Dummy Drop Procedures
For the majority of the tests, dummies were flown to altitudes between 30,000 and 98,000 feet attached to a specially designed rack suspended below a high altitude balloon.⁴⁹ On several flights the dummies were mounted in the door of an experimental high altitude balloon gondola.⁵⁰ Upon reaching the desired altitude, the dummies were released and free-fell for several minutes before deployment of the main parachute.
The dummies used for the balloon drops were outfitted with standard equipment of an Air Force aircrew member. This equipment consisted of a one-piece flightsuit, olive drab, gray (witnesses had described seeing aliens in gray one-piece suits) or fuchsia in color, boots, and a parachute pack.⁵¹ The dummies were also fitted with an
Fig. 28. (Left) Witnesses at both flying saucer “crash” sites stated that a “wrecker” was used in the recovery of the “alien” craft. This was a likely reference to the M-342 five-ton wrecker, used to launch and recover anthropomorphic dummies.
Fig. 29. (Right) Three tests utilized anthropomorphic dummies mounted in the door of an experimental Project HIGH DIVE gondola. This launch took place on October 8, 1957, in front of curious onlookers at the public picnic area of White Sands National Monument, N.M. (U.S. Air Force photo)
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