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U.S. Air Force Flying Discs File, 1952

U.S. Department of War · 1952 · 253 pages · text from the file's own layer

This 1952 file of U.S. Air Force intelligence correspondence on flying objects comes from the Directorate of Intelligence at Headquarters USAF. It records the return to the Coast Guard of a negative of objects photographed at Salem Air Station on 16 July 1952, and requests to Naval Intelligence to analyze the Tremonton film by Delbert Newhouse and the Great Falls film by Nicholas Mariana. It also holds Strategic Air Command report transmittals, letters from members of the public, and an Okinawa object said to have fallen into the sea.

From the source:Release of 2026-09-18 Incident: September - December 1952, Various. This file is an archival collection of U.S. Air Force Director of Intelligence records relating to reported “flying disc” incidents during the period from September through December 1952. Drawn from multiple governmental and non-governmental sources, it compiles a wide range of material associated with reported sightings and official handling of those observations, rather than presenting a single analytical conclusion on the nature or origin of “flying discs.” The contents include correspondence, memoranda, reporting forms, case summaries, distribution and routing material, and other administrative or intelligence-related documentation tied to flying-disc reporting and review during that period. Pages 26-36 of the file refer to an incident reported near Tremonton, Utah, in July 1952, in which a U.S. Navy Warrant Officer recorded film of unidentified objects that the Air Force later assessed were likely seabirds. Overall, the file is a broad documentary collection reflecting how such reports were recorded, circulated, and evaluated in late 1952.

DOW-UAP-PR159 · video · 1952-07-02 Historical Film of Reported UFOs, Utah, 1952 This archival footage is a digitization of a 16mm print of Kodachrome color motion-picture film shot on a handheld Bell & Howell Auto Master camera near Tremonton, Utah, on July 2, 1952. U.S. Navy Chief Warrant Officer Delbert C. Newhouse reported observing and filming a group of bright airborne objects and shortly thereafter submitted the footage to the U.S. Air Force. The film later became one of the visual cases reviewed by Project Blue Book, the 1952–1969 U.S. Air Force program that investigated the nature and origin of unidentified flying objects (UFOs). The film’s limited detail and lack of fixed reference points prevented a conclusive resolution. From the 55-second mark onward, the film transitions to unrelated footage appearing to show a demonstration of sewing equipment. The presence of unrelated sewing-equipment footage suggests that the surviving footage may be a composite or reused print, though the available record does not establish how or when the materials came to be combined. As documented in records submitted with the film, contained in this collection under the title DOW-UAP-D102, the footage originally was paired with mountain scenery from Idaho, which is not preserved in this digitization. Download (76.1 MB)
C O P Y
PART II (Cont' d)
20. Objects vanished from view a.fter alllout eight seconds, obscured by
uprights or water tank which can be noticed in the film..
REI.ATIVE TO OBSERVER
1. Name of observer: Nicholas Mariana
2. Address : 2919 First Avenue North, Great Falls, Montana.
3. Occupation: Baseball club manager.
4. Great Falls Baseball
5. Pertinent hobbies: Observer is not an amateur astronomer,
pilot or engineer; however, he has broadcast sporting events and
is interested in photography
6. Ability to determine color, speed and size of moving objects of
observer should be relatively good in view of his experience as a
sporting events announcer.
7. Reliability of observer: Enjoys an excellent reputation in the
local community and is regarded as a reliable, trustworthy and
honest individual.
a. Notes relative to observer on sightings in general: Mr. Mariana
sta stated to the undersigned that he had read numerous newspaper
articles on the subject of flying discs and flying saucers and had
not attached very much significance to them. However, Mr. Mariana
almost invariably carries a camera in order that he may make
"opportunity pictures" and had previously thought that if he could
see such unconventional aircraft in flight, he would take motion
pictures of them.
b. Observer' s attention was definitely drawn to objects by their
glint of light.
9. Witnesses: Miss Virginia Raunig, 112 Second Avenue North, age 19,
employed as a secretary. Miss Raunig impressed interrogator as
being a fairly reliable individual and of good sound judgment. Miss
Raunig continued sightings and number of objects and in substance
verified Mr. Mari ana ' s statements as regards objects• appearance,
shape, speed, sound and direction of flight.
GENERAL
1. Teletype sequences of local weather conditions: On 4 October 1950,
Mr. c. Robert Guern, Chief Weather Ob&erver, u. S. Weather Office,
Core Field, Great Falls, Montana, after first examining the tele
typesequences of local weather conditions, Great Falls area, stated
th that there were thin scattered clouds, thirty thousand feet, visibility
sixty miles, barometric reading, 1013.9 millobars, temperature
seventy-seven degrees, dew point, forty-five degrees, altimeter J0.02
southwesterly winds, twenty- five miles per hour. Ti.me of this
teletype sequence was 1130 hours, l.5 August 1950.
2. Winds Aloft Report received from Mr. C. Robert Guam, Chief' Weather
Observer, u. s. Weather Office, Gore Field, Great Falls, Montana,
who stated that:

Cases discussed

About this file

Official release, from the pursue collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 253 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.