Bellefontaine. The raJar opcrate:r steteu that the course \'Ias 240 0
at 400 knots, Elsewhere the report states 450 ~nots; how he deter-
mined this is not made clear. Tl"O F-86 aircraft from the 97th
Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, Wright-Patterson APB, were vectored
in and made visual contact at lOSS LST. Fighters stayed with the
object until 1113 LST. The F-36s climbed to 48,000 ft., fell off,
and made a secon·j climb, nne aircraft had airhorne radar activated
and received a "wl'~ak" return. '111e object was descrihed a~ "silver
in color, round in shape," and its altitude was cstilllat,:d as 60,000-
70,000 ft. The object apnearcd on the radar gUllsight film as a
"fuzzy small image, .. with discernible motion .. , tha~ could he
any Jarn thing,"
In this incident it is ~)par~nt that (1) the uro was a real
object and (21 the vlsual and radar sightings (both ground and
airborne) w')re of the salll(~ ()b,iect. All of the evidence p8~nts to
a wenther balloon cxc~pt for the 400-450 knot slwcJ, Lind tllf' 24()O
fli.gl\t path, which is against the preva:i.Ung upper winds. KnO\~n
aircraft were ruled out because of the altituJe. A U-2 would
"fit," but the first one was not flOW:l llntil 1955, and the visual
appearance was all wrong. The radar returns eliminated astronomical
objects, mi.rag~ \~n5 ruled out because of the high angles, and the
sighting occurred "above the \~eathcr.1t The conc1usiop \~as: unknown.
However, burled deep in the report \~a5 tnc rRdur opC'rC1tor's
note that "At the time it >'las dropped (1113 LSl') object Wli~ five
miles noJth\~(,5L of SpringfielJ, ohio." This allows the UFO'"
course to be plotteo on 11 map: Figs 18 and 19, shows such Ll llhlp plot. It
15 readily apparent from this that the lIF()'~ true ll report lola:; toc rfldar o[ler'itor':;
note that "At the time it: >l'a~ dropped (1113 LST) object wss fivl"
miles nonhl~E'SL of Springfil'1J, Ohio." This allows the IIFU':,
course to be plotteJ 011 Ii map; Fills 18 and 1\:1, shows su..:h 1I ilhlp plvt, It
is readily ilppare!1t from tliis that tlw IIFU's [rill' ill'acling wa$ about
111" at an iJVCrilj.!l' ~pl'l'll of oilly simple ch('ck. Since tllll highcs~ rc'purtev loIi.lIlb frulh
tilt' ruJiosollu(' launched at !Jayton at: IIlOO I.ST "'er(l 7.nl1" /.,1 knots