Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R00560R000100010001-0
Date
Location
Description
10-2-61
Salt Lake City, Utah
Disc-shaped UFO seen by pilot, hovered "with slight rocking motion." [Section I.]
7-9-62
West New York, N. J.
Disc with rotating central ring "hovered with swaying motion."
b. Pendulum/Falling Leaf Motion
A curious, but fairly common, flight characteristic of UFOs is a pendulum-like motion (swaying back and forth) during hovering, slow climb, or descent. Witnesses frequently have compared this to the gyrations of a falling leaf.
Sample Cases:
October 11, 1951. J.J. Kaliszewski (then Supervisor of balloon manufacture for General Mills, Inc.) and Dick Reilly were flying near Minneapolis, Minnesota, observing a balloon at 6:30 a.m. They noticed a bright glowing object overhead moving at high speed from east to west. The UFO had a dark undersurface, and a halo of light. Finally it slowed, and started climbing "in lazy circles." Kaliszewski: "The pattern it made was like a falling oak leaf inverted." [Section VI.]
February 9, 1957. At 1:00 a.m. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Roger Standeven observed a white oval-shaped UFO with a red light visible on top. The object would stop, "fall like a leaf," speed up again, and repeat the sequence, gaining altitude each time it sped up.
[For other examples; See Section XI, Chronology: 9-20-52, 9-26-54, 11-25-56, 2-28-61.]
[figure]
POHANG, KOREA; Fall 1954
U.S. Marine Corps Weather Observer John A. Potter observed a formation of seven bright orange UFOs moving north to south about 11:00 p.m. The objects, travelling at "a very rapid pace," individually fluttered from side to side as pictured.
(c) Side-to-Side Oscillation
A very similar pendulum-like motion, occurring as a UFO travels in a horizontal plane (rather than ascending or descending) has been noticed occasionally. It consists of a side-to-side oscillation as the UFO proceeds in a constant direction.
Sample Cases:
Date
Location
Description
3-29-50
Ironwood, Mich.
Round UFO moving with "slipping and sliding sideways" motion. [Section V.]
10-9-50
Nr Williamstown, Vermont
Two cylindrical UFOs swinging back and forth like "flying pendulums."
3-10-52
Oakland, Calif.
Two dark hemispherical UFOs, one following straight-line course, second swaying back and forth "like a pendulum" across the path of the first. [Section VI.]
10-54
Pohang, Korea
Formation of 7 discs; individually "fluttered," swaying from side to side.
9-22-56
Williston Plains, No. Dak.
UFO (appearing alternately circular and delta-shaped) moved slowly past, oscillating from side to side.
10-30-61
Derry, Penna.
Four luminous blue discs "oscillated" from side to side, on constant course. [Section I.]
6-19-62
London, England
Disc "oscillated" from side to side, "hesitating sometimes and practically stopping in midair," on constant course.
Sample Cases:
b. Pendulum/Falling Leaf Motion
Date
Location
Description
6-24-47
Mt. Ranier, Wash.
Nine flat shiny UFOs moved with skipping motion.
7-7-47
Nr Medford, Ore.
Disc on edge moved S to N along eastern horizon, bouncing up and down "as if following contour of hills." [Section XII; July 1947 Chronology.]
1-7-48
Columbus, Ohio
Round or oval UFO in level flight estimated at over 500 mph., making "elevator-like" motions.
5-29-51
Downey, Calif.
Large formation of glowing UFOs, maneuvered, moved with undulatory "skipping" motion.
8-3-51
Nr Pinckney, Mich.
Yellow light "moving in an undulating path." [Section VI.]
(3) Violent & Erratic Maneuvers
In a sample of 40 cases in which erratic maneuvers were reported, there is a noticeable repetition of certain motions which appear to be characteristic of many UFOs. All of the cases involve UFOs which abruptly altered direction and/or speed, usually more than once during the observation. Of the total, 63 percent occurred during night hours.
Reported Shapes:
43 percent round or elliptical UFOs, 50 percent light sources only (no shape discernible).
Witnesses:
28 percent scientific or experienced; 33 percent good; 39 per cent average.
Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R00560R000100010001-0