French Space Agency Studied 600 UFO Cases Over 64 Years

Article by Gautam Peddada                                            June 23, 2021                                                    (collective-evolution.com)

• While everyone is focused on the American version of the study, which will contain over 120 events, the French sub-agency that investigates UFOs, GEIPAN, has released a report that covers over 600 recorded incidents over a 64-year period, encompassing 56 nations. The paper concentrates on 290 of these incidents that had an impact on flight safety. North America (Canada and USA) had 298 instances, 108 instances were reported in Europe, and 33 instances occurred in French airspace.

• The distribution of the 600 cases by year reveals that 320 instances (53%) occurred between 1946 and 1960, with 275 cases (46%) concentrated between 1950 and 1957. The year with the most instances (83 cases) was 1952, followed by 1954 with 40 cases. The years 1952 in the United States and 1954 in Europe are regarded as the two peak years for UFO sightings.

• There is no discernible seasonal trend. July has the most instances (75) compared to the other months, and April has the fewest cases (29). The remaining 10 months had between 42 and 56 instances, which does not appear to be a substantial difference. Of 562 occurrences, 54% occurred at night and 46% occurred during the day.

• The UFO sightings recorded by military pilots are the most common during a 64-year period at 42%. Commercial pilots reported 39%, while private pilots recorded 18%. But from 1990 to 2010, commercial aircraft instances were the most frequent at 70%, military pilots reported 17%, and private pilots reported 13% of the instances. This is likely related to a shroud of military secrecy about UFOs. Of the instances reported by military aircraft, 75% happened during a 14-year period from 1946 for 1959. 24% of the cases were observed by two or more aircraft in flight, and two-thirds of the 600 cases were seen by two or more witnesses.

• Of the 278 cases where radar was employed, radar positively identified the UFO in 162 cases. In 115 cases, radar did not support an observer’s sighting. In 34 cases, the visual observation of a UFO was verified by both airborne and ground radar. In one case in 1995, the crew of a B-757 noticed a black cigar-shaped wingless object below their aircraft 15–20 miles away. On radar, it looked to be motionless, then surged in a burst of speed for 20 to 30 seconds before coming to a complete halt. It lingered for one and a half minutes before accelerating again in a burst of speed between 1000 and 1400 mph. This was done many times during a four-minute period, after which the target vanished.

• Pilots classify UFOs as either “light points” or “objects” which have a solid appearance. 74% of the UFO ‘objects’ reported were described as having a three-dimensional, solid aspect. The most commonly reported ‘objects’ are round or elliptical with a metallic appearance. But additional forms have been reported including two yellow objects shaped like hamburgers (1980); a giant triangle-shaped object (Chile 1978); an airliner fuselage without any wings or tail, with potholes lighted from inside (France 1985); an elliptical shape, flat below and slightly domed on the upper part (Sahara 1965); a large translucent metallic mushroom (Australia 1954).

• Interaction cases, where the UFO appears to react to the presence of an aircraft, were observed in half of the instances. These cases fall into three categories: (1) UFO conducts maneuvers to approach, chase, or escape from the aircraft; (2) dogfights with military aircraft; and (3) UFO circles or performs maneuvers near to the aircraft and may cause electromagnetic impacts on aviation systems. In 78 occasions, a UFO approached the plane on a collision path, and in 6 cases there was a near-collision with the aircraft. The pilot was required to take evasive action in 31 occasions to avoid colliding with the UFO, including three cases involving commercial aircraft in which passengers were wounded during the move.

• The most troublesome element of UFO contacts were situations in which permanent or transitory electromagnetic impacts occurred on aircraft systems – usually private craft – during flight. In 81 of the 600 cases, electromagnetic interference was seen and reported, and everything from radios to weaponry was impacted.

While everyone is focused on the American version of the study, which will contain over 120 events, GEIPAN has released a report that covers over 600 recorded incidents by pilots over a 64-year period. The paper concentrates on 290 of these incidents when the unidentified aerial device had (or may have had) an impact on flight safety.

While the study has received little attention, there are several data points that are essential in establishing or verifying particular aspects of the phenomena. It will be fascinating to see if the DNI’s report to Congress has comparable results, or if they will disclose these findings in the public realm.

1952 & 1954 — The Peak Years

The distribution of the 600 cases by year reveals that 320 instances (53%) occurred over a 16-year period (from 1946 to 1960), with 275 cases (46%) occurring between 1950 and 1957. The year with the most instances (83 cases) was 1952, followed by 1954 with 40 cases. The years 1952 in the United States and 1954 in Europe are regarded as the two peak years for UAP sightings.

There is no discernible seasonal trend in the distribution of these 600 cases per month. July has the most instances (75) compared to the other months, and April has the fewest cases (29). The remaining 10 months had between 42 and 56 instances, which does not appear to be a substantial difference.

Witnesses failed to indicate the time of day in 38 cases (6 percent). Out of the remaining 562 occurrences, 305 (54%) occurred at night and 257 (46%) occurred during the day.

A Global Phenomenon

The 600 instances are almost universally dispersed. They are positioned over continental zones (564 in total), encompassing 56 nations, as well as above marine zones (36 cases). The American continent (North, Central, and South America) had 376 cases (58 percent), with North America having 298 instances (Canada and USA). 108 instances have been reported above Europe, with 33 of them occurring in French airspace.

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