Destruction Inc. [ Mystery

This FAQ is the result of contributions from many people. The views expressed are varied and unless otherwise stated should not be taken to represent the opinions of any one contributor, the editor or the contributors as a whole. Neither, unless otherwise stated, should the views expressed be taken as in anyway representing any organisation or employer with whom the contributors are connected. The current editor is Steve Gamble (see FAQ updates for how to contact him.) All comments by him are indicated by the square brackets[ ].

Charles McGrew has made the full FAQ together with other UFO related material available.

This FAQ is designed to answer questions of people who are new to this kind of reality, and designed to be a useful reference source to those interested in all aspects of UFOlogy.

[ What is a UFO? ]

A UFO is an Unidentified Flying Object.
It is "Something seen in the sky (or on the land, or expceptionally in the water, but thought capable of flight) which the witness could not identify and thought sufficently strange to report to either an offical or unoffical investigating body".

A UFO is the stimulus for a UFO report made by a UFO witness. UFO researchers

(often called UFOlogists) study UFO reports and witnesses. UFO researchers cannot directly study UFOs. There are some reports in the literature of different governments recovering craft thought to cause UFO reports, but most

of these reports are speculative. The study of UFO reports is referred to as UFOlogy. This implies a scientific basis to the study, when in practice very little scientific research is carried out. After careful investigation about 90% of all UFO reports can be reasonably explained as either natural phenomena or misidentification of normal manmade devices. Sometimes the term IFO is used for these Identified Flying Objects. Those cases which are identified as natural phenomena are often rare or short lived and are worthy of study in their own right.

In the early days of investigation used interchangably with the term 'Flying Saucer'. More recently the term Flying Saucer has fallen into disuse, although some researchers use it as a term to specifically refer to an extraterrestrial spacecraft.

[ When did it all start? ]

The modern era of UFO reports is held to have started with the report by a Boise, Idaho business man, Kenneth Arnold. On 24th June 1947 near Mount Rainier, Washington State he reported nine strange objects flying in formation.

There were earlier reports than this. During World War II pilots on both sides reported strange lights which followed their aircraft. Each side thought that these were some secret weapon of the other side. These became known as Foo Fighters.

There were earlier cases, but these are more suspect. For example, in the year 810ad the emperor Charlemane is reported as being thrown from his horse when it was startled by a silver ball which flew down from the sky.

[ Government Offical Studies ]

On Sep 30, 1947 Lt General Twining of ACM expressed his opinion that there was sufficient substance in reports to warrant a study on UFOs. On Dec. 23, 1947 Project Sign was established to collect, collate, evaluate, and disseminate all information concerning UFO sightings and phenomena. Project sign completed it evaluations in Feb of 1949 and concluded "No definite and conclusive evidence is yet available that would prove or disprove the existence of these UFOs as real aircraft of unknown and unconventional configuration." Project Sign was changed to Project Grudge on Dec.16, 1948. Project Grudge recommended that the investigation and study of UFO reports be reduce in scope. In early 1950 UFO reports by the public increased. This prompted Project Grudge to be changed to Project Blue Book in March of 1952.

Project Blue Book goals were :-

To find an explanation for all the reported sighting of UFO's.
To determine if the UFO posed any security threat to the United States.
To determine if UFO's exhibit any advanced technology which the U.S. could utilize.

In 1966 the USAF commisioned a report on UFOs from the University of Colorado. This project was headed by Dr Edward Condon. They reported in 1969, the report being referred to as the Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects, also known as the Condon Report. They concluded:-

There is no evidence that any UFOs are "extraterrestrial vehicles"
No UFO has ever given any indication of a threat to the national security.
There is no evidence that UFO's represent technological developments or principals beyond present-day scientific knowledge.

As a result the USAF closed down Project Bluebook.

Main Source: Project Blue Book: The Top Secret UFO Findings Revealed, By Brad Steiger,
sheaffer@netcom.com (Robert Sheaffer)