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

interpretation is tf,at the object seen and tracked on radar was a
weather balloon, a lighted ribal used for ohtaining data on upper
winds. 'I1lis explanat ion was considered and rej ected by Air rorce
investigators for two reasons:
(1) 'n1e sighting occurred 1 hr. 15 min. after the scheduled
release of the Winslow, Ariz. pibal, the only one that seemed likely
to have showed up in the sighting area, and the balloon ought to
hav~ burst by then, since they generally burst at 30,000 ft., an
altitude the Winslow pibal ~hould have reached 25 min. aft~:r launch;
(2) TIle reported direction of movement was, at least part of
the tIme, diL'ectly opposite to the reported upper winds as derived
from the Albuquerque radiosonde flight. TI1ese winds were reported
from the "west between lO,OOD an": 30,000 feet."
Actually, neither of these two reasons is sufficient to dis-
count the' balloon theory. In t;H~ first plar:c, weather balloons are
often released later than the scheduled time, and this pcssihility
"'as apparently not checkeu. In the second place. 1'1ba] lJi-llloons
are often known to leak and consequently to rise ut a much slower
rate than normal. Often they have S0 little houyancy that they may
be caught in local updrafts or dOlmdrafts. '111cse le~ddng balloons
are usually carried away by tile horizontal wind flow at such a rate
that they are lost from si~ht of the ohserving station hefore they
reach hurst altitude. '111\.,' pibal data from Winslow, Ariz. for 0300
(j~fT 27 .Jan~lary 1~l53, (200n LST 2h ,Jallllary) is listed as "missing"
ahovc the 500 mb level (ahollt 19,0(10 ft. llI.s.l.), ,,,hich is a strong
indication that tile bdloon may have been leaking. rt is thc"cfore
t>ntirely conceivable that the Winslo'oJ pi\nl halle,on could hav(.> lwcn
in the vicinity of GallUp, N. ~1. (west of the radar site) at 2115 LST
on the n 19h t in qtl('~", j ,-'11.
'111C pl'oh lern of the )hserved direct ion of movemcnt cannot he c:Jm-
pte-tely resolved, because it depends largely on an anlysi5 of lIlc',oscalc
215
interpretation is nat the object seen and tracked on radar was a
weather balloon, a lighted pibal used for ohtaining data on upper
winds. '~is explanation was consid~red and rejected by Air ~orce
investigators fer two reasons:
(1) nle sighting occurred 1 hr. 15 min. after the scheduled
release of the Winslow. Ariz. pibal, the only one that seemed likely
to have showed up in the sighting area, and the balloon ought to
haVt burst by then, since they generally burst at 30,OO() ft., an
altitude the Winslow pibal should have reached 25 min. aftt;,Y' launch;
(2) TIle reported direction of movement was, at least part of
the tIme, di~ectly opposite to the reported upper winds as derived
from the Albuquerque radiosonde flight, 1hese winds were reported
from the "west between 10,000 an"': 30,000 feet."
Actually, neither of these two reasons is sufficient to di5-
count the balloon theo'f"Y. In the fir5t pJar:c, weather balloons are
oftell reI<.'3s<.'cI l~lter than the scheduled time, and this pcssihi lity
\;'I\S apparently not chcckeJ. In the second place, pJf)al balloons
are often known to leak and consequently to rise ut a much slower
rate than normal. Often they have so little houyancy that they may
be caugllt ill local updrafts or dOimurilft&. '111csc le~ddng balloons
are lIsuall," carried away by the horizontal win,1 flow at such a rate
that they tlrc lost from 51;;:111' of the ohserving station hef()rc~ they
reach bur:;t altitude. '111\: pibal data from Win:;!ow, Ari~. for ()30()
GNT 27 ,J~II~lary 1:'53, (20()O J.ST 2h ,January) is 1 jstcd as "mi ssi ng"
ahove the 500 mb level (ahout 19,O[lO ft. I1I,S.1.), \~hjch is a strong
indication that tile balloon may have heen ]('ahing, It is the" e:fore
t'ntirely ~'ollccivalJlc that the Wil1s1o\~ pih:l \1[111(,011 could hav{' heen
in the vidnity of Gallllp, N. ~1. (Wt'st of the radar sitl') at 2115 lSI
on the night ill qll('",.j~·1\.
'111C pl'oh lern of till' )hsl'rvl'L1 direct ion of lJIovement cannot he CJIJI-
pte-tel:, re:;olvctl, becallse :it depends largely on all 'lnlysh of 1i1~',oscalc
215