The Tremonton film
Navy Chief Warrant Officer Delbert Newhouse, an expert aerial photographer with over 1,000 hours of experience, pulled his car over and filmed 12 to 14 bright objects milling in the sky. Blue Book rated him honest and reliable. Navy photo analysts concluded the objects were not birds, balloons or known aircraft. A year later the CIA's Robertson Panel dismissed them as seagulls. war.gov has now released the film itself, the Blue Book file, the balloon tests, and Newhouse's own service record.
Evidence, in date order (3)
- 1952Project Blue Bookdocumentcase file rating the photographer honest and reliable war.gov: Blue Book file on the Tremonton film
- 2 Jul 1952Delbert Newhouse / National Archivessensor datathe 1952 film itself, released on DVIDS war.gov video (on DVIDS): The Tremonton film, 1952
- 1953Navy photo analystsofficialfound the objects were not birds, balloons or known aircraft war.gov: Navy film analysis, 1953
How plausible · High
A trained Navy photographer's film is released and Navy analysts could not identify the objects.
- ●●Access Direct observation or instruments.
- ●●No gain sought Nothing to gain.
- ●●Character record Trained professionals.
- ●●Checkable details check out Released official records.
- ●●Fits the documented skeleton Fits the documented record.
- ●●Physical traces or official reaction Instrument data or physical traces.
Plausibility weighs how well an account fits where secrecy hides the documents by design, so missing records never count against it. Strength measures what is documented. Assessed 2026-10-23.
On the record
- The Tremonton film, digitised by the National Archives (on DVIDS).
- Project Blue Book's file, its pillow-balloon comparison, and the Air Force flying-disc file for late 1952.Blue Book
- Newhouse's final Navy personnel record.