1 00:00:08,449 --> 00:00:13,199 I'm not sure if it's good morning or 2 00:00:10,619 --> 00:00:16,399 good evening good afternoon here it's 12 3 00:00:13,199 --> 00:00:20,669 o'clock my name is James Penniston 4 00:00:16,399 --> 00:00:22,559 United States Air Force retired in 1980 5 00:00:20,670 --> 00:00:24,840 I was assigned to the largest Tactical 6 00:00:22,559 --> 00:00:26,669 Fighter Wing in the Air Force at the 7 00:00:24,839 --> 00:00:30,300 time though I was stationed at RAF 8 00:00:26,670 --> 00:00:32,250 Woodbridge England I was a senior 9 00:00:30,300 --> 00:00:35,189 security officer in charge of that base 10 00:00:32,250 --> 00:00:38,789 security at that time I held a 11 00:00:35,189 --> 00:00:41,549 top-secret US and needle security 12 00:00:38,789 --> 00:00:44,308 clearance and was responsible for the 13 00:00:41,549 --> 00:00:48,419 protection of the war making region 14 00:00:44,308 --> 00:00:51,649 resources for that base shortly after 15 00:00:48,420 --> 00:00:54,750 midnight on the 26th of December 1980 16 00:00:51,649 --> 00:00:57,600 Staff Sergeant Stefan's briefed me that 17 00:00:54,750 --> 00:01:02,429 some lights were seen in Rendlesham 18 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:05,219 forest just outside the back gate he 19 00:01:02,429 --> 00:01:11,489 informed me that whatever he seen didn't 20 00:01:05,219 --> 00:01:15,079 crash he told me it landed I discounted 21 00:01:11,489 --> 00:01:17,459 that and report it to the control center 22 00:01:15,079 --> 00:01:20,609 at the base that we had a possible 23 00:01:17,459 --> 00:01:24,929 downed aircraft I then ordered airman 24 00:01:20,609 --> 00:01:28,500 cabin Zach a1c Burl's to respond with me 25 00:01:24,930 --> 00:01:31,020 off site when we arrived to spected 26 00:01:28,500 --> 00:01:33,540 crash site it quickly became apparent 27 00:01:31,019 --> 00:01:36,868 that we were not dealing with a plane 28 00:01:33,540 --> 00:01:39,689 crash or for that matter anything else 29 00:01:36,868 --> 00:01:41,700 we've ever responded to there was a 30 00:01:39,688 --> 00:01:44,750 bright light emanating from an object on 31 00:01:41,700 --> 00:01:44,750 the forest floor 32 00:01:45,349 --> 00:01:50,819 as we approached it on foot a silhouette 33 00:01:48,569 --> 00:01:55,008 triangular craft about nine feet long 34 00:01:50,819 --> 00:01:59,069 six and a half feet high came into view 35 00:01:55,009 --> 00:02:00,750 the craft was fully intact and sitting 36 00:01:59,069 --> 00:02:04,139 in a small clearing just inside the 37 00:02:00,750 --> 00:02:06,750 woods as the three of us got closer to 38 00:02:04,140 --> 00:02:10,348 the craft we started experiencing radio 39 00:02:06,750 --> 00:02:12,239 difficulties I then asked Airmen kanban 40 00:02:10,348 --> 00:02:13,079 sac to relate the radio transmissions 41 00:02:12,239 --> 00:02:17,189 back to our 42 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:20,940 roll center act as a relay Burl's and I 43 00:02:17,189 --> 00:02:22,859 proceeded towards the craft when we came 44 00:02:20,939 --> 00:02:25,770 up on the triangular shaped craft there 45 00:02:22,860 --> 00:02:29,190 were blue and yellow lights swirling 46 00:02:25,770 --> 00:02:32,909 around the exterior as though they're a 47 00:02:29,189 --> 00:02:36,090 part of the surface the air around us 48 00:02:32,909 --> 00:02:39,569 was electrically charged and we could 49 00:02:36,090 --> 00:02:46,620 feel on our clothes our skin and our 50 00:02:39,569 --> 00:02:49,669 hair nothing nothing in my training 51 00:02:46,620 --> 00:02:51,990 prepared me for what I was witnessing 52 00:02:49,669 --> 00:02:55,619 after 10 minutes without any apparent 53 00:02:51,990 --> 00:02:59,810 aggression I determined the craft was 54 00:02:55,620 --> 00:03:02,939 not hostile to my team and to the base 55 00:02:59,810 --> 00:03:04,680 following the security protocols we 56 00:03:02,939 --> 00:03:08,099 completed a thorough on-site 57 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:12,180 investigation this includes a full 58 00:03:08,099 --> 00:03:17,489 physical examination of the craft which 59 00:03:12,180 --> 00:03:22,140 includes photographs and my notebook 60 00:03:17,489 --> 00:03:24,569 entries I had a time and relays with the 61 00:03:22,139 --> 00:03:30,929 radio through airman commands act to our 62 00:03:24,569 --> 00:03:33,379 control center those were required on 63 00:03:30,930 --> 00:03:37,709 one side of the craft there were symbols 64 00:03:33,379 --> 00:03:39,919 that measured 3 inches high and their 65 00:03:37,709 --> 00:03:44,939 approximate out - and 1/2 feet long a 66 00:03:39,919 --> 00:03:47,189 simple design the largest symbol was a 67 00:03:44,939 --> 00:03:49,530 triangle at the center in the middle of 68 00:03:47,189 --> 00:03:52,259 the others these symbols were etched in 69 00:03:49,530 --> 00:03:54,750 the surface of the crack crack which was 70 00:03:52,259 --> 00:03:57,469 warm to the touch even all the place 71 00:03:54,750 --> 00:03:57,469 black onyx 72 00:03:58,990 --> 00:04:04,270 the feeling I had during the encounter 73 00:04:01,330 --> 00:04:07,030 was like no type of aircraft I've ever 74 00:04:04,270 --> 00:04:09,280 seen before it was a in the James book 75 00:04:07,030 --> 00:04:13,449 of knowing aircraft or anything I've 76 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:17,110 seen sense after roughly about 45 77 00:04:13,449 --> 00:04:19,829 minutes the light from the craft began 78 00:04:17,110 --> 00:04:19,830 to intensify 79 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:24,759 Burl's and I then took a defensive 80 00:04:22,300 --> 00:04:26,860 position away from the craft as it 81 00:04:24,759 --> 00:04:31,089 lifted off the ground without any noise 82 00:04:26,860 --> 00:04:32,470 or air disturbance it maneuvered through 83 00:04:31,089 --> 00:04:36,609 the trees and shot off at an 84 00:04:32,470 --> 00:04:41,860 unbelievable rate of speed it was gone 85 00:04:36,610 --> 00:04:48,389 in a blink of an eye in my law book that 86 00:04:41,860 --> 00:04:55,330 I have right here I wrote speed 87 00:04:48,389 --> 00:05:00,699 impossible that night over 80 Air Force 88 00:04:55,329 --> 00:05:01,979 personnel all trained observers assigned 89 00:05:00,699 --> 00:05:05,920 to the 81st security police squadron 90 00:05:01,980 --> 00:05:07,629 witnessed the takeoff the information 91 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:09,810 acquired during that investigation was 92 00:05:07,629 --> 00:05:13,060 reported through my military channels 93 00:05:09,810 --> 00:05:14,949 the team and witnesses were told to 94 00:05:13,060 --> 00:05:18,579 treat the investigation as top-secret 95 00:05:14,949 --> 00:05:22,060 and no further discussion would be 96 00:05:18,579 --> 00:05:24,909 allowed the photographs that we retrieve 97 00:05:22,060 --> 00:05:28,300 from the base lab two rolls of 35 98 00:05:24,910 --> 00:05:33,120 millimeter of course were apparently 99 00:05:28,300 --> 00:05:33,120 it's overexposed thank you