Within Vermont UFOs
Why Bellevue Hill Still Matters
The 1952 Bellevue Hill sighting stands out because it entered the Project Blue Book record with military aircrew witnesses.
On this page
- What the C 124 crew reported
- Why Project Blue Book kept it unresolved
- What the file cannot prove
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Introduction
The Bellevue Hill sighting of 24 April 1952 is the strongest official UFO file attached to Vermont because it sits in the United States Air Force Project Blue Book record, involved a military C-124 aircrew, and was ultimately marked “Unknown” rather than explained as aircraft, balloon or astronomy. That does not make it proof of an extraordinary craft. It means the surviving official paperwork records a puzzling early-morning observation that investigators did not reduce to a conventional cause. For Vermont’s UFO history, Bellevue Hill is therefore less a dramatic legend than a document-led anchor: a Cold War aircrew report, handled through military intelligence channels, preserved in a 12-page case file, and still useful because its strengths and weaknesses are both visible. [NICAP]nicap.org520424bellevue docs520424bellevue docs
Bellevue Hill also matters because it connects two Vermont Cold War stories that are often treated separately: UFO reporting and air-defence infrastructure. The hill near St Albans later became known for its radar installation and surviving white radome, part of a defence complex operated by the US Air Force from 1951 to 1979. Local reporting and architectural history both place Bellevue Hill inside the wider northern-border surveillance landscape of the early Cold War. [Seven Days]sevendaysvt.comSource details in endnotes.
What the C-124 crew reported
The core sighting took place at about 5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on 24 April 1952. The Project 10073 record card gives the location as Bellevue Hill, Vermont; the type of observation as “air-visual”; the source as a C-124 crew; the number of objects as three; the length of observation as two to three minutes; the colour as bluish; and the shape as circular. The same card notes clear weather, using the aviation shorthand CAVU, and says the objects appeared about 20 degrees to the right of the aircraft’s course, disappeared, and then reappeared about 20 degrees to the left. [NICAP]nicap.orgThe Project Bluebook "UnknownsThe Project Bluebook "Unknowns
The longer Air Intelligence Information Report gives a fuller picture. It says the aircraft was a C-124 assigned to the 1st Strategic Support Squadron, Biggs Air Force Base, Texas, and that the crew were supporting an 11th Bombardment Wing movement of six B-36 aircraft to Limestone Air Force Base in Maine on a simulated combat mission. The C-124 was reported at 11,000 feet, with a magnetic heading of 73 degrees, when the crew sighted three round, blue objects just above the horizon. For roughly two or three minutes, the objects were said to parallel the aircraft’s course, then disappear to the right; about fifteen seconds later, more objects appeared off the left side and were observed for about a minute before they too disappeared. [NICAP]nicap.org520424bellevue docs520424bellevue docs
That account is why the case has remained prominent in UFO catalogues. The National Aviation Reporting Center on Anomalous Phenomena catalogue of pilot sightings lists the Bellevue Hill entry as a military aircrew case involving a USAF C-124 transporter and “3 bluish circular objects,” two of which flew on a parallel course with the plane. NICAP’s listing of Project Blue Book “unknowns” gives a similar summary: three circular, bluish objects in a loose “fingertip” formation, twice flying parallel to the aircraft during a three- to four-minute period. [Squarespace]static1.squarespace.comUnidentified Aerial PhenomenaUnidentified Aerial Phenomena
The aircraft type also matters. A C-124 Globemaster II was not a small private aircraft with one casual observer; it was a large military transport designed for heavy cargo and troop or medical transport. The National Museum of the United States Air Force describes the C-124 as a large cargo aircraft with clamshell loading doors, hydraulic ramps, and capacity for bulky military loads or 200 fully equipped soldiers. In plain terms, the Bellevue Hill witnesses were part of a professional military flying environment rather than a roadside sighting by an anonymous passer-by. [Air Force Museum]nationalmuseum.af.milDouglas C-124 Globemaster II > National Museum of the United States Air Force > Display…
Why Project Blue Book kept it unresolved
The Bellevue Hill file is important because the Air Force did not simply log the report and forget it. The file shows routing through Air Technical Intelligence Center channels and later follow-up asking for information that might identify the sighting. One message asked whether Air Defense Command radar station Site No. 14 reported any unusual or unidentified returns on 24 April 1952; another response said no identification or explanation had yet been made and that the investigation was in progress. [NICAP]nicap.orgThe Project Bluebook "UnknownsThe Project Bluebook "Unknowns
The radar follow-up weakens the case in one respect and strengthens it in another. It weakens it because the file does not preserve a clean radar confirmation of the objects. A later return from the 764th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at St Albans reported jamming between 0704Z and 1035Z on 24 April, but said no other unusual or unidentified radar returns were noted that day. That is not the same as saying the crew imagined the objects; it means the surviving file lacks the kind of independent radar corroboration that would make the event much harder to explain conventionally. [NICAP]nicap.orgThe Project Bluebook "UnknownsThe Project Bluebook "Unknowns
At the same time, the official record card still ended with “Unknown” marked in the conclusions box. The alternatives on the card included balloon, aircraft, astronomical cause, other, and insufficient data for evaluation; the checked conclusion was not one of those identifications. The brief summary even includes a sceptical note — sunrise or near sunrise “might cause phenomena” — yet the final card still leaves the case unresolved. [NICAP]nicap.orgThe Project Bluebook "UnknownsThe Project Bluebook "Unknowns
That distinction is central. Project Blue Book’s own broader purpose was not to validate extraordinary claims, but to collect, evaluate and classify reports. The National Archives states that the Air Force retired Project Blue Book’s UFO investigation records to the Archives, where declassified case files are available, and that the programme closed in 1969. The same Air Force fact-sheet text says 12,618 sightings were reported from 1947 to 1969 and 701 remained “Unidentified”. Bellevue Hill’s importance comes from belonging to that official unresolved residue, not from proving what the objects were. [National Archives]archives.govNational Archives Project BLUE BOOKNational Archives Project BLUE BOOK
Why Bellevue Hill is Vermont’s strongest official file
Bellevue Hill stands out in Vermont’s UFO record because it combines four elements rarely present together: military aircrew witnesses, an airborne observation, surviving official documentation, and an unresolved Blue Book classification. Many state-level UFO stories depend on local memory, later interviews, newspaper accounts, or retellings that are hard to audit. Bellevue Hill is different because the reader can inspect the paperwork itself: the record card, intelligence report, message traffic, follow-up requests, and status-report extract. [NICAP]nicap.orgThe Project Bluebook "UnknownsThe Project Bluebook "Unknowns [NICAP]nicap.orgThe Project Bluebook "UnknownsThe Project Bluebook "Unknowns
It also occurred during a particularly sensitive period. Project Blue Book was created in March 1952, replacing earlier Air Force UFO efforts, and the April 1952 status report shows the programme actively trying to improve reporting methods, including a more complete standard questionnaire and possible camera or radar-scope documentation. In the same status report, the Air Force noted the public reaction to a major Life magazine article on flying saucers, while stating that “no proof exists” that such objects were from outer space. Bellevue Hill belongs to this early Blue Book moment, when official interest was real but explanations were still being sorted case by case. [Wikimedia Commons]upload.wikimedia.orgSource details in endnotes.
The place itself adds a Vermont-specific layer. Bellevue Hill is a real summit in Franklin County, near St Albans, and the later St Albans Air Force Station became one of the state’s most visible Cold War remnants. Seven Days describes the surviving white radome on Bellevue Hill as the last of five that once formed part of a radar defence complex operated by the Air Force from 1951 to 1979, and SAH Archipedia says the site was selected in 1950 because of its unobstructed views and northern-border strategic value. [National Map Edits]edits.nationalmap.govNational Map Edits Geographic Names Information SystemNational Map Edits Geographic Names Information System [Seven Days]sevendaysvt.comSource details in endnotes.
That does not mean the 1952 UFO report was caused by, confirmed by, or centred on the radar base as later remembered locally. The file’s own aircrew account is the anchor. But Bellevue Hill’s later role as an air-defence site explains why this part of Vermont sits naturally inside the state’s UFO history: it was not merely rural sky country, but part of the Cold War network watching the northern approaches to the United States. [SAH ARCHIPEDIA]sah-archipedia.orgSource details in endnotes.
What the file cannot prove
The Bellevue Hill case is strong as an official file, but it is not strong enough to settle the identity of the objects. There are no photographs. The record card explicitly marks “No” under photos. There is no recovered object, no onboard instrument record in the public file, and no clear radar confirmation. The St Albans radar response is especially important because it shows investigators asked the right kind of question, but the answer did not supply the missing independent track. [NICAP]nicap.orgThe Project Bluebook "UnknownsThe Project Bluebook "Unknowns
The file also contains internal uncertainties. The report’s location material is awkward: the case is filed as Bellevue Hill, Vermont, yet later catalogue work notes coordinates that appear to fall in the Atlantic rather than Vermont. Brad Sparks’ catalogue flags this problem directly, listing Bellevue Hill, Vermont, but adding “40°30’?? N, 72°15’?? W [Atlantic]baaa-acro.comOpen source on baaa-acro.com.”. This does not erase the case, but it does warn against treating every numerical detail in the surviving paperwork as clean and final. [CISU]cisu.orgCentro Italiano Studi Ufologici Microsoft WordCentro Italiano Studi Ufologici Microsoft Word - Centro Italiano Studi Ufologici
The sunrise clue is another unresolved point rather than a solution. The record card’s own summary says sunrise or near sunrise might have caused the phenomenon. That is a reasonable line of enquiry because low-angle sunlight can create striking effects on clouds, aircraft, vapour, ice crystals or distant objects. But the card did not mark the event as “astronomical” or “aircraft”; it marked it “Unknown”. The honest reading is that sunrise was considered but not documented as a sufficient explanation in the available file. [NICAP]nicap.orgThe Project Bluebook "UnknownsThe Project Bluebook "Unknowns
Witness quality also has limits. Military aircrew are trained observers in an aviation sense, and that makes the report more serious than many casual sightings. But even trained crews can misjudge distance, size, relative motion and altitude when an object is near the horizon and lacks known scale. The report says the objects were estimated at about 50 miles away, but without radar, photography, triangulation or physical reference points, that distance estimate cannot carry the same weight as a measured track. [NICAP]nicap.orgThe Project Bluebook "UnknownsThe Project Bluebook "Unknowns
How the case should be read today
Bellevue Hill is best read as Vermont’s clearest official unresolved UFO case, not as Vermont’s clearest proof of alien visitation. That difference matters. The Air Force’s later public conclusions about Project Blue Book stated that no investigated UFO had shown evidence of a threat to national security, no evidence of technology beyond present-day scientific knowledge, and no evidence that unidentified sightings were extraterrestrial vehicles. Those broad conclusions do not explain every individual case, but they set the official frame in which Bellevue Hill should be understood. [National Archives]archives.govNational Archives Project BLUE BOOKNational Archives Project BLUE BOOK
For readers comparing Vermont cases, Bellevue Hill is stronger than many famous stories in one narrow but important way: it has a surviving official paper trail. It is weaker than the best radar-visual cases because its public file does not show a matching radar return, and it is weaker than photographic cases because it has no image record. Its value lies in the middle ground: credible setting, official handling, unresolved classification, and enough surviving detail to assess the uncertainties rather than merely repeat a legend. [NICAP]nicap.orgThe Project Bluebook "UnknownsThe Project Bluebook "Unknowns [NICAP]nicap.orgThe Project Bluebook "UnknownsThe Project Bluebook "Unknowns
That is why Bellevue Hill still matters within Vermont’s UFO history. It gives the state one case that belongs unmistakably to the official Cold War UFO archive. It also models the right way to read older UFO files: take the witnesses seriously, read the actual documents, separate “unidentified” from “extraordinary”, and treat missing data as part of the evidence rather than a gap to fill with speculation.
Amazon book picks
Further Reading
Books and field guides related to Why Bellevue Hill Still Matters. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.
The Hynek UFO Report
Directly aligns with official Air Force UFO investigations like Bellevue Hill.
The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects
Offers direct historical context for the era and procedures surrounding the case.
The UFO Experience
Provides the investigative framework used when evaluating cases such as Bellevue Hill.
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Endnotes
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Source: nicap.org
Title: 520424bellevue docs
Link: https://www.nicap.org/docs/520424bellevue_docs.pdf -
Source: sah-archipedia.org
Link: https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/VT-01-FR26 -
Source: static1.squarespace.com
Title: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
Link: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5cf80ff422b5a90001351e31/t/5d02eb46935aac0001690f62/1560472408972/narcap_revised_tr-4.pdf -
Source: nicap.org
Title: The Project Bluebook “Unknowns”
Link: https://www.nicap.org/bluebook/unknowns.htm -
Source: nationalmuseum.af.mil
Title: Air Force Museum
Link: https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196101/douglas-c-124-globemaster-ii/Source snippet
Douglas C-124 Globemaster II > National Museum of the United States Air Force > Display...
-
Source: archives.gov
Title: National Archives Project BLUE BOOK
Link: https://www.archives.gov/research/military/air-force/ufos -
Source: upload.wikimedia.org
Link: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Project_Blue_Book%2C_BBA-PBSR6-300.pdf -
Source: cisu.org
Title: Centro Italiano Studi Ufologici Microsoft Word
Link: https://www.cisu.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Sparks-CATALOG-BB-Unknowns-1.27-Dec-20-2016.pdf -
Source: prologue.blogs.archives.gov
Title: saucers over washington the history of project blue book
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Source: prologue.blogs.archives.gov
Title: ufos man made made up and unknown
Link: https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2018/04/23/ufos-man-made-made-up-and-unknown/ -
Source: upload.wikimedia.org
Title: Project Blue Book, BBA PBSR8 300
Link: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Project_Blue_Book%2C_BBA-PBSR8-300.pdf -
Source: upload.wikimedia.org
Title: Project Blue Book, BBA PBSR9 300
Link: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Project_Blue_Book%2C_BBA-PBSR9-300.pdf -
Source: archive.org
Title: Brad Sparks Comprehensive Catalog of 1,600 Project Blue Book UFO Unknowns
Link: https://archive.org/download/BernardSieglerTechnicsAndTime1TheFaultOfEpimetheus/Brad%20Sparks%20-%20Comprehensive%20Catalog%20of%201%2C600%20Project%20Blue%20Book%20UFO%20Unknowns.pdf -
Source: war.gov
Title: operation colony glacier brings full identification for all 52 fallen service m
Link: https://www.war.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/4375708/operation-colony-glacier-brings-full-identification-for-all-52-fallen-service-m/ -
Source: history.com
Title: Project Blue Book
Link: https://www.history.com/articles/project-blue-book -
Source: youtube.com
Title: Ancient Aliens: UFO Cover-Up Mission Inside U.S. Government (Season 5)
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5VAAOsWwA4Source snippet
Project Blue Book | Trailer | Watch On SBS On Demand...
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Source: youtube.com
Title: Project Blue Book | Trailer | Watch On SBS On Demand
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApuwmZjHGu4Source snippet
New England Legends Podcast 379 - Vermont's UFO Invasion...
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Source: sevendaysvt.com
Link: https://www.sevendaysvt.com/arts-culture/what-is-that-white-dome-on-a-hill-overlooking-st-albans-5609799/ -
Source: edits.nationalmap.gov
Title: National Map Edits Geographic Names Information System
Link: https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/gaz-record/1456380 -
Source: Wikipedia
Title: Project Blue Book
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Blue_Book -
Source: Wikipedia
Title: Douglas C 124 Globemaster II
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_C-124_Globemaster_II -
Source: britannica.com
Title: Project Blue Book
Link: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Project-Blue-Book -
Source: aviastar.org
Title: Douglas C-124 Globemaster II
Link: https://www.aviastar.org/air/usa/douglas_globemaster.php?p=13 -
Source: geo.mytopo.com
Title: bellevue hill
Link: https://geo.mytopo.com/feature/vermont/franklin/summit/1456380/bellevue-hill/ -
Source: listsofjohn.com
Title: Bellevue Hill
Link: https://listsofjohn.com/peak/103716 -
Source: origins.osu.edu
Title: project blue book
Link: https://origins.osu.edu/watch/project-blue-book -
Source: vault.fbi.gov
Link: https://vault.fbi.gov/Project%20Blue%20Book%20%28UFO%29%20/Project%20Blue%20Book%20%28UFO%29%20Part%2001%20%28Final%29/at_download/file -
Source: flugzeuginfo.net
Title: Douglas C-124 Globemaster II
Link: https://www.flugzeuginfo.net/acdata_php/acdata_c124_en.php
Additional References
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Source: nsa.gov
Link: https://www.nsa.gov/portals/75/documents/news-features/declassified-documents/ufo/usaf_fact_sheet_95_03.pdf -
Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1039630837990948/posts/1384416280179067/ -
Source: aviation-safety.net
Link: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/335466 -
Source: scribd.com
Link: https://www.scribd.com/document/51179838/UFOlogy-The-Book-NICAP-Database -
Source: amcmuseum.org
Link: https://www.amcmuseum.org/at-the-museum/aircraft/c-124a-globemaster-ii/ -
Source: baaa-acro.com
Link: https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-douglas-c-124a-globemaster-ii-atlantic-ocean-53-killed -
Source: aerospaceutah.org
Link: https://www.aerospaceutah.org/museum/our-collections/aircraft-collection/c-124c-globemaster-ii/ -
Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/Theuntoldpastfb/posts/for-17-years-the-us-air-force-chased-lights-in-the-sky-from-1952-to-1969-under-a/1217574073740878/ -
Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/CBSSundayMorning/posts/for-the-past-decade-a-team-has-been-searching-for-52-servicemen-lost-when-their-/10165901074021337/ -
Source: ufocasebook.com
Link: https://www.ufocasebook.com/pdf/BlueBookUnknown.pdf
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