Governor Reagan's UFO Sighting Near Bakersfield
California Governor Ronald Reagan and pilot Bill Paynter reported seeing a bright light from a Cessna Citation near Bakersfield, California. Paynter said it elongated and shot off at a 45-degree angle at high speed; Reagan told Wall Street Journal reporter Norman C. Miller that they followed it for several minutes before it went straight up.
Background
California Governor Ronald Reagan and pilot Bill Paynter witnessed a UFO from a Cessna Citation aircraft near Bakersfield, California.
Paynter reported the object accelerated rapidly and shot off at a 45-degree angle, while Reagan described it going straight up into the sky.
The Incident
Ronald Reagan and Bill Paynter observed the UFO from a Cessna Citation near Bakersfield, California.
Witness Accounts
- Bill Paynter reported: "It appeared to be several hundred yards away. It was a fairly steady light until it began to accelerate. Then it appeared to elongate. The light took off at a 45-degree angle at a high rate of speed."
- Ronald Reagan told Norman C. Miller (Wall Street Journal): "We followed it for several minutes. It was a bright white light. All of a sudden to our utter amazement it went straight up into the heavens."
Response
When Reagan realized he was speaking to a reporter, he broke off the conversation immediately.
Significance
Reagan later referred twice to an 'alien threat' in speeches — at the United Nations (1987) and before students.