by Charles Lear

For a brief period in the late 1960’s, UFO enthusiasts were encouraged by the fact that some scientists were beginning to take the subject seriously. This was due in large part to renowned atmospheric physicist Dr. James McDonald’s coming forward and publicly acknowledging that he was investigating the mystery. Around the same time, in 1966, Project Blue Book scientific consultant Dr. J. Allen Hynek angered many in the state of Michigan by offering the possibility that some of the UFOs reported during a flap that year in the state were swamp gas. This lead to a congressional hearing looking into the Air Force’s handling of the UFO problem, and that resulted in an Air Force funded scientific study at the University of Colorado headed by physicist Dr. Edward U. Condon. This was something many in the UFO community had been hoping for, and they were optimistic that something positive might come of it. Unfortunately, the project ran into personality problems that nearly derailed it.
An article written by John G. Fuller and published in the May 14, 1968, issue of Look Magazine looks deeply into the matter. Under the headline “Flying Saucer Fiasco,” the article is introduced as “The extraordinary story of the half-million-dollar ‘trick’ to make Americans believe the Condon committee was conducting an objective investigation.”
After giving an overview of the project and its participants, Fuller references a story published early October 1966, in the Denver Post. Project Coordinator Robert J. Low, describing the UFO project as a function of the university, was quoted as saying that it “comes pretty close to the criteria of non acceptability.” Read more
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In the first year of the Air Force’s flying saucer investigation, then operating as Project Sign, a sighting was reported that was one of a few that convinced some members of the Air Force that flying saucers were interplanetary craft piloted by extraterrestrials. The witnesses were two commercial pilots flying for Eastern Airlines and one passenger. The pilots, after thinking at first that they were seeing a new Army jet, quickly thought otherwise.
The April 24, 1964 sighting by Socorro, NM, Police Sergeant Lonnie Zamora of a landed UFO with two beings standing next to it has been written about extensively and remains a fascinating mystery to this day. What’s noteworthy about this case is the large number of people who investigated it. Representatives from the Socorro Police, the New Mexico State Police, the F.B.I., and the Army were first on the scene. They were followed by the Lorenzens from the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization, members of the Air Force and J. Allen Hynek as part of Project Blue Book, and Ray Stanford for the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena. Besides the testimony of Zamora, there was trace evidence to examine, there were witnesses to interview who’d reported a similar craft, and there were reputed witnesses to the very craft Zamora reported who were searched for but never found. Despite the thoroughness of the inquiries and analyses by so many experienced investigators, no one was able to come up with an agreeable earthly explanation.
As he drove, he saw a funnel shaped, narrower at the top, blue and “sort of orange” flame slowly descend behind the hill. He turned onto a dirt road, made it up a hill after three tries, and after looking around for 15-20 seconds, saw what he thought was a car standing on end in a gully. As he got closer he noted two figures in what looked like white coveralls standing next to the “car.” As he drove quickly towards them to help, one of the figures turned towards him and seemed startled.


Tales of UFOs ejecting hot metal go back to the days when flying saucers were just becoming an American national obsession. In fact, the first flying saucer witness, Kenneth Arnold, encountered such a tale when he looked into the
Reports of UFO sightings and alien encounters come from all over the world, from