Boeing KC-97 refueling X-wingOn the 22nd of June 1972 major John
Brown was making an unscheduled test flight with a F-106 over
California. The aircraft had undergone some repairs the previous
morning and the major decided to take it up for a quick test. Half an
hour into the flight he spotted two large aircraft to the north flying
in formation. He decided to investigate and turned north.
The aircraft turned out to be two KC-97 tankers
which were refuelling two unknown aircraft. As a avid amateur
photographer he had a small camera with him and making an number of
passes he snapped a few pictures.
When he landed back at base he was immediately
summoned to the base commander and told that he better forget what he
had seen and never mention it to anybody. Feeling the seriousness of
the situation he wisely did not mention the pictures he had taken.
Back home however he developed the film and
printed the pictures. Not wanting to get into trouble he put the
pictures in an envelope in the back of his desk drawer and forgot about
them.
After his death in 2016 the pictures were found by
his son who put them on the internet. They caused quite a storm but the
USAF denied al knowledge of the incident and to the present day it
maintains they are fakes.
|
Last updated: 01/06/2017