In the Orbit of UFO Enthusiasts

Ever had a UFO experience?

Probably not, which is not the answer you want. I saw something that seems to be related to UFOs. There was a great flurry back in the late '40s and early '50s of green fireballs. They looked like giant meteors, and I had a good sighting of one of those. I long ago gave up looking. Though I still always get a window seat on an airliner.

What is it that most convinces you that UFOs exist?

Two things. One, the consistency of sightings by expert witnesses -- professional pilots, military and airline -- of oddly shaped vehicles seen in the broad daylight. Vehicles whose shapes are not familiar and whose technical performances are right off the scale. . . . The other is the federal government's very suspicious behavior of putting outlandish explanations on UFO reports, explanations and interpretations that don't reflect the body of the report.

Why do you think UFOs are visiting Earth?

Well, if indeed they are and aren't explainable in some other way, I have absolutely no idea. It's very risky to use human reasoning when you're dealing with something you have defined as nonhuman.

How do you deal with skeptics?

That's a tricky word. The people who are convinced that UFOs don't exist or can't be of any consequence call themselves skeptics, but they have a carved-in-stone belief. I don't know what the right word is to describe them; we have some unkind words. [Laughs.] Hey, maybe they're right; I don't know. But if you're going to claim to be scientific in your outlook, you should be scientific in your outlook.

Has your involvement with the subject of UFOs hampered your relationships or career plans?

Not that I'm aware of. In the early days, when I was still in the Air Force, occasionally I would try to get people interested and people would poke fun, but nothing serious.

What would it take to make acceptance of UFO phenomena more widespread?

I've got a long list of things. Live video footage of a classic disc performing amazing maneuvers. Physical evidence, say, from the Roswell crash so that we could analyze the material. Something solid.