PROJECT PHOENIX FOR UFO's
Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) is defined as:
any object or light, reportedly sighted in the sky, that cannot be immediately explained by the observer. Sightings of unusual aerial phenomena date back to ancient times, but UFOs (sometimes called flying saucers) became widely discussed only after the first widely publicized U.S. sighting in 1947.
Many thousands of such observations
have since been reported worldwide.
At least 90 percent of UFO sightings can be identified as conventional
objects, although time-consuming investigations are often necessary for such
identification. The objects most often mistaken for UFOs are bright planets and
stars, aircraft, birds, balloons, kites, aerial flares, peculiar clouds,
meteors, and satellites. The remaining sightings most likely can be attributed to
other mistaken sightings or to inaccurate reporting, hoaxes, or delusions,
although to disprove all claims made about UFOs is impossible.
From 1947 to 1969 the U.S. Air Force investigated UFOs as a possible threat to national security. A total of 12,618 reports was received, of which 701 reports, or 5.6 percent, were listed as unexplained. The air force concluded that "no UFO reported, investigated, and evaluated by the Air Force has ever given any indication of threat to our national security." Since 1969 no agency of the U.S. government has had any active program of UFO investigation.
Some persons nevertheless believe that UFOs are extraterrestrial spacecraft, even though no scientifically valid evidence supports that belief. The possibility of extraterrestrial civilizations is not the stumbling block; most scientists grant that intelligent life may well exist elsewhere in the universe. A fully convincing UFO photograph of a craftlike object has yet to be taken, however, and the scientific method requires that highly speculative explanations should not be adopted unless all of the more ordinary explanations can be ruled out.
UFO enthusiasts persist, however, and some persons even claim to have been abducted and taken aboard UFOs. (A close encounter of the third kind is UFO terminology for an alleged encounter between humans and visitors from outer space.) No one has produced scientifically acceptable proof of these claims.
What is Area 51?
"Area 51" is a block of government land about 95 miles north of Las Vegas. It is surrounded by the Nevada Test Site and the Nellis Air Force Range. The name "Area 51" supposedly came from a designation appearing on an old map of the Nevada Test Site. Inside Area 51 is a large Air Force base, near the shore of Groom Dry Lake, that the government does not talk about. The airspace around the base is off-limits even to most military pilots and has been referred to on aviation frequencies as "Dreamland."
What is the Function of the Groom Lake Base?
The base at Groom Lake has traditionally been America's testing ground for the latest generation of secret aircraft. The U-2, YF-12A and F-117A were flight tested here long before being made public. Since the government won't acknowledge anything about the base, it's hard to be know what is going on there now. Common rumors suggest several possible new aircraft, including an ultra-high speed spy plane dubbed "Aurora" by aviation watches, various unmanned aerial reconnaisance vehicles (UAVs), stealth helicopters and a possible replacement for the F-117A. The existance of these projects is speculative, however, and most activities at Groom are probably more mundane weapons and systems testing, of interest only to hard-core military buffs.
What's with the UFOS?
This area has long been rich in UFO lore. Whatever you can imagine--captured aliens, underground bases, alien-government collusion--it's all been claimed at Groom Lake. One of the more restrained and interesting stories is the claim by a Las Vegan, Bob Lazar, that he worked with extraterrestrial flying saucers at an installation at Papoose Lake, south of Groom Lake, in an area he calls "S-4." He says he helped "reverse engineer" one of the craft, but that he saw no aliens himself. There seems to be no way to confirm or directly refute this claim, although Lazar's claimed educational credentials certainly are not real.
Since Lazar first made his claims in televised interviews, many tourists have been coming to the public lands closest to the base to try to catch glimpses of alien craft in flight. Many believe that they have seen UFOs here, but there are so many UFO-like natural and military phenomena on display here that its hard to separate the wheat from the chaff. Many people have lived in this area all their lives and never seen a UFO, while tourists coming for only one night often claim to see them everywhere. It is important to note the difference between the claim that the government has alien spacecraft in its possession and the claim that you can come here to see flying saucers on demand. Even if you believe the first, it doesn't necessarily imply the second.
Where Do Watchers Go?
About 130 miles from Las Vegas, at Mile Marker LN 29.5 on remote Nevada Highway 375, is a lone mailbox used by a local rancher. Since the "Black Mailbox" (now a white mailbox) is the only landmark on this stretch of the highway, this is where the true believers come. Many visitors claim to have seen flying saucer here, although the rancher himself claims to have seen none. There is a lot of intense military war games activity in this area that produces a lot of flares and other interesting lights in the sky--great "UFOs" if you want to see them.
There used to be two viewpoints on public land close to the border-- White Sides and Freedom Ridge--where a visitor could legally view the secret Air Force base. These areas were closed by the Air Force in April 1995. You can still see the base from a distant mountain, Tikaboo Peak, but it requires a strenuous 1-1/2 hour hike from a remote dirt road.
What are the "Cammo Dudes"?
That's the nickname for the anonymous private security force that patrols the military border. They wear camouflage fatigues without insignia and drive white Jeep Cherokees with government plates. They keep close watch on any visitors that come within a few miles of the border, but they are under orders to avoid contact. Since you can't easily see the base itself, the Cammo Dudes are one of the few reliable tourist attractions.
What are the Dangers of Visiting This Area?
The greatest danger is wandering across the unfenced military border, which would result in your immediate arrest and a fine of $600. Wherever a road crosses the border, it is marked by clear "Restricted Area" signs which should not be crossed. In the desert, the border is marked by orange posts every 50 yards. It is unwise to hike near the border unless you are certain of the location of the border. It is even worse to hike at night because the posts become invisible.
Another major danger, when driving, is getting stuck on an remote, unmaintained dirt road that your vehicle cannot handle. To get stuck in the sand and then run out of water can be deadly.
Resources
http://www.ufomind.com/
It includes hundreds of articles, maps and other relevant documents.
"The Area 51 Viewer's Guide," a 115-page, self-published book by Glenn Campbell, offers general information, a reference list, maps and practical advice for visitors. It is advisable to obtain this guide before you come so that you can be adequately prepared. The cost is $15 plus $4 Priority Mail postage (US), ordered from:
Area 51 Research Center, PO Box 448, Rachel, NV 89001.
A catalog of other publications is available at the web site above, or by mail for those without web access.
A Short History of UFO's
1938
This
is the year that Orson Wells did his national broadcast of the infamous "War of
the Worlds."
Many folks who tuned in late
to this science fiction radio broadcast misunderstood, and it sent much of the
american public into panic. Frightened listeners actually thought that an
invasion of malevelant beings from the planet Mars was in progress.
1946
In
May of 1946, reports of mysterious aerial objects over Sweden began to flood the
offices of their government. In the initial press releases, the papers referred
to these UFO's as "Ghost Rockets." The Swedish military became involved soon
afterwards, and poured considerable resourses into trying to find an earthly
explanation for the sightings. With no satisfactory conclusion, the military
went back to normal operations by the end of that year.
1947
June
24, 1947..A civilian pilot, Kenneth Arnold, reports seeing 9 flying saucers
flying in formation at an altitude of 9200 feet and at almost 1700 mph. He
estimated them to be 20 to 25 miles away from him and between 45 to 50 feet
long. The UFO age had just began...
1948
On
January 22, 1948, a secret organization called "Project Sign" was formed to do
an in-depth study of the UFO phenomenon. This highly-classified group set up its
operations at Wright-Patterson A.F.B. in Ohio.
During the course of that year, reports of the
existence of this organization were leaked to the public. On December the 16th,
the U.S. Air Force announced that "Project Sign" had been terminated. The reason
given for the dispersal was that the group haden't found any viable evidence
collaberating the existence of UFO's, and it was deemed to no longer be "cost
effective."
In secrecy, the project
continued, this time under the code-name "Project Grudge." This group was in the
business of "proving" that the existence of UFO's was complete non-sense. Even
as they gathered all pertinent evidence, they publicly ridiculed UFO
witnesses.
1950
It
was another big year for american UFO sightings. At the time, a popular official
"cover story" was that the UFO sightings could be attributed to the military
flight-testing an experimental craft called "The Flying Flapjack." The actual
craft in question was slow and noisey, barely even resembling anything akin to
the UFO's. The craft could more accurately been described as a "Flying Toad,"
than a flying saucer.
Soon the USAF
contended that all of the reports of UFO's could be attributed to the "Flying
Flapjack." This turned out to be a tactical mistake, as it was soon "leaked"
that only one prototype of that craft was ever constructed, and it was on
display in an american air museum.
1951
This
was the year that "Project Grudge" was changed into "Project Bluebook."
1952
By
the end of 1952, the U.S. Air Force had received more than 1500 reports of UFO
sightings, eclipsing any previous year. Even with all of the negative reporting
concerning UFO's, more and more credible, and often prominent citizens were
coming forth as witnesses. Some of these people were well-known, including some
highly-respected astronomers.
1953
In
January of that year, the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States
organized a special panel to discuss how to deal with the UFO problem. This
forum was to last four days, but concluded after only 12 hours had elapsed. A
few of the panels recomendations were as follows;
1. Special high-tech cameras should be used to monitor the airspace, in the search for UFO's.
2. APRO and CSI. This was the civilian counter-part of the organizations formed to investigate the extraterrestrial presence. They would be closely monitored by the military, as some of the civilian members had considerable influence over citizens.
3. Use a separate government body to verify that the UFO's were not the property and invention of the U.S. military.
4. Teach the american public to be able to
identify normal natural and convention aerial objects. This would supposedly
significantly lessen the number of UFO reports.
1965
July
3, 1965...Newspaper reports, ANTARCTICA: Argentine, British and Chilean military
and scientific personnel observed an UFO moving at a frightening speed doing
incredible maneuvers. It was something solid, glowing blue-green and causing E/M
interference with our equipment. Lenticular shaped "flying saucer". Tracked by
theodolite, binoculars and magnetograph tapes. Also, 10 color photographs were
taken of the UFO.
1966
In
April of that year, the government assembled an independant group of civilian
scientists to start a new UFO investigation. A Dr. Edward Uhler consented to
head the panel. Prior to this, Dr. Uhler had published some personal writings in
which he concluded that there was no substance to the existance of UFO's. He
went on to debunk the notion of life anywhere else in the cosmos. Many people
became upset when learning of the Dr's contrary reports.
1967
On
March 1st of that year, Lt. General Hewitt T. Wheless, U.S.A.F., sent out
notices to all branches of the military, warning of persons impersonating
military officers, harassing private citizens and confiscating UFO
photos.
1969
On
January 17th of that year, "Project Bluebook" was shut down, claiming a lack of
any credible evidence to justify the on-going existence of that program. The
public dismissal of the notion of the existance of UFO's worked very well for
them. Secretly, two more classified groups were formed to continue the pursuit
of information concerning the phenomenon. These new projects were given the
codenames "Blue paper" and "Old new moon."
1996
Today we still don't have a definitive answer. It all depends on the
persistance of concerned citizens. If you want the truth, you will have to find
it for yourself.
Incident in Phoenix
(The original "Event 4"- the first military/UFO encounter to surface) A truck driver who had been seeing two unusual amber lights move ahead of him to the south for fully two hours as he drove down I-17 from Camp Verde, reported that as he neared his destination, a materials plant near Luke AFB, the two UFOs seemed to have stopped and were hovering.
Once at the plant, while waiting for his truck to be unloaded, he stood on a pile of materials to watch what were now seen as two identical, toy top-like amber orbs ("like hot air balloons without the baskets) having a white iridescent sheen and a band of red pulsating light, with the nearest to him being one to two miles away, right next to the runway at Luke. All of a sudden, two F-16s, followed by a third, 'blasted out of Luke with their afterburners on full', made a steep bank directly over the witness and headed straight for the nearest UFO.
At the moment the lead jets were about to close on the UFO, it shot straight up and disappeared 'in an instant' as the jets passed right through the very spot where the object had been hovering.
The second UFO also vanished, presumably at the same time, as it was no longer hovering to the northwest.
Arizona Cities Report Many New UFO Sightings
Three large cities in Arizona reported multiple UFO sightings last week.
The new flap began Sunday afternoon, January 11, 1998, when residents of Phoenix, the state capital, reported spotting "three shiny silvery objects flying at a high altitude" above the city.
That night, at 9 p.m., a TV station in Tucson (population 405,390), a large city 117 miles (187 kilometers) southeast of Phoenix, aired an amateur videotape showing "a large bright orange glowing UFO" flying near Mount Lemmon and Spencer Canyon north of the city. The news broadcast described it as "a possible campfire."
According to Tom King, director of Arizona Skywatch, park rangers investigated the event "and found nothing."
On Monday, January 12, 1997, at 12:30 a.m., witnesses in Mesa, Arizona (population 288,091), a city 19 miles (31 kilometers) east of Phoenix, "saw the strange orange object. It brightened and dimmed several times," King reported. "It split in two and headed in formation towards Phoenix" at "three times the speed of any normal military aircraft." (The object's estimated speed was about 1,800 miles per hour--J.T.)
On Wednesday, January 14, 1998, at 10 p.m., Arizona Skywatch received calls from several residents in the Broadway Road/Southern Avenue section of Phoenix. They reported videotaping "mysterious orange lights" over the South Mountains, scene of the big UFO flap on March 13, 1997.
King said his group has "obtained the schedule of (military) flare drops" and will compare these times with the UFO reports.
On Thursday, January 15, 1998, at 10 p.m., witnesses in Phoenix and the city of Casa Grande (population 19,082) about 40 miles (64 kilometers) to the south reported seeing "three glowing objects with slight pulsating motions" over the nearby desert. (Many thanks to Tom King of Arizona Skywatch for this story.)
The road to truth is the shortest,
but it looks long;
it takes a long time to find it but less to travel on it.