The number of major UFO, military, and civilian air to air encounters are too numerous to cover in one article, so here are a number of other intriguing incidents that beg the question, not, “are we alone?” But rather, “where are they from?”
If you missed Part One in this series, click here!
Orders to shoot down!
In September of 1952 the United States was in the grip of the most intense UFO flap ever. From Washington DC to Dallas, Texas UFOs were being reported and air crews were being dispatched to investigate. According to Author, Frank Feschino, who wrote a book concerning the Flatwoods Monster sighting of Braxton County, Air Force pilots were ordered to shoot down UFOs and many never returned from their missions. He documents the deaths of Air Force pilots Lt. John A. Jones and radar observer John Del Curto in their F-94 killed in pursuit of what became a series of UFO chases by multiple USAF air crews on the night of the Flatwoods Monster encounter.
1956 Lakenheath Air Base borders on the US infamous Bentwaters former SAC (Strategic Air Command) base. Predating the incredible 1980 sighting of UFOs invading Bentwaters air space and grounds as testified by Lt. Colonel Charles Halt, this 1956 air to air encounter was a harbinger of things to come. On two nights of August 13 and 14 UFOs were tracked on both the American Bentwaters Air Base radar and during the following night not only on radar but by two British jet fighter pilots.
UFO’s at RAF Lakenheath
9:30 the night of August 13, a US Air Force Airman tracked 12 to 15 unidentified targets on his radar screen traveling at incredible speeds 8 miles south to 40 miles northeast of the air base. Airman Vaccarre then reported his observation to Tech Sergeant Whenry who watched the blips on the screen suddenly merge with a radar target several times larger than a B-36 bomber, the largest such aircraft ever flown! Could this have been a high speed aerial rendezvous? Such an incident was reported in 1946 over the Gulf of Mexico by a B-29 crew, who watched a similar event at an estimated 5,000 mph! At 10:55 another object was seen in the night sky streaking over RAF Lakenheath then was observed by a C-47 transport plane as it streaked beneath the path of the twin engine aircraft appearing as a bright light that passed from east to west, speed estimated at 2000 to 4000 mph.
At 11:30 a British Venom interceptor was scrambled into the area from nearby RAF Waterbeach, but to no avail. No further observations were seen or reported. The de Havilland Venom fighter jet was heavily armed and could attain 640 mph. but was no match for the speeds estimated by the radar crew.
During the second night, an astonishing event occurred. Once again a Venom fighter pilot was vectored by a radar crew to pursue a blip on their screen. The pilot made a visual contact with the object but lost sight of the UFO, on radar. Four British radar officers were on duty tracking the object and establishing its altitude when they watched the object come to a stand still as the Venom fighter flew past, then begin to pursue the British aircraft! After just confirming that the navigator had a lock-on now the prey had become the hunter and the pilot was calling to the air traffic controllers for help!
Another de Havilland Venom fighter was scrambled to help the pilot who now had a UFO on his tail and could not turn hard enough to shake the unknown aerial object as it remained right behind his aircraft. This is a kill position known among military pilots. In a dogfight once one aviator latches onto the tail of his opponent it results in a shoot down, and this is what worried the Venom pilot as he tried desperately to shake the airborne enigma that had become aggressive. With a second Venom pilot now guided into position behind his comrade the object disappeared before the second pilot could make a visual confirmation. The incident ended as suddenly as it began. In all 7 British ground crew witnessed the event along with 2 Venom pilots who pursued it. All would be interrogated by the Air Ministry.
Eight US warplanes converge on 1 UFO
1959 Redmond, Oregon, probably the most well documented, multiple eye witness account, greatest number of aircraft contacted to chase one UFO in history. It began in the wee hours of the morning on a dirt road near the Redmond Oregon air field as a policeman on routine patrol sights a hovering red disk that emits flames of fire from its outer edges, yet remains in a fixed position as he phones the control tower of the air field to report his sighting. Several FAA officials present at the tower confirmed seeing the same object. A call was put in to two Air Force bases, one to Klamath Falls, whose radar confirmed the visual sighting and another call went out to Hamilton AFB in northern California, who scrambled six F-102’s interceptors.
Two additional aircraft in the area are requested to assist. An F-89 Scorpion all weather interceptor and a B-47 bomber are alerted and vectored to the location. In all, 8 US warplanes are ordered to intercept the strange fiery object. Tense moments flicker by as the Redmond policeman, Robert Dickerson, and FAA personnel at the radar tower maintain visual contact with binoculars. In a few minutes the squadron of F-102 Delta Darts arrive and converge on the bizarre flaming enigma as it drifts above the outskirts of the Redmond airfield. As they watch, the stationary disk suddenly accelerates straight upward at incredible speed with long green and red flames extending from its side. The turbulence generated by the power of the sudden thrust of the UFO causes two of the F-102 pilots to nearly lose control and collide as the object soars upward past them.
Klamath Falls radar continues to track the object as it climbs from 14,000 to 30,000 feet while one F-102 aviator attempts further pursuit. However, from there it becomes fruitless and the Air Force flyer loses contact. Another strange incident evades reason and its pilot pursuers in the realm of the unexplained, yet with a list of credible witnesses to testify to the authenticity of the event. The Redmond, Oregon incident is unique in UFO history.
An eerie disappearance off Australlian coast
1978, Frederick Valentich disappeared 7:12 pm October 21. The 20 year old flyer was piloting a Cessna 182L, capable of a top speed of 160 mph. During the course of his 127 mile trek from Moorabbin Airport to King Island, the young aviator reported something strange to Melbourne Air Traffic Control. Frederick radioed the air traffic controllers that a strange metallic craft had begun flying above him and orbiting around his small single engine plane as though the pilot were playing games with him. Reporting that the bizarre metallic object was now hovering 1000 feet overhead, Valentich reported his engine was beginning to idle roughly. When radar controller could not pick up another aircraft in his vicinity on the radar screen, they asked Valentich to describe the UFO, but the young pilot claims it moves too fast for him to get a good look. Eventually all they could discern from Valentich was that the craft was had a reflective metal skin and a green light.
According to a transcript of the original voice recordings, Valentich describes the object moving toward his Cessna 182L at high speed, then hovering overhead, then vanishing before he catches sight of it again. According to the flight controllers at Melbourne, they could hear anxiety in Valentich’s voice. In his original flight plan, Valentich was supposed to arrive at King island and was assigned call sign “Delta Sierra Juliet”. The last message given by Frederick to the air traffic control was, “ my intentions are-ah-to go to King Island Melbourne. That strange craft is hovering on top of me again (open microphone for 2 seconds) It is hovering and (open microphone for second) It’s not an aircraft. This final transmission from Frederick Valentich is followed by a mysterious 17 second metallic scraping noise a sound unknown to those in the aircraft industry. He was never seen or heard from again.
In corroboration of Valentich’s disappearance there were numerous sightings of a green aerial light in the night sky over Bass Straits where the disappearance occurred. The Department of Transport thought it strange that these reports would come pouring in after Valentich’s disappearance. Authorities pronounced the missing aircraft incident a fatality for the young pilot while his own father hoped that his son, Frederick, had been abducted by the UFO rather than dying in a crash at sea. One witness in Apollo Bay, Victoria claimed to have seen a green aerial light shadowing Valentich’s plane and that the Cessna 182L was in a steep dive at that time.
These are the strange and insufficient details that accompany a bizarre vanishing, or possible fatal encounter particularly in the presence of a UFO over the waters of Australia. When the unknown comes to call we can only guess as to the actual fate of the victims once they are in the grasp of UAP’s (unidentified aerial phenomenon).
You have just read accounts of the unexplained that exceed our ability to authenticate anymore than the stunned accounts of witnesses to a persistent mystery that continues to elude our best technology as we grasp for the answers.