Ridgecrest: Dumbbell UFO paces Navy drone
On September 4, 1960, at 2:00 p.m., J. H. Kirkpatrick and Warren Specht observed a dumbbell-shaped object made of shiny red metal following a Navy test drone at 8,000 feet near Ridgecrest, California. After two minutes, it executed a sharp 45-degree turn and rapidly climbed away.
Background
Witnesses and Location
J. H. Kirkpatrick and Warren Specht were monitoring an unmanned Navy test drone at the China Lake Naval Ordnance Test Station (today Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake) near Ridgecrest, California. The event took place on September 4, 1960 at 14:00.
Sighting and Behaviour
The drone was flying northwest at 8,000 feet when the object appeared a few metres above it and kept exact pace. It had a dumbbell shape with a surface of gleaming red metal that reflected the sunlight. After about two minutes it made a sharp 45-degree turn and climbed out of sight within seconds.
Significance
The military setting and the precise observation by technicians have been cited in support of the report's credibility. There is no conventional explanation; the object demonstrated high agility. Cited in Powell, Scientist, 51–52, and in Eberhart's timeline.