Art begins by setting the stage for his guest, John Lear, by sharing his own recent extraordinary experience. Art recounts driving home to Pahrump, Nevada, around 11:15 PM when his wife noticed something unusual. Stopping the car, they witnessed a large, triangular object, approximately 100 feet across and at an altitude of about 150 feet, moving slowly and floating above them. The object, which had two white lights and a rapidly strobing red light, moved in an east-southeast to west-northwest direction. Art describes it as black, solid, and unmistakably a craft, but remained uncertain whether it was military or extraterrestrial in origin.
Art then introduces John Lear, a highly accomplished and experienced airline captain with a diverse flying background. Lear holds multiple records and certifications, including 18 world speed records in a Learjet. He has flown in numerous capacities, such as experimental test flying, airline passenger flying, cargo hauling, and even secret missions. His father, William P. Lear Sr., was an influential figure in aviation, having developed various technologies including the Learjet.
Lear, who had a diverse career in aviation, became interested in UFOs after reading a book by Budd Hopkins and encountering a US Air Force pilot with a firsthand UFO experience. Art Bell engages Lear in a discussion about his own recent UFO sighting, seeking Lear’s insights.
Lear speculates that what Art saw might have been an A-12 Avenger, a navy fighter bomber developed by General Dynamics and McDonnell Douglas, which was canceled due to cost overruns. Despite the cancellation, Lear suggests that several of these aircraft were already in various stages of construction and might have been repurposed and flown secretly. He notes their exceptional quietness and ability to fly without making much noise, aligning with Art’s experience of the craft being silent.
Lear also delves into the tactics employed by the military, humorously suggesting they sometimes play tricks by flying secretive aircraft over individuals to stir up UFO speculation. He emphasizes the gap between public knowledge and the actual technological advancements in aviation, suggesting that the technology could be far more advanced than commonly believed.
Art remains skeptical, citing the craft’s slow, floating movement, which defied conventional aerodynamics. He leans towards the possibility of it being a military secret aircraft, noting its silence and proximity during the sighting.
Art expresses surprise at the number of reports of triangular UFOs similar to what he observed, which he initially thought was a unique experience. He learns from Lear that there have been numerous sightings of such objects, but Lear is skeptical about attributing them to extraterrestrial origins. Instead, Lear suggests they might be experimental U.S. aircraft, like the F-19, a stealth fighter that the public knows little about.
Art also mentions a program on Fox featuring a panel of UFO researchers and commentators, including Linda Howe and George Knapp, which delves into various UFO sightings and theories. Lear comments on the program, noting the evolution of George Knapp’s views on UFOs, from skepticism to deep involvement in UFO research.
Lear also touches on the intense secrecy and fear associated with UFO investigations, comparing it to the dangers of investigating the mob in Las Vegas. This comparison highlights the perceived seriousness and potential risks involved in delving into UFO phenomena.
Lear shares his journey into the UFO field, which began with a casual interest and deepened after a conversation with a friend involved in covert military operations. This friend’s account of a UFO landing at a U.S. Air Force base in England sparked Lear’s extensive investigation into government dealings with extraterrestrials.
Lear recounts how his public stance on UFOs led to his dismissal from a major charter company, where he had been a senior captain. This event underscores the controversial nature of UFO research and the risks involved in challenging conventional beliefs. Despite this setback, Lear continued his career as a pilot and remained engaged in UFO research.
Art and Lear also discuss the emotional toll of investigating UFO phenomena. Lear describes periods when he withdrew from the public eye, overwhelmed by the magnitude and implications of his findings. He mentions others in the field who have similarly retreated, unable to cope with the profound implications of extraterrestrial contact and government secrecy.
Lear explains that the President of the United States, being an elected official, doesn’t necessarily have high-level security clearance. He describes a hierarchy of clearances above ‘Top Secret’, with ‘Majestic’ being the highest. According to Lear, the President is only informed about what he needs to know for day-to-day decisions, which often excludes detailed UFO information.
Lear also discusses the establishment of a secret government by President Truman in 1947, known as MJ-12. This group, composed of intelligence, military, and scientific personnel, was tasked with studying recovered alien technology. He suggests that President Eisenhower, who succeeded Truman, regretted empowering MJ-12 due to its significant control over major national decisions, a sentiment Eisenhower expressed in his warning about the military-industrial complex.
The conversation then shifts to the Mars Observer mission, which Lear believes, similar to the Hubble Telescope, never failed but was reported as such to keep its findings secret. He asserts that both these missions uncovered information deemed not suitable for public knowledge. Specifically, he mentions high-resolution images of Mars, including the ‘Face on Mars’ and a nearby ‘city’, suggesting the existence of an advanced civilization on Mars.
Lear alleges that high-resolution images of Mars from the Mars Observer mission were intentionally withheld from the public. According to Lear, NASA initially promised to release a selected few images, but then claimed all data was lost after the craft’s supposed failure during the orbit insertion burn.
Lear suggests that this narrative was fabricated to prevent public access to sensitive images, particularly those of the ‘Face on Mars’ and nearby ‘city’ structures, indicating an advanced civilization on Mars. He believes that while high-quality images are being received, they are being kept secret, and only manipulated information is relayed to the public and even to NASA employees not involved in the cover-up.
Art expresses his growing cynicism towards government agencies, sharing his loss of trust due to repeated disappointments. Lear supports this sentiment, asserting that successful cover-ups of past missions like the Hubble Telescope have emboldened similar actions with the Mars Observer.
The conversation concludes with Lear affirming that the public, including NASA’s own scientists, are often kept in the dark about the true nature of these missions, perpetuating a culture of secrecy and misinformation within government-led space exploration.