ut the F-84 was right on its tail. The pilot
would notice that the light was getting brighter, and he'd call the
controller to tell him about it. But the controller's answer would
always be the same, "Roger, we can see it on the scope."

There was always a limit as to how near the jet could get, however.
The controller told me that it was just as if the UFO had some kind
of an automatic warning radar linked to its power supply. When
something got too close to it, it would automatically pick up speed
and pull away. The separation distance always remained about 3 miles.

The chase continued on north--out of sight of the lights of Rapid
City and the base--into some very black night.

When the UFO and the F-84 got about 120 miles to the north, the
pilot checked his fuel; he had to come back. And when I talked to
him, he said he was damn glad that he was running out of fuel because
being out over some mighty desolate country alone with a UFO can
cause some worry.

Both the UFO and the F-84 had gone off the scope, but in a few
minutes the jet was back on, heading for home. Then 10 or 15 miles
behind it was the UFO target also coming back.

While the UFO and the F-84 were returning to the base--the F-84 was
planning to land--the controller received a call from the jet
interceptor squadron on the base. The alert pilots at the squadron
had heard the conversations on their radio and didn't believe it.
"Who's nuts up there?" was the comment that passed over the wire from
the pilots to the radar people. There was an F-84 on the line ready
to scramble, the man on the phone said, and one of the pilots, a
World War II and Korean veteran, wanted to go up and see a flying
saucer. The controller said, "O.K., go."

In a minute or two the F-84 was airborne and the controller was
working him toward the light. The pilot saw it right away and closed
in. Again the light began to climb out, this time more toward the
northeast. The pilot also began to climb, and before long the light,
which at first had been about 30 degrees above his horizontal line of
sight, was now below him. He nosed the '84 down to pick up speed, but
it was the same old story--as soon as he'd get within 3 miles of the
UFO, it would put on a burst of speed and stay out ahead.

Even though the pilot could see the light and hear the ground
controller telling him that he was above it, and alternately gaining
on it or dropping back, he still couldn't believe it--there mu