Within Arrey UFO
How Strong Was Moore's Witness Evidence?
The Arrey sighting rests on a rare mix of trained balloon observers, a written report, and instrument-assisted tracking.
On this page
- Who saw the object near Arrey
- What the theodolite added
- What the report could not prove
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Introduction
The witness evidence in the 24 April 1949 Charles B. Moore sighting is stronger than many early UFO reports because it combined trained observers, a written technical report, and instrument-assisted tracking. Near Arrey, New Mexico, Moore and four Navy enlisted men were conducting a routine pilot-balloon wind measurement when they noticed an unfamiliar airborne object that Moore briefly followed through an ML-47 theodolite. Unlike many UFO accounts built around vague recollection, this case produced contemporaneous documentation from a professional aerologist whose career centred on balloons, atmospheric observation, and optical tracking. [ufologie.patrickgross.org]ufologie.patrickgross.orgMoore. "I knew the two pilots of the C-47; both of them now believe in flying saucers. And they aren't alone; so do the people of…Read… [2kirkmcd.princeton.edu]kirkmcd.princeton.eduMoore, Jr., was with four enlisted Navy personnel making a pilot balloon observation preparatory to release of…Read more…
That does not make the sighting conclusive proof of anything extraordinary. The same evidence that makes the case interesting also reveals its limits. The theodolite did not provide a complete plotted trajectory, the object’s range remained unknown, and the estimates of speed and size depended heavily on assumptions about distance. The case therefore sits in an unusual middle ground: stronger than a casual anecdote, but far short of definitive physical evidence. [ufologie.patrickgross.org]ufologie.patrickgross.orgMoore. "I knew the two pilots of the C-47; both of them now believe in flying saucers. And they aren't alone; so do the people of…Read… [2kirkmcd.princeton.edu]kirkmcd.princeton.eduMoore, Jr., was with four enlisted Navy personnel making a pilot balloon observation preparatory to release of…Read more…
Who saw the object near Arrey
The core witnesses were Charles B. Moore and four enlisted Navy personnel attached to operations near White Sands Proving Ground. Moore was not merely an interested observer. By 1949 he was already an experienced balloon engineer and atmospheric researcher associated with General Mills Aeronautical Research, work that later connected him to Project Skyhook and, historically, to high-altitude balloon development in the early Cold War period. [Wikipedia]WikipediaCharles B. MooreCharles B. Moore
The sighting occurred during a standard “pibal” procedure, short for pilot balloon observation. In such work, a small balloon is released and tracked optically to determine upper-air wind conditions. The observers were therefore already engaged in careful sky watching using professional equipment rather than casually noticing something unexpected while driving or socialising. That context matters because it reduces several common weaknesses found in UFO testimony:
- The witnesses were accustomed to estimating angular position and movement in the sky.
- They were familiar with ordinary balloons and atmospheric optical effects.
- The observation occurred during an organised technical task with recorded timing.
- Multiple observers were reportedly present simultaneously. [ufologie.patrickgross.org]ufologie.patrickgross.orgMoore. "I knew the two pilots of the C-47; both of them now believe in flying saucers. And they aren't alone; so do the people of…Read…
Moore’s later reputation also influenced how the case was remembered. He became widely known in aerological and balloon research circles and was later linked publicly to the explanation of Project Mogul debris associated with the Roswell incident. Because of that later prominence, some UFO writers portrayed his 1949 sighting as especially important: if a leading balloon expert could not identify the object, they argued, the case deserved serious attention. [Wikipedia]WikipediaProject Blue BookProject Blue BookProject Blue Book was the code name for the systematic study of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) by the United Stat…
However, witness expertise cuts both ways. A trained observer may be better at recognising familiar aerial objects, but expertise does not eliminate perceptual uncertainty. Even experienced aerologists can misjudge range, apparent velocity, and altitude when viewing a distant object against a featureless sky. The Arrey case therefore gains credibility from Moore’s background without escaping the normal limitations of visual observation. [kirkmcd.princeton.edu]kirkmcd.princeton.eduMoore, Jr., was with four enlisted Navy personnel making a pilot balloon observation preparatory to release of…Read more…
What the theodolite added
The most important evidential feature of the case was the use of an ML-47 theodolite. A theodolite is an optical instrument designed to measure angular direction and elevation precisely. In meteorological balloon tracking, the operator follows the balloon through the telescope while recording angles over time. Those readings can then be used to estimate wind direction and speed aloft.
In the Arrey incident, Moore reported that the object first drew attention because it was mistaken for the pilot balloon. After locating the actual balloon elsewhere, he redirected the theodolite toward the unknown object. He described it as an elongated white ellipsoid with a pale yellowish tone on one side, approximately 2.5 times longer than wide. [ufologie.patrickgross.org]ufologie.patrickgross.orgMoore. "I knew the two pilots of the C-47; both of them now believe in flying saucers. And they aren't alone; so do the people of…Read…
The instrument mattered for several reasons.
The observation was not purely unaided eyesight
Many UFO reports rely entirely on naked-eye impressions. Moore’s use of the theodolite meant the object was observed under magnification and against calibrated angular markings. He estimated the object’s apparent angular size at roughly 0.02 degrees. That figure became central to later calculations attempting to estimate physical dimensions and speed. [ufologie.patrickgross.org]ufologie.patrickgross.orgMoore. "I knew the two pilots of the C-47; both of them now believe in flying saucers. And they aren't alone; so do the people of…Read…
Moore recorded directional behaviour
According to the surviving summaries of the report, the object initially moved rapidly eastward. Near the end of the observation, Moore noted that the azimuth remained roughly constant while the elevation angle increased from about 25 degrees to 29 degrees. UFO researchers later highlighted this detail because it suggested motion inconsistent with a simple drifting balloon. [ufologie.patrickgross.org]ufologie.patrickgross.orgMoore. "I knew the two pilots of the C-47; both of them now believe in flying saucers. And they aren't alone; so do the people of…Read…
This feature became one of the strongest pro-UFO arguments in the case. If the object had merely drifted with upper winds, critics argued, its angular behaviour should have followed a smoother and more predictable path. The apparent climb in elevation while maintaining similar azimuth suggested either a directional change or a closer approach toward the observers. [kirkmcd.princeton.edu]kirkmcd.princeton.eduMoore, Jr., was with four enlisted Navy personnel making a pilot balloon observation preparatory to release of…Read more…
The report contained environmental observations
Moore also recorded negative observations: no sound, no exhaust, no vapour trail, and no cloud interference. These details mattered because White Sands already hosted missile and aircraft testing activity. The absence of obvious propulsion cues complicated straightforward aircraft explanations, especially if the object was relatively near. [ufologie.patrickgross.org]ufologie.patrickgross.orgMoore. "I knew the two pilots of the C-47; both of them now believe in flying saucers. And they aren't alone; so do the people of…Read…
At the same time, the theodolite evidence had important weaknesses that are sometimes overlooked in later retellings.
- No complete plotted instrument log appears to survive publicly.
- The tracking lasted only about a minute.
- The observation was difficult enough that Moore reportedly struggled to keep the object centred.
- Distance to the object was never established independently.
- Small errors in assumed distance produce enormous changes in estimated size and speed. [ufologie.patrickgross.org]ufologie.patrickgross.orgMoore. "I knew the two pilots of the C-47; both of them now believe in flying saucers. And they aren't alone; so do the people of…Read…
Those weaknesses explain why later estimates varied dramatically. Some UFO authors converted the angular measurements into claims of a very large object travelling at extreme velocity, but such calculations depended on speculative assumptions about altitude and range rather than directly measured values. [sdonline.org]sdonline.orgFlying Saucers Are Real!The US Navy, Unidentified Flying…In April 1949, scientists tracking a balloon at the range tracked a flying saucer on a theodolite,5 d…
Why the written report still matters
The survival of a contemporaneous written report is one reason the Arrey case remained notable inside UFO literature and later historical discussions of Project Blue Book-era sightings. Early UFO history contains many stories reconstructed years later from memory, newspaper summaries, or retellings by enthusiasts. Moore’s account instead entered official channels with technical terminology and observational detail. [CIA]cia.govCIATHE NATIONAL INVESTIGATIONS COMMITTEE ON…… Arrey, New Mexico. Charles B. Moore, Jr., an aerologist, graduate engineer and balloon…
The Navy forwarding letter reportedly emphasised both Moore’s credentials and the significance of the theodolite data. Officials considered the changing azimuth and elevation potentially important because they might imply controlled movement. That wording helped preserve the case as something more than an ordinary anecdotal sighting. [ufologie.patrickgross.org]ufologie.patrickgross.orgMoore. "I knew the two pilots of the C-47; both of them now believe in flying saucers. And they aren't alone; so do the people of…Read…
The report also fits a broader historical pattern from the late 1940s. White Sands Proving Ground and surrounding New Mexico airspace were crowded with experimental missiles, balloons, classified tracking operations, and military aircraft. Witnesses in that environment often saw unfamiliar aerial objects because genuinely unusual aerospace activity was occurring nearby. The Arrey sighting therefore occupies an ambiguous zone between unexplained observation and possible Cold War test-range misidentification. [sdonline.org]sdonline.orgFlying Saucers Are Real!The US Navy, Unidentified Flying…In April 1949, scientists tracking a balloon at the range tracked a flying saucer on a theodolite,5 d…
What the report could not prove
Despite its strengths, the Arrey case did not establish the nature of the object. The evidence remained observational rather than physical.
No independent range measurement existed
This was the single largest evidential gap. Without knowing how far away the object was, the observers could not reliably determine its actual size or speed. A small nearby object and a large distant object can produce the same angular appearance through a theodolite. That uncertainty affects nearly every dramatic claim later attached to the case. [ufologie.patrickgross.org]ufologie.patrickgross.orgMoore. "I knew the two pilots of the C-47; both of them now believe in flying saucers. And they aren't alone; so do the people of…Read…
No corroborating radar or photography emerged
The case lacked several forms of evidence that would have strengthened it substantially:
- no radar track
- no film or still photographs
- no physical traces
- no recovered object
- no instrument telemetry beyond visual angle observations
As a result, the sighting remained fundamentally dependent on witness interpretation. [Air Force]af.milAir ForceUnidentified Flying Objects and Air Force Project Blue BookOf a total of 12,618 sightings reported to Project Blue Book, 701 rem…
The object’s behaviour was open to interpretation
Supporters of the unexplained interpretation argue that Moore’s experience with balloons makes ordinary balloon confusion unlikely. Skeptics counter that unusual atmospheric conditions, perspective changes, sunlight effects, or unfamiliar military hardware could still have produced misleading impressions even for trained personnel. [ufologie.patrickgross.org]ufologie.patrickgross.orgMoore. "I knew the two pilots of the C-47; both of them now believe in flying saucers. And they aren't alone; so do the people of…Read…
The “controlled flight” implication also deserves caution. A changing elevation angle does not automatically demonstrate intelligent manoeuvring. It may reflect relative motion, tracking difficulty, observer movement, or uncertainty in maintaining lock on a distant object through magnified optics. Because the observation was brief and incomplete, the data cannot decisively separate extraordinary explanations from more ordinary ones. [kirkmcd.princeton.edu]kirkmcd.princeton.eduMoore, Jr., was with four enlisted Navy personnel making a pilot balloon observation preparatory to release of…Read more…
Why the witness evidence remains debated
The Moore sighting survives in UFO history largely because it combines three elements rarely found together in one early case:
- a technically trained principal witness
- multiple observers
- instrument-assisted observation with a written report
That combination keeps the case alive in debates over the quality of historical UFO evidence. Researchers sympathetic to UFO claims often present Arrey as an example of a credible observer confronting something he could not identify despite specialised expertise. Skeptical analysts, by contrast, point out that “unidentified” is not equivalent to “extraterrestrial”, especially when critical variables such as distance and actual velocity were never established. [Air Force]af.milAir ForceUnidentified Flying Objects and Air Force Project Blue BookOf a total of 12,618 sightings reported to Project Blue Book, 701 rem… [2kirkmcd.princeton.edu]kirkmcd.princeton.eduMoore, Jr., was with four enlisted Navy personnel making a pilot balloon observation preparatory to release of…Read more…
The case therefore remains important less because of what it proved than because of the type of evidence it preserved. It demonstrates how some early UFO reports emerged not from sensational journalism or lone witnesses, but from routine scientific and military procedures carried out by people accustomed to watching the sky professionally.
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Endnotes
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Source: ufologie.patrickgross.org
Link: https://ufologie.patrickgross.org/htm/arrey49.htmSource snippet
Moore. "I knew the two pilots of the C-47; both of them now believe in flying saucers. And they aren't alone; so do the people of...Read...
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Source: kirkmcd.princeton.edu
Link: https://kirkmcd.princeton.edu/JEMcDonald/mcdonald_hcsa_68.pdfSource snippet
Moore, Jr., was with four enlisted Navy personnel making a pilot balloon observation preparatory to release of...Read more...
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: Charles B. Moore
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_B._Moore -
Source: sdonline.org
Title: Flying Saucers Are Real!
Link: https://sdonline.org/issue/42/flying-saucers-are-real-us-navy-unidentified-flying-objects-and-national-security-stateSource snippet
The US Navy, Unidentified Flying...In April 1949, scientists tracking a balloon at the range tracked a flying saucer on a theodolite,5 d...
Published: April 1949
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Source: cia.gov
Link: https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/cia-rdp81r00560r000100010001-0Source snippet
CIATHE NATIONAL INVESTIGATIONS COMMITTEE ON...... Arrey, New Mexico. Charles B. Moore, Jr., an aerologist, graduate engineer and balloon...
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: Project Blue Book
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Blue_BookSource snippet
Project Blue BookProject Blue Book was the code name for the systematic study of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) by the United Stat...
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UFO conspiracy theoriesStudies and investigations into UFO reports conducted by governments (such as Project Blue Book in the United S...
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List of reported UFO sightingsThis is a list of notable reported sightings of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) some of which include...
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Link: https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104590/unidentified-flying-objects-and-air-force-project-blue-book/Source snippet
Air ForceUnidentified Flying Objects and Air Force Project Blue BookOf a total of 12,618 sightings reported to Project Blue Book, 701 rem...
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Air Force and Flying SaucersProject Blue Book was one of several US Air Force investigations into UFOs. Their documentation was transferr...
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Air Force...Read more...
Additional References
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UFOs, science and the quest for transcendence, 1947–1972This article analyzes the postwar UFO phenomenon as part of a broader astrocultur...
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UNT Digital LibraryCRSAccount of Charles B. Moore's sighting of UFO while tracking a Skyhook balloon with a theodolite. Moore was project...
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UFOs and RocketsMoore looked and with his naked eye suddenly noticed another “whitish spherical object” flying directly over the balloon...
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Roswell Report... Statement, Athelstan F. Spilhaus, June 3, 1994. 21. Statement, Charles B. Moore, June 8, 1994, and Hieroglyphic and Bal...
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