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

elicit new information that was not brought out in the earlier inter-
vie~. But we found that such interviews need to be conducted with great
c:l1'e as it is t'Llsily possible that the "new" information may have been
~enerah~J through the unconscIOUS usc of leading questions pointing to-
ward the new iHtcTprctation, 'ind so m policemen and newsmen do not know of it and so do not
pass on the UFO report. In otlwr cases, we founJ that the C1;1ti-Air
Force publicit}, effort~ of some UFO enthusiasts had v~rsuadcd observers,
1.)10 would otherwise have done so. not to report to the Air Force. Ive
have alreCldy commented on the fact that for u variety of reasr'llS many
persons who do have UFO experi~nces do not report promptly.
Ideally the entire publ ic would have known that each Air Force
base must, ac~~ording to AFR 110-17, have an UFO officer and would have
reported prompt ly any extraordinary thing seen in the sky. Or) if this
were too much to expect, then all police and news agencies would ideally
have knO\OI of II i r Force interest and W0111d have pClsscJ informat i on
a 101lii tt) the neares t Air Force bf.tsc. But nOlle 0 f these i de:ll th j ngs
were true, and as ;} result OUT collection of UFO reports is extremely
hapha::ard and incomplete.
Wh.?n C) l'C;1ort is made to an "ir Force base, it is handled by an
LJI;O l1ffi(cr wLose tUrin of iilVl·.';tig;.ltion <InJ report is prc:;crJbed by
;\FH t'll-17 (i'ppcndix AL If the C'xp];mutioll of the report i~, immecli-
'Itl·!)' obvious :lIlU trid:ll some nersons will telephone u base to
rl.'port a (ontr:til from:l high-f1yin~ jet that is particularly bright in
tIle light of tht, setting sun -- the UFO ()I1i.cer tells the person
30
elicit new information that was not brought out in the earlier inter-
viel·;. But we found that such interviews need to he conducted with great
cll'e as it is eu s i 1y poss i hI e that the "new" in forma tion may have been
j.!cnenltl~d through the Ul\COllSC,OUS use of leading questions pointing to-
ward the new il,terprctation, cillO so m'LY not be reliahle for that reason.
8. Sources Q f UH) Report,;
Usuallr the fiJ'~t report of an UFO is made to a lccal police
0fficer or to a local new;;; reporte:'. In sl)Jne cases, members of UFO
study organizations are sl.·ffLciently well known in the community that
reports are maJe directly to them. [n spite of the very considerable
puhlicity that ha~ been given to this subject, n large part of the
public still does not know of the official Air force interost.
Even som(' po li celllE'n and new smen do not know of it and so do not
pass on the UFO report. I.n otlwr ca~es, we found that the anti-Air
l;orce publicity effort~ of SOIne UFO enthusiasts hau p',rsuadcd observers,
'.ho waulJ otherwise have done so, not to report to tIl;) Air Force. We
have already commented on the fact that fOl' u variety of reasr'IIS many
persons who do have UFO experi~nces do not report promptly.
rdeally the entire public would have known that each Air Force
base must, according to AFR RO-17, hove an UFO offIcer and would have
reported promptly any extraordinary thing seen in the sky, Or, if this
were too much to expect, then all rolice and news agencies would ideally
have knolol of flir Force interest and wOl11J have p;JsscJ infClrmation
alon~ to the ncurest Air Force b&sc. But non~ of these idea1 things
were true, and as ;1 rcsult OUt' collection of UFO reports is extremely
hapha:ard and incomplete.
When u l'C'i,ort is made to an II i l' 1"01'1,;(' base, j tis handled by an
LJ!'() IIffkrr h'),OSC 101'111 (If iilV(';;t ig:_lt iOil unu report is pre:;crjhcd by
.\!'H I'll-I:' {"PPCl1d.ix AL ! f the e.xp)nnl1t i (1n or the report i!, immedi-
-·tpl)' obvil)lIs :md tl'id:ll somc' ncr!'iuns will t-elcphonc u base to
t(.'pllrt a (ontr;dl fn1nl n high-flyill~ Jot that i~ particularly bl'i);ht in
tll~ light of thl' settiT1~ sun --. the UFO 'ltli.eer tells the person
30