Scientific Advisory Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects, Report, 1952-1953

Text

This text came with the file. It may have mistakes. When the text and the image disagree, the image is right.

s~
Secul'i~tion
have been ao labeled. It was 1nt;eresting that in at least two
oaaQS revi«-1~ that the object sighted was categorized by Robert8011
and Al.var'9z as probe.bl¥ "Foo Pighters", to date unexplained bat. not
dangerou&J th.417 were not hapw thus to d1am1ss the. sightings b:,
calling them names. It vas their teeliDg that these phenomiena are
not beyond t.be domain ot present lcnffllledge ot phyaical science• hOIIGV8l'o
,m llJCE Rµ,cmm smm
. .
It vu the Panel0s oplnion that BOGG ot the Air Poree concern
over u.f.o.•a (notwithstanding A1r Defense Ccnnand amdeey r.nor tut
radar tracks) was irobe.b~ caused by public iressure-. The re8Ult
·today.is that the Air Force has 1.mitituted a tine channel far
receiving reports of near~ anythiDg anyone sees in the sky and
tails to umarstand. This has been particular~ encouraged 11'1 po~
lar articles on this and other subjects, such as apace travel and
science f'iction. The result is the maSB recetpt ot low-grade reports
which tem to overload channels or Offll'l!Dln1~t1oi-i with material quite
f.n-elevant to hostile objects that. might eome day appeBr. The Panel
agreed gener-~ that this mass .ot pom'l-qUallty reports containing
little, if any-, scientific data was ot no value. Quite the opposite,
it was possib~ dangerous in having a m.Uitaey Hl"Vice foster public
concern in "nocturnal mea.maring lights•.
The implication being,
since the ~e:rested agency was military, that these objects were
ar might be potential direct threats to national security.
Aocard­
.tngq, the need far deamphasization made ltsel.£ apparent.
Ccmiments
on a possible 8'illoational_JXL:ogrqt are 8l'lllm8l"&ted below.