ACUFO:

DISCS ARE SEEN BY LOCAL MEN DURING FLIGHT

First report by local persons on the "flying saucers," that have been baffling the nation, was made this morning by two Bartlesville aviators, John Phillips, jr. of the Phillips aviation department, and Henry Barbarick, copilot on one of the Phillips' planes.

Phillips and Barbarick were returning by plane to Bartlesville from Colorado about 3 o'clock Sunday afternoon and were over the Kansas-Colorado line when they sighted several of the mysterious flying objects.

They were cruising between 10 and 12 thousand feet when Phillips, who was piloting the plane, saw the first "flying saucer." He yelled to Barbarick, who was reading maps, but Barbarick said the "Saucer" went by so fast that he was unable to see it.

A few minutes later Phillips saw another one of the strange flying objects which he said looked as large as a "hangar door" on the horizon but again Barbarick was unable to catch sight of it.

A moment later another appeared in front of the plane and then shot up and over the plane, and this time Barbarick caught sight of the object.

Phillips said they saw at least nine of the "saucers" in a space of about 15 minutes. Both men said the discs were flying at such a tremendous rate of speed that they were unable to get a good look at them. They tried unsuccessfully to clock them and once when one flashed by Phillips turned the plane to get a better look at it but it had disappeared by the time the plane came around.

Phillips said the discs varied in size from the size of a small plane up to a large transport. He said they looked saucer shaped with the front tilted up. He said they were definitely made of metal, since they glistened like silver in the sun. They appeared to be revolving, he said.

Barbarick said that it gave you a feeling "like someone was shooting flak at you."

Mrs. B. B. Connor, of 312 South Penn, later in the day reported that she saw several of the flying discs on the Fourth of July, but kept quiet until she started hearing so much about them.

She said she saw them early in the morning from her house. One was either closer or larger than the rest, she said. Three others also appeared bigger than the rest. All but the biggest seemed to come through the clouds, fall for a short time and then disappear, something like falling stars. She said the smaller ones were teacup size and the big ones bigger than a saucer.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press said, two other Sooners reported seeing the "saucers." Ed Herbig, formerly of Tulsa and now employed on a highway project near Enid, said he saw one flying at an altitude of from 10,000 to 12,000 feet.

"It looked very much like an aluminum pancake," Herbig said. "It was going at a terrific rate of speed."

Ronnie Vanwey, 16, son of a Ponca City fireman, said today he saw one of the objects last October but never mentioned it "because I thought I was just imagining things and few people would believe me." The youth said he saw a "glowing object" traveling at a great rate of speed but without noise.

OKLAHOMANS ALSO SEE SAUCERS SAIL IN SKY

By The Associated Press

Oklahomans claimed Monday to have seen more "flying saucers" - some of them with tails of fire.

Mrs. John Alexander, McAlester, said she was lying on a divan in her home Monday afternoon when she noticed a flash of light outside. Running outdoors, she said she saw an object "resembling a dinner plate, with a tail of fire."

Ronnie Vanwey, 16, Ponca City, declared a "glowing object" passed over his hometown nine months ago. The youth, son of a fireman, said he saw the object last October "in the north traveling at a great rate of speed but without noise."

A saucer-shaped object, bright like aluminum, darting in a south-easterly direction high over Tinker field late Sunday afternoon was described by W. E. Marshall, Oklahoma City.

At Enid, Ed Herbig reported he saw one of the saucers, which "looked very much like an aluminum pancake," flying south over the east edge of the city at an altitude from 10,000 to 12,000 feet.

"It was going at a terrifying rate of speed," he said.

Several Anadarko persons gave varying descriptions of what they believed to be a flying saucer zooming westward over the town late Sunday.

J. L. Armistead said the object resembled a balloon while Charlie Hill said it appeared to be a plate or saucer, tinged slightly red by the rays of the sun. Mr. and Mrs. Barnie Smith said the object was round and black and moved at great speed.

Two Bartlesville men, John Phillips Jr., of Phillips petroleum aviation department and Henry Barbrick, reported sighting discs Sunday afternoon while flying at 10,000 to 12,000 feet near the Kansas-Colorado line. Phillips said he saw about nine discs and that they appeared to be metallic saucers, flying with the front edges tilted.

The best of these sightings took place from an aircraft around 2:30 to 3:00 P.M. MST over Colorado and Kansas and is detailed by the Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Daily Enterprise:

John Phillips, Jr., of Phillips Petroleum aviation department and Henry Barbarick, company pilot, were flying at 10,000 to 12,000 feet. "Phillips who was piloting the plane saw the first 'flying saucer.' He yelled to Barbarick who was reading maps, but Barbarick said the 'saucer' went by so fast that he was unable to see it. A few minutes later Phillips saw another one of the strange flying objects which he said looked like a large 'hangar door' on the horizon but again Barbarick was unable to catch sight of it. A moment later another appeared in front of the plane and then shot up and over the plane, and this time Barbarick caught sight of the object.

Phillips said that at least nine of the 'saucers' [appeared] in a space of fifteen minutes. Both men said the discs were flying at such a tremendous rate of speed that they were unable to get a good look at them. They tried unsuccessfully to clock them once when one flashed by. Phillips turned the plane to get a better look at it, but it had disappeared by the time the plane came around. Phillips said the discs varied in size of a small plane up to a large transport. He said they looked saucer shaped with the front tilted up. He said they were definitely made of metal, since they glistened like silver in the sun. They appeared to be revolving, he said. Barbarick said that it gave you a feeling "like someone was shooting flak at you." 66

N - 07.06 - 1500 hours, USA, Colorado-Kansas border flying toward Bartleseville, OK

Private plane, 2 Phillips Petroleum pilots, at 10,000 feet saw UFOs come flying directly at them one after another for about 15 minutes. Nine in total. They appeared metallic and were revolving. (PJ47, p 84, Bartlesville, OK, DAILY EXPRESS, 7 July)

Project 1947 Reports, newsclippings and documents (cases from Jan Aldrich and Barry Greenwood)

List of ACUFOE cases prior to 1947, Jan Aldrich, Project 1947

Project 1947: A Preliminary report on the 1947 UFO sightings wave, Jan L. Aldrich, 1997, UFORC

1947, July 6

USA, border between Kansas and Colorado

The pilots of a Philips Petroleum aircraft observed at 3 p.m. nine metallic objects spinning on their axis that approached the aircraft one by one over a period of 15 minutes. (Project ACUFOE, catalogue 1999, Dominique Weinstein)

Bartlesville, Oklahoma, DAILY ENTERPRISE - July 7, 1947

John Phillips, Jr., of Phillips Petroleum aviation department and Henry Barbarick, company pilot, were flying at 10,000 to 12,000 feet. "Phillips who was piloting the plane saw the first 'flying saucer.' He yelled to Barbarick who was reading maps, but Barbarick said the 'saucer' went by so fast that he was unable to see it.

A few minutes later Phillips saw another one of the strange flying objects which he said looked like a large 'hangar door' on the horizon but again Barbarick was unable to catch sight of it.

A moment later another appeared in front of the plane and then shot up and over the plane, and this time Barbarick caught sight of the object.

Phillips said that at least nine of the "saucers" [appeared] in a space of 15 minutes. Both men said the discs were flying at such a tremendous rate of speed that they were unable to get a good look at them. They tried unsuccessfully to clock them once when one flashed by. Phillips turned the plane to get a better look at it, but it had disappeared by the time the plane came around.

Phillips said the discs varied in size of a small plane up to a large transport. He said they looked saucer shaped with the front tilted up. He said they were definitely made of metal, since they glistened like silver in the sun. They appeared to be revolving, he said.

Barbarick said that it gave you a feeling "like someone was shooting flak at you."