Documents / Report
This is the final report of the Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects, conducted by the University of Colorado under Air Force contract F44620-67-C-0035, with Edward U. Condon as scientific director and Daniel S. Gillmor as editor. It was submitted to the National Academy of Sciences on 15 November 1968 for review. The report includes field studies, photographic and radar analyses, case studies, historical chapters and appendices such as the Robertson Panel report and the Twining letter.
UFO reports frequently resul t from such hall oon 1 aunchings,
The lights arc reported to go out one by OIW, and sonR'tlmcs the UFn
"drops brilliant stream~; of light" [lS burning candks fall from
their balsa-wood or drinking-strah' tnOll bngs. Cases 18 and 45 ar~
examples of this type prank.
The instancl> t..:cscribcd in case 18 was a flight of thrt:-=i
plastic bags over Boulde:r., Colo. ,on 1 April 1%7. 'lhe date is probably
sif.;nificant. riley \~erc ohserved and reported as UFOs by students,
heus('wives, teachcr~;, unLvers;ty professors, and a nutionally prominent
scientist, A rlc\s 18 and 45 ar~
examples of this typc prank.
The inst<lnCl' r.!escribcd in case 18 was a flight of thH"I
plastic hags OVer BouldcJ:", CoIn. ,on 1 /\pril [9/)7. 'lh0 date is probably
significant. rhey ,,'en' ohsClv('J and reported as UFOs by !Students,
hCU5('wivc,~, teaclH'r~;. Lllllvers;ty professor!', and Ii nationally promin(~nt
scientist.. A r,cw5paper report(;t\ one st\Hl(~nt'" claim that the telephone
Il'.' ,,'as using went dead will' 1- the UFO passer.! over the outdoor booth
"'hich hou:,','u it. i\lthou):!b plastic hags were ~;Llspecter.! as the l'X-
planation, II'\' -"erc not 'certain of this until several Jays ,-.fter
tilL' event. Be'cause of unC'xpecteJ publi d ty gi ven the UFO sightings.
the students \Vha launcill'd tllf~ balloons dccLrleJ ':0 i.nform the projr:ct
of their role in the l'V(,l1t.
Case 45 i.s notclvorthy as ;.n ('xample of extreme misrer<.:eptioTi
of such a balloon. (Jne adult observer describeJ this 2 ft. x ,'; ft.
plastic hag fJoilting over a building in Castle Rock, Colo. ,as Ii
transpurent object 75 ft. long, 20 ft. \Ville, iind 20 ft. high, with
abuut 1::: lights in a ci relc underneath. II" thought tIle oiJjeet
I'ib about 75 ft. away. According to his ,!('scription, the light:;
I,CT" much brigittl'r thall his car hcadliflht,;; although the light!'! did
!lot blind him, thC'~' lit llJl the gl'ound near by.
\\'hi. k this ol)s<'rvt'r IlIlly still bel ieve he sa\~ ~om~,thing other
tlwn tilt' pl{l'.tic halloon bij~, such a bf)llQo/1 \Vas l;1Ullched tit the
t inl\' of h j ~ o:'"ervilti all ;tnd WilS observed hy others to ri sc over til('
~ ,lIll'" btl i I ding.
91 Report, from the classic collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 1497 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.