Bob Lazar and UFOs: a reading (and watching) list

American conspiracy theorist Bob Lazar claims to have been a defence contractor and physicist at the Nellis Air Force Base complex, said to contain Area 51.

In 1989, Lazar gave a TV interview in which he claimed to have helped reverse engineer alien aircraft for the U.S. military. In the decades since, he became famous for his theories about the existence of extraterrestrial life and technology, including the existence of flying saucers and intelligent “Grey aliens.” He says his research and credentials have been suppressed or destroyed by the U.S. government.

He was the subject of a 2018 documentary released on Netflix called “Bob Lazar: Area 51 & Flying Saucers.” He published “Dreamland: An Autobiography” in 2019.

On April 27, 2020, the Pentagon released three videos of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) captured by tracking systems on Navy jets. One was taken in November 2004 and the other two in January 2015. The videos were leaked to the public and disseminated by the New York Times and Tom DeLonge’s To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science. The videos show objects nicknamed Gimbal, Go Fast and FLIR moving at high speeds and apparently violating the laws of aerodynamics.

Want to learn more? Check out the Star’s coverage on Bob Lazar, extraterrestrials and local UFO sightings:

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July 28, 2020: Secret UFO files? In Canada the truth is out there — online and searchable (Wanyee Li)

It’s the stuff of UFO enthusiasts’ dreams — or conspiracy theorists’ nightmares. In mid-July, the New York Times reported that the Pentagon has actively investigated reports of UFOs, citing a Senate committee report that called the program the “Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon Task Force.” According to the report, if Congress passes the Intelligence Authorization Act, it could force the Pentagon to release the program’s findings.

But that’s in America. As it turns out, Canada is ahead of the curve when it comes to transparency around UFO phenomenon. The Canadian government even hosts a publicly searchable archive of government records dating back to the 1950s.

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July 24, 2020: Vinay Menon: Evidence suggests UFO whistleblower Bob Lazar was telling the truth all along

Vinay Menon writes: For nearly a century, U.S. intel gathering under clandestine programs — Project Mogul, Project Sign, Project Grudge, Project Blue Book, Project Ozma — had one guiding principle: blanket denial. The outcome in each case was official excuses: UFOs were weather balloons or street lamps or migrating birds. They were not real.

All of this has changed dramatically in the last few years. Vinay asks: isn’t it time Area 51 whistleblower Bob Lazar got a second hearing in the court of public opinion?

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April 28, 2020: Vinay Menon: UFO revelation should be stunning, but COVID-19 has us too locked down to care

A global pandemic seems like an odd time to release UFO videos, writes Vinay Menon. On Monday, April 27, the U.S. Department of Defense declassified and officially released three videos of unidentified flying objects. And contrary to the official statement, the videos didn’t “clear up any misconceptions” — they just created new questions we’re too frazzled to answer in lockdown.

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June 25, 2019: Vinay Menon: Film on Netflix finds UFO whistleblower Bob Lazar seeming less crazy than ever

The most chilling part of Bob Lazar’s story is that it has not changed in 30 years, writes Vinay Menon. The scientist first made global headlines in 1989 with allegations that were truly out of this world: the U.S. government had recovered alien spacecraft and were analyzing the vessels at a top-secret base in Nevada, close to Area 51. Now, with the release of “Bob Lazar: Area 51 & Flying Saucers” on Netflix, it’s time to question whether his claims were as outlandish as they first seemed.

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April 12, 2016: Toronto area had 78 UFO sightings last year, survey finds

For at least 78 people in Toronto, the truth was also flying right in front of their eyes in 2015, according to a survey from Winnipeg-based Ufology Research. GTA residents reported 78 UFOs in 2015, ranking below only Montreal, which had 97 reports. The group says the total reports across Canada in 2015 were an increase from the year before. Read on for descriptions of six potential extraterrestrial sightings Canadians had in 2015, from Vernon, B.C., to Fredericton, N.B.

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Jan 19, 2017: Are you brave enough to drive Nevada’s Extraterrestrial Highway? (Jennifer Bain)

Do not, under any circumstances, cross the line that separates “perfectly legal thrill ride into Area 51” into “instant arrest by the U.S. military.” Googling “Area 51” probably won’t give you any state-sanctioned directions either. But for the discerning UFO enthusiast, there’s always the Extraterrestrial Highway, writes Jennifer Bain.

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July 27, 2014: Was it a UFO? Flashing flying object reported over Toronto

Torontonians were looking for answers after several UFO sightings were reported in North York in late July of 2014. One resident even managed to capture it on video.

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June 2, 2013: UFO sightings have doubled in Canada: Are there aliens among us?

Chris Rutkowski and Geoff Dittman of Ufology Research reported a leap in UFO sightings in Canada in their 2013 survey: 986 reported in 2011; 1,981 last year, or about five each day. Ontario had more sightings than any other province.

*** This article has been archived for your research. The original version can be found at Toronto Star ***