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NOW YOU SEE IT, NOW YOU DON'TI \'J .
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v-
Captatn Henry S. ShielrIs, HQ USAfE/IHOMI'
...
.:

...
;fJIISometime in his caree r , each pilot can expect to encounter
strange, unusual .happenings which willnever be adequately or .
entirely explained by logic or subsequent investigation. The follow-
ing article recounts just such an episode_ as reported by two F-4
Phantom crews of the Imperial Iranian Air Force dur ingLate 1976.
No additional information or explanation of the strange events has'
been fo rtb c'orrring ; the story will be filed away and probably for-"
gotten, but it makes interesting,and possibly disturbing, reading.

* * * * *
. . .
• Until 0030 on a clear autumn morning, it had been an
.. ' enth:ely' routi~e night watch for theQ'mperial Ir~ian Air Force's.
",'eo~mand po!.i)~·the Tehran' area. In quick succession, four calls
arrived from one of the. ci~y's suburbsreportiil.g a series of strange
airborne objects. Th~se .unidentified Flying Objects. (UFOs) we:z:-e

described
. ..'
as 'bird-like',
--..-.
or a's brightly-lit
. helicopters (although
. . . ' .
'. . ":. . ... . . .
none. were airborne a~ the time). Unable to convince the callers'
t'hat ~hey were only ~eeing stars, a senior officer went outside to
see 'for himself. ~: 'Obser-ving :an ~bje ct .to·the north like a star, only
. larger and
•
~r'i~hte~; 'he immedi~teiy sc~a'mbled an IIAF
' . , 0"
F-4 to
, investigate.' 0.· . ". : .

. . "Appz-ca ch ing the city, 'the F-:-4 pilot rep~rted that t~e
brilliant objec:t was easily v is Ible 70 miles away. When approxi-
ma~ely Z~ NM distant, 'the intercept~r lost all instru~enta:tionand i
I

UHF /Intercom comm·~~ications. Upon breaking off the intercept

I
.1
I
I
and turning towards his horne base, all sy~tems retur~ed to normal.
as if the strange object no longer regarded the aircraft as a threat.
. ~I:'

32
DEeusS~_~~:r!IL-$-ui-k
.-:-.tl
bJ
 ~I'" ~~..J\C
,. .. -' .... _... ~
'.~ ' A second F-4 was .:rambled ten minutes after H.-first. -.... . '.
~~"
I.2iI ...

·1'h~ b~te~ rep~~ted~radar-lock on the UF_?.at 27 ~M/12 ~'~10Ck

high posihon, and ~ rat~ 9! closure of 150 knots. Up~>n reachmg the
. . ....... .".
25 NM point, the :'obje ct·.began 'rapidly moving' away to ~aintain a
. . . ' '.. . . '" .
constant separation distance while [Link] o~ the radar scope.
While the s iz~ o~ the· [Link]. r~tu;n wa's ~o~'p~r':~;~ . ; t~at o! a. KC-
135, its ~te~se briliian~{inade es·ti~[Link] of ·actuai
.. ' . ' • •- _ •••• "0 ~ ••.:..
size impossible. ..

. .. ...•
lay pa~tern and alternating blue, g re e n, red', ~nd orange.
sequence was. so fast thet:-~ .~[Link]·cou~q be aee n at once •

• As the F-4 continued pursuit 'south of Tehz-an, a second

:
.......... -,
bright1y-1i~ obje ct ([Link]-hal! to .on~-third the siie of the moon) .
.. .... '.0 • ... : '.0 ", "'.. .," .. ::' ... ... .. • ' . ' .. ' . . " ...

. detached from the original UFO and headed straight for the [Link] a
hrgh}it~'~f s·peed·..~~:Th~:·bii~t~·:~ttempt~dt6 .(i~e an'A IM:-9' missil~ ·ai·..; ~. ~~.:.:
:::~ ~ ~.
. . ', ....• "~ ;~£_~;:,:"..;~'~~ . :~ ~".'" :4:' >: ",: ...' ..;.
0-: ..; ".JI :,.::~ .: .:'1 •.. ,.;.::
' •• ;0..':0:.• ;0.:. '.' : : :: :.
the' .new object but :w.a.s .pr~v.e.n~ed .by. a. :sudde.n power loss in his .. ;.:"._ ...
. .. .: .. .... . . :...... . . .. ..' "~: ~: ' :" ' . ... . . "

-we apcns control panel. ,UW ~nd inte;n~(~~~rri~ications'were';

simultaneously los~·~...'J;'h~ ·.~~i~~· p~~~,;[Link] U1iti~~e~;'~\urnand neg~tive-'
'G
•
di~~:to·~~cape·~··b~·~~~:bj~~' feil:~··~h~dibet.;~·~t. 3~4 NM· .
d iat ance , :.' Cont~~ing
...
"

"
. : ' _.~

__:', '.':~'" ...~ : r.:~ . ' : ' . : ••..

turn' ~side.. of'~irt:1 . and ,t?e~ away, .su~.sequently r~turning .to the' pri- .>: ;.
ma~y· ..UF·~·}b~:;·~··~~·~f;·;Jt·~~t~~ iv:~u~> . . .: -, :
-.:.

~. =.. : : . : .;~ .. : .: ' ' . . . ~ :~:.(:::: .:;:-/~;":~;~"

~ . : "7~

~~e tu~n,
': ." ",'
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the. pilot observed the second obje ct .

•. " .: .... : : . . " ,
'

.0.
'. . ···1.····::

._,':. '. :.' .~' ...~.

..:

•• :::~.:.- ...
. .
. .-.

...
[
.. ,. . ;. ~.<: ..::. :,ZT<.::./::r>::~:: ,. ~. '::" .'" ..' ;.. - t. , ' .,........ "':::"~'.<:.".- .
. ' . . . : The two .UFOs ·..had :hardly ~ejoin~d when a s e cond object," ..< ':'. . . . ' ..
deta~hed and hea~~·~~··~·t;~~~'~h;::~~W~t~~~~~~th~' ~r:~~i~rhigh·:~~e·d~:·· . ..
.'

H~ving:·r~gain~.d ~~·~p~~.s:a~d'~om~Tl~iC:~~:i~~s' ~y'st~~s, 'th~ airc~ew· .. . .

" .," : •• ;;' •• :" : . • . ' . •••• .0 eo',.:

.wat ched [Link]~rd·~1:>je~ •. a.n~icipating a .large explosion when it stru'ck _
..: ;" :...•.. .· :t'~.eo;:::iim-;:::.t:~::-:.>~~!·::.:·~·· ··:: ..· : ~''''':' :" ,=,,:,: '. :'. '.~ • .. • ' '•• ~
the ground•. Howey~r"':~t..1andedgent1y and cast a bright light· over a .
. .' ~~.: ..•~ . .:~>:.~ ,~~~ . .:-:.:~.:..:..: , : , '.0:- :~:." . ~"' • :,'. 0' .

two-three·ki1ometer;a.r·ea"~.:~Tpe
. ." .' -.
pilot flew as
. low over the area as . . .

poss ible., .fixing· the. ?bject's exact lo.~ation. . ...

• ·Up·on return to home base, both crewmen had difficulty· in

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~~:~:.::~:: .... :.~=""~~~: ••• :c.~.;!::"'~-;:":t',"~-:::~oC'~~"""~~=:*'~~"-"'~.~~?:;:"::i:':::

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~_=:')P ~ .. :",;o,.Q:::JiiMSS ,Ct)~~..::tl?~;:;;riLiiiNZ;,:·:tZ: .. ;:·=;zg:::;;·;;4s:::;;;,,~";~lf;-;:,:,~::~=m"~~-=- '..

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..'.'aJjusting their nig~ .[Link] devices
.'
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_~'f?sl~
--_.. ..
.. /

..
.

"•• , . ' .
'

. further complicate'a, by e xce s s ive interference' on UHF and a further

.

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. .:.

'. • . . . .
.
for landing. The landing was

' •
'e-"-
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.... 'complete Los s of all .communications when passing through alSO

."":-. ; .' . . ._--" .

degree ~gnetic ¥aring from the horne base. The inertial naviga-'
..tion
.
system
.
'si~ultaneo'u~ly fluctuated froiD.30
..
to 50 degree~. A '~i~U ..
.... . "

airliner approaching the [Link] also experi~nced a similar communica-

. tions failure, but repo;-ted no unusual sightings.

' _ While o~ a long final approach,. the F -.4 crew noted a. furthe r
': ·UFO... This wa.s described
' . " . .
as a cylinder-shaped
. . object (about the
.' .". .. .: siz~ 0,£ a 'T ..;33 trainer') with bright steady lights on each end and a
:: '....:: ·:'fl~;~e~~' i~~··:~id~·l~"j)t:~·~i~k1y""~ppr~a·~h;~d·and: p~ss~d di~~'~tlY"· ':.,;... ' .
.
."..--:-,~" o~e'r'th~ i'~~:~:";::~fu~~~~'i~:i"'t~':~'h~"'pnot's"'~~~:'r;':;:'t~e co~h'ol't~~e~ .\~ .~.:.:,- ..
. ":'

• "0' :...... • • ', " .:.' ~.::. ".:. ".:-':' ;:.-: =" ·~.f;~·:·:;:/: :;...:~~ -,~.: . ::": .~~ "!• • "~~ :-:: '::.i..:'::;:'; :.;.~ ::-::'.: ;' :..:.. .~:. . .. .,~::.:. . .......: .: ~~ :.:: :". . '.
. . ::·.·.:·reported no ·~the·r '~iz: .tra.!fi~ .in: the a~ea.: althoUgh they subsequ~ntlY. '.
- -. ::.'·.:·obtained a ,)1~~~1··s:·~~h~·~g~! the '~~j~'~' ~~~n:specifi~ail'~'dir'ected .'
• • • • • • • • • • • .. R • ~ :: . . . . . ' . '. • • •

". . where to Iook; . . . :.~ . ."; . . .... ;-.. v> , ••

.'
• • . ' .,: • • -,1 • • • .' ..... • ~ • • • : ' ••..•• \•••• :. ~:.'
'.'

. : .: .:::.J!I ~b~. ~[Link]-iftg·da:y,· :the F-4 'cz:e~ ~as flown by' helic~pt~r'
: :. .to· the··i~~a~ion ~here they ~-liev~d th~"object had landed. This'
-, •••• =. . ..... ~ ::. .,:. ,'.::::.:::;'-, " .":" • '>;', t.~ ~'. ~.- . ~ ...' ." ' .. ' ~.:. ".:. '.' " ' ;.. . . .... '..
. :;" : turned'outJo' be.:a.·4z:y-.1ake..bed, J~ut. nothing uauaualwa s noticed •.: -,
.: '.' ". . . . : ••.••• i ' - : .. ··.·~.;.,:"i ;~·~-;;';;;i:.~.:::..:.~.:·.~:··.. j· ' . ,;"•• ": .••: ••~...:.•.•..• '.~ .. .. ' ..~ . " . . .• ::~ ': ~.;...... ':- ' ..•
- As the' helicopter ci.;"cled. of! to the' west, however'- a vez:y noticeable. '::~""
.. .' ..:' . :~ <:' '.: ::-, :. ,.. ' ; ~ :~.-.;... .; \....... .' . . '.. '.. '. ".:. :.:.! ' ; :". ".' "
.: Deeper signa.J.· ~~~ :~~c~ived,· and·~ventual~[Link].c·ed·to a nea.~by ho·use •. ;..'.. ' ." .'.
Th~y··immed·i~t·~l'~:.i~'~~t;d'~~~ :~'~:ked' ~h~': irih~bit~~ts~r."~~~h~gst~ang'~ '.' .
'or .unus~~~· "b~\i: ~;~.~.~~~:~'~. the p~e·~iou~':~·i~ht:·::·.·Yes. 'th~'~ replied; ,'.:;.

" there'had' b~·'~~'~o~~:"~~i~~s'and.a····~e;·k b~ightlight, 'l'ik~ 1ightning~" . . . . . . . \ (...

.......'.. .' .':. ' . ~.; .~:..~.~.~ ~:. ~~.::.: :.~,. ;:. ":~;: ".=-: ~~ ;.::: ~': :.'.. . . ~':": ':-:'<" :.. :::~:..•:. :. :'. :....:: .....::.'. ~ . ~ ..... ;~ '. ..' .' ,;. ~ '.: : . . '.. . ~ . ~;. : .
. "::. 'The helicopte·r·[Link] .to base .and·.a;,rangements were [Link] t("">.::~,,;. "':.';.."'::".~:::>~.:
.' ",:, ':.~.~;.."'.,. ,.. ':.• ;.....:...: ,:":~.~":"" .••. "':'::":~:":,,~""'..."":••'. •... ::\ . •~"<I"..:: .' . . . . . . :. " . •; '. . : ..:'~ '~-:"~' :':~~":':.:";:: •.• '.~~:;.
co~du~t" va.'r'ious·'tests:~; s·u·ch·as····radiati~[Link], 'in·the vidnity' of /, . ":"
. . .'
.
. ... '. . '. '.

': .. the house. "UnfortUnately, ·.the results of such tests have not been·
. '. ..,
.. . .
reported.. ( 'm.•):
.'
.': : ,.

, , ... ' .... ".'

'. .
. '.'~ ." . ..... .. . . .
" -.... '.' . . .. ."., .

-fil;a::!J~~~'