Simulcast on YouTube, Facebook & Twitter | Tuesday, August 25, 2026 @ 8:00 PM EDT (GMT-4)
What did retired U.S. Air Force Pararescueman Scott Gearen photograph in the sky over Florida, and could something extraordinary be hiding in plain sight?
Scott joins Martin Willis to discuss his books, *Hiding in Plain Sight* and *Hiding in Plain Sight Volume II*, which document a mysterious aerial phenomenon he witnessed and photographed during a 2019 speaking engagement in Panama City Beach, Florida. Scott believes his series of photographs captures something genuinely unidentified. We’ll examine what he saw, how the images were taken, what they reveal and whether more conventional explanations can be ruled out.
Scott brings an unusually grounded perspective to the subject. He served for more than 22 years in elite U.S. Air Force special operations as a Pararescueman and Special Tactics pioneer. His career included service with JSOC, training in Rendlesham Forest, leading the first MH-53 penetration into Iraq at the beginning of Desert Storm and helping rescue two downed pilots from enemy territory in the Balkans.
We will also discuss the catastrophic 1984 parachuting accident in which Scott fell more than 3,000 feet beneath a destroyed canopy and struck the ground at approximately 100 miles per hour. During the ordeal, he experienced a profound near-death experience that transformed his understanding of consciousness, energy, human connection and what may happen at death.
Does Scott’s military experience make him an especially reliable observer? What exactly appears in his photographs? Could the object represent an unfamiliar aircraft, an atmospheric phenomenon or something even more extraordinary?
Join us for a fascinating conversation about survival, consciousness and the unexplained.
Learn more about Scott Gearen:
https://www.scottgearen.com
BIO: Scott Gearen is a retired U.S. Air Force Pararescueman (PJ) and Special Tactics pioneer with over 22 years in elite special operations, including JSOC and the first Special Tactics Team (now the 24th Special Tactics Squadron).
Enlisting from Tampa, Florida, he earned his maroon beret in 1979. His initial assignment with the 67th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron at RAF Woodbridge, UK (1980), involved extensive nighttime and daytime training in Rendlesham Forest — the site of one of the most famous UAP incidents in history.
In 1984, he joined Detachment 4 at Joint Special Operations Command, Ft. Bragg, NC, where a catastrophic military free-fall accident from 13,000 feet left him with life-threatening injuries. After an 18-month recovery, he returned to full duty — a testament to resilience that later inspired David Goggins.
Scott impacted the ground at an estimated 100 miles per hour, underwent an incredible Near-Death Experience that profoundly changed his life. Most impactful was an understanding that we are all energy – through consciousness we are all connected, and even in death, we have choices. Details of Scotts Air Force career and accident can be found at: www.scottgearen.com
Scott’s career included instructing at Pararescue School, leading the first MH-53 penetration into Iraq to launch Desert Storm, establishing USAF scuba instruction at the Army’s Key West Combat Diver School, commanding operations in the Balkans (rescuing two downed pilots from enemy territory), and post-9/11 planning for Air Force Special Operations Personnel Recovery. Medically retired in 2002, he served in diplomatic security at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and protected assets at the McMoRan mine in Papua, Indonesia, before retiring from DHS as a Chemical Security Inspector in 2023.
A Board member of the Pararescue Association and founding member of OMAC (dedicated to high-risk adventures and mental/physical perseverance), Scott is a sought-after speaker on survival, determination, and the unexplained.
In 2019, during a speaking engagement in Panama City Beach, Florida, he witnessed an unidentified aerial phenomenon he could not explain — an encounter documented in his books Hiding in Plain Sight and Hiding in Plain Sight Volume II. Drawing from decades of high-stakes observation in demanding environments, Scott brings a unique, grounded perspective to UAP discussions.
He resides in Minnesota. His decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (1 OLC), Air Medal (2 OLC), and numerous others.