came back in. It seemed to be west moving since the aircraft was kept on a constant heading and the angle or azimuth and elevation increased. The light was first observed for 30 seconds, it faded, reappeared, then faded again after 30 seconds.

As the pilot came around the west side of the air base and up the east side, he saw another light and turned into it to take gun camera photos. (The photos were no good).

Discussion

A visit was made to the Weather Bureau station at the Rapid City Municipal Airport to check weather and balloon launches (Note: The air base launches no balloons). The observer on duty looked up the balloon track for the balloon launched at 2000 1ST on 5 August 1953 and it went south from the Municipal Airport. This puts it out of the area of the sighting. Data on inversions was not available as it had been forwarded to Asheville, North Carolina. (Note: The balloon tracks and weather for 2000 MST on 5 August has been requested from Asheville.)

No attempt was made to contact the GOC observers at Blackhawk. They had been interrogated by base personnel and were "all excited". It was believed that an investigator talking to them would only further excite them needlessly. All the sightings at Bismarck are doubtful. The AC&W Station called the Bismarck Filter Center and told them to "look for flying saucers", a perfect set up to see every star move around.

The upper air research balloon tracks at Lowry were checked. Two balloons were lost and could have been in the area at the time or the sighting.

A few comments on the sources can be made:

Controller left the impression that he was trying to prove the existence of an unidentified flying object. It is very unfortunate that no scope photos were available to collaborate his story. He saw targets on the scope, there is no doubt about it, but whether they acted exactly as the stated is unknown.

The two airmen that went outside to observe the object that was being carried on radar and reported by the GOC were not sure of what they saw, at least this is the impression they left. They were told to go out and look for a light so they saw one. Their description fits that of a meteor. They only saw a "streak" in the sky. They did not see it return north, only go south.

The first pilot only got a glimpse of a light, so he could not add much.

The second pilot gave the impression of being "on the ball". He obviously was trying to convince himself the light was a star, but was
 
 

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