Long hidden from world, files have recently been released by Britain’s Ministry of Defence in a spectacular win for freedom of information. After decades of covering up all reports of mysterious craft making flights to the UK the MOD has released many of the files to the National Archive. For the first time the worlds media as well as academics and members of the public could access information previously restricted to a few with the very highest of security clearance levels.

UFOs made flights to Manchester, UK

The British defence forces first became aware of UFO activity in the 1940s during World War II. Pilots on bombing raids over Nazi Germany reported strange sights and light in the sky, in some cases circling their aircraft. These phenomena were known as “foo fighters” – and were the inspiration for the band of the same name.

Within the air forces of Britain and the USA a stigma was attached to reporting UFO sightings. Pilots and other air-crew were reluctant to tell their superiors they had seen unusual things for fear that they would be branded as mentally disturbed, and lose flying privileges. Doubtless, especially during the stress of combat some of the things seen by pilots during flights may not have been real. Amphetamines were used to increase alertness and reduce fatigue in personnel.   This practice continued for many years, and it has been said that the hallucinations that can occur as the stimulant wears off have been responsible for many incidences of ‘friendly fire’ when air crew accidentally attack civilians or troops on their own side.

A lot of the information in the MOD files on unidentified flying objects comes from civilian sources within the UK. Much of it is easy to dismiss as attention seekers and delusional ramblings fuelled by the science fiction of the day. Some of it however is not so easy to write off as a flight of fancy. A number of reports originated from sane professional people, some of these being experts in the field of aviation.

Perhaps the most striking of these reports comes from air traffic control personnel at Manchester airport. These were highly trained professionals whose job was to ensure the safety of flights to Manchester, and for that matter, flights from Manchester and through Manchester airspace. Commercial pilots and those working in air traffic control are subjected to vigorous psychological assessment and mandatory drug testing as well as being required to successfully complete exacting training. That is what makes this particular incident so striking.

On the 6 January 1996 BA flight 5061 to Manchester, UK from Milan, Italy was the subject of a close encounter. Aboard that flight were Captain Roger Wills assisted by First Officer Mark Stuart. Both men distinguished and trusted aviators with many years experience, in many ways at the top of their profession.  In short these would be the last people to lie, perpetrate a hoax, or experience a totally convincing shared delusion.

Exactly what Captain Roger Wills and First Officer Mark Stuart saw that night has never been established. A “lit object” was seen to fly down the side of the aircraft at very high speed. No other traffic was meant to be in the area according to Manchester Air Traffic Control. So what was it that buzzed this flight to the UK? The Ministry of Defence ceased investigation after concluding that whatever it was had not posed a threat to either flights to the UK or air security.

Other incidences indicate that unknown agents were making flights to the UK during the last century. A UFO was reported flying low near the isolated home of former Conservative British Home Secretary Michael Howard during the 1980s. The office of Home Secretary is one of the most senior in the government of the UK. Any contact between an official at that level of the government with extra-terrestrial beings would be an event of some significance. Whatever the truth is has no doubt been swept underneath the carpet, but at least now the world knows what carpet it has been swept under. That there is even official recognition that there is a carpet is itself truly, truly massive.