Brit aviation minister took 'UFO' sighting for real (newstrackindia - Flight School)

The sighting of the UFO occurred back in 30 July 1952, when Flight Sergeant Roland Hughes was on a training flight over West Germany in a de Havilland Vampire FB9.

Flight School

Hughes reported that he was being intercepted by a "gleaming silver, metallic disc, which flew alongside his aircraft before speeding off, as he was returning to base.

Aviation CollegesThe mysterious object was also detected by RAF radars on the ground, which recorded it traveling at speeds far more than of any known aircraft, the telegraph reported.When Hughes reported the sighting to his senior officers, they sent him to see Duncan Sandys, the then aviation minister and to brief him personally.After the meeting, Sandys went on to tell senior civil servants he was convinced by the airman's story.This UFO sighting is not only one of the most meticulous by a serving member of the armed forces but also shows how seriously such reports were taken by the authorities. However, the British governments have historically downplayed the suggestion that such sightings have been investigated.But, the existence of the sighting has emerged in papers released by the Churchill Archive, at Cambridge University. In one document - written a few days after the interview with the 23-year-old Hughes - Sandys intimates the government's chief scientist, Lord Cherwell, about the meeting and states that he found the airman's account and the supporting evidence from radar "convincing".The sighting came shortly after a number of similar "flying saucer" reports from US airmen."I have no doubt at all that (Hughes) saw a phenomenon similar to that described by numerous observers in the United States," Sandys added.Lord Cherwell had dismissed the US sightings as "mass psychology", but in his note Sandys takes him to task for this attitude and makes clear his position on the existence of UFOs."Until some satisfactory scientific explanation can be provided, it would be most unwise to accept without further question the view that 'flying saucers' can be dismissed as 'a mild form of hysteria'," said the minister, who was later promoted to Defence SecretarySandys also mentioned that there was "ample evidence of some unfamiliar and unexplained phenomenon".The documents are among thousands released by the archive in past few years. Their revelations were uncovered by David Clarke, a Sheffield Hallamniversity academic, while he was conducting research for a new edition of a book he has written on UFO sightings for the National Archives.By chance, shortly after his findings, Dr Clarke was contacted by the fighter pilot's son, who had read the earlier edition and wanted to share information about his father's sighting.Roland Hughes who had died in 2009, aged 79, had recounted his version of events to his son, Brian, who passed on the account to Dr Clarke, as well as his father's log book, in which he had noted the sighting and subsequent meeting with Sandys.The incident will now feature in the latest edition of the book, which is to be released in September, following the release this summer of more government UFO files from the National Archives.