This document was reproduced in the ufological literature long ago.
Colonel M. commander of the air base 115 to Mr the General of Air Division, commanding the 1st Air Division and Mr the Brigadier General of the Air commanding the 4th RA of Aix-en-Provence.
Subject: Weird craft circulating in the airspace of the Orange-Caritat air base.
I have the honor to herewith send you the reports which I have ordered to two pilots of the 5th fighters squadron, lieutenant G. and staff sergeant P., which saw within the course of a drill carried out in the morning, at 11:30, local time, on June 15, 1951, an odd craft evolving in the airspace of the Orange-Caritat air base. Being given:
Firstly: the strangeness of the observations made with regard to this craft, aspect, form, movements, altitude, speed.
Secondly: the fact that these observations
b) are absolutely similar.
I believe it is my duty to report to you.
I questioned myself these two pilots 01:30 approximately after they saw this craft. The result of the interrogation and their report do not differ and one easily draws the following synthesis from it.
The craft appears: shining (its glares obstructs the sight without sunglasses, according to lieutenant G.), without relief. No smoke was seen, neither while it seemed motionless, nor while it was moving.
The craft, which seems initially motionless, moves away quickly as soon as the pilots approach it.
The craft has a speed, whether horizontal, or vertical, that it superior than the speed of the Vampire planes.
The situation in the space which emerges from the observations made by the two pilots of the 5th fighter squadron is the following one:
The machine moves away quickly in the general direction to the east while taking altitude: speed of rise low compared to its horizontal speed. The pilots continue on the same course (080) and 270 on the airspeed indicator. The machine disappears from their sight when they are in the area Serres - Veynes - Aspres.
I asked the officer commander of the gendarmerie of Hautes-Alpes to get information at his brigades on whether this craft had been seen from the ground. I do not have a response yet on this matter.
Signed - M. CC to Mr the chief of the station of Air Safety Marseilles.
Air base 115, 5th fighter squadron, wing #1/5 Vendée.
Lieutenant G. Raymond commander of the first wing of the fighter squadron 1/5 to Mr. the Colonel in command of air base 115.
It is my honor to report the following facts: On June 15, 1951, I took off in third position of a patrol for a training flight. Composition of the patrol: Mario 24 staff sergeants B, Mario 36 staff sergeant P., Mario 20 lieutenant G., trainor, Mario 37 second lieutenant G. At the end of the turn of gathering (180°) Mario 24 reports that the green lamp of his left landing gear is lit. Mario 36 checks and notes that the door is not locked. Mario 24 reduces (in conformity with the standard procedure for the Vampire) its speed to 100 Knots. During this time, and without losing sight of him, Mario 36 and myself carry out an "S". After several operations of exit and of re-entry of the gear, the green lamp of Mario 24 remained lit, I gave him the order to land. We are at this time in the north of the airfield, at an altitude of 6000 feet. Mario 36 in turn to the left and appreciably vis-a-vis the south reports to me about a weird craft in his 9 h, slightly higher. Being number three and number one going to land, I take the command of the patrol.
I move while finishing the turn towards the reported craft, while continuing to go up. Approximately 5 minutes elapsed since the takeoff announced by the Orange tower at 10:23. During 2 minutes approximately, the craft does not appear to move. Having believed initially that it was a plane, I realize that it had no motion. While getting closer, its form is confirmed being of round appearance, of silvery color; I note that it is very brilliant by removing my sunglasses.
Arrived at the altitude of 10000 feet, I have the impression to be at its level. It is apparently in the south of Mount Pelvoux, and, for us, in the prolongation of the snow-covered mount. We are on course 080. I take a level flight at this time and keeps the same throttle as when going up. The craft takes an elliptic form then and starts to go up under a weak angle. Especially wanting to try to catch up with it, I continue to go up under a very weak angle. It becomes increasingly small. I lose sight of it a moment to then see it again in the form of a point on the horizon. It is completely lost from sight at the end of approximately 6 minutes of pursuit.
Having started from the north of the ground of Orange on course 080, it is to be noticed that I did not have to change course from the moment when it started to move.
During all the pursuit that finished at an altitude of 16000 feet, my speed was never lower than 250 Knots. At the time when disappeared, I was at the vertical of Les Serres (on le Petit Buech, river going to river Durance). In its initial direction, it was detached apparently at the same altitude as the snow-covered tops of the Pelvoux. Compared with to the mounts of Viso, it was closer to Pelvoux than from those mounts.
Orange, June 15, 1951. Signed - Lieutenant G., copy.
Air base 115, 5th fighter squadron, wing 1/5.
Sergeant-chief P. from the fighter wing 1/15 Vendée, to Mr. the Colonel in command of air base 115.
I have the honor to report to you the following facts:
June 15, 1951, at 11:23, local time, taking off in second position from the Orange-Caritat airfield at Q.FU 150 for a training flight in patrol, I gathered to the left of the patrol leader (staff sergeant B). The latter, at the end of 2 to 3 minutes of flight, reported by radio that the left door of his landing gear appeared not to be closed, I checked and reported to him that indeed it was not completely closed. I deviated from him to allow him to carry out the operations to perform in such a case.
As, at this time, he reduced his speed considerably by pulling up his plane, but as I preserved my normal mode of rise (240 Knots), I passed in front of him and, not to lose sight of him, I made an "S" around him. Thus, passing from the "left winger" position to the "right winger" position, I was on his right in a turn to the left, a turn of a continuous "S", when I saw with my 3 o'clock and higher something that I thought of being a plane. I saw it during a few seconds only since, at once, I turned back to him, continuing my "S" which was to bring me back at the height of the patrol leader, but on his left, this time. During this short moment, I had the impression of "something" abnormal, I decided to observe it more attentively. I did not pay attention anymore to my patrol chief who was at this time higher than me, but with a course diametrically opposed to mine. Without any difficulty I found that "thing" in the sky again.
Of this new observation, this results:
It was a craft which, seen under this angle, had a circular appearance (it could as well have been spherical, the relief not being distinguished), absolutely motionless at an altitude slightly higher than mine (I was at 6000 feet), of a very brilliant silvery color. Being convinced that it could not be a plane, I reported its presence to Mario 20 (lieutenant G.) who, at this time, was in a turn to the left to gather on me. He saw it at once and took the command of the patrol while continuing to veer on the left, which put him exactly in the direction of the craft. The latter did not move throughout this operation and it is only when we put our course to him (course 080) and at the end of two minutes I saw it move. It gave the impression to me to rock on itself, showing at this time an horizontal elliptic form. It appeared to take height under a weak angle in a direction opposed to ours.
On course 080, we went up at a weak rate not to drop our speed to 150 Knots to 16000 feet. The craft also always went up vis-a-vis us (12h) and became nothing more than a not easily visible point. At one moment, having looked at my patrol chief, I lost sight of it, but I found it again and reported it to Mario 20, which saw it again also. But, almost at once, we completely lost sight of it and, at the end of a few minutes, always on course 080, we made a U-turn towards our base.
The total duration which we kept it in sight, not including my personal observation before reporting its presence, is approximately 6 minutes.
According to my personal estimates, the craft was, when I saw it for the first time, at an altitude ranging between 10 and 12000 feet and a distance from 60 to 100 km, but not beyond 100 km, estimated compared to Mount Pelvoux; the craft being seen in its south.
Orange, June 15, 1951.
Signed Chief-Seargent P.
