Chasing UFO’s in the F-86 Sabre Jet

In 1954, I began flying for the California Air National Guard. We were flying P-51H’s and later on, the F-86 Sabre Jet. The F-86 is the finest and fastest plane that I have ever flown. While flying with the Air National Guard, I found out that I could spend a year on active duty with the Air Defense Mission. The Air Defense group controlled all radar stations on the islands off the coast of Southern California. These radar facilities were responsible for monitoring all non-commercial air traffic in radar range. I had heard reports from other airmen about chasing strange bogies. I was intrigued. I signed up right away! I wanted the chance to chase a bogie in an F-86 too. Now, I had been a firm believer in UFO’s since World War II. I seriously hoped that I would get to see at least one.   As luck would have it on one particular mission we were scrambled to investigate a bogie that ground radar was tracking. The anomaly was up at about 50,000 ft. over Los Angeles in a static position. My wing man and I headed for it at full throttle going through 37,000 ft. We both had it in sight.  It was a cigar shaped object with no visible means of propulsion.  This cigar shaped bogie was hanging there static. As we were approaching it, the UFO brightened and then wiggled slightly. It left us behind as if we were backing up.  The UFO had disappeared from our visual in less than 15 seconds. Ground radar confirmed it was gone. I had several experiences with chasing UFO’s during my year on active duty with the California Air National Guard.  I’m now a firm believer that we are not the only intelligent life in this universe.

In 1954 I was presented with a certificate of membership in the Mach Buster’s Club by North American Aviation, Inc. for having flown the F-86 Sabre Jet faster than the speed of sound.  That aircraft was pure power and it was a thrill to fly it.