◆ SpookStack

Date & Location Time _ Number and Description Maneuvers Observer Rating 8-23-56 New Orleans, La. 8:35 p.m. (1) orange light source, Steady course, sudden reversal, B green flashes violent zig-zagging. .. 11-5-57 Haverhill, Mass. 4:30 p.m, (1) dise Hovered, vibrated up & down, side A to side [Section VIL] 1-10-58 New Orleans, La. 8:20 p.m. (1) orange light source Zig-zagged across lake at high c speed. 4-11-58 8. Africa night (1) white light source, Moved back & forth in steady 30° B bright red when hovering arc, occasionally hovered. (cf., 7-1-52; Wash., D.C.) 4-14-58 Hot Springs, Ark 1:00 p.m. (1) silver cigar, divided Hovered 2 minutes, split into 2 B into parts parts which moved jerkily in oppo- site directions at high speed came back together several times, then 3 parts... 4-16-58 Lincoln, Nebraska 4:00 to 6:30 (9) round light sources, Moved back & forth, up & down, as c a.m, 1 large group moved E to W 6-4-58 Sarasota, Florida _8:50 p.m. (1) white oval High speed zig-zag path, S to N 8-3-58 Ontario, Canada 1:15 a.m. (1) star-like light source High speed W to E, zig-zagged c several directions, then con- tinued E. 8-9-58 Detroit, Mich 8:15 to 12:00 (1) light source bobbed and circled erratically, B p.m, sometimes at high speed 5-17-59 | New Orleans, La. —_9:35 p.m. (1) oblate, blue-white Zig-zagged across sky, N to S 8-10-59 Wayne, Penna. 7:30 p.m. (1) disc with dome High speed with "quick & jerky" c motions, generally moved in one direction 11-8-59 Ellensburg, Wash. 12:30 to 1:45 (1) oval, pulsating, Hovered, floated few lengths c a.m. (repeatedly). . .sharp turns 8-13-60 Red Bluff, Calif. 11:45 p.m. (2) red elliptical, emit- Hovered, sharp reversal of direc- B ting red beam tions erratic maneuvers [Section vil. 1-10-61 Benjamin, Texas night (1) light source Zig-zag flight, appeared to land B (observed from airplane) {Sec- tion V.] 2-28-61 Nr Lakeville, Mass. 3:20 a.m, (1) yellow, elongated, “Rolled back & forth" bobbed c dark red edge, black around, while moving in one smoke generai direction 7-1-61 Sacramento, Calif. night (1) star-like light source, Spun, zig-zagged & stopped, moved c pulsating back’and forth 7-24-61 tha Grande, night (1) brightly luminous ob- ",,.made angular turns. . .moved A Brazil ject up & down, back & forth, in all directions. ."" [Section X.} 7-71-62 Dorchester, Mass. 10:30-11:00 _—(1) yellow ellipse Dropped, hovered, moved, hovered, c p.m, TOSe..« Zigzagging UFOs Another pattern is of UFOs zigzagging across the sky, us- ually in constant motion rather than hovering in one general area. Twelve cases (30 per cent). Maneuvering UFOs Most of the remaining cases involve motions which can only be described as ‘‘maneuvering.” These include UFOs which circled, darted here and there, climbed, dove, and reversed course. D. Concentrations with Time The word ‘flap’? has been applied to one feature of UFO activity: periodical surges of sightings with attendant publicity. “Flap” originally was a military slang word indicating a high degree of excitement and confusion, such as might result from the unannounced visit of a V.I.P. to a military base. Its adap- tation to similar reactions related to UFO sightings is very appropriate. The UFO ‘flaps’ have involved elements of sudden news media attention to UFO sightings concentrated in a short period of time, or relatively small geographical area; resurgence of public interest in UFOs (frequently introducing larger numbers of erroneous reports from inexperienced observers); confusion about the interpretation of these events. Analytically, it is not clear whether so-called ‘flaps’ result from and feed on pub- Licity, or vice versa. Does the occurrence of a ‘‘flap’’ really indicate a sudden increase in UFO sightings? Or does it merely represent occasional attention to something which is going on virtually all the time? Sometimes there have been concentrations of sightings which were widely publicized. At other times there have been con- centrations which received little or no publicity (these shall be termed ‘concentrations’ rather than ‘flaps’ here). It appears that ‘flaps’ are the combined products of concentrated UFO activity plus a sudden outbreak of publicity and more Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81 R00560R000100010001-0