The National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (Nicap)

# SECTION XII

PATTERNS

An attempt was made to find groups of Unknowns for which the observed characteristics were the same. No such groups were found...An intensive study, aimed at finding a verified model or models of "flying saucers'...led to the conclusion that neither goal could be attained using the present data...the data conclusively failed to reveal even a rough model...the data as a whole failed to reveal any marked patterns or trends. - Statement by U.S. Air Force (From Project Blue Book Special Report No. 14, 1955, ppg. 91-94)

The many obvious patterns which appear in UFO sighting data are summarized under the following general types:

A. Physical Appearance

C. Flight Characteristics

D. Concentrations With Time

(See also patterns of formations, Section II).

## A. PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

## Shape

The Air Force Project Grudge Report of December 1949 (Technical Report No. 102-AC-49/15-100) concluded, on the basis of intelligence reports of UFOs, that the objects were of three basic types:

(1) "The most numerous reports indicate daytime observation of metallic disc-like objects roughly in diameter ten times their thickness."

(2) Rocket-like objects.

(3) "Sharply defined luminous objects" appearing as lights at night.

Thirteen years of UFO sightings have been added to the record since this evaluation was made. A statistical study of the cases listed in the chronology of this report [Section XI], covering a period of 22 years beginning with 1942, indicates that the above pattern is well-established.

Statistics Based on Cases in Section XI (1942-1963)
Description	Number of cases	Percentage of Total
Geometrical (disc, ellipse, triangle...)	333	58.0%
Rocket-like or Cigar-shaped	48	8.3%
Light Source	140	24.3%
Other/None	35	6.1%
Radar(No visual)	19	3.3%
Total Number of Cases:	575

[Between 1947 and 1952, the Air Force investigated 2199 cases; 46.9% were elliptical UFOs, 5.2% rocket-like. The study did not have a separate category for discs. See Project Blue Book Special Report No. 14, page 197, tables A140-A146].

The cases of geometrical objects break down as follows:

Shape	Number of Cases	Percentage of Total(575)
1. Disc	149	26%
2. Round(spheres or discs)	96	17%
3. Oval/elliptical	77	13%
4. Triangular	11	2%
Total Geometrical	333

If we make the reasonable assumption that some of the UFOs in categories 2 and 3 were discs seen in perspective, the possible range of generally flat circular objects observed becomes:

	Minimum	Maximum
Number of Cases	149	322
Percentage of Total	26%	56%

One particular type of disc, whose shape occasionally has been compared to the planet Saturn, has been sighted periodically since 1947. It resembles a flattened sphere (sometimes with a centrally located surrounding ring). The following list, including one 1884 sighting, shows that many independent witnesses have used very similar terminology in describing the symmetry of the discus-shaped UFO.

Date	Location	Witness	Description
July 3,1884	Norwood,N. Y.	---	“Globe surrounded by a ring”
July 12,1947	Over Utah Lake	Pilot	“Much like two saucers face to face”
July 2,1952	Nr Tremonton,Utah	Navy photographer	“Like two pie-pans,one inverted on top of the other” Section VIII
October 18,1953	Over English Channel	Airline Pilots	“Like two saucers,with rims together”
January 8,1954	Hamilton, Victoria,Australia	---	“Like two saucers,the upper inverted”
October 4,1954	Northweald,Essex,England	RAF Flight Lieutenant	“Like two saucers pressed together” [Section X]
August 21,1955	Chalmette,Louisiana	Housewife	“Like two soup plates put together”
August 28,1955	Yonkers,N. Y.	Board of Education official	“Circular-dome-shaped like Saturn”