FOIA: Aids to Identification of Flying Objects

Aids_To_Identify_UFOs.pdf
Aids to Identification of Flying Objects
Draft for a booklet titled Aids to Identification of Flying Objects and memorandums with proposed edits
Document date: 1957-02-25
Department: USAF
Author: Capt. Wallace W. Ellwood
Document type: Booklet, Memorandums
pages: 53


Archivist's Notes: Good quality scans of the Draft booklet of Aids to Identification of Flying Objects, which explains the various objects that could be mistaken and how to report and classify a sighting of known and unknown objects. Also includes memorandums between USAF officials suggesting edits and proposed changes before final publication of the booklet.

This document is a guide for Air Force personnel to help in identifying unknown objects or phenomenon. It describes various conditions that may lead in the observation of strange things and what might be the cause. The guide also gives a list of items to record the conditions at the time of the sighting.

This is an outline of the guide and the topics covered. The items in parenthesis are my own added comments for clarity.

Flying Objects and their characteristics
- Balloons
- Shape
- Radar Sightings
- New Flying Objects (experimental aircraft)

Meteorological and Astronomical Aspects
- Mirages
- Reflectional Dispersion
- Planets
- Comets
- Meteors
- Sundogs and Moondogs
- Auroras

Radar Sightings
- (echoes on the screen due to atmospheric conditions)

Physiological Aspects
- (dust particles in the eye)
- (fatigue)
- (hallucinations due to hypoxia)

Psychological Aspects
- (memory distorted by past experience)
- (optical illusions)
- (stress)

Visual Perception
- Sky Search (proper visual scanning)
- Depth Perception
- Seeing at Night (colors harder to distinguish at night)

Reporting
- Description of object
- Description of course of object
- Manner of observation
- Time and date of sighting
- Location of observer
- Weather and winds
- Any other unusual activity
- Interception or identification action taken
- Existence of physical evidence

There are other attached letters with comments on the guideline. This guideline was probably in response to the request of Edward J. Ruppelt at the beginning on Project Blue Book, because there wasn’t any consistency to the reports and it was difficult to analyze the information.

Overall this is an interesting guideline that informs the observer to strange phenomenon that should be ruled out before reporting an unidentified flying object.

[edit on 2/17/2008 by Hal9000]

Fortunately I have an earlier copy of the original document in my archives. At the bottom caries the signature of Capt. Wallace W. Ellwood

Ah this by far is my favorite Document . Great job on the summarization of the basic content Hal.

Here's what I gleamed: This was a debunkers treasure trove, a mix between the top scientific minds employed by the Government in the 1950's, representing every department and specialty from Physiological and Psychological to the more advanced departments in Radar, Astronomical, and Meteorological departments to name just a few.
They brought them on board in my opinion in a very fast and hurried manner as to have the ducks all in a row prior to the up coming elections and subsequent change in command with Continuity of the Agenda Priority One only second to the August 1958 Commission meetings.
From the European departments to the outer reaches of the globe they compiled these well written and researched documents as an outline for the known variables which they were desperately striving to incorporate as public and private investigative protocol leaving very little to none for the unknown variables that could not be explained within the confines of their hastily prepared but widely used reporting data sheets.
On page 38 'Summary,'I noticed that many verbal similarities were beginning to emerge and in the language being used by different top officials which they were using to create this official documentation. It was at this point in my opinion that the whole idea being perpetrated of the people that report including military pilots and personnel as being mentally imbalanced began in earnest.
The most disturbing part of this read comes at the end of the document not in type written word but in handwriting's from Captain Gregory to Colonel Wackwitz. In this letter he says "In reference to our recent private discussion regarding your theory that the UFO hysteria could be used as a devilish/clever psychological warfare weapon by the commission to enormously disrupt the Air Force. Attached is my ex chief and friend under whom I served in civilian capacity here in ATIC and England. The letter is personal. However it is remarkable how his personal viewpoint of the situation parallels your conclusion."
The page he refers to is not attached .

Here is one from the Air Force.
US Air Force Aircraft Identification Chart