Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects (the Condon Report, complete, three volumes)

vehicle; of s~'cing a plastic Llrv clc\<lncrs' h,lg, of sufficient size to
~o\'('r a singh' ganncnt. as :1 IIH) 7S ft. lo11g and 20 it. wido when
only 3l) ft. m,ay; of Sl'('illg J'(H"S of windows in planets an(l in
burning pil'CI'S of ~,,,tellitc debris which have reo·entered tILe atmosphere,
of seeing the star Si rius as an liFO which spews out glowing streams
of red and green matter; seeing aircraft light~; as flying saucers
because the observer could not believe there are that many airplanes
flying around her town; or other expcd ences of this general type
are unes with which an effective investigator must be familiar.
It is obvious that not all liFO rc'ports are worthy of investigation.
What kinds of reports should be investigated? Persons who have
leng L.y experience I"ork i ng wi th UFO reports give varying answers
to this question. NICAP discards unsuhstantiated tales of rides
in flying saucers, on tho basis that their investigators have found
no evidence to support these claims but have found considerable
evidence of' fraud (NICi\P 19 ( 4). !\ir F")rec p 'actice is to neglect
reports of mere lights in the sky, particularly around air bases
or civil landing fields, for experie:lce has shown the UFOs in such
reports to ')e lights of aircraft or other COlJUTIOn lighteJ or reflecting
objects. Both Dr. J. Allen lIynek, scientific consultent to the Air
Force on UFOs, and Dr. Peter M, Mi llman (19G8), who is presently in
charge of the handling of UFO reports in Canada and has had an active
interest in UFO reports for nearly 20 years, have said they do ~ot
favor any field investigation of single-ob5erverdghtin~~sbecause
of the difficulty in deriving Hseful sclcntifi~~ information from
such reports.
Such policies and rl'coml1lC'lld<Jti ons h'1ve !;l'own out of much ex-
l'C'rieneE' ,'FIll prac ti cal cons i LIe rat ions. '111c.l.r author~; are very much
ah'<lrL' of (he fHct thot it nlrc ('vent certainly might b(' witnc~; ;cd
b~' a singll\ ohserver. It also j:; obviouscllat if ail extraterrestrial
Intelligence wen' ass\lll1cu te, he present, th,,~rcis no logical reason
to assume rhatl t I,mild not e1I' did not make cuntact with a human
being. Yet those who have II'Qrked \vi til UFO reports for decades wi til
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vehicle; of "_'l'ing u plastic Llrv ell'allers' 11 .1),;, of sufficiellt size to
-:o\'cr a singh' ganncnt. as :t IIH) 70, 1"1. long and 20 n. wide whell
only 3Ll ft. 'MB:'; of sl"'ing rOI,s ,)j' windows ill plall(!ts an(1 in
burning pil'et'S af ",<It.L'llite debris which have reo-entered the atmosphere,
of seeing the star Siriu, a:; an liFO which spews out gl.owing streams
of red and green matter; s ('ci.ng ai, reraft ligh t:; as flY111g saucers
because the observer coul.d not lwlicve there are that many airplanes
flring around her town; or other C'xpcril'nces of this general type
are unes with which rul effective invC'5tigator must be familiar.
It is obvious that not all UFO rc'port:" are worthy of investigation.
What kinds of report:" should he investigated? Persons who have
1eng!...y experience loJorking with UFO reports give varying answers
to thjs question. ~rCAf' discards unslll'stantiatl'd tales of rides
in flying saucers, on the basis that thoir Investigators have found
no evidence to support these claims bllt have foune! considerable
eviJence of' fraud (NICi\1' EJ(4). Ai r I;.')rcc r 'sctice is to neglect
reports of mere lights in the sky, particularly around air bases
or ci vi! landing fields, for experie:lce has shown the UFOs in such
reports to 'Je lights of aircraft or other common lighted aI' reflecting
objects. Both Dr. J, Allen lIynek, scientific consultant to the Air
Force on UFOs, and Dr. Peter M. Mi Ilman (1963), who is presently in
charge of the handling of UFO rerorts in Canada and has had an active
interest in UFO reports for nearly 20 years, have said they do ~ot
favor ru1Y field investigv,tioll of single-observer dghtin~~s because
of the difficulty in deriving \l!'wful ~clclltifi\.~ information from
such reports.
SucL polici~s and n'cornme'nd"tiolls havc !~rowl1 out of much ex-
I'eriellc€' Hi',e! practical considerations. '111C.I,r author:; arC' v~ry milch
Il,,'an' of (Ile fHct tlwt it I'<lrc l'vent cl'rt"ilily migilt LV' witnc,~ ;cd
b:' a single obs('rvcr. It also i:; obviollsl.hat if ail extraterrestrial
lntelligcncE' "Ierl' ass\lJJ1cJ tc, I1l' prest'nt, th,_'rc is no logic.al reason
to aSSUlne chati t \,ould ilot ,)1' did not makt' Clll1tact with a human
bdllg. )'ct tl1o$c \,ho have' w0rked lvitil UFO reports for decades with
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