WHAT THE PILOTS HAVE SEEN
This chart lists over 100 UFO sightings by pilots (AL=Airline pilot; M=Military; P=Private), the majority of whom reported
typical geometrical objects such as discs and ellipses. The resulting patterns of the observations, and their strong similarity to
reports by other reliable witnesses are readily apparent.
Code	Date	Location	Witnesses	Description
M	8-10-44	Sumatra	Capt. A.M. Reida, USAF bomber pilot	Spherical object with halo paced B-29 during mis- sion; maneuvered sharply, climbed away vertically, [Section III]
M	12-44	Austria	Maj. W.D. Leet, USAF bomber pilot	Amber disc followed B-17 across Austria. [Section III]
M	8-1-46	nr Tampa, Fla.	Capt. Jack Puckett USAF 4-engine pilot	Cigar with "portholes" approached C-47 head-on, veered across path. [Section III]
P	6-24-47	Mt. Ranier, Wash.	Kenneth Arnold, businessman, pilot	Nine flat shiny objects in line, zigzagged. [4]
AL	7-4-47	nr Portland, Oregon	Capt. E.J. Smith, United Airlines; Ralph Stevens, Co-pilot	Two groups of discs.
M	7-6-47	Fairfield-Suisan AFB, Calif.	Pilot (name deleted by Air Force)	UFO sped across sky "oscillating on lateral axis." [5]
M	7-8-47	nr Los Angeles, Calif.	F-51 pilot (name de- leted by Air Force)	Flat, light-reflecting UFO passed above fighter. [6]
P	7-9-47	nr Boise, Idaho	Dave Johnson, pilot & aviation editor; others on ground	Large disc, maneuvered erratically. [Section VII]
M	8-47	Media, Pa.	W. Boyce, USAF fighter pilot	Hovering disc.[7]
M	1-7-48	Ft. Knox, Ky.	Capt. Thomas Man- tell, Air National Guard (A.N.G.); many on ground	Pilot killed in crash of F-51 while chasing "huge … metallic" circular object.[8]
P	7-48	Pasco, Wash.	Don Newman, 6-year USAF veteran of WW II and Korean War	Disc diving and climbing.
AL	7-23-48	nr Montgomery, Ala.	Capt. C.S. Chiles, F/O J.B. Whitted, Eastern Airlines	Cigar with lights like portholes approached head- on, accelerated, climbed away.
M	10-1-48	Fargo, N.D.	Lt. George F. Gorman, A.N.G.; 3 others	"Dogfight" with disc; UFO out sped F-51.[9]
P	1-1-49	Jackson, Miss.	Tom Rush	Cigar crossed path of plane, accelerated rapidly.
M	7-3-49	Longview, Wash.	Cmdr. M.B. Taylor, USN; many others at air show	Round UFO wobbling on axis, sharp maneuvers. [Section IV]
M	11-3-49	nr Baja, Calif.	Capt. William H. Donnelly, USAFR	Four discs which cavorted in an "astounding man- ner. [Section III]
AL	3-8-50	Dayton, Ohio	TWA Captains W.H. Kerr, D.W. Miller, M.H. Rabeneck; plus USAF pilots	Round UFO tracked on radar, observed from ground and air, climbed away from clouds. [Section VIII, Radar]
P	3-18-50	nr Bradford, Ill.	Robert Fisher and family	Oval UFO, self-illuminated, sped past plane at estimated 600 to 1,000 mph.
AL	3-20-50	nr Little Rock, Ark.	Capt. Jack Adams, F/O G.W. Anderson, Jr.	Disc with apparent "portholes" flew above airliner in arc. [Section II]
P	3-26-50	nr Washington, D.C.	B.A. Totten, former USAF aircraft in- spector	Disc flew below plane; when pilot dove at it, UFO "zoomed up into overcast."[10]
AL	4-27-50	nr Goshen, Ind.	Capt. Robert Adickes, Capt. Robert F. Man- ning, TWA; passengers	Disc paced plane, sped away when pursued.
AL	5-29-50	nr Washington, D.C.	Capt. Willis T. Sperry, F/O Bill Gates, American Airlines	Elliptical object circled plane, raced away.
AL	6-24-50	California desert	F/O David Stewart, United Airlines	Cigar-shaped object paced plane for 20 miles. [11]
M	6-24-50	nr Daggett, Calif.	Navy transport pilot	Cigar-shaped object above desert. [Section IV]
M	7-11-50	nr Osceola, Ark.	Lt(jg) J.W. Martin; Enlisted Pilot R.E. Moore, USN	Domed circular UFO passed in front of two Navy planes [confirmed by radar]. [Section IV]
AL	10-5-50	nr San Fernado, Calif,	Capt. Cecil Hardin, F/O Jack Conroy, California Central Airlines	UFO with body lights came head-on at plane, dipped down and passed below; "It appeared to be a wing," Captain Hardin said, "It had no fuselage. "Bands of blue light were visible across its width.[12]
P	11-27-50	Evansville, Wisc.	Bill Blair, commer- cial pilot & flight instructor	Six elliptical objects in loose echelon formation, made sound similar to helicopters. Appeared to be at about 10,000 feet, traveling about 500 mph. [13]
AL	12-27-50	nr Bradford, Ill.	Capt. Art Shutts, TWA	Light source, making erratic and violent maneu- vers.
AL	1-20-51	Sioux City, Iowa	Capt. Lawrence Vinther, F/O James F. Bachmeier, Mid- Continent Airlines; plus control tower operators	Cigar with bright body light approached, reversed direction, climbed away.
AL	2-19-51	Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa	Capt. Jack Bicknell, Radio Officer D.W. Merrifield, East Africa Airways; plus 9 passengers	Cigar-shaped object with vertical bands hovered for long period, ascended vertically at high speed. [Section X]
AL	5-22-51	nr Dodge City, Kans.	Capt. W.R. Hunt, American Airlines	Blue-white star-like object gyrated around air- liner, "moved backward and forward, then up down" and finally dove below plane and sped away. [14]
P	8-11-51	Portland, Ore.	R.O. Dodge, former USAF P-47 pilot	Three disc-like UFOs in formation.[15]
M	1-21-52	Mitchel AFB, N.Y.	Navy TBM pilot	Chased dome-shaped UFO. [Section IV]
M	3-29-52	Misawa, Japan	Lt. D.C. Brigham, USAF	Small disc observed maneuvering around F-84. [Section I]
M	6-52	Tombstone, Ariz.	Lt. Cmdr. John C. Williams, USN (Ret.); others	Disc hovered in plain sight, sped away. [Section IV]
AL	7-5-52	Richlands, Wash.	Capts. John Baldwin, George Robertson, plus two co-pilots, Conner Airlines	"perfectly round disc" observed hovering above Hanford atomic plant.
AL	7-13-52	nr Washington, D.C.	Capt. W. Bruen, National Airlines	Light source approached plane, hovered, fled when pilot turned on lights. [Section XII, July 1952 Chronology]
AL	7-14-52	Newport News, Va.	Capt. William B. Nash F/O William Forten- berry, PAA	Six discs flew below airliner, executed sharp turn in formation, sped away joined by two more discs.
AL	7-18-52	Denver, Colo.	Capt. Paul Carpenter, American Airlines	Three observations of speeding lights in period of 2 minutes, maximum of 3 UFOs seen at one time; objects appeared to reverse direction.[16]
AL	7-20-52	Washington, D.C.	Capt. Casey Pierman, F/O Charles Wheaton	Lights moving rapidly, up, down, and horizontally, also hovered; coincided with radar targets. [Sec- tion XII, July 1952 Chronology]
M	7-23-52	South Bend, Ind.	Capt. Harold W. Kloth, USAF	From ground saw two blue-white light sources; one veered sharply. [Section III]
M	7-26-52	Washington, D.C.	Lt. William Patterson, USAF	Glowing objects surrounded his interceptor, con- firmed on radar. [Section III; Section XII, July 1952 Chronology]
M	8-1-52	Dayton, Ohio	Maj. James B. Smith, Lt. Don Hemer, USAF F-86 pilots	Saw and photographed round hovering object, tracked on radar; UFO sped away. [Section III]
M	8-13-52	Tucson, Ariz.	Capt. Stanley W. Thompson, USAFR	Nine UFOs in three V's. [Section III]
AL	8-13-52	Dallas, Texas	Capt. Max M. Jacoby, Chief Pilot; Capt. J.W. McNaulty, Pioneer Airlines	Chased unidentified light, which turned and dove.
M	Summer 52	MacDill AFB, Fla.	USAF Colonel, B-29 pilot	Investigated radar target, saw elliptical UFO. [Section III]
AL	10-29-52	nr Richmond, Va.	Capt. Francisco Rivas, Venezuelan	Bright, luminous object with apparent exhaust, traveled from 45º above plane, over horizon in 8 minutes.[17]
M	10-29-52	Hempstead, L.I., N.Y.	Two USAF F-94 pilots	Chased object which maneuvered at high speed. [Section III]
AL	Fall, 1952	New York to Puerto Rico	Capts. Charles Zam- mett, Robert Harris, William Hutchins PAA	Large green sphere which hovered, then sped away.
10
M	12-8-52	Chicago, Ill.	Ernie Thorpe, Co- pilot H.S. Plowe	String of lights, 5 or 6 white, one rapidly blinking red, flew alongside plane.[18]
P	1-27-53	nr. Livermore, Calif.	J.B. Bean	Shiny circular object, climbed steeply at "terrific rate."
M	2-9-53	nr Washington, D.C.	Lt. Ed Balocco, USMC	Alerted by ground sightings, searched, saw luminous UFO with red glow, climbing rapidly. [Section IV]
M	4-53	Laredo, Texas	Lt. E.Wilford, USAF jet instructor	Cigar-shaped UFO leaving contrail of constant length, made right angle turn. [Section III]
P	5-21-53	Prescott, Ariz.	Bill Beers; two others	Eight disc-like objects maneuvered overhead for about an hour. Beers, a veteran pilot, said the UFOs "swooped around in formation, peeled-off, and shot directly up and down in a manner that could not be duplicated by a plane."[19]
M	8-12-53	Rapid City, S.D.	Two USAF jet pilots; ground observers	Multiple radar and visual sightings. [Section I]
M	9-7-53	Vandalia, Ohio	Navy fighter pilots	Brilliant light maneuvered around plane. [Section IV]
AL	10-18-53	English Channel	Capt. Peter Fletcher; F/O R.L. Lemon	UFO "like two shallow saucers with their rims together."
AL	12-17-53	Sweden	Capt. Ulf Christiernsson	"Unorthodox, metallic . . .circular" UFO. [Section X]
AL	1-1-54	Victoria, Australia	Capt D. Barker	Large "metallic" elliptical UFO, speed estimated over 7 m.p.h.
M	1954	Dayton, Ohio	Lt.Col. Rchard Headrick, USAFR, Senior Pilot	Two UFOs which hovered, flew in formation, evaded pursuing jets. [Section III]
M	3-24-54	Florida	Capt. Don Holland, USMC	Chased round UFO, which sped away. [Section IV]
M	5-14-54	nr Dallas, Texas	Maj. Charles Scarborough, USMC	Sixteen UFOs, in groups, evaded pursuit by Marine jets. [Section IV]
AL	6-1-54	nr Boston, Mass.	Capt Charles Kratovil, TWA	White disc paced airliner.
M	6-23-54	Ohio	Lt. Harry L. Roe, Jr.	F-51 paced by unidentified light.
AL	6-30-54	nr Goose Bay, Labrador	Capt. James Howard; crew, British Overseas Airways Corporation	Large dark UFO with several satellite objects, paced airliner; disappeared as jet interceptor neared to check. [Section X]
M	10-4-54	Essex, England	Flt. Lt. J.R. Salandin Royal Air Force	Disc (Saturn-shaped) approached head-on, veered to one side. [Section X]
M	10-24-54	Porto Alegre, Brazil	Brazilian Air Force pilots	Formation of silvery circular UFOs over base. [Section X]
AL	11-21-54	nr Rio de Janero, Brazil	Captain; crew; passengers	About 19 discs rushed by close to airliner, causing panic among passengers. [Section X]
M	12-54	Nowra Air Base, Australia	Royal Australian Navy Pilot	Aircraft paced by two UFOs, ground radar confirmed sighting. [Section X]
M	1955	Virginia, nr. Washington, D.C.	Cmdr., Navy pilot	Disc with dome on top paced aircraft. [Section IV]
AL	1-2-55	nr Punta San Juan, Venezuela	Captain & crew, National Airlines	Orange light source approached plane, beam of light shone in cockpit. [Section X]
AL	2-2-55	nr Merida, Venezuela	Capt. Dario Celis, Aeropost Airlines	Top-like UFO with central ring and "portholes" paced airliner. [Section X]
AL	2-11-55	Miami to New York City	Capt. J. King, PAA	Two reddish-green UFOs shot by close to airliner. Section X]
P	11-14-55	San Bernardino Mts., Calif.	Gene Miller	Globe of light, blinked in apparent pattern.
AL & M	12-11-55	nr Jacksonville, Fla.	Navy jet pilots, airline pilots, others	Jets in dogfight with round, reddish UFO, confirmed on radar. [Section IV]
M	1956	North Atlantic	Cmdr. Senior Pilot, other flight crews as passengers	Large disc climbed up to R7V-2, paced it, moved away. [Section IV]
AL	2-17-56	Paris, France	Air France pilot	Investigated radar target, saw odd maneuvering light. [Section VIII, Radar]
AL	4-8-56	Schenectady, N.Y.	Capt. Raymond Ryan, F/O William Neff, American Airlines	Bright light source hovered, sped through 90º arc.
AL	9-6-56	Pasadena, Calif.	Western Airlines pilot	Reported UFO to Air Defense Command; erratically moving white light source confirmed visually from ground by 1st Lt. Mark Matlock, USAF.[21]
AL	11-14-56	nr Mobile, Ala.	Capt. W.J. Hull, F/O Peter MacIntosh, Capital Airlines	Bright light source descended, gyrated near airliner, climbed away. [Section I]
M	12-56	Far East	USAF jet pilot	Radar-visual sighting of disc, radar jammed by interference. [Section I]
AL	1-24-57	Indiana	Commercial pilot; others on ground	Four UFOs, in-line formation, last one larger and egg-shaped.[22]
P	3-8-57	nr Houston, Texas	Victor Hancock and Guy Miller	UFO with three brilliant white lights sped past DC-3, kept just ahead of plane, speeding up each time plane closed in.[23]
AL	3-9-57	nr San Juan, Puerto Rico	Capt. Matthew Van Winkle, F/O D.W. Taylor, PAA, other airliners in area	Round greenish-white object came toward airliner; outer ring appeared to reflect light from center; pilot took violent evasive action.[24]
AL	3-29-57	Off east coast of Florida	Capt. Kenneth G. Brosdal, F/O George Jacobson, PAA	Observed brilliant pulsating light, confirmed by radar. Visual sighting lasted 4 to 5 minutes.
AL	6-30-57	Belo Horizonte, Brazil	Capt. Saul Martins, passengers	Disc-like object paced airliner, maneuvered around it. [Section X]
AL	7-4-57	nr Campos, Brazil	Cdr. Delgado, REAL Airlines	Disc with dome and "portholes" paced airliner, shot away. [Section X]
AL	8-14-57	nr Joinville, Brazil	Cdr. Jorge Campos Araujo, Varig Airlines	Disc with dome, alternately hovered and moved at high speed; aircraft engines affected. [Section X]
P	8-15-57	Woodland Hills, Calif.	Eugene Allison, Chief Aviation Pilot, USN (Ret.)	Disc hovered, rocked back and forth, shot straight up out of sight. [Section IV]
AL	10-8-57	nr Boston, Mass.	Capt. Joseph L. Flynn, PAA	Brilliant planet-like object (in daylight) moving at high speed on steady course.
AL	11-4-57	Ararangua, Brazil	Capt. Jean Vincent de Beyssac, Varig Airlines	Red light source approached below plane, made erratic jump; electrical equipment on aircraft burnt out. [Section X]
AL	11-6-57	Nebraska	Capt. Irving Kravitz, TWA	Bright light source in high speed flight.[25]
AL	11-9-57	Lafayette, La.	Capt. Truman Gile, Eastern Airlines	Flaring bright light source, visible several minutes. [26]
AL	12-12-57	Chatham-Windsor area, Canada	Capt. J.A. Miller, Trans-Canada Air- lines; police officers, others on ground	Oval disc, changed course. [Section X]
P	5-5-58	San Carlos, Uruguay	Carlos Alejo Rodriguez	Brillian UFO approached plane, hovered (pilot felt intense heat); when pilot tried to pursue object, it sped away. [Section X]
AL	5-27-58	Bahia State coast, Brazil	Cdr. Bittar, Varig Airlines	Luminous circular object maneuvered, hovered, below airliner. [Section X]
AL	2-4-59	Off New Orleans, La.	Capt. H. Dunker, PAA	Reddish light source sped back and forth across path of DC-6B, shot straight up.
AL	2-24-59	Pennsylvania	Capt. Peter Killan, F/O John Dee, American Airlines; other airliners, ground observers	Three glowing UFOs paced airliner.
AL	7-11-59	Pacific Ocean	Capt. George Wilson, PAA; several other aircraft	Formation of bright lights sped toward plane, veered away. [Section X]
M	7-14-59	Pampulha, Minas Gerais, Brazil	Brazilian Air Force pilot	Luminous object paced B-26, hovered near airport, reacted to flares. [Section X]
M	10-7-59	nr Forrest City, Ark.	Lt. E.L. Barksdale, Kentucky Air National Guard	Glowing UFO passed plane, pilot turned to chase it, object sped away.[27]
M	1960	Cincinnati, Ohio	Kentucky Air National Guard pilot	Pilot pursued UFO which pulled away each time plane closed to within about 10 miles.( Confidential report, certified by Bluegrass NICAP Affiliate, William D. Leet, President.)
P	3-4-60	Dubuque, Iowa	Charles Morris, flight instructor	Three elliptical UFOs, in-line formation.
AL	7-2-60	nr Maiquetia, Venezuela	Captain & crew Venezuelan Airlines	Bright light source, paralleled plane for 20 minutes, shot away. [Section X]
P	8-16-60	Oak Forest, Ill.	Harry J. Deerweater, former USAF pilot	Disc-like UFO hovered, bobbed around in various directions.[28]
P	1-10-61	Benjamin, Texas	W.K. Rutledge, Passenger George Thomas	Glowing red UFO changed course, descended, ap- peared to land.
P	7-4/5-61	Akron, Ohio	Ernest Stadvec, owner of flying service, for- mer USAF bomber pilot; others	Light source dove toward plane, climbed away; similar experience next night, confirmed by radar.
AL	7-24-61	Ilha Grande, Brazil	Cdr Jose G. Saez and crew, VASP Airlines	Light source approached plane, bobbed around mak- ing angular turns. [Section X]
AL	9-21-61	Pacific Ocean nr Wake Islnad	Capt. R.F. Griffin, BOAC; also PAA crew; ship at sea	Ring-like UFO, passed above plane and over horizon at high speed. [Section X]
P	10-2-61	Salt Lake City, Utah	Waldo J. Harris, several others	Disc hovered, wobbled, moved away when pursured. [Section I]
M	1-29-62	Eastern Holland	Royal Dutch Air Force pilot in F-86	UFO sighted, confirmed by radar, fled when pur- sured. [Section X]
AL	5-21-62	England	Capt. Gordon Pendleton, Irish International Airlines	Globular UFO with antenna-like projections, streaked below his Viscount. [Secton X]
M	5-22-62	Argentina	Several Navy pilots	Series of sightings by flight of aircraft. [Section XII, Argentine chronology]
AL	8-2-62	Liberal, Kans.	Capt. Jack Metzker, Central Airlines; air- port observers	Brilliant light source, hovered, streaked west; airport alerted, also saw UFOs.[29]
AL	12-22-62	Buenos Aires, Argentina	Pilots of Papagra and Aerolineas Argentina airlines; control tower operators	Bright circular UFO observed near end of Ezeiza Airport runway, took off rapidly. [Section X]
P	2-5-63	nr Washington, D.C.	Carl Chambers, pas- senger	Pulsating yellow-white light source, maneuvered around plane.
M	3-11-63	Hawaii	Air National Guard jet pilots	Rocket-like UFO sped over high above jets, which were at 40,000 feet.[30]