“In 1967, flight from Scotland to London, Graham Sheppard’s crew were warned of “high-speed opposite direction traffic, identity unknown”. Almost immediately Sheppard saw below him and about 300 meters to the west, a shining disc-shaped object. The UFO which passed at a speed he estimated as being 1,300kmh.
That same year, on a night flight to London from Gibraltar, he and his crew recorded what appeared to be an aerobatic display by two unidentified craft. The two UFOs were confirmed by radar in Bordeaux. His discussions with the press about his experiences led to his being censured in 1993. In addition with the threat of dismissal from British Airways if he continued to air his views.
After speaking to journalists about his concerns over near-misses, Sheppard was summoned to the office of Lloyd Griffiths. Who at the time was British Airways’ chief pilot for the Boeing 757 and 767 fleets. The correspondence that followed stated that “BA is not putting its collective head in the sand on this topic”. But gave warning of the “media reaction involving ridiculing of your views and the subsequent damage of your image as a BA captain”. It stated that Sheppard should be in no doubt about the “likely repercussions” of further disclosures.
On retiring as an airline pilot, he became well-known publicly and frequently gave lectures on the subject of UFOs. His abilities as a raconteur, and his ability to be always credible, as well as immensely likeable, brought great conviction, as well as entertainment, to any discussion of the unexplained in which he participated.”
(source: The Project Avalon forum) Strange Flying Machines More On Pilots Observations of 1947
