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User:Feofer/John Olsen Lear

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John Olson Lear (December 3, 1942 - March 29, 2022) was an influential conspiracy theorist, a record-breaking pilot, and a one-time candidate for State Senate.[1][2][3]

Unlike previous UFO conspiracy theorists, Lear promoted a story of alien collusion with secret governmental forces.[1] Lear's tale left a lasting influence on the UFO movement -- one author observed "in the early years [UFO writers] did not, by and large, embrace strong political positions. [Lear and his partner] were the tip of a spear asserting that the number one thing we had to fear was not little green men, but the government that colluded with them, appropriating their technology against us." [1][2][4]

Early life

John Olson Lear was born on December 3, 1942 to industrialist and future Learjet founder Bill Lear and his wife Moya Marie Olsen Lear.[5][6] He was named after his maternal grandfather, famous comedian John Olsen.[5] His second and third birthday parties were covered in the "Society" page of an Ohio paper.[7][8]

Lear graduated from the Institut Le Rosey boarding school in Switzerland and attended Wichita State University.[9][10] Lear claimed that in 1959 he had become the youngest American to ever climb Switzerland's Matterhorn.[11]

Career

In 1965, Lear was employed by the Paul Kelly Flying Service when its founder was killed while piloting a LearJet. Lear testified at the Civil Aeronautics Board investigation into the crash.[12]

Between May 23 and 26, 1966, Lear and a crewmmate flew a record-breaking flight around the world in a LearJet that covered 22,000 miles in 50 hours and 39 minutes.[13]

In August 1966, Lear was featured in the Wichita Press after he piloted a LearJet carrying the rock band The Byrds and the trip inspired them to write a song about the plane.[14] The track, titled "2-4-2 Foxtrot (The Lear Jet Song)", samples Lear's voice as he speaks over the radio.[14][15]

In 1968, Air Force personnel from Hamilton Air Force Base launched a rescue effort to help Lear land after heavy San Francisco fog interfered with landing. Traffic was cleared from the Golden Gate Bridge in anticipation of a forced landing. After a helicopter pilot established visual contact, Lear was able to successfully land at the base.[16]

Lear claimed to fly "secret missions for the CIA" between 1967 and 1983.[17][better source needed]

UFO claims

In 1987, Lear released a press statement claiming that the US government has close contacts with extraterrestrial and were secretly "promoting" films like E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial and Close Encounters of the Third Kind to influence the public to see extraterrestrials as "space brothers".[18]

In 1989, Lear served as "State Director" for MUFON, hosting the 1989 symposium "The UFO Cover-Up: A Government Conspiracy?"[2] Despite initial objections from MUFON founder Walt Andrus, Lear was able to submit a slate of speakers after he threatened to split the symposium. [2] At that same symposium, Roswell author Bill Moore tearfully confessed to having intentionally spread disinformation to UFO researcher Paul Bennewitz on behalf of purported counter-intelligence agent Richard Doty. [2] Lear's speakers were slated to provide allegedly-independent verification of the Bennewitz claims. [2] One of those speakers, Bill Cooper, would later break with Lear after accusing him of being an intelligence agent.[1]

Lear made multiple appearances on fringe TV shows, including Ancient Aliens, America's Book of Secrets,Brad Meltzer's Decoded, and The Unexplained Files. [19] From 2003 to 2015, Lear was a regular guest on Coast to Coast AM.[20]

Personal life and death

In 1970, Lear married Marilee Higginbotham, the owner of a California fashion modelling agency, at a ceremony in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles.[9]

Lear died on March 29,2022.[21]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Dickey, Colin (August 28, 2018). "A Pioneer of Paranoia" – via The New Republic.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Jacobson, Mark (2018). Pale Horse Rider: William Cooper, the Rise of Conspiracy, and the Fall of Trust in America. Blue Rider Press. ISBN 978-0399169953.
  3. ^ Pilkington, Mark (July 29, 2010). "Mirage Men: A Journey into Disinformation, Paranoia and UFOs". Little, Brown Book Group – via Google Books.
  4. ^ Bishop, Greg (February 8, 2005). "Project Beta: The Story of Paul Bennewitz, National Security, and the Creation of a Modern UFO Myth". Simon and Schuster – via Google Books.
  5. ^ a b "5 May 1943, Page 10 - Arizona Republic at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "9 Dec 1942, 5 - The Dayton Herald at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "8 Dec 1944, Page 2 - The Piqua Daily Call at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "5 Feb 1943, Page 2 - The Piqua Daily Call at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b "14 Sep 1970, 42 - The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "24 Jun 1971, Page 16 - Reno Gazette-Journal at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Aerial Revelations". Coast to Coast AM.
  12. ^ "2 Mar 1966, 10 - The Wichita Beacon at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Lear Jet 23". Smithsonian Institution.
  14. ^ a b "28 Aug 1966, 63 - The Wichita Eagle at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "2-4-2 Fox Trot (The Lear Jet Song)" – via www.youtube.com.
  16. ^ "23 Oct 1968, Page 24 - News Record at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Affadaviit by John Lear
  18. ^ Barkun, Michael (March 31, 2003). "A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America". University of California Press – via Google Books.
  19. ^ "John Lear". IMDb.
  20. ^ "John Lear". Coast to Coast AM.
  21. ^ Statement from journalist George Knapp
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