Bay of Biscay, France, on July 11, 1947:
ACUFO-1947-07-10-BISCAYBAY-1
The press all around the world, from July 12, 1947, to July 18, 1947, reported a sighting from a plane that took place on July 11, 1947 above the Bay of Biscay - i.e. the bay in the Atlantic Ocean between the French and Spanish coasts.
We learn from the articles that the sighting was made from a British Vicker Viking airliner plane owned by Airwork Ltd. en route from London to Gibraltar, on a delivery flight from London to Argentina.
The plane was piloted by Captain Norman Waugh, former Royal Air Force pilot with the Bomber Command and Transport Command, with 16 years flying experience, it carried a crew of four, and was flying at 8.000 feet.
As soon as the "flying saucer" was sighted, Captain Waugh flashed messages to the Air Ministry reporting its exact position.
Arrived in Gibraltar in the night, Capt. Waugh said he thought he had seen a "flying saucer", that it traveling northwest at about 600 miles per hour, and that was at the height of about 16,000 feet.
Some newspaper quoted Waugh saying to the Gibraltar correspondent of the "Daily Express" newspaper:
"I was flying a Viking to the Argentine at roughly 8,000 feet at 10 a.m. GMT when I saw a smudge on the horizon. I told the crew. We all watched keenly. At first we were worried by the approaching object, but calmed down. It was travelling at lightning speed and appeared to take the shape of a grey tadpole."
"Within 15 to 20 seconds it passed to starboard, about six miles off, and soon vanished, leaving a vapor trail which was visible for some time. We were flying at 200 m.p.h. and estimate that the object was going at about 600 m.p.h. at an altitude of about 15,000 feet."
"The crew and I came to the conclusion that it could only have been a flying saucer. It did not interfere with our radio. My radio officer fully informed air control at Gloucester. I managed to get a snap, but doubt if it will turn out well."
Some newspapers said First Officer Peter Roberts, a former wartime Squadron Leader in the Royal Air Force, and Radio Officer Stuart Chinneck both agreed with Captain Waugh that the object looked grayish in color and of unusual design.
| Date: | July 11, 1947 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 10:00 a.m. GMT |
| Duration: | 15 to 20 seconds. |
| First known report date: | July 11, 1947 |
| Reporting delay: | Hours. |
| Country: | France or Spain |
|---|---|
| State/Department: | |
| City or place: | Bay of Biscay. |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | 3 |
| Number of named witnesses: | 3 |
| Reporting channel: | The Press. |
|---|---|
| Visibility conditions: | Day. |
| UFO observed: | Yes. |
| UFO arrival observed: | Yes. |
| UFO departure observed: | Yes. |
| UFO action: | Flew. |
| Witnesses action: | Observed. |
| Photographs: | Yes, not available. |
| Sketch(s) by witness(es): | No. |
| Sketch(es) approved by witness(es): | No. |
| Witness(es) feelings: | ? |
| Witnesses interpretation: | Flying saucer. |
| Sensors: |
[X] Visual: 3.
[ ] Airborne radar: N/A. [ ] Directional ground radar: [ ] Height finder ground radar: [ ] Photo: [ ] Film/video: [ ] EM Effects: [ ] Failures: [ ] Damages: |
|---|---|
| Hynek: | DD |
| Armed / unarmed: | Unarmed. |
| Reliability 1-3: | 3 |
| Strangeness 1-3: | 2 |
| ACUFO: | Extraterrestrial craft or meteorite fall. |
[Ref. drd1:] NEWSPAPER "THE DAILY RECORD":
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A FLYING SAUCER was sighted yesterday afternoon over the Bay of Biscay by the crew of a British air liner en route from London to Gibraltar.
The air liner, owned by Airwork Ltd., and piloted by Captain Norman Waugh, is on a delivery flight from London to the Argentine. It carries a crew of four. Immediately the flying saucer was sighted, Captain Waugh flashed messages to the Air Ministry reporting its exact position.
[Ref. reh1:] NEWSPAPER "THE TRUTH":
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(TRUTH'S SPECIAL SERVICE)
LONDON, Saturday. - After a lull of a few days in world-wide reports of "flying saucers," and various explanations of the phenomena, two fresh reports have been received from places as widely separated as the Bay of Biscay and the Lakes of Killarney.
The report from the Bay of Biscay was from a responsible source and was considered seriously enough to be reported to the Air Ministry.
Capt. Norman Waugh and his crew, flying an airliner from London to Gibraltar yesterday, reported having seen "flying saucers" over the Bay of Biscay.
In a radio message to the London Airport Waugh says: "Crew and self report 'flying saucer' over Bay of Biscay. Air Ministry informed."
Michael O'Sullivan, of Caherciveen, a little west coast town in County Kerry, gave another report.
He said he saw a "flying saucer" and pointed it out to four witnesses.
They said that the object skimmed in from the north-west at a high speed and zipped along soundlessly at a 1000 feet altitude.
They described it as a disc like a doughnut about five feet across, with a white halo and a hollow centre.
It was visible for about 10 seconds just west of the Lakes of Killarney, which lie to the south-west of Tralee.
It is the general opinion in Britain that there must be some concrete reason for world-wide observation of phenomena similar to the "saucers."
It is recalled that Scandinavian some months ago reverted ghostly aircraft doing a shuttle service over the peninsula and in close proximity to Russia.
It has been suggested that the Soviet authorities were experimenting with new type weapons which had been partly developed by the Nazis.
In the case of the United States observations it is difficult to line up the Soviets with the stories unless the wastes of Siberia are being used as a taking off ground for new missiles.
With the Scandinavian projectiles, or whatever they were - just as with the U.S. saucers - everyone eventually burst out laughing and in the face of so much merriment the mysterious missiles vanished from the skies.
[Ref. cte1:] NEWSPAPER "THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE":
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GIBRALTAR, July 12 (Reuters) - Capt. Norman Waugh, a former British air force pilot who arrived here last night, said he thought he had seen a flying saucer while passing the Bay of Biscay yesterday traveling northwest at about 600 miles per hour. Its height was about 16,000 feet, he said.
MILAN, Italy, July 12 (Reuters) - Flying saucers reported seen going south over Bologna last night turned out today to have been a hoax by university students.
[Ref. spr1:] NEWSPAPER "THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW":
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GIBRALTAR, July 12. (Reuter's) - Capt. Norman Waugh, a former British air force pilot who arrived here last night, said he thought he had seen a flying saucer while passing the Bay of Biscay yesterday. Traveling northwest at about 600 miles per hour, its height was about 16,000 feet, he said.
[Ref. aar1:] NEWSPAPER "THE ADELAIDE ADVERTISER":
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From Our Special Representative
LONDON, July 14.
An air ferry pilot, Capt. Norman Waugh, who reported seeing a flying saucer over the Bay of Biscay on Friday, told the Gibraltar correspondent of the "Daily Express" this story yesterday:
"I was flying a Viking to the Argentine at roughly 8,000 feet at 10 a.m. when I saw a smudge on the horizon. I told the crew. We all watched keenly. At first we were worried by the approaching object, but calmed down. It was travelling at lightning speed and appeared to take the shape of a grey tadpole.
Within 15 to 20 seconds it passed to starboard, about six miles off, and soon vanished, leaving a vapor trail which was visible for some time. We were flying at 200 m.p.h. and estimate that the object was going at about 600 m.p.h. at an altitude of about 15,000 feet.
"The crew and I came to the conclusion that it could only have been a flying saucer. It did not interfere with our radio. My radio officer fully informed air control at Gloucester. I managed to get a snap, but doubt if it will turn out well."
[Ref. slo1:] JOURNAL "THE SLOUGH AND SOUTH BUCKS OBSERVER":
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IT was a mathematical certainty.
Someone from this area was bound to see a flying saucer sooner or later. First to claim the peculiar honour is a Richings Park man, Captain Norman Waugh, ex-R.A.F. flyer who is now ferry pilot for a commercial firm.
On Friday, Capt. Waugh, was flying in a Viking aircraft with a crew of two over the Bay of Biscay. It was 10 a.m. and they were at 8,000 feet. A smudge was sighted on the horizon.
"We all kept a keen watch," Capt. Waugh told a newspaperman at Gibraltar. "We felt a bit worried at first, then calmed down."
"The object was travelling at lightning speed and looked like a grey tadpole. Within 15 or 20 seconds it passed about six miles off. It vanished, leaving a long vapour trail."
They estimated the "object" was going at about 600 miles an hour at about 16,000 feet over the sea. They came to the conclusion that it could only be a flying saucer.
Capt. Waugh is well known in Richings Park. He is a member of the Sports Club and only the previous Saturday was playing for the cricket team.
[Ref. lgs1:] LOREN GROSS:
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Other reports from overseas in July came from Australia, South Africa, Ireland, Norway, Italy, France, and one from an aircraft flying over the Bay of Biscay. According to a Captain Norman Waugh, he was piloting a twin-engined Viking aircraft over the bay when a strange object passed him by. He estimated that the object was traveling over 600 miles per hour at an altitude of about 15,000 feet above the sea and was headed in a northeaest direction. 104.
The source "104" is described as "(Buenos Aires, Argentina) La Nacion. 13 July 47, p.3. (Reuters)".
[Ref. mhc1:] MICHAEL D. HALL AND WENDY CONNORS:
Later that day [Friday 11 July 1947] around 10:00 A.M. GMT while ferrying a Viking transport aircraft to Argentina, Captain Norman E. Waugh of London's Airwork Ltd. had a very interesting UFO sighting over the Bay of Biscay. Waugh was near 8,000 feet when he spotted ahead, and above him, an elongated oval or "tadpole" shaped craft flying at about 16,000 feet. First Officer Peter Roberts and Radio Officer Stuart Chinneck both agreed with Captain Waugh that the object looked grayish in color and of unusual design. At one point they came within five to six miles of the UFO. It then passed the starboard side of their aircraft at lightning speed, leaving a long vapor trail. During that time the flight crew estimated the object to be traveling about 600 miles per hour at 7,000 feet above their aircraft. Waugh, a former Bomber Command and Transport Command pilot with sixteen years flying experience, and Roberts, a former wartime Squadron Leader, knew no aircraft outside the US proving grounds at Muroc had that kind of performance. They later told reporters that neither of them had seen anything like it before. 37
The source is detailed as: "37. "Saucer Flew Past Our Plane," London (England) Times, 12 July 1947; and "Man Who Saw a Flying Saucer," (Buenos Aires) Herald, 22 August 1947."
[Ref. jah1:] JAN ALDRICH:
# - 07.11 - 1000 GMT, Bay of Biscay.
(PJ47, page 102)
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH:
1118: 1947/07/11 10:00 1 5:00:00 W 45:00:00 N 3333 OCN ATL BSC 6:9
ovr BAY of BISCAY:AIRLINE CREW/1200M alt:GREY 'FLYING TADPOLE'/2400M alt:
Ref#171 ALDRICH, Jan: PROJECT 1947 (research) Page No. 102: IN-FLIGHT
The case was recorded at two different dates:
1144: 1947/07/13 10:00 1 7:30:00 W 45:00:00 N 3333 OCN ATL BSC 6:9
BAY of BISCAY:t=GMT:3/AIRCREW:GRY FLYING TADPOLE/4800M alt:/Arg.papers
Ref#171 ALDRICH, Jan: PROJECT 1947 (research) Page No. 162: IN-FLIGHT
[Ref. dwn1:] DOMINIQUE WEINSTEIN:
French ufologist Dominique Weinstein compiled a catalog of the cases of UFOs observed from aircraft. This case appears in the February 2001 (6th edition) of his catalogue appears as:
| DATE | 47.07.10 |
|---|---|
| TIME | 10:00 |
| COUNTRY | Atlantic Ocean |
| PLACE | Biscay Bay |
| A | |
| TYPE OF PLANE AND WITNESSES | A British airline Vickers viking crew (3) |
| UFO DESCRIPTION | one object shaped like a grey tapdole left a long vapor trail at 600 mph |
| Radar | |
| G | |
| X | |
| E | |
| SOURCES | 03 |
The source "03" is referenced at the end of the catalog as:
Project 1947 Reports, newsclippings and documents (cases from Jan Aldrich and Barry Greenwood)
The case was recorded at two different dates:
| DATE | 47.07.12 |
|---|---|
| TIME | |
| COUNTRY | Spain |
| PLACE | Bay of Biscay |
| A? | |
| TYPE OF PLANE AND WITNESSES | pilot |
| UFO DESCRIPTION | one flying saucer at about 16,000 ft |
| Radar | |
| G | |
| X | |
| E | |
| SOURCES | 03 |
The source "03" is referenced at the end of the catalog as:
Project 1947 Reports, newsclippings and documents (cases from Jan Aldrich and Barry Greenwood)
[Ref. gvo1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:
1947, July 11
ATLANTIC OCEAN, Gulf of Biscay
At 10:00 a.m. GMT, while escorting a Viking transport aircraft to Argentina, Captain Norman E. Waught of London Airwork Ltd was at about 8,000 feet when he saw ahead of him, at a higher altitude, an elongated, elliptical, “tadpole-shaped” object flying at 16,000 feet. First Officer Peter Roberts and radio officer Stuart Chinneck confirmed that the object was grayish and of unusual shape. At one point they were about 5 or 6 miles from the UFO, which then passed alongside their aircraft at enormous speed, leaving a vapor trail. The crew estimated the object’s speed at 6,000 mph and 7,000 feet above them. ("UFOs: A Century of Sightings" by Michael David Hall, Galde Press Inc. 1999, p. 67)
OTHER VERSION: Gray tadpole-shaped object flying at 600 mph and leaving a long vapor trail (Project ACUFOE, catalogue 1999, Dominique Weinstein, dated by him to July 10)
[Ref. dcr1:] DR. DAVID CLARKE ET ANDY ROBERTS:
The authors indicate that Captain Norman Waugh, who had served with RAF Bomber Command during WWII, was flying a Vickers Viking over the Bay of Biscay on July 11, 1947, when he saw "an object travelling at lightning speed that looked like a grey tadpole". He told a Daily Express correspondent at Gibraltar:
"... within 15–20 seconds it passed about six miles off and vanished, leaving a long vapour trail. We estimated the object (was flying at) 600 miles an hour at 15–16,000 feet over the sea. It made no interference on our radio and I ordered my radio operator to inform Air Traffic Control in London."
The authors say that the description is a classic example of a daylight meteor or bolide burning up in the atmosphere and leaving a trail of debris in its wake. Bolides are very rare and it is unlikely that even a commercial pilot with thousands of hours of flying time would have encountered one.
They say that if Waugh was a meteor, it is easy to see how in light of the media hysteria at the time he chose to report it as a "flying saucer", because when a phenomenon occurs which is outside usual human experience the brain seeks to find a "pigeonhole" in which to put it. The authors that interviewed later, Waugh said that the "crew and I came to the conclusion that it could only be a flying saucer;" bit months earlier Waugh may well have called it a "ghost plane", or if if had occurred during 1944 or 1946, a "foofighter" or a "ghost rocket".
The sources of the report is indicated as The Daily Express, London, July 14, 1947, and Buenos Aires Herald, Buenos Aires, 22 july 1947.
The Vickers VC-1 Viking (photo below) was a British twin-engine airliner derived from the Vickers Wellington medium bomber, with 163 units built from 1944 onward.
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A meteor entering the athmosphere, in principle, appears luminous, not gray, as it has to heat up because of the friction with the atmosphere.
To appears as grey, a fact 3 crew members had reported, it had to have crossed a large part of the atmosphere and have cooled down enough to appear as a piece or rock. Cooled down enough implies it would have been slowed down very much. Slowed down implies that it would normally not have a trail anymore and would not appear to fly horizontally but clearly on a falling down trajectory.
This is why I am not entirely convinced that the object was a falling meteorite.
Reports of cooled down meteors are apparently very rare; I have an example in my region.
Extraterrestrial craft or meteorite fall.
* = Source is available to me.
? = Source I am told about but could not get so far. Help needed.
| Main author: | Patrick Gross |
|---|---|
| Contributors: | None |
| Reviewers: | None |
| Editor: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Create/changed by: | Date: | Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | July 1, 2026 | Creation, [drd1], [trh1], [cte1], [spr1], [aar1], [slo1], [lgs1], [mhc1], [jah1], [lhh1], [dwn1], [gvo1], [dcr1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | July 1, 2026 | First published. |
