PROJECT BLUE BOOK

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1 PROJECT 10073 CARD
DATE 2 JCATION CONCLUSIONS
127 0 Was Balloon
Aug 1951 Vandalia, I11 o Probably Balloon
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION Possibly Balloon
Locol 2000 - 2030 XKGreund-Visual Ground-Roder o Was Aicraft
Probably Aireraft
GMT 28/02c02 AirViswol Air-Intercep! Rodar 0 Possibly Aircraft
5. PHOTOS 6. SOURCE 0 Was Astronomical
Yes D Probably Astronomical
xOXNo Newspaper Rpt o Possibly Astronomical
7. LENGTH OBSERVATION . NUMBER OF OBJECTS 9. COURSE Other.
00 Insufficiont valuation
Unk one West Unknown
BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING u. COMMENTS

in these matters.
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Yours very truly, -
Hq AMC Form N Fob 49) Air Force-WPAFB-L-19 JAN 50 65OM
1

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Thursday, August 30, 1951.
Dear Sirs E
Strange Object in Sky M of this nature
known here . If
Baffles Local Airmen Whether it was .
It wasn't a flying saucer! Nor
was it a conventional type airplane!
But whatever it was, it has aroused
the curiosity of at least five per- Perhaps your office might find
sons who saw it soaring through the Vandalia Leader , of August 3o issue .
air Monday night. on the evening of August 2óth.274
It was a big orange light with
blinding intensity when I first no-
ticed it over the southwest corner
of the airport," Ray Williams told
the Leader. "I had just taxied out we can be of any
onto the runway preparing to take Ramsey,
a flight around the city when I and when they
noticed the light. It was between Jisiie.avwas wce. Sincerely,
8 and 8:30 p.i. I called over the 8 and 8:30 p.m. I called over the OJ s a military craft from
radio to the CAA official on duty rely,
Albert Draoklec, and to Paul Reese 50G0
and asked them to take a look. 26th.274h
"The lighted object disappeared 3o issue. find the
into the west and we decided maybe the
there was nothing to it. So I p P Illinois.
decided to continue with my flight h
plans," Williams stated. should further September
"Shortly after I had taken off "Shortly after I had taken off
I noticed the light again, approach- I noticed the light again, approach- H The enclo September Ioth Ramsey Ramsey,
ing my plane. It came directly at 8 n they should happen here ry craft from Scott Field
me and then circled my plane . enclosed
twice before heading toward Green- b h S
ville. I followed it and it made E
TI a circle round that town and came AR
back toward Vandalia. I last saw r
1 it near the country club. The CAA
radioed a transport pilot who was Illwois
passing over Vandalia at the time
at about 20.000 feet and he too c f any further help and if you desire reports ,1951.
saw the object. The incident referred to
It was all very spooky," the MD
Vandalia airman said." "It wasn't 2
an airplane but whatever it was
519. the light was on the tail of it, and
there was a small red light on clipping from the
top. Probably it was some military
craft from Scott Field making a
test run."
2 The lighted object which appear-
- ed to have a 10 to 12 inch lens, was , please advise.
also seen by Dwight Kerns in St. hasn't been made
Elmo the same evening. I ofinterest
S
1
ARE YOU INTERESTED in Van- C
dalia? Read The Vandalia Lead- I ocurred
er. 35-1t
98-C1LE-4

Musn't an
airplane but whatever it was the licht tail of it, and there was
a small red light on ton. Probably it was sone n
Rield mveking a teat mn !
made incident.
F
SIED
DOWNGRADED AT 3 YEAN
DECLASSIFIED AFTER 12 YEARS.
DOD DIR 5200.10
9

heading towerd Grecnville and it
D town ani care tack tous Jalia, last saw it ne.r the country club.
The CA. radioed trensport oilgt yho passing he time
at abou object.
niIt HAS Vandalis
airplane but whatever it light there was
D
UNCLASSIFIED
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ALTTTUDE: Unknown
HEADIG: Varied
SOURCE: Cormercial pilots and Ground Obs. .
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INCI DENT: and again
. from two aircraft.
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