box Incident Summaries 173-233

Incident: 187 At 1050E, 19 Aug 1948, the Wright-Patterson Flight Service Center was notified by Lt Col John Waugh, Executive Officer, Godman AF Base, Ky, that an unidentified flying object was visible from the ground at Godman AFB. The object was ascertained to be at approximately 30,000 to 40,000 feet altitude, spherical in shape, bright silver color and giving off a bright reflection from the sun. An F-51 was dispatched from Standiford AFB, Ky, to observe the object. At 1132E a message received from Godman stated no change in elevation of the object and reported that it seemed to be moving southwest from Godman AFB at approximately 235° at an elevation of 60° from Godman AFB. The F-51 was flying at 30,000 to 35,000 ft at the time and could not locate the object. However, the object was visible from the ground with the naked eye and azimuth and elevation readings were being taken by theodolite every minute and the progress of the object was being charted. At 1219 E 19 Aug 1948 Maj Mitchel, Operations Officer at Godman AFB, notified Wright-Patterson Flight Service Center that the unidentified object was ascertained to be the planet Venus. This information was given the Commanding Officer Godman AFB by Mr Moore, Head Astrologer, University of Louisville, Ky. This assumption was verified by MCI later the same day.