[BLANK] reported light formation observation — April 5, 1966

The image consists of a blank page with some handwritten text in the top left corner and a stamp in the top right corner. Historical Sightings of Aerial Phenomena Prior to the so-called "modern era" (i.e., post-1947) of UFO activity, unexplained flying objects were reported less frequently. Identification of Flying Objects (versus UFOs) To evaluate UFO sightings, the Air Force has established categories of identification, based upon previous experience that usually permits conversion of an unidentified flying object to an identifiable one: Aircraft -- evaluations are made on the basis of description and flight characteristics. A sighting is considered to be "Unidentified" when "a report apparently containing all pertinent data necessary to suggest a valid hypothesis concerning the cause or explanation of the report but the description of the object or its motion cannot be correlated with any known object or phenomenon." The attempted identification of the phenomena observed is generally derived from human impressions and interpretations and not from scientific devices or measurements. The page appears to be text-only and provides details about Project Blue Book, the Air Force's special project for investigating reports of unidentified flying objects. Air Force Establishes a Special Project In February of 1949, the Project Sign report was published, stating that on the basis of 243 of the "best documented" reports studied, "no definite evidence was available to confirm or disprove the actual existence of unidentified flying objects as new and unknown types of aircraft." On December 16, 1948, the project name was changed to "Grudge"; the conclusions reached after studying 244 reports (best documented) was that the phenomena presented no threat to the security of the United States and that the vast majority of sightings were misinterpretations of conventional objects. The newly formed Department of the Air Force, then, was designated as the Federal Government's instrument for "investigating reports on unidentified flying objects and of evaluating any possible threat to our national security that such objects might pose." In March, 1952, the Air Force project name became "Project Blue Book", which remains its current official designation. UFOs exhibit any unique scientific information or advanced technology which could contribute to scientific or technical research." 21/ Investigatory Procedures When a sighting is reported, it is the responsibility of the air base commander closest to the scene to investigate the occurrence, interview the witness(es), and complete the requisite form. Since 1955, Project Blue Book continues to investigate only those sightings which are reported either directly to the Air Force, or via some law enforcement agency. The essential elements of information to be reported by observers include such items as time and place of sighting, weather conditions, object size and motion, and location of observer. A procedure then was developed for reducing the data to usable form, to be accomplished in four major steps: 1) a systematic listing of the factors necessary to evaluate the observer and his report, and to identify the unknown object observed 2) a standard scheme for the transfer of data to a mechanized computation system 3) an orderly means of relating the original data to all subsequent computations 4) a consistent procedure for the identification of the phenomenon described by the original data. The title of the document is "FACTS ABOUT UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS".