ACUFO:

City's First "Flying Saucer" Seen 10 Miles South of Here

High Point's own "flying saucer," described as a revolving object resembling a "huge red ball of fire" traveling at a rapid rate of speed, was sighted about 10 miles south of here yesterday afternoon by two veteran flyers, Ed Lewis, editor of "Southern Wings," an aviation magazine, and Dick Milsaps, a member of the magazine staff.

The two men stated they were flying into High Point at an altitude of 1,000 feet when they noticed a glare to the left of their plane. Glancing to their side they saw a huge object, round on top and with a large black band through the center.

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Ed Lewis, who yesterday afternoon sighted the city's first flying saucer while flying his private plane 10 miles south of here, will be interviewed by Enterprise Editor Robert L. Thompson, during "Tar Heel Talks" over radio station WHPE this afternoon at 1:30.

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flying in a northerly direction at a rapid rate of speed. "The bottom part of the object was revolving and periodical bursts of fire came from underneath as if from some form of exhaust," Lewis said. This was about 7:20 yesterday afternoon.

Lewis said when he noticed the object he swung his small two-place plane to the left in the direction of the "thing" but that before he had traveled far in this direction, the object passed him up and soon disappeared in a northern direction. The path it traveled indicated that it was headed in the direction of Winston-Salem on a route leading between High Point and Thomasville, he added.

"It crossed directly in front of me at about the same altitude we were flying," Milsaps stated, "and it appeared to be traveling between 300 and 400 miles an hour." "We thought it was the sun at first," Lewis said, "but it was high in the sky and this was about 20 minutes before sunset."

The two men described the object as being cylindrical in shape with a black band near the base. Below the black band was another portion of the object revolving clockwise. The bottom was flat and the object shone in the sky like a huge red ball of fire. Every few seconds a small burst of fire emanated from the circular, flat bottom, the two flyers said.

"It was bigger than an ordinary airplane," Lewis, a trained private flyer and an army veteran, said. "We attempted to follow it but were left behind and we saw the object disappear from sight in a northern direction." He said that his plane was traveling at about 115 miles per hour. "It gave off a blue-like light as it disappeared," Milsaps said.

The flyers were en route from Pauls air park, 15 miles south of the city, to Fraley field when they sighted the "saucer." It was the first report of a "flying saucer" in this vicinity.

Prior to the report from the two flyers, the Enterprise received a report from J. M. Hoots, of 213 Church street, who told reporters that he and a group of other persons saw a "flying thing" late Friday afternoon hovering over the southern part of the city. Hoots said that the "thing" was a bright oblong object, shining like chromium, and that it was sighted while he and a group of other persons were standing on South Main street. "It disappeared, apparently headed straight up," Hoots said.

Tar Heel Airmen See Flying 'Thing'

High Point, N. C., July 12 (AP) - The first flying saucer seen in this area was reported tonight to be a "huge red object travelling at a rapid rate of speed," by two veteran flyers of High Point.

Ed Lewis, editor of "Southern Wings," an aviation magazine, and Dick Milspas, a member of the staff of the publication, sighted the flying "ball of fire" about ten miles south of High Point this afternoon.

The two men stated they were flying into High Point at an altitude of approximately 1,000 feet when they noticed a glare to the left of their plane. Glancing to their side they said they saw a huge object, round on top with a large black band through the center, flying in a northerly direction at a rapid rate of speed. "The bottom part of the object was revolving and periodical bursts of fire came from underneath [?] from some sort of [?]," Lewis said. This was at 7:30 Saturday afternoon.

Lewis said when he noticed the object he swung his small, two-place plane to the left in the direction of the "thing" but that before he had travelled far in that direction, the object passed him and disappeared in a northern direction. The path it was travelling, he said, indicated that it was headed in the direction of Winston-Salem on a route leading between High Point and Thomasville, he added.

Flying Saucer Seen By High Point Fliers

HIGH POINT, July 12. - (AP) - The first flying saucer seen in this area was reported tonight to be a "huge red object travelling at a rapid rate of speed," by two veteran flyers of High Point.

Ed Lewis, editor of "Southern Wings," an aviation magazine, and Dick Milsaps, a member of the staff of the publication, sighted the flying "ball of fire" about 10 miles south of High Point this afternoon.

The two men stated they were flying into High Point at an altitude of approximately 1,000 feet when they noticed a glare to the left of their plane. Glancing to their side they said they saw a huge object, round on top with a large black band through the center, flying in a northerly direction at a rapid rate of speed. "The bottom part of the object was revolving, and periodical bursts of fire came from underneath as if some sort of exhaust," Lewis said. This was at 7:20 Saturday.

See 'Flying Saucer'

High Point, July 12. (AP) - The first flying saucer seen in this area was reported tonight to be a "huge red object travelling at a rapid rate of speed," by two veteran flyers of High Point.

Ed Lewis, editor of "Southern Wings," an aviation magazine, and Dick Milsaps, a member of the staff of the publication, sighted the flying "ball of fire" about 10 miles south of High Point this afternoon.

"YEP, THEY'RE REPORTED AGAIN"

Two High Point Pilots Report Seeing One Headed Over State

Associated Press. -- High Point, North Carolina, 12 July.

Two pilots flying in a plane at 1000 feet about 10 miles south of High Point at 7:20 p.m. on the 11 July saw a "ball of fire,"..."a huge red object traveling at a rapid rate of speed,.... they noticed a glare to the left of their plane. Glancing to their side they saw a huge object, round on top with a black band through the center, flying in a northerly direction at a rapid rate of speed.

"The bottom part of the object was revolving, and periodically a burst of fire came from underneath as if from some sort of exhaust."

...[the pilot] said when he noticed the object he swung his small, two-place plane to the left in the direction of the 'thing' but that before he had travelled far in that direction, the object passed him and disappeared in a northern direction. The path it was traveling, he said, indicated that it was headed in the direction of Winston-Salem on a route leading between High Point and Thomasville, he added.

Goerch's Tale of Flying Disc Revives 'Saucer' Excitement

"Flying saucers," those elusive aerial discs which zoomed into the headlines 10 days ago and then dropped into obscurity with equal speed, were causing concern among Twin City residents again last night.

Carl Goerch of Raleigh, editor of State Magazine, aviation enthusiast and conductor of the "Carolina Chats" radio program, said in a broadcast from the capital last night that he had flown alongside a "saucer" and saw "men from Mars" aboard.

Almost immediately telephones at The Journal and Radio Station WSJS began ringing.

Each caller mentioned the Goerch broadcast. Some added new twists to the report, and all asked for further details.

"Was there anything to that weird tale Carl Goerch told over the radio?" they asked.

"How can people ride in a 'saucer'?"

One child called and said she had a tea set and wanted to know how to make saucers fly.

Newspapers in other cities received similar calls, and it was reported from Raleigh after the broadcast that Goerch had been "joshing."

Meanwhile, the word from High Point was that a "flying saucer" had been seen there Saturday by Ed Lewis, editor of Southern Wings, and Dick Milsaps, a member of the magazine's staff. They described the missile as a fast-moving red ball with a black band through the center. Smoke spurted from the object as it revolved through space.

When they last saw the "thing," Lewis and Milsaps reported, it was headed in the direction of Winston-Salem.

A number of High Point residents said they, too, had seen the disc, but no Twin Citizens reported having seen it.

D - 07.11 - 1920 hours. USA, near High Point, North Carolina

(PJ47, page 183-185)

12 July. High Point, North Carolina. (7:20p.m.)

Editor of aviation magazine encounters a "thing"

According to a press report:

"The first flying saucer seen in this area was reported tonight to be a huge red object traveling at a rapid rate of speed by two veteran flyers of High Point. "Ed Lewis, editor a.f Southern Wings, an aviation magazine, and Dick Milsaps, a member of the staff of the publication, sighted the flying 'ball offrre' about ten miles south of High Point this afternoon.

"The two men stated they were flying into High Point at an altitude of approximately 1,000 feet when they noticed a glare to the left of their plane. Glancing to their side they said they saw a huge object, round on top with a large black band through the center, flying in a northerly direction at a rapid rate of speed.

"The bottom part of the object was revolving, and periodical bursts of

fire came from underneath as if from some sort of exhaust," Lewis said. This was at 7:20 yesterday (Saturday) afternoon.

"Lewis said when he noticed the object he swung his small, two-place plane to the left in the direction ofthe 'thing' but that before he had traveled far in that direction, the object passed him and disappeared in a northern direction. The path it was traveling, he said, indicated that it was headed in the direction of Winston-Salem on a route leading between High Point and Thomasville, he said." (xx.)

(xx.) Wilmington, North Carolina. Morning Star. 13 July 47.

Project 1947 Reports, newsclippings and documents (cases from Jan Aldrich and Barry Greenwood)

1947, July 11

USA, High Point (North Carolina)

The Associated Press reports the following: “Two pilots flying at 1,000 feet about 10 miles south of High Point saw at 7:20 p.m. a ‘ball of fire…’ ‘An enormous object was flying at very high speed…’ A flash of light to the left of their aircraft made them look in that direction. They then saw a huge object, rounded on top, with a black band outlining the central section, flying at incredible speed toward the north. The base of the object was rotating, and at regular intervals a fiery emission came out of it, as if from a jet nozzle. The pilot turned to get closer to this ‘thing,’ but before the maneuver was completed, the object overtook them and disappeared toward the north, in the direction of Winston-Salem, on a trajectory passing over High Point and Thomasville.” (investigator’s note JA: The two pilots, Ed Lewis and Dick Milsaps, are said to have worked together on a local magazine “Southern Wings,” one as author, the other as editor, but the investigation by Bullard and Aldrich could not find any trace of either the magazine or the pilots.) (Wilmington, NC, MORNING STAR, 13 July 1947, p. 1 "YEP, THEY’RE REPORTED AGAIN" - Jan Aldrich)

Wilmington, (North Carolina) MORNING STAR, 13 July, 1947

"YEP, THEY'RE REPORTED AGAIN"

Two High Point Pilots Report Seeing One Headed Over State

Associated Press -- High Point, North Carolina, 12 July.

Two pilots flying in a plane at 1000 feet about 10 miles south of High Point at 7:20 pm on the 11 July saw a "ball of fire,"..."a huge red object traveling at a rapid rate of speed,....they noticed a glare to the left of their plane. Glancing to their side they saw a huge object, round on top with a black band through the center, flying in a northerly direction at a rapid rate of speed.

"The bottom part of the object was revolving, and periodically a burst of fire came from underneath as if from some sort of exhaust."

...(the pilot) said when he noticed the object he swung his small, two-place plane to the left in the direction of the 'thing' but that before he had travelled far in that direction, the object passed him and disappeared in a northern direction. The path it was traveling, he said, indicated that it was headed in the direction of Winston-Salem on a route leading between High Point and Thomasville, he added.

A more detailed account with drawings may be found in The Project 1947 Preliminary Report on the 1947 UFO Sighting Wave.

More importantly, the two pilot witnesses, Ed Lewis and Dick Milsaps worked for SOUTHERN WINGS, a regional aviation magazine, as editor and writer respectively. One would expect that after this sighting by two staff members the magazine might have some interesting ufo accounts.

Project 1947 requests any information visitors might have on SOUTHERN WINGS or this UFO report.

High Point, a city known for its furniture and textile industries, became part of the nationwide flying saucer frenzy during the summer of 1947. That year, numerous reports of unidentified flying objectsthen popularly called flying saucers due to their disc-like shapeswept across the United States.

Locally, the spotlight fell on two men, Ed Lewis and Dick Milsaps, who claimed to have seen an unusual object in the skies above High Point. Whether it was an alien spacecraft, a military experiment, a meteorite, or simply mass imagination is still up for debate.

The craze had begun on June 24, 1947, when pilot Kenneth Arnold reported spotting nine unidentified aircraft flying near Mount Rainier at extraordinary speeds, capturing nationwide attention. Reports multiplied rapidly, culminating in the famous Roswell incident on July 8, when the U.S. military allegedly recovered a crashed extraterrestrial craft, which they later insisted was just a weather balloon.

High Points encounter occurred on the evening of July 12, 1947. According to the High Point Enterprise the next day, Lewis and Milsaps were flying about 10 miles south of the city in Lewis private two-seater plane at roughly 1,000 feet. They reported seeing a rotating, cylindrical object described as a huge red ball of fire, with a black band encircling its center and a flat bottom. The object reportedly emitted periodic bursts of fire from below, resembling exhaust, while spinning clockwise.

Lewis attempted to follow the object in his plane, but it quickly accelerated and vanished toward Winston-Salem, emitting a bluish glow. Milsaps noted that it crossed directly in front of them at an estimated 300400 mph, far faster than their plane, which was moving at about 115 mph. Lewis emphasized that the object was larger than a conventional airplane.

Both men were considered credible witnesses. Lewis, 32, was an Army veteran and journalist, writing for the Mount Airy Times and the High Point Enterprise, where he also maintained a weekly aviation column titled In the Air. At the time, he was founding editor of the aviation magazine Southern Wings, with Milsaps as a staff writer. The incident was widely covered in local and state newspapers, marking High Points first reported flying saucer sighting.

Decades later, the mystery endures. Was the object an extraterrestrial craft, a meteorite, a weather balloon, or simply a hoax? Regardless, the story remains a fascinating piece of High Point historyan unforgettable glimpse into the summer when the world looked to the skies and wondered what might be out there.

Addition from the author

Analysis: The High Point UFO Sighting and Its Place in UFO History

The UFO sighting over High Point in 1947 remains one of the many enigmatic events that occurred during the nationwide flying saucer craze that gripped the United States that summer. While the incident itself may not have provided definitive proof of extraterrestrial life, it played a significant role in shaping the larger narrative of UFO sightings and public fascination with the unknown. The reports of Ed Lewis and Dick Milsaps were among the hundreds of similar encounters that emerged in the wake of Kenneth Arnold’s widely publicized sighting near Mount Rainier.

What sets the High Point encounter apart is the credibility of its witnesses. Lewis, an experienced Army veteran and journalist, brought a level of professionalism to the report that many other UFO stories lacked. As the founding editor of an aviation magazine, his background in aviation provided an informed perspective on what was witnessed that evening. This lent an air of legitimacy to the incident that is often absent in other, more sensational sightings.

Despite the passage of time, the event has remained shrouded in mystery. The object’s description—a cylindrical shape with a black band and periodic bursts of fire—remains puzzling, and its rapid acceleration continues to defy conventional explanations. Whether it was a military experiment, a meteorological anomaly, or something else entirely, the unanswered questions only add to the intrigue surrounding the sighting.

In the context of the broader UFO phenomenon, the High Point sighting was a notable event, but it was far from unique. It was part of a wave of UFO reports that swept across the nation in the summer of 1947, culminating in the infamous Roswell incident. While the debate over the true nature of these sightings continues to this day, they undeniably reflect a pivotal moment in American culture when the public’s curiosity about space and the possibility of extraterrestrial life reached new heights.

The High Point UFO sighting, like many others from that era, is now a part of the larger UFO lore, a symbol of a time when the skies seemed full of possibilities—both real and imagined.