Date: August 1978
Location: Phelan, California, United States

"Myself and other witnesses were F4-Phantom Weapons Control Technicians in the USAF. First large oval rises up from directly behind mountains due east from me. Motion is slow, floating like a blimp or balloon. Second identical object then began to rise just to the left of the first object. Third identical looking object then began to rise just to right of first object."

Source: UFOEvidence.org
[go to original source]

Summary: US Air Force personnel witness 3 large oval-shaped craft hovering and moving at incredible speed in the California Mojave desert in 1978.

Date Reported: 12/15/2005

Sighting Time: 5:30 AM
Day/Night: Dawn
No. of Witnesses: 3
Duration: About 6 to 7 minutes

Appearance/Description of Object(s)

"Oval-shaped with no distinctive features. The crafts emitted an extremely bright orange/yellow light evenly from their entire surface."

Size of Object(s)

"About ½ inch between fingers at arms length. Given the distance between me and the craft, I estimate that they must each have been at least the size of a very large blimp."

Description of Area/Surroundings

"Very rural, high-desert area of the Mojave desert. Both George AFB (my destination and place of work) and Edwards AFB are in this area."

Full Description & Details

"Driving from home in Wrightwood, CA to work at George AFB in a 2-door sedan with 2 co-workers eastbound on Hwy 18 between Sheep Creek Rd and Hwy 395 near Phelan, CA. Myself and other witnesses were F4-Phantom Weapons Control Technicians in the USAF. My eastbound view was of mountains on horizon with first glow of sunrise behind mountains.

Weather calm and completely clear. 1st large oval rises up from directly behind mountains due east from me. Motion is slow, floating like a blimp or balloon. At first, I thought it was a large blimp with a mirror-like exterior reflecting the sunlight (sun was below the eastern horizon during the entire encounter); object was extremely bright, yet had a distinct oval outline. After rising a few degrees above mountains, object stopped all motion. Total time to rise up was about 2 minutes. Second identical object then began to rise just to the left of the first object.

Second object moved identically to first, then stopped next to first at equal altitude. Third identical-looking object then began to rise just to right of first object, at same slow rate, until it was at equal altitude with other 2 objects. All three objects remained still for about 2 more minutes. Very curious sight at this time, but all witnesses still thought objects were blimps. Right-most object then begins to rise slowly above others, stops completely, then moves from a complete stop to a point slightly above the horizon almost directly due south of us (visible out the right side of the car) in about 2 or 3 seconds, then comes to a complete stop again. No acceleration or deceleration was apparent. Middle object then does exactly the same, stopping next to the other above the southern horizon. Third object then repeats the same exact maneuver.

When all 3 were stopped hovering next to each other, then all 3 objects slowly descended towards the ground until disappearing on the southern horizon. Objects retained their extreme brightness throughout the entire encounter, even when in a position near the southern horizon where there was no sunlight to reflect in my direction. All witnesses agreed with each other not to speak of the sighting due both to fear of ridicule, and due to the fact that all of us were under orders to speak of any potential UFO sightings ONLY to our commanding officer (to my knowledge all AF personnel, including myself and the witnesses, at the time were required to sign a statement acknowledging the order upon enlisting in the AF)."

Can sighting be explained as any conventional man-made or natural object?

"No, not whatsoever."

Witness Background

"Service in the USAF as an electronic technician. College graduate, BSCS, Summa Cum Laude, (GPA of 3.875) Senior level design engineer (electronics/software), 25 years experience. Co-patent holder (co-inventor) of an industry award winning Laser Scanning Microscope."

Views on UFOs, before and after sighting

"Before the sighting, I was a complete non-believer, a very scientifically-minded skeptic. I was exposed to some material about UFOs prior to this, but no more than the average person at that time - it was not a subject of interest to me prior to my sighting. Obviously, now I know they exist - which in itself implicates many in positions of authority who continue to deny this fact. I feel like someone who knows a rare truth that most are not aware of, and that I'm fighting a constant battle with those who try to keep the truth from us. I know that I'm right, and they are wrong, but how do I prove it? What do I do with this knowledge I have? It hurts me deeply as a devoted and patriotic American to know that the government that I am supposed to trust is lying and deceiving the public. It causes me to lose nearly all trust in my government, and it's not my fault - it's theirs. I feel as if I have been cursed with this first-hand knowledge, because there has never been any "closure" for me. At this point, I have come to the conclusion that we must have more to fear from our own government than we do from the UFOs - and it is our own government's actions compared to those reported concerning UFOs that have led me to this conclusion. What I am supposed to teach my children concerning them trusting their government - about the rightness of truth and the evil of lies? I am very sad and angry."

Other Comments

"It is my great hope and desire that the truth will be openly admitted during my lifetime. If it happens, it will bring me unspeakable peace and comfort."

Reported Sighting? Yes
Reported To: hbccufo.org and others
Location: Franklin, MA, USA
Age: 46

 

Source: http://www.ufoevidence.org/cases/case802.htm