Lodi, California, USA, on July 4, 1947:
ACUFO-1947-07-04-LODI-1
A rather dubious story of a pilot's sighting appeared in the newspaper The News-Sentinel of Lodi, California, USA, for July 5, 1947.
The newspaper told that "startling stories" of "flying cups" instead of "flying saucers" are told on Lodi, by "a number of Lodi residents", none being named. They said they have viewed "flying cups, undoubtedly searching for their brother saucers", and these "cups, perhaps on a holiday journey from our neighboring planet -- the moon -- were noted at varying heights over the city yesterday."
A cropdusting pilot "who asked that his name be withheld", the newspaper raid, "said that he viewed one of the "cups" when it swooped over a tomato patch he was engaged in dusting. The "cup," the pilot said, was aluminum in color and shaped "much like a Chinese teacup". Due to the fact that there was a large gasoline storage tank nearby, the pilot commented that the "cup's" aviator might have mistaken the shiny flat tank top for a grounded "flying saucer."
When asked for the speed of the "flying cup," the pilot said that from his calculations the "cup" reached speeds of approximately 1500 miles per hour. He said it had a slight rotating motion, and went so fast that he was able to get but a mere glimpse of the speeding craft.
The newspaper also claimed that a "prominent Lodi evangelist, who also claims to have seen the cup", stated that he had received "thought messages from passengers aboard it", that "the waves from the thought message awakened him about 2 a.m. Friday. The message received, although hazy, transferred the thought that those aboard were intending to unite with their menfolk aboard the "flying saucers," and settle on this world in Oklahoma, the Sahara and Gobi deserts."
But those fears of invasion, the newspaper said, were "quelled, when other Lodians viewing the "cups" revealed that they perceived no armament on them".
| Date: | July 4, 1947 |
|---|---|
| Time: | ? |
| Duration: | ? |
| First known report date: | July 5, 1947 |
| Reporting delay: | 1 day. |
| Country: | USA |
|---|---|
| State/Department: | California |
| City or place: | Lodi |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 1 + on ground. |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | ? |
| Number of named witnesses: | 0 |
| Reporting channel: | Newspaper. |
|---|---|
| Visibility conditions: | ? |
| UFO observed: | Yes. |
| UFO arrival observed: | ? |
| UFO departure observed: | ? |
| UFO action: | Swooped over a tomato patch. |
| Witnesses action: | Observed. |
| Photographs: | No. |
| Sketch(s) by witness(es): | No. |
| Sketch(es) approved by witness(es): | No. |
| Witness(es) feelings: | ? |
| Witnesses interpretation: | ? |
| Sensors: |
[X] Visual: 1 + ground.
[ ] Airborne radar: N/A. [ ] Directional ground radar: [ ] Height finder ground radar: [ ] Photo: [ ] Film/video: [ ] EM Effects: [ ] Failures: [ ] Damages: |
|---|---|
| Hynek: | DD |
| Armed / unarmed: | Unarmed./td> |
| Reliability 1-3: | 1 |
| Strangeness 1-3: | 3 |
| ACUFO: | Probable journalistic invention. |
[Ref. lns1:] NEWSPAPER "LODI NEWS-SENTINEL":
As persons from coast to coast watched the skies, and sharp-eyed onlookers in 11 states claimed to have seen "flying saucers" traveling through the air at speeds never before attained by man, a number of Lodi residents came up with the startling revelation that they have viewed "flying cups," undoubtedly searching for their brother saucers.
These "cups," perhaps on a holiday journey from our neighboring planet -- the moon -- were noted at varying heights over the city yesterday.
A cropdusting pilot -- who asked that his name be withheld -- said that he viewed one of the "cups" when it swooped over a tomato patch he was engaged in dusting.
Aluminum Colored
The "cup," he said, was aluminum in color and shaped much like a Chinese teacup. Due to the fact that there was a large gasoline storage tank nearby, the pilot commented that the "cup's" aviator might have mistaken the shiny flat tank top for a grounded "flying saucer."
When queried as to the speed of the "flying cup," the pilot said that from his calculations the "cup" reached speeds of approximately 1500 miles per hour.
He stated that the "cup" had a slight rotating motion, and went so fast that he was able to get but a mere glimpse of the speeding craft.
A prominent Lodi evangelist, who also claims to have seen the cup, stated that he had received thought messages from passengers aboard it.
Destined to Unite
He said that the waves from the thought message awakened him about 2 a.m. Friday. The message received, although hazy, transferred the thought that those aboard were intending to unite with their menfolk aboard the "flying saucers," and settle on this world in Oklahoma, the Sahara and Gobi deserts.
Fears of invasion were quelled, when other Lodians viewing the "cups" revealed that they perceived no armament on them.
United Press, last night, reported nothing of the "flying cups," giving way to the belief that they are centered in this area.
Cropdusting - spreading chemicals on crop fields to kill both insects and weed with an airplane - in 1947 was usually done with old planes that could fly slowly:
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It is interesting to find that from the very beginning of the "modern era of flying saucers," there was already an association between these so-called saucers and telepathic messages coming from their occupants — just as I have found a "Men in Black" case and a "little grey" case from the same period.
As for the sighting, I obviously have serious doubts about the authenticity of this entire account. The indications of the story's lack of seriousness lie in the very characteristics of the story itself, but also in the absence of any witnesses' names, which was exceptional at that time, as well as the absence of a time, duration, precise locations, descriptions other than that of the pilot, etc.
Probable journalistic invention.
* = Source is available to me.
? = Source I am told about but could not get so far. Help needed.
| Main author: | Patrick Gross |
|---|---|
| Contributors: | None |
| Reviewers: | None |
| Editor: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Create/changed by: | Date: | Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | June 8, 2026 | Creation, [lns1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | June 8, 2026 | First published. |
