The Calvine UFO Photo - Another Hoax?

The Calvine UFO photo is one of Nick Pope’s three most fabled anecdotes from his short tenure as a desk officer in the UK MoD between 1991 and 1994. According to Pope his predecessor had it blown up and displayed on an office wall. There it stayed for several years. That is, until a more senior official decided to remove it.

Background

ALLEGEDLY on August 4th 1990, a mysterious diamond object, tailed by a Harrier jump jet was spotted and photographed in the sky around 20 miles north of Pitlochry, Scotland. An unnamed photographer snapped a series of six photographs of the object hovering above the A9 highway, near Calvine, in Scotland.


The photos were then sent into the Daily Record newspaper. The newspaper in turn passed them to the UK Ministry of Defence without publishing the photographs. The UK MoD took the matter seriously and initiated investigations. Details are recorded in several released files. One even shows a poor quality image of the strange craft.


Questions were also raised in the UK Parliament as late as July 0f 1996. But the official response was that the photos showed something “..of no defence significance”.

Classified Until 2072!

Last year it was reported in the UK press that the photograph and files relating to the Calvine UFO had been classified for a further 50 years until 2072!

…. UFO experts hit out when it emerged a dossier into Britain’s most significant sighting is to be kept secret for another 50 years.

The file is said to contain astonishing colour photographs of a 100ft craft hovering over the village of Calvine in the Scottish Highlands in 1990.

A 30-year rule meant it was due to be declassified on January 1 — but the Ministry of Defence has now blocked release until 2072 without explanation.….

The Sun [UK] - 10th Oct 2020

The story above isn’t entirely accurate. But accuracy is not important for Britain’s trashiest of tabloids.

A number of case files were in fact released by the MoD around a decade ago. Links and page refererence are provided below for those that want to see for themselves.

DEFE 24/1940/1 - page 116

DEFE 31/179 on pages 157-8

DEFE 31/180 on pages 37-38 & 55-57

Nor was the photograph likely to have been ‘classified’.

For reasons, Nick Pope, in his own words has confirmed.

Anyone who submits photos to the MoD retains the copyright to them.



Note the above letter, which we can assume was signed by Nick Pope just before left for a new position in Aug 1994, was not concerning the Calvine photo. But the rules concerning copyright and ownership right would be the same.

What has been withheld, for over 30 years, are the names of whoever submitted the original photographs

What Points to this Being a Hoax?

Recent FOI requests from Dr. David Clarke have revealed...

..
According to three separate senior MoD sources and documents I obtained from responses to Freedom of Information requests, the photographs were indeed the subject of several expert investigations… by the Defence Intelligence Staff, the RAF’s JARIC agency and by the Pentagon...

The dossier reveals how, in 1992, the DIS sent an image of a ‘possible research vehicle‘ flying in Scottish airspace to the CIA. That image was sent to the Pentagon where it was subject to further US-UK analysis, as revealed in a document written by the UK’s Air Attache in Washington DC.

.. sources disagree about what the images show, they all agree that whatever was captured on film was not a UFO because it was not unidentified….

The UFO That Never Was

Clarke goes on to say that one MoD source claims it was an experimental US aircraft. Although also points out that this contradicts the original conclusions of investigations in the 1990s.

Simon Baldwin, who was the UK Air Attache in Washington at the time the photograph appeared at the Pentagon told Clarke that he believes the story to be an elaborate hoax and the photo to be a fake. But one that fooled the intelligence services either side of the Atlantic.

Sir Donald Spiers, the former RAF Assistant Chief Scientist told Clarke, he had ‘no doubt that the photograph was a spoof, after analysis by ‘technical experts’.

What is the Likely Truth?

Clarke feels that there are only three options:

1) An unknown possibly ET spacecraft and a cover-up.

He points out that if this was so secret why was a poster sized version of the photo allowed to be displayed in an MoD office in view of civilian employees/visitors?

Why was Nick Pope allowed to tell the story in a book he claims was subject to security clearances, and why release the low quality image of the photo in MoD UFO files to the public?

2) A top secret US/UK aircraft

Clarke finds this unlikely. To test it in broad daylight over Scotland when other locations like over the ocean would be more secure seems foolish. Although he doesn’t completely rule it out.

3) A Hoax

Clarke is leaning towards the whole thing being a hoax and explains why:

…The only explanation that makes sense is the photographs are fakes…

Due to the compartmentalized nature of the UK MoD this would explain why both Nick Pope and my DI source had no ‘need to know’ about the results of the UK-US analysis of the images that must have happened early in 1993 and has left no record in the released documents.

It would also explain why the photographer has not come forward, despite significant media coverage. It might also explain why the Daily Record spiked the story and why no one (including MoD at the time) has been able to trace the source of the RAF Harrier shown in the image.

If it really was a spoof then the unusual date, time and location provided in the original report to MoD might also be false. As it is a pre-digital image there would be no way of proving its precise provenance…

The conclusion that the Calvine UFO was a hoax will not be accepted by everyone, of course. Especially Nick Pope!


Further Reading :

The UFO That Never Was

Calvine Case Files

Government bans release of secret UFO dossier for another 50 years

a reply to: mirageman

A great thread from a truly amazing ATS member

Ah the good old days of ATS pre 2020

Shame its probably fake I used to love this picture as I had relatives who lived in bonnie Scotland near an RAF base

Well I guess they still got Nessie.....thats real isnt it

a reply to: mirageman

Thank you for your research on this.

a reply to: UpThenDown

Of course Nessie is real!

Scotland is home to one of the world's most baffling UFO cases ever. The Bob Taylor case which I've also covered many years ago here.

Alien Assault in Dechmont Woods?

As for the Calvine Case. Dr. Clarke's logic and reasoning is fairly sound. He isn't saying he is 100% sure this was a hoax but the odds are very much stacked in its favour.

If so then it begs questions as to who did it, and whyt?

Interesting post but you're last piece and the ultimatum of deciding 3 options ruined it for me. You appear to to me to be tryng to continously force a sceptics point of view and very cleverly. Your posts are always very eloquently put together. Might I add it's always seems in only one direction. I wonder is there a case you feel that could be something not from this world that you could put a pro case for? Now that would be interesting.

a reply to: mirageman

This big long drug out thread then at the very end a conclusion the photo is a fake with no supporting evidence.

If it was a hoax though, what would be the reason to classify it for another 50 years? Why can't they just release the photo, say they determined it's a hoax and be done with it?

I always found the mockup image and description interesting. It's shape reminds me a lot of the famous Cash Landrum UFO. A big diamond-shaped object that looks to have some kind of exhaust or thruster on the tip. Rotate it vertically and it would be a very close match to whatever Betty and Vicki encountered just 10 years earlier. Perhaps whatever they encountered was an earlier prototype of this object. I've always believed it was some kind of secret military craft.

a reply to: mirageman

The images you have shown and the back story are indeed a Hoax (well not a hoax actually BUT an artists interpretation of the description of the original photograph which is now missing) but as for Nick Pope I actually think there is substance to his claim though I also believe he is a conduit for disinformation especially with his MOD background, you do not disclose classified secrets if you are MOD so he definitely knows more.

My personal belief is that there WAS a photograph of a probably ultra top secret stealth aircraft possible owned by the US rather than an alien vehicle of some kind.

the Description while different to the early stealth aircraft such as the F-117 NightHawk is close enough to suggest it may have been from the same stable of early stealth aircraft perhaps as it was larger even a stealth reconnaissance or even a bomber of a type that was never disclosed to the public.

If it was and it is something they still want kept secret to hide the capability's of there OTHER exotic aircraft technology's that would explain why the Authority's over here acted so fast to remove the image and even destroyed the image in the possession of the MOD (OR filed it away at a clearance level presumable way above Nick Popes at the time).

I do not buy the story being bunk or a hoax however.



There are no extant copies of the original photograph, the MOD destroyed the only KNOWN copy or hid it away, I do wonder what they did to the hikers that saw it but I suspect our own home grown intimidation squad can be both every bit as scary and just as lethal as the other men in black type characters out there.

It is possible they were just made to sign the Official secrets act then threatened with prison if they did not keep there mouth's shut, either way I hope they are safe.

Great thread MM. Thanks for this. I learned some new things

a reply to: mirageman

Beautiful report. Thanks for the hard work.

a reply to: Hanrak77

Interesting post but you're last piece and the ultimatum of deciding 3 options ruined it for me.

These were the conclusions of Dr. David Clarke in his article after his FOI work. Not mine.

You appear to to me to be tryng to continously force a sceptics point of view and very cleverly. Your posts are always very eloquently put together. Might I add it's always seems in only one direction.

When you look at things from a superficial level it's easy to be convinced that there is some extraterrestrial or supernatural explanation. But when you dig deeper [most people don't] you will find that that facts don't always fit the story. Most of the time, there simply isn't enough data to reach a definitive conclusion.

No UFO has ever been later identified as intelligently controlled by extraterrestrials. This doesn't mean one won't be.eventually. But ufology doesn't like cases being solved unless it's alienz. It just recycles everything, including known hoaxes and solved cases [Nick Pope is a prime example with his Cosford tale].

This is why it has gone in circles since the 1950s. Always falling back on a conspiracy of an all powerful US government to be everywhere and anywhere a UFO story needs covering up.

I wonder is there a case you feel that could be something not from this world that you could put a pro case for? Now that would be interesting.

There are many UFO cases that remain unsolved. But I come from the angle of solving a case and clearing it from the clutter rather than can we prove it was aliens.

A case has been made for the Oumuamua object that entered the solar system in 2017. Although it has also been claimed to be a natural object by most astronomers.

Twenty five years ago ALH 84001 was as close as we ever got to the disclosure of the existence of alien life.!

Do you think there is a single case that was 'not of this world'?

originally posted by: Alien Abduct
a reply to: mirageman

This big long drug out thread then at the very end a conclusion the photo is a fake with no supporting evidence.

My thoughts are with you at this difficult time.

a reply to: LABTECH767

It's possible for all the reasons you've laid out.

I don't recall any witness ever coming forward to say they saw this craft either.

a reply to: mirageman
Good thread. It's certainly not solved, but I find Clarke's logic in trying to make sense of what information we have to be sound. It would be nice to see the original photo, or a close reproduction. But stories about a photo we've never seen are not very convincing evidence of anything, they are just stories, and as we have seen from stories like the one Chad Underwood tells about his UFO video, once we see the actual photo or video we may find that it's quite unlike the story that's told about it.

originally posted by: LABTECH767
the Description while different to the early stealth aircraft such as the F-117 NightHawk is close enough to suggest it may have been from the same stable of early stealth aircraft perhaps as it was larger even a stealth reconnaissance or even a bomber of a type that was never disclosed to the public.

I don't think the photo showed an F-117, but as you suggest, we really shouldn't rule out another secret aircraft. Some people say they wouldn't fly a secret aircraft where anybody could see it, but I'm pretty sure the F-117 was flying around before it was de-classified, though trying to keep a low profile, but I expect some people got some glimpses of it and it would have been a UFO to them before it was declassified.

originally posted by: Charizard
I always found the mockup image and description interesting. It's shape reminds me a lot of the famous Cash Landrum UFO. A big diamond-shaped object that looks to have some kind of exhaust or thruster on the tip. Rotate it vertically and it would be a very close match to whatever Betty and Vicki encountered just 10 years earlier. Perhaps whatever they encountered was an earlier prototype of this object. I've always believed it was some kind of secret military craft.

Except it wasn't pursued by lots of Chinook dual rotor helicopters that said "US Air Force" on them, as the witnesses in the Cash-Landrum case claim, which kind of makes their credibility suspect since the US Air force didn't even have a single Chinook helicopter at the time.

If it was a hoax though, what would be the reason to classify it for another 50 years? Why can't they just release the photo, say they determined it's a hoax and be done with it?

It's stated in the opening post what is not being released for decades due to privacy laws:

originally posted by: mirageman
What has been withheld, for over 30 years, are the names of whoever submitted the original photographs

a reply to: mirageman although it be a hoax, I'm of the opinion that this is a top secret aircraft, they have slapped a d notice on it because of privacy laws, I don't buy it, usual intelligence agency BS, the object was probably based at machrihanish at the time as well.

a reply to: mirageman


Cool new thread MM. But after reading John Burroughs recent offerings ( A few weeks ago) telling the public that Nick lied about the book on Rendlesham they wrote together with Penniston, I have an aversion to most thing's that come from Pope. I find so many things very questionable these days.

I wonder if one of the reasons why these type of reports get these weirdly long declass timeframes is so that they don't have to answer any questions about it, or spend anytime investigating the events?

originally posted by: Arbitrageur

I'm pretty sure the F-117 was flying around before it was de-classified, though trying to keep a low profile, but I expect some people got some glimpses of it and it would have been a UFO to them before it was declassified.

it was officially declassified in '88 but crashed and started a forest fire in a national park a couple of years before.
If it's publicly denied they only fly at night - and this strategy seems to work - although there are reports of "triangular UFO's" (i.e 3 lights) in Nevada during the 80's - no one was talking details about faceted angles/planforms.....

The chances of a daytime, low level encounter with a black project over Scotland are very very slim given all other evidence on how classified aircraft operate.

originally posted by: Hanrak77
Interesting post but you're last piece and the ultimatum of deciding 3 options ruined it for me. You appear to to me to be tryng to continously force a sceptics point of view and very cleverly. Your posts are always very eloquently put together. Might I add it's always seems in only one direction. I wonder is there a case you feel that could be something not from this world that you could put a pro case for? Now that would be interesting.

Well said.

I used to do a lot of outdoor activities around there. As well as a draw for outdoor enthusiasts It's also a popular location for Military low level flying exercises. around 1998 I saw some dramatic looking low-level US Airforce fighters flying up the length of Loch Rannoch. It's hardly remote and very popular with tourists. The bustling local village of Pitlochry is nearby. I am amazed that no corroborating witnesses exist. In any case I want to dispel any notion that this was a remote location far from civilisation. And I also take anything Pope says with a pinch of Unobtanium.