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

respond at a JIlOlllt'Ilt'S 11Otice. Even so, ill the vast majority of the
cases, they would not lw_ve arrived in t ilile fcr 1i rect observat ion of
the reported UFO. ~loreover, the nationaJ publicity designed to insure
more prompt reporting would have had the effect of arousing exaggerated
public concern over the subject, and certainly wculd have vastly in-
creased the munber of nonsense reports to which response would have had
tn be made. ITl recruiting the large number of field teams, great care
would have had to be exercised to make sure that they were staffed with
people of adequate scientific training, rather than with persons
emotionally committed to extremE' pro :)1' con views o~ the subject.
Clearly this wa~i quite beyond the mClI1s of Out' 5t'Jdy. Such a
program to cover the ('ntire United States would cost many millions of
dollars a year, and even then there would have been 1 i t.tlG I ike! ihood
that anythi ng of import ancc \~oul d have been uncovered.
In a feh cases some physiL11 evidence could be gathered by examin-
ation of a site where a~ UFO was reported to have landed. Tn such a
CRse it did not matter that the field team arrived after the UFO had
gone. But in no case did we obtain any convincing e~idence of this
kind al though e\'cry effort \"as made to do so. (See below and in
Section III, Chapters 3 and 4).
Thus most of the field invcstigatlon, as it turned au:, consisted
in the intervie\\'Lng of perscJns who made the report. By all odds the
most used piece of physical equipmclt was the tape recorder.
'(he questi all of a number of invest Lgators on a field teum was an
important one. In 1110st I~ork done in tIll.' past hy the Air Force, UFn
oh~,er\'ers ''''C'1'{, intt'!'vi{'I'iCd b;' a single I\il' !:orcc officer, who usually
had no special training ~IJIJ \~hu~;c freedom to devote much time to the
~tUd>' \\a~ limitl'd hy the fact that hL ;llso had other responsibilities.
When field stlldil~s arc made by ;\JIlatcur org;lIiizatluns like /I.I'h() or NICAP,
there arc (.1ftl'l1 several llll'l1Ibers present 011 :l 1eam, but u:;,'-' 11y t.hey are
persons without tc-:hnical training, and oft:l~n with a strong 1.Jias toward
the sensational as;\ects of the subject.
respond at a IflOllleJlt's IlOtjce, Even so, ill the vast majority of the
cases, they would not h,;ve arrived in time fer Ii rect observat ion of
the rEported UFO, ~!oreover, the national publicity designed to insure
Illore prompt reporting would huv(' had the effect of arousing exaggerated
public concern over the subject, and certainly would have vastly in-
creased the mmlber of nonsense reports to which response would have had
tn be made, In recruiting the large number of field teams, great care
would have had to be exercised to make sure that they were staffed with
people of adequate scientific training, rather than with persons
emotionally committed to l'xtl'tc;fI1€' Pl'O Jr con views 0:1 the subject,
Clearly this wa~i quite beyond the nlCl!1S of our ~;t:.ldy, Such a
program to covel' till' entin' United States would cost many millions of
dollars a year, and even then there would have been little likelihood
that anyth.ing of importance \'ioulJ r.avc been uncovcrcJ,
In a fel'. cases some phy~iL;1 evidence cCluIe! be gathered by examin·
ation of a site where an UFO wa~ reported to have landed. Tn such a
C?'; e i t~i. d not matter thaT the field team arri vet! after the UFO had
gone. But in no case did we obtain any convincing evidence of this
kind although every effort was made to do so,
SeC't ion TII, Chapters 3 and 4).
(See below and in
Thus most of the field invesrigatl Oil, as j t turned au:, consisted
in the interviewing of pcrs0ns who made the report, By all odds the
most lIsed piece of ph~"sical cquipmel't was the tape recorder,
'j'he quest i on of a lltlllllwl' of invest igators un a fi cld teClnJ was an
important OIle, In IIiO~t work done in thl: P:lst hy the Ai)' Force, UFn
Oh!;enl'rs we're intl'l'vil'\\cJ h;':j single I\il' !:orc(' officer, who usually
had IlO special training alld I'Ihu!,C' freedom to devote much time to the
stud)' l(dS limitl'd hy thl' fact ti1:1t he also had ()thcr l'C'SPOlIsibilities,
WhL'1l field stuJil's :lrc lIIaLic by "11I:ltcur ()rg:lilil:.1t lun~ j ike 1\I'i10 1)1' NICAP,
there al'c ()ftL'1l seve!'al IIll'llIhers presclit on:l 1c:lm, but u.H'·'lly t.hey are
persons 'dthC'lIt tc.:hnicnl training, and of tell with a ~;tr()llg Lias tow:lrd
the sen::atiollal aspeds of the subject,