What did the declassified documents reveal?

Cold Open. This episode presents a U.S. Air Force technical questionnaire titled “U.S. Air Force Technical Information Questionnaire – Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon,” catalogued as xxxx xx 8287890 DelawareMemorialBridge. The document is notable because it illustrates the formal procedure the Air Force used in the 1960s to collect civilian reports of unidentified aerial phenomena, and it is preserved in the public domain through The Black Vault archive. Provenance. The questionnaire was released to the public via The Black Vault, an online repository of declassified government records. The full text is available at archive.org under the URL https://archive.org/download/xxxx-xx-8287890-DelawareMemorialBridge/xxxx-xx-8287890-DelawareMemorialBridgedjvu.txt. The entry does not list a specific Freedom of Information Act case number or declassification authority, but the material is marked as a public‑domain archival record and was made accessible on the date of its upload to the archive. The Document. The questionnaire begins with the heading “U.S. AIR FORCE TECHNICAL INFORMATION.” It reads: “This questionnaire has been prepared so that you can give the U.S. Air Force as much information as possible concerning the unidentified aerial phenomenon that you have observed. Please try to answer as many questions as you possibly can. The information that you give will be used for research purposes. Your name will not be used in connection with any statements, conclusions, or publications without your permission. We request this personal information so that, if it is deemed necessary, we may contact you for further details.” The form then proceeds with a series of numbered items. The first few items are reproduced verbatim: 1. When did you see the object? Day – Month – Year. 2. Time of day – Hour – Minute – A.M. / P.M. – Time Zone (Circle one): a. Eastern, b. Central, c. Mountain, d. Pacific, e. Other. 3. Daylight Saving – Standard. 4. Where were you when you saw the object? Point of address, city or town, state, county. 5. How long was the object in sight? (Total Duration) – Certain, Probably certain. 5.1 How was the time in sight determined? 5.2 Was the object in sight continuously? – Yes, No. 6. What was the condition of the sky? DAY – NIGHT – Bright – Cloudy. 7. If you saw the object during daylight, where was the sun located relative to the object? (Circle one): In front of you, In back of you, To your left, Overhead, Other. The questionnaire continues with additional items that inquire about the object's motion, shape, and any associated phenomena. Selected excerpts include: 8. Did the object appear to stand still at any time? Yes – No – Don’t know. 9. Did the object suddenly speed up or slow down? Yes – No – Don’t know. 10. Did the object change shape? Yes – No – Don’t know. 11. Did the object flash or flicker? Yes – No

Why was this case declassified?

This material was released by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

CIA Cold Open.

◆ BLUF — The short version

Cold Open. S. S. Air Force Technical Information Questionnaire – Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon,” catalogued as xxxx xx 8287890 DelawareMemorialBridge. The document is notable because it illustrates the formal procedure the Air Force used in the 1960s to collect civilian reports of unidentified aerial phenomena, and it is preserved in the public domain through The Black Vault archive.

Agency: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Date: JUL 18 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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Episode notes

Cold Open. This episode presents a U.S. Air Force technical questionnaire titled “U.S. Air Force Technical Information Questionnaire – Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon,” catalogued as xxxx xx 8287890 DelawareMemorialBridge. The document is notable because it illustrates the formal procedure the Air…

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Questions about this case

What was CIA Cold Open. about?: Cold Open. S. S. Air Force Technical Information Questionnaire – Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon,” catalogued as xxxx xx 8287890 DelawareMemorialBridge. The document is notable because it illustrates the formal procedure the Air Force used in the 1960s to collect civilian reports of unidentified aerial phenomena, and it is preserved in the public domain through The Black Vault archive.
Why was this case declassified?: This material was released by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked in the case notes above so the citation chain is fully auditable.

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