On February 10, a US Navy R7V-2 Super Constellation designated Military
Flight 125 out of Keflavik, Iceland was at 19,000 feet [5,800 meters] at a
position 49-50 degrees north latitude and 50-03 degrees west longitude, or
roughly about 150 kilometers [90 miles] west of Gander, Newfoundland out over
the Atlantic Ocean. The aircraft was bound for Gander on a heading of 230
degrees true to refuel before continuing its journey to Naval Air Station
Pautaxant, Maryland, USA. The Super Connie was returning from Europe with
its regular crew, the relief crew and two other crews being relieved from
foreign duty and sent home. In all there was nearly thirty airman aboard;
pilots, navigators and flight engineers.

The senior pilot a Commander and US Naval Reserve Lieutenant Graham Bethune, copilot of Flight 125, first spotted a formation of lights twenty-five miles ahead and below the horizon. The Commander, the first to spot the lights, stated that they looked like a well-lit village on the ocean's surface. He banked the Connie to give other
crewmembers an opportunity to see the phenomenon. The lights dimmed and
expanded into several multicolored rings and began to spread out. One of the
rings separated from the rest and grew larger. It became evident at this
point to the Commander that the light not only was not on the surface but
also was climbing rapidly toward him.

The Commander leveled out of his turn and applied full power, beginning a climb in an attempt to avoid what had resolved itself into a giant disc. The mysterious craft reached their altitude in a few seconds, dwarfing the Constellation, and raced in toward
it. The Navy pilot, fearful of a collision, banked his aircraft away from
the object which had no meters] away. Suddenly, the disc reduced its speed,
tilted, and moved past the port wing. It swung around and was now abreast of
the transport, in complete view of the airmen aboard the Navy plane.
Describing the vehicle, the pilot said: "Its sheer bulk was amazing; its
diameter was three to four times the Constellation's wing span. Estimating
the object at being at least 3-4 wingspans [370-500 feet or 110 to 150
meters] in diameter. Its thickness was 30 feet [10 meters] the Navy Pilot
stated that, ³It looked like one dish atop another. Seen at a distance,
the glow along the rim was blurred and uneven but was bright enough to show
the disc's curving surface, giving a hint of reflecting metal. Gradually,
the craft pulled ahead, tilted upward and accelerated out of sight. The
copilot stated in his official report, ³...I observed a glow of light below
the horizon about 1,000 to 1,500 feet [330-470 meters] above the water. We
both observed its course and motion for about 4 or 5 minutes before calling
it to the attention of the other crewmembers. Suddenly its angle of attack
changed. Its altitude and size increased as though its speed was in excess
of 1,000 miles [1,670 kilometers] per hour. It closed in so fast that the
first feeling was we would collide in mid air. At this time its angle
changed and the color changed. It then [appeared] definitely circular and
reddish orange on its perimeter.

It reversed its course and tripled its speed until it was last seen disappearing over the horizon, disappearing among the stars. The pilot immediately called Gander Airport. "You show any other traffic out here?" he asked the tower. "We had something on the scope near you," Gander told the Commander. "But we couldn't get an answer." It
was determined that the disc was between 350 and 400 feet in diameter. Time
for the craft to climb to the transport's altitude, between five and eight
seconds, indicating a speed between 1400 and 2200 knots [1,600-2,500 mph the
disc had accelerated above this speed on departure. Five days after the
incident, the senior pilot received a phone call from a scientist in a high
government agency. The next day the scientist met with the pilot and
listened to his report. Then he unlocked a dispatch case and took out some
photographs. "Was it like any of these?" At the third picture, the
Commander stopped him. "That's it." The other man took the pictures, closed
his dispatch case and left. Thanks to Captain James Taylor and Commander
Graham Bethune and Dominique Weinstein