Introduction. Page I iii Abstract. Explanation of nicap and its policies

A curious, but fairly common, flight characteristic of UFOs is a pendulum-like motion (swaying back and forth) during hovering, slow climb, or descent. Witnesses frequently have compared this to the gyrations of a falling leaf.

Sample Cases:

October 11, 1951. J.J. Kaliszewski (then Supervisor of balloon manufacture for General Mills, Inc.) and Dick Reilly were flying near Minneapolis, Minnesota, observing a balloon at 6:30 p.m. They noticed a bright glowing object overhead moving at high speed from east to west. The UFO had a dark undersurface, and a halo of light. Finally it slowed, and started climbing "in lazy circles." Kaliszewski: "The pattern it made was like a falling oak leaf inverted." [Section VI.]

February 9, 1957. At 1:00 a.m. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Roger Standeven observed a white oval-shaped UFO with a red light visible on top. The object would stop, "fall like a leaf," speed up again, and repeat the sequence, gaining altitude each time it sped up.

[For other examples; See Section XI, Chronology: 9-20-52, 9-26-54, 11-25-56, 2-28-61.]  

A very similar pendulum-like motion, occurring as a UFO travels in a horizontal plane (rather than ascending or descending) has been noticed occasionally. It consists of a side-to-side oscillation as the UFO proceeds in a constant direction.

Sample Cases:

Date	Location	Description
3-29.50	Ironwood, Mich	Round UFO moving with "slipping and sliding sideways" motion. [Section V]
10-9-50	Near Williamstown, Virginia	Twp cylindrical UFOs swinging back and forth like "flying pendulums."
3-10-52	Oakland, California	Two dark hemispherical UFOs, one following straight-line course, second swaying back and forth "like a pendulum" across the path of the first. [Section VI]
10-54	Pohang, Korea	Formation of 7 discs; individually "fluttered," swaying from side to side.
9-22-56	Williston Plains, North Dakota	UFO (appearing alternately circular and delta-shaped) moved slowly past, oscillating from side to side.
10-30-61	Derry, Penna.	Four luminous blue discs "oscillated" from side to side on constant course. [Section I]
6-19-52	London, England	Disc "oscillated" from side to side, "hesitating sometimes and practically stopping in midair," on constant course.

b. Pendulum/Falling Leaf Motion

Sample Cases:

In a sample of 40 cases in which erratic maneuvers were reported, there is a noticeable repetition of certain motions which appear to be characteristic of many UFOs. All of the cases involve UFOs which abruptly altered direction and/or speed, usually more than once during the observation. Of the total, 63 percent occurred during night hours.

Hovering & bobbing UFOs

In 14 cases (35%) the UFOs jumped or "bobbed" around while hovering in one general area of the sky, moving abruptly up and down, side to side. The words "bobbing," "erratic" and "jerky" regularly appear in the report. Sometimes the maneuvers are compared to the bouncing of a ping-pong ball. At least one witness said the motion was like the bobbing of a float on a fishing line.
 

VIOLENT AND ERRATIC MANEUVERS

Observer Ratings: A – Scientific or experienced; B – Good; C – Average

Date	Location	Time	Number and Description		Maneuvers	Observer Rating
9-1897	Canada	- - -	(1)	light source	"tacking and veering"	?
4-5-48	White Sands, New Mexico	- - -	(1)	disc, 1/5 size of moon	"streaked...series of violent maneuvers."	A
4-8-49	Los Angeles, California	day	(1)	silvery disc	high speed, "zigzagged"	C
4-9-49	Tucson, Arizona	4-5 p.m.	(1)	bright orange light source	hovered, bobbed around arcing back and forth, up and down	B
7-50	Cincinnati, Ohio	1:45 p.m.	(1)	Cigar-shaped	climbed rapidly, stopped 10 seconds, dived, leveled off, moved away horizontally [Section V]	A
10-10-51	Croix Falls, Wisconsin	10:00 a.m.	(1)	glowing, cigar-like object	dove, leveled off, sharp left turn, climbed steeply and shot away [Section VI]	A
5-13-52	San Diego, California	8:55 p.m.	(1)	luminous, circular	erratic darting side to side, undulating course, circled. [Section I]	A
6-12-52	Le Bourget, France	3:30 p.m.	(1)	silver, egg-shaped	hovered, violent jerks up & down, rocked back & forth, darted away	B
7-1-52	Washington, D.C.	noon	(1)	gray, shape not specified	hovered 8 minutes, arced back & forth about 15º, returning to orignal position, slowly dropped out of sight	A
7-16-52	Hampton Roads, Virginia	9:00 p.m.	(4)	amber light sources	two spun around each other rapidly, joined by two others, moved jerkily when moving slowly [Section VI]	A
7-19-52	Quebec, Canada	2:30 to 3:00 p.m.	(2)	blue-white light sources	bobbed up & down, back & forth, maintained 3º separation	C
8-7-52	Kerkrade, Holland	early a.m.	(2)	disc-shaped with flat dome	one swooped down, hovered, zigzagged & shot away; second hovered, tilted up & shot away [Section X]	A
9-28-52	Scandinavia	- - -	(1)	luminous, emitted sparks	moved with regular jerks, visible one hour, satellite objects visible at one point	C
10-17-52	Southern France	12:50 p.m.		(about 30)I large cylinder and many Saturn- like discs	discs moved in pairs, zigzagged (angel's hair fell) [Section VIII]	B
10-27-52	Southern France	5:00 p.m.	(17)	1 cigar surrounded by 16 discs with domes	discs moved in pairs, zigzagged ("angel's hair fell) [Section VIII]	B
8-22-54	Chicago, Illinois	- - -	(1)	half-moon shaped	hovered, darted erratically in various directions, up & down...	C
9-23-55	Mt. Washington, Ohio	- - -	(2)	red light sources	stopped near hilltop, began independent motions, jumping up & down; one moved back & forth	C
10-3-55	Denver, Colorado	8:00 p.m.	(1)	yellow-orange light source	rapid pulsation, square turns, sudden stops & bursts of speed	C
11-7-55	Montrose, California	6:30 p.m.	(1)	elliptical, light on each end	circled, hovered, ascended & descended...	B
11-23-55	Spirit Lake, Iowa	5:45 p.m.	(1)	vari-colored light source	moved erratically up & down, hovered 10 minutes...[Section VII]	A
12-12-55	Branford, Connecticut	10:30 p.m.	(1)	large light source, flare-like flashes	bobbed around in various directions	C
2-17-56	Paris, France	night	(1)	large red light source	sped into area, hovered, bobbed around sky for several hours; tracked by radar, seen visually [Section X]	A

155

Date	Location	Time	Number and Description		Maneuvers	Observer Rating
8-23-56	New Orleans, Louisiana	8:35 p.m.	(1)	orange light source, green flashes	steady course, sudden reversal, violent zigzagging...	B
11-5-57	Haverhill, Massachusetts	4:30 p.m.	(1)	disc	hovered, vibrated up & down, side to side [Section VII]	A
1-10-58	New Orleans, Louisiana	8:20 p.m.	(1)	orange light source	zigzagged across lake at high speed	C
4-11-58	South Africa	night	(1)	white light source, bright red when hovering	moved back & forth in steady 30º arc, occasionally hovered (cf., 7-1-52; Washington, D.C.)	B
4-14-58	Hot Springs, Arkansas	1:00 p.m.	(1)	silver cigar, divided into parts	hovered 2 minutes, split into 2 parts which moved jerkily in opposite directions at high speed, came back together several times, then 3 parts...	B
4-16-58	Lincoln, Nebraska	4:00 to 6:30 a.m.	(9)	round light sources, 1 large	moved back & forth, up & down, as group moved east to west	C
6-4-58	Sarasota, Florida	8:50 p.m.	(1)	white oval	high speed zigzag path, south to north	B
8-3-58	Ontario, Canada	1:15 a.m.	(1)	star-like light source	high speed west to east, zigzagged several directions, then continued east	C
8-9-58	Detroit, Michigan	8:15 to 12:00 p.m.	(1)	light source	bobbed and circled erratically, sometimes at high speed	B
5-17-59	New Orleans, Louisiana	9:35 p.m.	(1)	oblate, blue-white	zigzagged across sky, north to south	B
8-10-59	Wayne, Pennsylvania	7:30 p.m.	(2)	disc with dome	high speed with "quick & jerky" motions, generally moved in one direction	C
11-8-59	Ellensburg, Washington	12:30 to 1:45 a.m.	(1)	oval, pulsating	hovered, floated few lengths (repeatedly)...sharp turns	C
8-13-60	Red Bluff, California	11:45 p.m.	(2)	red elliptical, emit- ting red beam	hovered, sharp reversal of direction, erratic maneuvers [Section VII]	B
1-10-61	Benjamin, Texas	night	(1)	light source	zigzag flight, appeared to land (observed from airplane) [Section V]	B
2-28-61	Near Lakeville, Massachusetts	3:20 a.m.	(1)	yellow, elongated, dark red edge, black smoke	"rolled back & forth," bobbed around, while moving in one general direction	C
7-1-61	Sacramento, California	night	(1)	star-like light source, pulsating	spun, zigzagged & stopped, moved back and forth	C
7-24-61	Ilha Grande, Brazil	night	(1)	brightly luminous ob- ject	"...made angular turns...moved up & down, back & forth, in all directions..."[Section X]	A
7-7-62	Dorchester, Massachusetts	10:30-11:00 p.m.	(1)	yellow ellipse	dropped, hovered, moved, hovered, rose...	C