1953 CIA Memo on Subject: California Committee for Saucer Investigation (CSI)

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Office Memorandum + UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO 1 assistant for Uperations, Ol _ = pate: 9 February 1953 a
r er, Hayden Chennimi Reds art aw 2
FROM 1: cunich, Contect vivision, CO ae

SUBJECT: valifornia Corittee for saucer Investigation

; ; em a -

1. kKecently, a member of the Los angeles Office hed occasion to hear pr,

walter Riedel tell sozething of the ectivities of the California Comittee for... _
Saucer investigation (C3i), dis-coments, as follows, may be of interest: ;

2. ovr. Riedel indicated he was formerly Chief vesigner at the German Ex-- >>
perinental Kocket Center at Peenesvende. He has been in the _bs_as_a "paperclip" v ——
scientist for sone years. . He ig now & Project engineer in the ssrophysicS-
Departaent (Guided -tissiles) of the_North pmericen aviation Corp, He gave-every == = -
impression of being a c mbetent_sclientst, especially Knowledgeable on rocxet ,
yatters. He seened a balanced verson, not given to fixations.

3. CSI has been in operation sone years, composed of private individuals

intrigued and scientificelly interested in-finging en explanation for "saucer" a So
phenozena. To date, they. have received-soae 1570 letters relating to reported
sightings. Of this muaber, they heave been able to jsciedigtely or cuicnly eliz-

{nate 75~ as not worth follow-uj.. The great proportion of this 25% have been =.

discarded uson further investigation. what was sonewhat surprising to the writer | a

wes the exhaustiveness with which these investigations are being made. Not only ...- __

are very careful calculations rade, if the data exists, to check the possibility
of the report being physically vossible (e.g., in terns of lines-ofzsight), but. _
the individual reporting the sighting_is investigated privately at his place on
pesidence to establish a general background of reliability and credibility. Of
she 25p investigated, perhaps 25 or so sightings have been established as "reliable" :
in the sense that no known existing explanation exists for then. Apparently, most) >
of these have been forwarded to Wright Field, Dayton, Chio, although there appears

to be a tire lag of some duration while CsI i3 making its own check end calculations.

pr. Kiedel's description of one reported sighting by a TWA pilot and crew, and the
follow-up with respect to it, was impressive to the writer in the thought applied,
the pains taken, and the very careful application of scientific method.

,

4. so serious is CsI with respect to its investigation that Dr. Riedel indi-
cated that they are going to execute a planned "hoax" over the Los Angeles area,
in order to test the reaction and reliability of the public in general to unusual
aerial phonozene, (The sightings reported over sialibu in theLos3:-Adgeles- papers 6f 539
Jan 53 could possibly be this hoax.) -Frou this cxperinent, vney hope to ascertain
how many people report -an serial visual phenomenon which has been conducted so as to
be clearly visible to a large nuxber of peopie in the area. They will also, of
course, be able to best the variation of report details, etc. This experinent is

* designed to give a potter backzround egclnst which future sightingsccan be 2valuated.

too a ee . :
SSP" crom +: Chief, Contect bivlsion, CO . ’

suaject: california Coaittee for saucer Investigation

, nae — -

1. kecently, a nember of the Los angeles Office hed ozeasion to hear Dr.
Walter Kiedel tell sonzething of the ectivities of the California Comittee for
Saucer investigation (C3i), dis comuents, as follows, may be of interest:

2. vr. Riedel indicated he wes formerly Chief vesigner at the Cerzan Bx-
perizent2l Kocket Center at Peenemendée. He has been in the b3 as a "oaperclip" ov
scientist for sone years. He is now a Project wngincer in the asrochysics .
Department (Guided “issiles) of the_North snericen evievion Corg, He gave every
impression of being a competent scientist, especially knowledgeable on rocxet
watters. He seened a balanced person, not given to fixations.

3. CSI has been in operation sone years, conposed of private individuals |
intrigued and scientifically interested in finding en explanation for "saucer"
phenozena. To dete, they have received sone 1570 letters relating to reported
sightings. Of this ‘nuaber, they have been able to imuediately or quichly elix-
inate 75~ as not worth follow-uj;.. The great proportion of this 25% have been
discarded uson further investigation. whet was sonewhat surprising vo the writer
wes the exheustiveness with which these investigations are being made. Notonly |.
are very careful calculations rade, if the data exists, to check the possibility  —-.-.
of the report being physically vossible (e.g., in terns of lines of sight), but
the individual reporting the sighting is_investigated privately at his place o.
residence to establish a general background of reliability and credibility. Of 0.
the 25» investigated, perhaps 25 or so sightings have been established as "reliable" ——
in the sense that no known existing explanation exists for then. aApcarently, sost
of these hava been forwarded to Wright Field, Dayton, Chio, although there appears
to be a tite lag of sone duration while Csl is making its own check end calculations.
vr. Kiedel!s description of one reported sighting by a Twa pilot and crew, and the

follow-up with respect to it, was impressive to the writer in the thought applied,
the pains taken, anc the very_careful application of scientific method. ge

cated that they are going to execute a planned "hoax" over the Los Angeles area,

| L. So serious is CSI with respect to its investigation that Dr. Riedel indi- _

in order to test the reaction and reliability of the public in general to-unvsual
/ aerial phonozene, (The sightings reported over vialidu in the sLogsAnge les. papers of :39
Jan'53 could possibly be this hoax.) -Froum this exverisont, vney nope to escertein
how many people report .an aerial_visual phenonenon which has been conducted so as to
ba clearly visible to allarge nuxber of peopie in the area. They will also, of
course, be able to test the veriation of report details, etc. This experiment is
designed to give a povter backyround egeinss which-future sightings-can te evaluated,

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“Ty also evident in the paper entitled Wxockets Behin

6. #pparently, an eye and interest are also directed toverd the Ussn,

for reactions to sightings a3 od_in wl

ent: dthe trom Curtain",
eresented before the annual convention of the avericen Kocket society in tier
j ber’1952,-by George Fe Sutton, aleo of acrophysics Vepert—

Pe

York City 02 4, Decen 7 OY av Fee.
cent (liorth Anerican aviation, Inc,)and associated with CsI.

6. Of gncidental interest may be the fact that haa (Rational sxeronautical
pssociation) suggested politely end perhaps indirectly .to Or. Riedel that he -

gisassociate hinself from officiel memoership on C32.

_reported in the Parva are ooserved, ‘This interes

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