“They go to Operations,” said Dick. “Of course, if something really important happens, the pilot may radio the tower before he lands. Then the C.A.A. gets word to the Air Force, and they rush some Intelligence officers to quiz the pilots. if it’s not too hot, they’d come from Wright Field—regular Project ‘Saucer’ teams. Otherwise, they’d send the nearest Intelligence officers to take over temporarily.”
I asked him if he had ever been in on one of thee sessions. Dick said he hadn’t.
“But a couple of pilots talked to me later. They said these Air Force men seemed quite upset about it; they pounced on everything these boys said about the thing’s appearance—how it maneuvered and so on.”
“What do your pilots think the saucers are?”
Dick gave me a slightly ironic grin. “Why ask me? Captain Blake says you’ve been getting it firsthand.”
“I wasn’t pulling a fast one,” I protested. “We’re not going to quote actual names or sources, unless people. O.K. it.”
“Sure, I know that,” said Dick. “But you’ve got thc answer already. Some pilots say interplanetary, some say guided missiles. A few—a very few—still think it’s all nonsense, because they haven’t seen any.”
“What do you think?”
“I don’t know the answer,” said Dick, “but I’m positive of one thing. Either the Air Force is sitting on a big secret, or they’re badly scared because they don’t know the answer.”
During the next week or so, I covered several northwest and mountain states. Although I was chiefly trying to find out about Project “Saucer,” I ran onto two sightings that were not on my list.