UFO SIGHTINGS BY PILOTS AND AVIATION EXPERTS

If UFOs had not been reported by pilots of scheduled airliners, and military pilots in operation all over the globe, there might be some justification in writing off reports of ground observers as mistaken observations. For, if unknown objects are maneuvering in our skies, pilots would be among the most likely to see them. (Others whose professions cause them to spend many hours watching the skies, such as General Mills Corporation balloon trackers, also have reported numerous UFOs. [1])
Airline and military pilots are among the most experienced observers of the sky. Their profession requires them to spend hundreds of hours per year in the air. Few, if any, occupations require more practical knowledge of weather, other aircraft, and unusual activity such as missile tests. Undoubtedly, few groups of observers have seen more meteors or watched planets under a wider variety of sky conditions. In addition, professional pilots normally are trained in rapid identification of anything which may endanger a flight. Therefore, it is significant that airline and military pilots have reported a large number of totally unexplained UFO sightings.
Recognizing that airline pilots have special training and are in a unique position for observation, the Defense Department includes them in the military system of reporting vital intelligence sightings (CIRVIS), as detailed in the Joint Chiefs regulation JANAP-146(D). [See Section IX.] In 1954, the groundwork for CIRVIS reports was laid by meetings between representatives of the airlines and Military Air Transport Service (MATS) intelligence branch. The reason? "The nation's 8,500 commercial airline pilots have been seeing a lot of unusual objects while flying at night, here and overseas," Scripps-Howard reported. "But," the report continued, "there hasn't been much of an organized system of reporting to military authorities. . . [the airlines and MATS] agreed to organize a speedy reporting system so that a commercial pilot spotting strange objects could send the word to the Air Force in a hurry. The Air Force could then send jet fighters to investigate." [2]
With a few exceptions, most UFO reports on record from military pilots have come from the World War II and Korean War eras, or from recently retired officers. Military pilots, naturally, are restricted from discussing the sightings freely while they are on active duty. But airline pilots (although in recent years some times under pressure from their companies not to discuss sightings) have contributed some of the best reports on record.
There had been scattered reports by airline pilots previously but "In the Spring of 1950," the former Chief of the Air Force UFO project reported, "the airline pilots began to make more and more reports - - good reports. . . In April, May, and June of 1950 there were over thirty-five good reports from airline crews." [3] That June, Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker said in an interview:
"Flying saucers are real. Too many good men have seen them, that don't have hallucinations." Flying magazine, July 1950, published a roundup report on pilot sightings, giving them very serious treatment (as did other aviation journals in later years; for example, see RAF Flying Review, July 1957).
When NICAP was formed in 1956, four airline pilots (two of whom had personally sighted UFOs) joined the NICAP Panel of Special Advisers. Federal Aviation Agency personnel, aviation industry engineers, and other aviation experts also related their sightings and offered their services. Why are UFOs taken so seriously by professional pilots and aviation experts?

The cover up by bush

NORTHRIDGE - The subject of "Area 51" has been denied by the United States Government for years. Though the conspiracy community was rocked by an admittance of a classified area, and an exempt order by a Presidential Determination signed by President Clinton in 1995. This "determination" by the President, said that the area near Groom Lake, Nevada, or known to most people as "Area 51", was exempt from all Federal, State, Interstate, or Local Hazardous laws that might require the disclosure of classified information.

Bush Continues Area 51 Cover-Up


Essentially, "Area 51" became a subject that was now not only classified, but exempt from any laws it may come subject to. It appeared that 'anything goes' at "Area 51".

However, there was some slim chance of hope, as near the bottom of the Presidential Determination, dated September 29th of 1995, said the "...exemption shall be effective for the full one-year statutory period." After a year, it appeared the order had to be renewed, until it was no longer needed or wanted.

In 1996, Presidential Determination #96-54 renewed the exempt status of "Area 51". In 1997, Presidential Determination #97-35 was the renewal. The exemptions went all the way until the new millennium, where in 2000, Clinton again signed Presidential Determination #2000-30, which made "Area 51" exempt from all laws currently on the books.

Though in 2001, the United States acquired a new President into the White House. Would this new leader still enact the 'determination' that this classified research area outside of Groom Lake, Nevada would be classified? With new national security advisors, new staff members and a different political party, it was hopeful we could see a chance in policy.

All hope failed on January 31, 2001, when President George W. Bush signed a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate. This was deemed Presidential Determination #2001-27. In it, referencing Determination 2000-30, President Bush re-enacted the exempt status on "Area 51" and decided it should remain highly classified and hidden from any prying eyes.

Right into 2002, just 9 days ago, President Bush yet again signed a letter to the same individuals, with almost exactly the same wording, keeping the same exempt status on "Area 51". Not televised on the news, and being well over-shadowed by the current conflict in Afghanistan, conspiracy theorists worldwide would have to remain "exempt" from any information on the infamous base called "Area 51"

Theories have made their way across the Internet, from message forums to public petitions, asking for any information on such a controversial, highly secretive, subject. Were we dealing with a cover-up of nuclear waste dumping, or something more down the lines of a "alien stockpile". With the current trend of Presidential Determinations, it appears that the curious minds out there would never be satisfied.

Click on next page for the text of the Presidential Determination.

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 30, 2003


Message to the Congress of the United States

Consistent with section 6001(a) of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (the "Act"), as amended, 42 U.S.C. 6961(a), notification is hereby given that on September 13, 2002, I issued Presidential Determination 2002-30 (copy enclosed) and thereby exercised the authority to grant certain exemptions under section 6001(a) of the Act.


Presidential Determination 2002-30 exempted the United States Air Force's operating location near Groom Lake, Nevada, from any Federal, State, interstate, or local hazardous or solid waste laws that might require the disclosure of classified information concerning that operating location to unauthorized persons. Information concerning activities at the operating location near Groom Lake has been properly determined to be classified, and its disclosure would be harmful to national security. Continued protection of this information is, therefore, in the paramount interest of the United States.


The determination was not intended to imply that, in the absence of a Presidential exemption, RCRA or any other provision of law permits or requires the disclosure of classified information to unauthorized persons. The determination also was not intended to limit the applicability or enforcement of any requirement of law applicable to the Air Force's operating location near Groom Lake except those provisions, if any, that might require the disclosure of classified information.


GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE,
January 29, 2003.


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This is the Letter to Congress:

Presidential Letter to Congress

Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate

January 30, 2002

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)

Consistent with section 6001(a) of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (the "Act"), as amended, 42 U.S.C. 6961(a), notification is hereby given that on September 18, 2001, I issued Presidential Determination 2001-27 (copy attached) and thereby exercised the authority to grant certain exemptions under section 6001(a) of the Act.

Presidential Determination 2001-27 exempted the United States Air Force's operating location near Groom Lake, Nevada, from any Federal, State, interstate, or local hazardous or solid waste laws that might require the disclosure of classified information concerning that operating location to unauthorized persons. Information concerning activities at the operating location near Groom Lake has been properly determined to be classified, and its disclosure would be harmful to national security. Continued protection of this information is, therefore, in the paramount interest of the United States.

The determination was not intended to imply that, in the absence of a Presidential exemption, RCRA or any other provision of law permits or requires the disclosure of classified information to unauthorized persons. The determination also was not intended to limit the applicability or enforcement of any requirement of law applicable to the Air Force's operating location near Groom Lake except those provisions, if any, that might require the disclosure of classified information.

Sincerely,

GEORGE W. BUSH

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