME JOB, REQUIRING ME TO BE AVAILABLE NEARLY ALL THE TIME. ONE OF THE BENEFITS WAS TAKING A BREAK ON THE FRONT PORCH IN THE EVENING, RELAXING, AND ENJOYING ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR VIEWS IN THE WORLD. THE LODGE LOOKS OUT OVER A RANGE THE OLD-TIMERS CALL "THUNDER MOUNTAIN." IT WAS NAMED AFTER WALT DISNEY MENTIONED IT HAD INSPIRED HIM IN THE WRITING OF THE ANIMATED FILM CLASSIC, FANTASIA. THE NEW "CITY FOLKS" PREFER CALLING IT CAPITOL DOME ;-)

ONE NIGHT IN EARLY AUTUMN I NOTICED SOME BRIGHT LIGHTS CRUISING SILENTLY OVER THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN FROM THE NORTH. SORT OF WAVERY SPOTS OF LIGHT THAT SOMETIMES SEEMED TO JUMP AROUND A BIT. I OBSERVED THIS SEVERAL TIMES THAT FIRST MONTH. SOMETIMES ONE, SOMETIMES TWO OR MORE, BUT ALWAYS SILENT AND ODD LOOKING. I BEGAN TO ASK OTHERS IF THEY HAD SEEN THESE LIGHTS, EXPECTING THE USUAL "JUST JETS," AND I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE HAD NOT ONLY SEEN THEM, BUT HAD BEEN KEEPING TRACK OF THE MYSTERY LIGHTS FOR OVER A YEAR. SOME SAID THEY HAD SEEN WHAT APPEARED TO BE MILITARY JETS, EITHER FOLLOWING OR CHASING THEM.

WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS I ALSO SAW THE JETS SOON AFTER THE LIGHTS WOULD APPEAR. IT WAS KIND OF INCREDIBLE. THE LIGHTS WOULD CLIMB UP ON THE HORIZON, MAKE THEIR WAY SOUTH AT A LEISURELY PACE, AND THEN THE JETS WOULD APPEAR FROM BEHIND, CLOSING AS FAST AS THEY COULD. SOMETIMES ON FULL AFTERBURNER. AT TIMES IT ALMOST SEEMED THE LIGHTS WERE "PLAYING" WITH THE JETS. THEY WOULD LET THE JETS GET CLOSE...THEN SPEED AWAY SO FAST THAT THEY WOULD APPEAR TO "BLINK" OUT FOR A SECOND OR SO, ONLY TO REAPPEAR MILES AWAY. SOMETIMES THE LIGHTS WOULD JUST MAKE A SHARP TURN IN THE REVERSE DIRECTION, CAUSING THE JETS TO SWING MILES OFF THE TRACK IN THEIR ATTEMPTS TO FOLLOW. BY THE TIME THE JETS WERE ON TRACK AGAIN, THE LIGHTS WOULD BE GONE!

A GROWING NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXCHANGED ANIMATED REPORTS OF THIS "UFO" PHENOMENON ON A REGULAR BASIS AT THE LOCAL COFFEE SHOPS AND GATHERING PLACES. IT WENT ON FOR ABOUT FIVE MONTHS, AND THEN IT STOPPED. WE ALL WATCHED THE SKIES EVERY NIGHT AS USUAL, BUT THERE WERE NO REPORTS. SOME BEGAN TO QUESTION IF THERE EVER WAS ANYTHING UNUSUAL IN THE NIGHT SKY.

BY THE SUMMER OF 1993 IT WAS MOSTLY FORGOTTEN.

ONE NIGHT I WAS STANDING IN THE PARKING LOT, SAYING GOOD-BYE TO ONE OF THE LONG TERM GUESTS. A FEW OTHERS HAD GATHERED AS WELL. A REPORTER FROM FRANCE, A SCHOOL TEACHER FROM CHICAGO, A WELL KNOWN LOCAL MUSICIAN AND MYSELF. I HAD MY BACK TO THUNDER MOUNTAIN, SAYING MY GOOD-BYES, WHEN DON, THE MUSICIAN, STARTED YELLING AT ME, "DOUG! DOUG! LOOK! THEY'RE BACK!" HE WAS POINTING EXCITEDLY TOWARDS THE MOUNTAIN. AS I TURNED AND LOOKED, I COULDN'T BELIEVE MY EYES. THEY WERE BACK!

A FORMATION OF THREE LIGHTS WAS DRIFTING SILENTLY OVER THE MOUNTAIN ON THEIR REGULAR COURSE SOUTHWEST.

I WAS EXCITED. I POINTED THE LIGHTS OUT TO EVERYONE ELSE THERE. I SAID, "THERE, SEE THEM? THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT!"

OF THE OTHER THREE STANDING THERE, I WAS STUNNED TO LEARN THAT RAY, THE GUEST WHO WAS LEAVING, COULDN'T SAY FOR SURE HE COULD SEE ALL OF THEM BUT WAS "PRETTY SURE. "

MARY, THE REPORTER FROM FRANCE, COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING.

AND BONNIE, THE TEACHER FROM CHICAGO SAID "OH YES, I SEE ALL THREE OF THEM AND THE MOTHER SHIP TOO!" AND ADDED, "THEY JUST CONTACTED ME AND SAID HELLO!"

WELL, I WAS COMPLETELY TAKEN BY SURPRISE. I HAD ALWAYS ASSUMED EVERYONE WHO SAW THESE THINGS SAW THE SAME "THINGS!"

I KNOW NOW I WAS WRONG! AND "CONTACTED?"

WELL, AT THIS POINT THE JETS APPEARED OVER THE HORIZON, ENGINES ROARING, LIGHTS FLASHING, AND STARTED GAINING ON THE LIGHTS. ONCE AGAIN, TO MY DELIGHT, THE LIGHTS JUST EASILY "WALKED AWAY" FROM THE NOISY JETS. SOON THEY WERE OVER THE HORIZON, AND THE OUTCLASSED JETS TURNED AROUND AND HEADED BACK.

THIS LAST EXPERIENCE HAS GIVEN ME A LOT TO THINK ABOUT OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.

HOW COULD IT BE THAT THESE PHENOMENON APPEAR DIFFERENT OR EVEN INVISIBLE TO DIVERSE PEOPLE? COULD THIS BE THE REAL STUMBLING BLOCK IN IDENTIFYING THE UNIDENTIFIABLE? I'VE ASKED THIS QUESTION OF A NUMBER OF PEOPLE OVER THE YEARS. MOST TRAINED OR EDUCATED TYPES LAY IT OFF ON A PSYCHOLOGICAL FLAW IN THE OBSERVERS, OR JUST WINK AT ME LIKE I'M TRYING TO PULL A FAST ONE ON THEM. SO, HOW MUCH OF THIS DIFFERENCE CAN BE LAID ON TO PSYCHOLOGY?

I DON'T KNOW. I DO KNOW THAT IF "WANTING" TO SEE COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE, THEN RAY SHOULD HAVE SEEN AT "LEAST" WHAT DON AND I SAW. HE HAD FELT DEPRIVED FOR MONTHS AFTER HEARING ALL THE STORIES ABOUT THE LIGHTS.

AS FOR MARY, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT STORY TO WRITE ABOUT, A MONEY MAKER. BUT SHE NEVER SAW ANYTHING THAT NIGHT.

BONNIE? WELL, SHE LATER SAID SHE HAD BEEN SEEING THESE LIGHTS FOR YEARS AND HAD BEEN CONTACTED REGULARLY.

FRANKLY, IT WAS A HARD PILL TO SWALLOW. BUT AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE, I HAD TO CONSIDER IT WAS POSSIBLE.

AFTER ALL, I HAD SEEN THESE LIGHTS, AND I KNEW AT LEAST ONE PERSON WHO SAW EXACTLY THE SAME THING. BUT I ALSO KNEW ONE CREDIBLE WITNESS WHO SAW NOTHING THAT NIGHT. AND ONE UNDECIDED.

THERE WERE A FEW MORE INSTANCES THAT YEAR OF WHICH I WAS THE LONE OBSERVER.

ONE NIGHT IN THE EARLY WINTER I WATCHED FROM A BALCONY AS A TORPEDO SHAPED OBJECT STREAKED OVERHEAD, OUTLINED AGAINST THE LOW CLOUD COVER.

IT WAS WINGLESS, TAILLESS AND YET MADE TURNS IN THE SKY WITH NO VISIBLE CONTROL SURFACES. IT DID APPEAR TO BE METALLIC IN CONSTRUCTION, BUT BORE NO MARKINGS OF ANY KIND AND HAD NO DETECTABLE ENGINE. JUST A VERY BRIGHT GREENISH LIGHT ABOUT MIDWAY ON IT'S UNDERSIDE.

I'VE SINCE LOOKED AT ALL THE KNOWN CRUISE MISSILES I COULD FIND, AND NOT ONE OF THEM IS COMPLETELY WINGLESS. AND BESIDES, WHAT THE HELL WOULD OUR GOVERNMENT BE DOING FLYING SUCH A CRAFT OVER POPULATED AREAS? THIS ISN'T EXACTLY AREA 51. ABOUT 40,000 PEOPLE LIVE IN THIS VALLEY!

ON ANOTHER NIGHT AS I WAS MAKING MY ROUNDS AT THE LODGE I SAW A KC-135 TANKER REFUELING JETS THAT WERE APPARENTLY TRYING TO CORRAL A FEW OF THESE LIGHTS. THE LIGHTS ONCE AGAIN SEEMED TO BE PLAYING WITH THE JETS. THEY WOULD MAKE A PASS OVER THE VALLEY, JETS IN HOT PURSUIT, THEN THEY WOULD EITHER MAKE ONE OF THEIR FAST TURNS OR JUST ACCELERATE SO FAST THEY WOULD FLAT DISAPPEAR FOR A SECOND OR SO, REAPPEARING MILES AWAY.

I WATCHED THIS LIGHT SHOW FOR OVER TWENTY MINUTES THAT NIGHT. SINCE I WAS ALONE, AND IT WAS OFF SEASON, THERE WAS NO ONE I COULD CALL. SO I JUST ENJOYED IT... SOME MIGHT THINK I WAS SIMPLY WATCHING A ROUTINE MILITARY MANEUVER, SOMETHING COMMON PLACE. BUT I HAVE IT ON GOOD AUTHORITY THAT NO SUCH MANEUVERS ARE EVER CONDUCTED OVER POPULATED AREAS SUCH AS SEDONA OR THE VERDE VALLEY... SO WHAT WAS IT?

THE NEXT YEAR I STARTED SPENDING MY EVENINGS IN COTTONWOOD, WHERE I LIVE. I STILL LOOK UP AT NIGHT WHEN I'M OUT, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF TREES HERE THAT BLOCK THE NIGHT SKY AND STREET LIGHTS THAT CAUSE LIGHT POLLUTION. (SEDONA DOESN'T ALLOW STREET LIGHTS) AND SO IT'S DIFFICULT AT TIMES TO EVEN SEE THE STARS. HOWEVER EVERY NOW AND THEN MY WIFE AND I DRIVE OUT OF TOWN A LITTLE WAYS AND JUST SKYWATCH.

IN 1996 WE WERE PARKED ON AN UNUSED DIRT ROAD ABOUT SIX MILES EAST OF TOWN LOOKING TOWARDS MINGUS MOUNTAIN WHEN WE SAW A LIGHT APPEAR JUST OVER THE MOUNTAIN TOP. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS A STAR OR VENUS, BUT IT GOT BRIGHTER AS IT ROSE, (BUT VENUS DOES THAT SOMETIMES, OR IT APPEARS TO.) SO WE CONTINUED TO OBSERVE. AFTER 20 OR 30 SECONDS WE REALIZED TWO THINGS. ONE, IT WAS RISING TOO FAST TO BE CELESTIAL. TWO, IT WAS FAR TOO BIG! I ACTUALLY GOT COLD CHILLS AS I WATCHED THIS ANOMALY DEVELOP INTO FOUR BRIGHT MULTICOLORED LIGHTS THAT SEEMED TO BE PART OF THE SAME OBJECT.

I'M NOT SURE WHY I WAS FRIGHTENED. I DIDN'T FEEL FRIGHTENED AT ALL WATCHING THE LIGHTS IN SEDONA. BUT THIS SOMEHOW WAS DIFFERENT. MY WIFE FELT THE SAME WAY. NERVOUS, HANDS SHAKING, UNABLE TO FOCUS HER BINOCULARS. THEN, WHEN IT WAS AS LARGE AS AN AIRLINER, JUST HANGING THERE IN THE SKY, IT BLINKED OUT!

WE WATCHED FOR A FEW MINUTES MORE, BUT SAW NOTHING. JUST BLACK SKY. ALTHOUGH IT WAS STILL EARLY WE BOTH STILL FELT SO NERVOUS WE JUST PACKED UP OUR BINOCULARS AND DROVE AWAY. WE WENT STRAIGHT HOME. EVEN THE NEXT DAY I WAS STILL SHAKEN FROM THIS ENCOUNTER.

I KNEW I HAD TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT SO I BROKE OUT MY OLD ART SUPPLIES AND TRIED TO RECREATE THE OBJECT ON PAPER. I ENDED UP USING PASTELS ON WHITE PAPER AND FILLING IN THE BACKGROUND WITH BLACK. IT WAS THE ONLY WAY I COULD COME CLOSE TO THE KALIDOSCOPIC EFFECT WE SAW IN THE SKY THAT NIGHT. AFTER I FINISHED I SOMEHOW FELT RELIEVED, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHY. IT WAS IN REALITY A POOR REPRODUCTION OF THE ACTUAL OBJECT, BUT IT WAS PALPABLE. SOMETHING I COULD HOLD IN MY HANDS TO PROVE TO MYSELF, AT LEAST, THAT IT WAS REAL . . .

I GUESS IF I HAD JUST READ THE ABOVE ACCOUNTS AND WAS INTERESTED AT ALL, I WOULD PROBABLY WANT TO KNOW A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE OBSERVER...

I WAS BORN IN LOS ANGELES IN 1942. GREW UP THERE FOR THE MOST PART. GOT A PILOTS LICENSE IN 1963, WORKED FOR A MAJOR AIRLINE IN GROUND SUPPORT. AND LATER WORKED IN THE AEROSPACE FIELD AS A MACHINIST IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. AS A GUEST OF THE U.S. NAVY I'M ONE OF THE FEW CIVILIANS WHO HAS LANDED ON THE DECK OF AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER AT SEA (THE U.S.S. SARATOGA IN 1983.) I'VE BEEN AN AMATURE ASTRONOMER NEARLY ALL MY LIFE AND CONSIDER MYSELF A QUALIFIED OBSERVER OF THE NIGHT SKY. WHEN I SEE SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T BELONG THERE... I NOTICE IT.

IF I DIDN'T THINK THERE WAS MORE TO UFOS THAN HYSTERIA OR POOR OBSERVATION SKILLS I WOULDN'T BOTHER TO WRITE THIS.

OF LATE THERE HAVE BEEN AN INCREASING NUMBER OF QUALIFIED OBSERVERS COMING FORTH WITH SIMILAR STORIES, PHOTOS TOO. I PRESENT THESE ENCOUNTERS AS JUST ONE MORE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.

Professor Herman Oberth, the German rocket expert considered the father of the space age stated in the American Weekly, October 24, 1954: "It is my thesis that flying saucers are real and that they are space ships from another solar system. I think that they possibly are manned by intelligent observers who are members of a race that may have been investigating our earth for centuries."

THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE SKY WE KNOW ALMOST NOTHING ABOUT. QUITE A FEW WELL KNOWN PEOPLE HAVE RISKED THEIR CAREERS IN ATTEMPTS TO TELL US ABOUT IT. IT'S MY FEELING WE SHOULD START LISTENING MORE AND LAUGHING LESS.