X-Conference Panelists

Panelists

Pilots Panel	One of the most trusted segments of our society are the civilian pilots who transport millions of Americans safely every year and the military pilots who defend the country. In the early years they reported many sightings, and such reports were eventually suppressed and discouraged. Some pilots began researching the issues, many have learned much over the years and all have risked some personal discomfort by seeking the truth of these matters. After civilian and military pilots were strongly discouraged from publicly reporting unusual sightings, thousands of pilot reports were collected over many years by Dr. Richard Haines. This database now forms the core of the work of the National Aviation Reporting Center on Anomalous Phenomena (NARCAP) and is one of the most important evidence compilations for the ETH in the world. Stephen Bassett will moderate a panel of five senior pilots who have engaged the most important issue of our time.
	Commander Graham Bethune is a retired Navy Pilot. During his 26 years of active duty he qualified in over 100 different models of aircraft. He served 6 years as a test pilot with the Naval Bureau of Aeronautics, flew Naval transports for 12 years and holds a civilian "Aitline Transport Pilots Rating." He has flown the Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Brazilian Navy, Chief of Naval Operations, the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Supreme Allied Commander (NATO Commander Lynde McCormick who relieved General Eisenhower when he became president.). On February 5, 1951 he and two other naval pilots flew to Keflovic, Iceland on a secret mission to meet with officials of the Icelandic Government and Lockheed Overseas, who managed the airport. On February 10, 1951, while piloting a four engine Navy transport from Keflavic, Iceland to Argentia, Newfoundland, they had an 8 minute encounter with an object that was 300 feet in diameter and traveled 10,000 feet straight up in a fraction of a second to their plane. The object was picked up on their radar. The first chapter of Major Donald Keyhoe’s book Flying Saucers Top Secret is devoted to this famous encounter.
	David Coote began flying in 1976 and has been a military and civilian pilot. His experience includes flying as a scout in the cavalry, an instructor pilot in an attack helicopter battalion, a helicopter pilot based on offshore oil rigs and freight and passenger operations for commercial airlines. He has flown in Europe, New Zealand and North America. For enjoyment he has flown model planes, para-sails, ultra-lights, gliders, balloons and airships - props, rotors and jets. With over 10,000 hours flight time, he is currently a captain for a U.S. airline that operates a fleet of both Boeing and Airbus aircraft. A few years ago David learned of disturbing information regarding the abandonment of our soldiers in prisoner camps after the Vietnam war. Like most people he didn't want to believe that official policy would allow such a thing. Since then, he has endeavored to find out what else we are not being told. It was during this time he learned that a respected, credentialed, career military officer, Colonel Philip J. Corso, (who had testified at the House Subcommittee Hearing on the MIA/POW issue) was the author of a book titled The Day after Roswell. This was a turning-point for David Coote who then decided he had better take a second look at the subject of extraterrestrial-related phenomena.
	Jim Courant has researched extraterrestrial-related phenomena since 1964 when he joined NICAP. He is an airline pilot captain (active) with over 21,000 flying hours, has worked as a radio and television presenter and was a consultant for the USA Network program Sightings, Encounters and the Other Side. Jim has spoken with many researchers and others who have held high level clearances in government and military service. He is developing a presentation covering 12 years of researching sightings around the world. Video Secrets of the Secret Keepers: What the Insiders Know about UFOs
	Don Daniels has logged over 18,000 flight hours. He is a Certified Flight Instructor in single and multi-engine planes, single engine seaplane and gliders. He is an airline transport pilot rated for the Boeing 737/757/767/777 and has flown 15 years for a major airline. He has Captained for seven years and now flies as a Boeing 777 First Officer on international routes. Don holds a degree in Aviation Management from Boise State University. Don's interest in the subject of extraterrestrial-related phenomena began as a young boy. This interest remained in the background until he was established as a pilot in the mid 1990's. He began to directly engage the issues and became involved in the work of CSETI and the Disclosure Project. Don worked on the May 9^th, 2001 Disclosure Project National Press Club Conference, one of the largest NPC press events in its history. At that time 21 high level witnesses from the government, the military and defense contractors presented testimony. Later in 2001 Don hosted the first Disclosure World Tour presentation held at the University of Colorado in Boulder. He remains involved with the disclosure work.
	Lt. Robert Durant flew six years for the the Navy before joining Pan American World Airways. He flew six different airliners for Pan Am primarily on international routes serving as navigator, flight engineer, copilot and captain. He was also a flight operations manager for two and a half years supervising 1,100 pilots and flight engineers. Bob moved from Pan Am to Delta Airlines in 1991 where he flew until his retirement in 1998. He continues to serve as President of the Pan AM Pilots' Retirement Foundation, Inc. Since the 1950's Bob Durant has studied extraterrestrial-related phenomena and has written numerous articles and reports based on original research. He has published the MUFON Journal, International UFO Reporter, Fate Magazine and the Bulletin of Anomalous Experience among others. He has lectured extensively and appeared on numerous talk shows. He is an expert on the 1947 Roswell incident.

Exopolitics Panel	Walter Andrus, Jr.; Stephen Bassett (moderator); Commander Graham Bethune; David Coote; Jim Courant; Don Daniels; James Deardorff, PhD; Richard Dolan; Ann Druffel; Robert Durant; Stanton Friedman; Charles James Hall; Paola Harris; John Greenewald, Jr.; Michael Heiser, PhD; Lynne D. Kitei, MD; Melinda Leslie; Bruce Maccabee, PhD; Michael Salla, PhD; Richard Sauder, PhD; David Sereda, Alfred Webre, JD; Robert Wood, PhD; Ryan Wood - Easily one of the most powerful assemblages of researchers ever to discuss and answer questions about the exopolitical implications of their work, the phenomena and the government posture. This is a must attend event. Bring your cameras. See the speaker section for bios and photos.