Abstract

Reporter Leslie Kean wants “a legitimate policy debate” about UFOs (Billy Cox’s book review of Leslie Kean’s UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record, in JSE 24(4), p. 723, Winter, 2010). When sightings were an everyday occurrence many years ago, I had dinner in Albuquerque with the only scientist to be paid by his government to investigate UFOs. His investigations were almost over at the time, but he had “a few little questions” to resolve. He was going on to Roswell, New Mexico, the next day. We were in agreement as follows: 1. Much of the controversy has been fed by the U.S. policy of “classified information” on secret aircraft built largely at Roswell during the Cold War. 2. Both the U.S. and Russia had powered unmanned aircraft on test flights which were widely observed. 3. These aircraft could perform maneuvers that would kill a pilot. 4. There are enough of these aircraft to explain UFOs without resorting to the extraterrestrial possibilities. Do we need more talk? There is a continuing story on the move from the city of Roswell of the U.S. new weapons facility to a base farther in the desert.