PROJECT BLUE BOOK

ere

PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD

1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS

Poék County Florida O Wes Balloon

23 October 1957 Lake Wales & Bartow AB, Fla S. Geneny Bdlicen
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION Possibly Belleon

i Lt “ j O Wes Aircraft
omy__23/2200Z S| thir Viel C Airintereept Reder |2 Possibly Aireroft :
|S PROTOS OUR © Was Astronomico!
O Yes O Prebebly Astrenemicel
> Ne _ ©O Possibly Astrenemicel
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION “NUMBER | ee ee
O Insufficient Dete fer Eveluetion
O Unknow
one no On€e ? a

BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS

A round silver object with a red light The size is probably a mis-inter-
on one side the size of a dirigible pretation. Concur with preparing
at arm's length, directly overhead officer. Possible WX balloon,

& moving slowly. Information called in to Mr.

| Sanderson as AFCIN-X had previousl
requested that it be kept informal

See: Vaoe T-345-42¢

(tile becaldi 8G jp Semen Fice

ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 372)

PAGE TWO RJESKB 2D

2e MOVING SLOWLY TOWARD SQUTH-28 DEGREES IN 1 HOUR ‘
Ae JUST HAPPENED TO SOPT IT

Be DIRECTLY OVER HEAD

Ce STILL IM SiG ME OF CALL C
De MOVING SLOWLY.SOUTH i
E». STILL IN SIGHT AT TIME OF/ CALL
F. ONE HOUR | | (
36

(
» AIR VISUAL AND GROUND VISUAL (
Be NONE
‘Ce APACHE @& a 59@ FI) ORBITING AT 129 KNOTS-OBJECT APPEARED __ lt
TO BE asout (63,000 a Nook BHIS ALTITUDES Ase Above ACFT. C.
4, 23 OCT 1957 AT 1799 EST IN SIGHT FOR ONE HOUR es
Ae 23 OCT 1957 AT 2209 ZULU ;
5. OVER LAKE WALES FLA AND AT BARTOW AB FLA
Se
As MRe MMMM N/A BARTOW AB, FLA FLIGHT INSTURCTOR
Be N/A
7. CLEAR TO PARTLY CLOUDY

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I. NONE

abba tna en athe 7 rs Ne tesa see ee wee,

SCE THX RIESES 2D

\e SCATTERED THUNDER CLoUns
Be 5°14@0/29 19-972/95 15-290/18 24-319/22 25 -352/29

39-39W/26 49-319/55 59-316/35KTS
Ce SCATTERED |

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F..NQ THUNDER STORMS
8. NONE

O. VECTORED BACKSTAGE 6 TO THE AREA AT 1820 EST™SEARCHED THE ARES

FOR 15 MIN-NO JOY

19. APACHE @@OP OVER LAKE WALES FLA

11. 1/LT HANS A SORENSON USAF SENIOR DIRECTOR ON DUTY POSSIBLE
yX BALLON

(12, NONE

BT

(24/2158Z OCT RJESKB

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TO RJEDDU/SCOMNDR ADC ENT AFB COLO
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aAJEPHQO/SACS INTELLIGENCE HQ USAF WASH DC
IFO RJEPiB/CONDR ELADF STEWART AFB NY

SIFIED/INT 6659. UFOS. ATTN: EADF CIC. REFERENCE UToB

i] 6S5TH ACYROM. FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION WAS FURNISHED BY 35TH ADCC: CAPT. WeE. PETERS, DUTY
CONTROLLER, CONTACTED MANWELL FLIGHT SERVICE, FLIGHT SRVICE THEN
INFORMED A(O-47) CALL sien Qeyice 37) OF THE CBJECT. VENICE 37 FLEW
TO THE AREA OF THT OBJECT AND REPORTED waviieGsczRveD) IT. THE

SSSCRIPTION GIVE BY VENICE 37 WAS ESSENTIALLY THEG@AUEYASGIVEN BY

f
THE(ORIGINAL OBSERVER) WITH THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT THE

ssstet QUEL Bee aaa art TACHED. THE 35TH ADCC WEATHER

e~s=

COrSICk& CONCLUTS THAT THE: OBJECT: COULD HAVE BEEN A WEATHER BALOON

YT ARITT£LOLLES 3 TiS ere Mee a ag A A DTA tA FUSTPriurepd AT %,% TP The
LAUNCHED de it Aliusu ORLAUDO, FLA. Lee sduts © as wane Pye Dress y< ACTIO:: TAKEN »

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AFFORM 11200 | oe
- APPROVED 1! JUNE 1948

at or TER ane oe
United States

AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT

Tape Recording from ‘GTO

eréea's~ ~t ele

ALOE es Ue °) SAL
REFERENCES (Control number, direct: oud report, ee., rplicable

SUMMARY: (Bunter concise summary of repert. Gise significances in fmal one-sentence paragraph. List inclesures at lower left. Begin tazt of repert on AV Form 119—Port [1.)

1. In accordance with AFR 200-2, this report is submitted covering the
Vesti of an unidentified flying object.

(1) Description:

(a) To the naked eye, object appeared oblong with a tail projecting
horizontally to the north,

(b) Large.

(c) Shiny.

(d) One.

(e) Not applicable,

(£) Object was described as too shiny for a weather balloon, It remained
stationary while roughly ten mile circles were made around * over period of
observation, which was approximately two hours,

(g) Oblong object with tail projecting north horizontally.
(nh) No sound was heard,
(i) None.

(2) Description of course of object:

(a) Mr, Seema at Lake Wales, Florida, Polk County,
and four other long time pilots went up ‘ednesday afternoon, October 23rd, in a
Piper Apache at approximately 3:15 to an altitude of about 16,500 feet, They went
to investigate an unidentifed flying object reported to the airport by local .
ooserver, and widely seen over central Polk County that afternoon.

(b) The five men had no binocubars or telescope, but estimated that the
object was at an altitude of 50,000 or 60,000 feet above them, or approximately
66,500 or 76,500 feet altitude. They kept the object continuously in view for

{NCLS,

1 Incl: (more )

Recorsting Tape.

DISTRIBUTION BY O@K& BR AUU
Original w/o Incl to ACS/I, HEDUSAF
Copy w/ Incl to Comdr, ATIC
Copy w/o Inc) to Cond» ape

a ei, a! A oa ch ale alls ee eae

ON ee ee ee re

_| SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

> LINO] ROT YY
4 m

4

SOLMANDEAS-ALR DEFENSE COMMAND, ENT AIR FORCE 3ASE

ATTENTION: D/I Lot SEDDN
UNCL/FROM: AFCIN-ME4 crm: /2 —7 66/-E

REFERENCE OPS 0597 DATED 24 CCTOBER 1957. RE UEST FURTHER

INVESTIGATION OF UFO SIGHTING OVER LAKE WELLS AND BARTOW AIR BASE,
FLORIDA. RE UEST INFORMATION AS TO WHAT TYPE OF BALLOON, IF BALLOG
AND WHAT WAS ATTACHED. WHERE WAS BALLOON LAUNCEED, AliD ALL
PERTINENT INFORMATION As TO ITs FLIGHT PATH FROM ORIGIN TO PLACE

OF SIGHTING, If AVAILABLE.

COORDHIATION

Aemree YEAR
OTT wt

SIGNATURE bilnnn Vil

CLASSIFICATION
OF REFERENCE

TIME

1550

é wt
ae,
_ Zz a ‘. R a

w | TYPED NAM TITLE [Sighat are’ of required TYPED (of stamped) NAME AND TI fhe
R T/Sgt James Bolieu cortst, SAVODD

— — ine } , AS ay
E PHONE £907 z | race > | NR. or , 7 1 e MA ra ire a
Q yo. NR. -- 1, PAGES a s . eo | SP

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION | R A todas eli tan it
ASSIS. Fe”

“hry Aororiea

DD FORM 1 7 3 REPLACES OD FORM 173, 1 OCT 49, WHICH WILL BE USED UNTIL EXHAUSTED
1 MAY 58S

‘eae ee rc) eae

2” 16

AF FORM 112—PART II

AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT
FROM (Agency) REPORT NO.
~ , , ™ . 7 PAGE 2 oF PAGES

a nt et ¥ a wine ‘a duel bs 5 “oe

approximately two hours,

ooo

(c) No statement made by observers.

(d) Object remained stationary during period of observation.

(e) Object remained in sight for approximately two hours, No disappearance |

of object was noted by observers,

Pa

3. Manner of observation:

(a) Object was sighted airborne and ground-visual. | | |
(b) No binoculars or telescopes used, Object was viewed by naked eye only.

(c) Object was sighted by four long time pilots in a Piper Apache.
Altitude was approximately 16,500 feet.

1, Time and date of sighting: Approximately 1515 (EST) (20152) on Monday, ©
23 October 1957, Day and dusk.

5. location of observer: Lake Wales, Florida, Polk County.

6. Identifying information of observers:

(a) San nae at Lake Wales, Florida, and four others

(names unknown), Various Civilian Ground Observers over Central Polk County (names
unknown), No military observers,

7. ‘leather and winds at time and place of sighting:

(a) Winds were reported to be 22 miles an hour at altitude of 50,000 feet, |
(b) Unknown.
(c) Unknown.
(d) Unknow. |
(e) Unknown, s

.
—— —-- —- a

(f) Unknown.

8, None,

9. An unidentifed radio contact told MMMM that Pinecastle Air Force Base

had sent two B-47s to an altitude of 15,000 feet to check their observations, Same
‘ radio contact requested §@Mkato switch to dnidentifed defense agency radio named |
} to him by code name, which the radio contact declined to disclose, but which

believed to be Tampa, Florida, The agency radio asked @MMto transmit on what

MMM called to international distress frequency which Mijsaid is known as Guard

Channel 125, Hull also stated he was in communication for some time on this

frequency regarding his observation and was told by the agercy radio that he would |

be contacted later. This reporting officer checked with Captain Grovas, Wing Control |

Room, who stated no aircraft was deployed on that date to search for object sighted. | |

(more ) | | |

ee

AF FORM 112—PART Il

APPROVED 1 JUNE 1948 eee ea
AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT |
FROM (Agency) REPORT WO. |

10. None = other than two Bei,78 »

ll, Reporting officer did not see object or had no knowledge of same until
after phone call on date stated, Report was delayed until tape recording could
be acquired and transmitted with same. No other comments or analysis,

Dasep
ERT ILL PN ) |
CAPTAIN, USAP :
STAFF INFORMATION SERVICES OFFICER :

/12,. None are known to exist,

-_- oe

.

o—- ——_—

5
t

Mr, SE Senator GQ Florida

General Jones 25 Osteber . 1300 hours

Unidentified Flying Objects

OM Vas allt ty He. CNENBD of te Lanta, Florida,

Ledger whe reported that at 2 p.m on 23 October, a large
acta eg ce 8 unidentified object was observed hovering over Pope

County at about

Fil

80,COO feet. Local residents called the Miami

ter Center, the ISO's at Pinecastle and MacDill AP Bases and the
Security Officer at Patrick AFP Base. Allegedly all of these individuals
indicated they had no idea what the object was and made no effort to
attempt to investigate. The people are disturbed about this attitude
on the part of the Air Force and feel that the Air Force's responsibil-
ity was not fulfilled. Senator Siig has asked for a report in this
matter as soon as poseible. |

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
WASHINGTON

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

28 October 1957

Dear Captain Elwood :

| Senator @MMMMEN office called Brigadier General
Cc. D. Jones, Deputy Director of the Office of Legislative Liaison

. with reference to a large gondola-shaped Unidentified Flying Object
which hovered over Pope County, Florida at approximately 80,000
feet at 1400 hours on Wednesday, 23 October ‘1957.

Senator@ggp was concerned because local residents called
the Miami Filter Center, the ISOs at Pinecastle and MacDill Air

Force Bases and the Security Officer at Patrick Air Force Base with
negative results. Allegedly all of these individuals indicated that
they had no idea what the object was and made no effortto investigate.

The people are disturbed about this attitude on the part of
the Air Force and feel that the Air Force's responsibility was not
fulfilled. This sighting should have been reported to your head-

quarters immediately in accordance with AFR 200-2, dated 12 August
1954.

Will you please check your records to see if this sighting was
reported to your headquarters from any other source. If an
identification or evaluation of this sighting is possible, please
send the results to me as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Executive/ Officer /
Public Information Division
, Office of Information Services
27%

LU De te 4s ne meg
Captain Wallace W.' Eiwéod\iCBSAr
Assistant Adjutant
Air Technica Gope uy seh e Center
uae el re Ports Base
Dayton, Ohio

co
=

——_—

~~ lease on 25 October 1955 change the official United States.

Airy Feres poeitica on the mibjest, and the new statistics through
4957 substantiate this stand.

Approximately 5,700 reporte have been reeeived from 1%,7 to
the present tines

Statisties for 1956 are:

Tote) Reporte 773
Cage eeh one |

Balloons Heid
Aireraft  Zhebh
Astronceieal 23%
Gthee (Birds, lights, hoaxes,

<towterm) 607%
Ineaificient Data liolS

Unimow 2erh
Statisties fer the first half of 1957 ares
Total Repert.s 250

Seer one ent |

Bellecns es
Aireratt 28.3%

A were om Zhe
Cther (Birds, lights, hoaxes, hon

matte inde: Fe

Unione 1.93

/
Ko reperts of unidentified aerial objests have been with-
held. It is a practices, however, that the names of persons in-

Dear Senator Ta

unidentified aerial object over Pope County, rlerida, on
23 Getover 1957.

Details of this sighting of an midetified aerial object
have been forwarded to the Air Technical Intelligence Cater
at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Chie, for possible
analysis and identification. The report of their findings, if
a ee ee ee
ia Force Headquarters.

On 5 May 1955, the Department of the Air Force declassified
its special study, Project Dluebook, Report Nuaber 1j,,
of Reports on Unidentified Aerial Chojects. On ber 1955,
the of Defense released numery Air

FE

As
;
%

5

¢
Fa

+

i
E

F

the
study. A copy of the news release and summary
reduced
1954 te approximately three percent. lew
te
Forvee end will contime to be investigated. are, how
There is a tetal lack of evidence that the

your information. It showed that the Air Foree
nuaber of mimoewm sightings from
of

1957, about te be published, show the less
two percent. The unimowm sightings are of
ever, eeveral primary points concerning the results of ow study
which may be reiterated. The study has shows

phenomena observed have inimical or hostile forces
behind then.

There is a total lack of evidence that they
ars vehicles. .

oVki f;
There tetal lack of avidence that shay

te the security of the
United deates Py a

;

COORD
COMEBACK

saFIsSe—

SAFLI-1
Stayback

Inelosure
Pact Sheet-News Release dtd 25 Oct 55.

fonoreble Qupuiiee:

United States Senate

MR: Originated when Mr. MIR of Senator GUM office called
General Jones on 25 October and requested a report. Case ws
hand-carried to Major Tacker, SAFIS, on 25 October for info to
base reply w/susp 28 October. On 28 October Major Tacker hand=
carried HM to M&O Branch a proposed draft of reply. Final
prepd & fied 23 October based on draft furnished by Maj Tacker.

/

~~
WS
Se

HEADQUARTERS

AIR FORCE MISSILE TEST CENTER

AIR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COMMAND
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
Patrick Air Force Base, Florida

In reply address communication to Comdr,
AFMITC, attention following office symbol

en — bee ee 1 Now 57

Dear Captein Elwood:

This Center received a courtesy copy of Major L. J. Tacker's
letter to you of 28 October 1957, regarding "a large gondola
shaped unidentified Flying Object which hovered over Pope (sic)
County.ee23 October 1957". It is believed that Polk County is
the correct location as there is no Pope County in Florida.

An investigation has not uncovered any record of the
reference call having been received at this Center. Four of
the five pertinent agencies checked, maintain blotters G¥ logs

on such calls. The fifth agency, the AFMTC Steff Provost Marshall,
also has no knowledge of the call.

It is regretted that this Center can not be of further
assistance in this matter. A study by this office revealed that
over 90% of the UFO calls are the result of sightings relating
to our operations (missile test, weather balloons, aircraft
instrumentation and range instrumentation checks).

Sincerely yours,

lore

RP SATTEM, Captain, USAF

Capt. Wallace W. Elwood, USAP
Assistant Adjutant

Air Technical Intelligence Center
Wright Patterson Air Force Base, QGhio

— — << ~<s =

UFO SIGHTING, LAKE WALES
23 October 1957
23/2200Z

Reported on tape by Ge

Wednesday afternoon at approximately 3:00 I received a
phone call from an observer in Lake Wales telling me that there
was an object in the sky at what he figured was 20 thousand feet.
I went outside of my office and looked up viewing this object
then proceeded to check with the Orlando radio on the chance
that it might be a weather balloon. Orlando had nothing reported
in the area, and since it is practice to report these balloons,
we decided that we would go up and take a look at this object.

We entered a Piper Apache aircraft (twin engine) and proceeded
to climb up to try and view this object.

We climbed to 16,500 feet over Haines City and had the object
in view all the time. At 16,500 the object appeared to be 50 to
60 thousand feet above us. We kept the object in sight circling
it at all times, thereby eliminating the possibility that it
might be a star,

Upon receiving the upper winds report giving us winds at 50
thousand feet of 22 knots, we disqualified the chance that it
might be a weather balloon because of the fact that at 22 knots
wind a weather balloon would have been drifting; and this object
stayed stationary directly over Haines City for more than 2 hours
as we were up from 3:30 till almost 6:00 searching this object.

The object appeared to have some sort of a tail or trailing
fuselage type design. It appeared to be oblong in shape. The
tail part 6f the object was not visible at all times probably
due to sunlight reflection.

We discount the fact that it could have been a weather
balloon due to the fact that the object was much too shiney.
Weather balloons are coated dull with a powdery effect so that
they won't shine and reflect. All the people in the a/c with
me during this time were licensed pilots who have been flying
for many years and have seen many such weather balloons; and
therefore, we discounted the weather balloon theory on the basis
of our own past experience.

We kept the object in sight until approximately 5:42 at
which time the object appeared to be ascending rapidly and on our
next circling of the object, it had completely disappeared,

There appeared to be no descent whatsoever to the object.

This is WA,

—
Lay
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NO ACTION TAKEN. REFERENCE MESSAGE 35TH AIR DIVISION DOBBINS AFB ~
GEORGIA CITE INT 6659, COPY TO YOUR CENTERe 3ALLOON REPORTED LAUNCHED |
IN ORLANDO FLORIDA AREAs END
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TO RJEDEN/COMDR ADC ENT AFB COLORADO SPRINGS COLO
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RJEDWP/COMDR AIR TECH INT CNTR WHBWHT PATTERSON AFB OH¥@———————__
RJEPHQ/DIR OF INT HQ USAF WASH 25 DC

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a-«,r *ar ~— =— £.

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24/2155Z OCT RJESKB

_—_—

— ey a ee

WARS! 8 WASPS Fake Raker hear i TS.

"WASHINGTON oy 16c<SCUP)“9THE AIR FORCE SAID TODAY THAT @FLYING |
SAUCERS® INGTON) | OVER JACKSONVILLE AND POLK COUNTY, FLORIDA, LATE LAST
MONTH HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED TENTATIVELY AS A SINGLE LARGE WEATHER -
BALLOON DRIFTING OVER THE STATEe serie
THIS EXPLANATION, A SPOKESMAN EMPHASIZED, IS "NOT FINAL” BUT "ALL .
EVIDENCE. SO FAR. AVAILABLE®: INDICATES THAT NO. “STRANGE OBJECTS® WERE.
INVOLVED IN THE-REPORTS« °°) 3. sy 8
SEN< GEORGE As: SMATHERS. (D-FLAc) HAD ASKED THE AIR FORCE FOR AN < aie
EXPLANATION: OF; A. REPORT OF A SO-CALLED © FLYING SAUCER® OVER POLK |,
COUNTY ON OCTs’ 23«°/A°SIMILAR’ REPORT WAS RECEIVED BY THE AIR FORCE.
FROM JACKSONVILLE A FEW DAYS LATER. — eae

SILVER-COLORED BALLOONS ARE REGULARLY USED TO CARRY METEOROLOGICAL
INSTRUMENTS ALOFT TO GATHER WEATHER INFORMATION.

(MH) JE1S5P

ea abiaiali e terts Vii dk | de mde. : thle ' ae Ps witness _— te