Document · 15 June 1951
French Air Ministry file on the Orange-Caritat sighting, 15 June 1951 (GEIPAN case 1951-06-00002)
The 1951 French Air Ministry file on two Vampire pilots' sighting near Orange, published by GEIPAN with names blanked. It contains the base commander's letter, a synthesis of the observations and the pilots' signed statements.
Sources: GEIPAN (CNES), case 1951-06-00002
Facts and claims
- documented The commander of Base Aérienne 115 (Orange-Caritat) forwarded to the 4th Air Region the reports of two 5e Escadre de Chasse pilots, a lieutenant and a sergent-chef (names blanked in the released copy), who during a morning exercise at 11:30 saw "un engin bizarre" in the base's airspace. He wrote that both were experienced observers, "des gens pondérés", whose accounts were "absolument semblables", and that he had questioned them himself about an hour and a half afterwards. Source: doc-geipan-orange-1951.pdf
- documented The synthesis records that the object was brilliant, without relief and without smoke; it first appeared spherical and stationary at about 10,000 ft over the Serres–Veynes–Aspres area, then abruptly became oblong and moved away to the east, climbing, as the pilots closed on it. Its horizontal or climbing speed was greater than that of their Vampire jets, and it disappeared during the pursuit. Source: doc-geipan-orange-1951.pdf
Connected files
Organizations
- GEIPAN (CNES, France) (published by)
Incidents
Mentioned in this file
- Ministry of Defence (UK) (Organization)
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