#5. The Disappearance of Flight 412 - 1974

Any movie that begins with the line, "This, is a UFO", has got to be a good'n.


If you love government cover-ups, this one's for you.

During a routine - but vital - mission to check airborne radar equipment, four men, captained by Roy Bishop of the "458th Radar Test Unit", take off from Whitney Airforce Base for a day they would never forget.

The flight starts like any other, and with the auto-pilot engaged, the crew of flight 412 are ready to begin their mission. Under mission conditions, they become "Shadow Delta 1." At this point, the narrator's ominous voice-over states that that's not all they became; the other being, hunted. Almost immediately, three mysterious blips appear on the radar - something that is seen by both the Blanco Vista Marine Air Base and the 412 crew.

Not responding to voice communication, and NORAD's confirmation that no planes are in the area, the panic buttons are pressed and two jet fighters are scrambled to intercept the blips - Tango 1 and 2. Also, Bishop's watch stops.

While en-route, Tango 1 and 2, ready to blast the unidentified flying objects into the stratosphere, start their attack approach. This is monitored by Tony Podryski, 412's navigator, and the ground crew. With the threat to national security soon to be back under control, the jets not only disappear into a questionably composited cloud bank, but also from the radar along with the three blips! The panic buttons are pressed again and 'higher command' is notified.

Confused, Shadow Delta 1's crew report that they'd lost contact with the two jets and see no debris or parachutes. As a courtesy, they add that they'd turn around for a quick look. This idea was denied, and they were told to maintain their course and wait for further instructions. Something that raised their suspicions - and mine - immediately.


Cut to an abandoned airbase and a military helicopter landing.

From it, emerges a team of men who hastily make their way to a hanger, and into a jeep and a nondescript van. Something's up. Something more than the average, above-board military operation. The Digger Airbase is now active, and 412's new orders are to land there.


Whitney Airbase is run by Colonel Pete Moore, a likable chap who, while at lunch with his wife in the barrack's cafe, is interrupted by Major Mike Dunning with urgent news regarding flight 412.


Suspicions are further raised when Moore has trouble tracking information about what just went down. He then realizes he's been cut out of the picture, and makes it his mission to find out what happened to his men.

Meanwhile back at Digger...

412 lands, and the crew is greeted my a man donning a moustache, sunglasses and wearing civilian clothes. In an exchange of IDs, he is found to be Lieutenant Colonel Trottman, a member of the SID. Special Intelligence Detachment.


Back at Whitney, Colonel Moore discovers the location of Digger - his friend Colonel Barnes blabbed to him from a public phone box - and heads off with Dunning to retrieve the crew. During the drive, Dunning reveals that he had been a victim of the same events two years previous. He goes on to advise Moore not to probe to deeply, as the last guy that did went from Major, to shoe salesman in one easy step. Unable to steer from his duty and the fate of his men, they push on.

Inside the Digger Airbase, the 412 crew are being berated over their account of what they saw. Or thought they saw. SID's purpose was to investigate UFO occurrences and, well, cover it up to avoid public panic. This is done by listening to the accounts given by the crew, and then telling them that they had it wrong by citing unreliable equipment. The crew had trouble running with this plan.

"Up yours pal!"

Eventually they give in, agree to believe what they're told, and are released into Moore's care the following morning.

Realizing that SID reported higher up the chain of command, Moore wasn't ready to take 'no' for an answer. Confronting General Enright, he is let in on the situation. As much as he initially denied the disappearance of the two fighter planes, Enright produces a photograph of the wreckage and reveals that the pilots whereabouts are still unknown.

As quickly as it had been setup, Digger and the SID vanish under a mound of paperwork and half-baked truths. Until...

Four months later the same thing happened. This time in front of all the high ranking officers, Colonels and Generals. You'd think this would have unraveled the cover-ups. It didn't, and the conspiracies continue...

Gagdetry: Clearly it's the UFOs.

Favorite quote: "It all began with a basically routine, but crucial mission involving the alignment of sophisticated airborne radar systems, essential to the ultimate defense of the nation." The narrator.

Favorite bit: The SID. Beige leather jackets, moustaches, slacks and aviator sunglasses.

Bottom line: Actually pretty good. Set in the 'modern' day and doesn't try to be anything more than it is. A good old fashioned piece of conspiracy drama. The only thing is, 412 didn't really disappear, it was diverted to the secret Digger Air Base.