27 lines
2.6 KiB
Markdown
27 lines
2.6 KiB
Markdown
---
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category: "UFO & Anomalous Phenomena"
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tags:
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- Person
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- UFO
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summary: "Commander Dave Fravor is a retired U.S."
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---
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Commander [[Dave Fravor]] is a retired U.S. Navy pilot who is best known as the lead eyewitness in the 2004 [[Tic Tac]] involving the [[USS Nimitz]] Carrier Strike Group. His credible testimony and detailed account of the encounter have been instrumental in bringing the issue of [[Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena]] (UAP) to the attention of the public and the U.S. Congress.[^1]
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### Naval Career
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A graduate of the prestigious Top Gun naval flight school, Commander Fravor was the commanding officer of the Black Aces squadron (VFA-41) at the time of the Tic Tac incident. He was considered one of the best pilots in the Navy, known for his skill and level-headedness in high-pressure situations.[^1]
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### The Tic Tac Encounter
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On November 14, 2004, while on a routine training mission off the coast of San Diego, Commander Fravor and his WSO, Commander Jim Slaight, were diverted to investigate a series of anomalous radar contacts that had been tracked by the [[USS Princeton]]. Fravor, along with a second F/A-18 piloted by Lieutenant Commander [[Alex Dietrich]], witnessed a white, oblong craft, later nicknamed the "Tic Tac," maneuvering erratically over a disturbance in the ocean.[^1]
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Fravor descended to engage the object, which responded by mirroring his movements before accelerating at a speed he described as "like nothing I've ever seen." The object vanished in an instant, only to reappear on radar sixty miles away at the squadron's pre-arranged rendezvous point. Fravor's detailed and unwavering account of the incident, corroborated by the other pilots and the radar data, provided a solid foundation for the subsequent investigation by the [[Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program]] (AATIP).[^1]
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### Role in Disclosure
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In the years following the incident, Commander Fravor was hesitant to speak publicly about his experience due to the stigma surrounding the UAP topic. However, he was eventually debriefed by [[Luis Elizondo]] and [[Christopher Mellon]] and agreed to share his story. His testimony was featured in the groundbreaking 2017 New York Times article that revealed the existence of AATIP, and he has since become a key figure in the UAP disclosure movement.[^1]
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He has provided briefings to members of Congress and their staff, and he testified under oath at a historic public hearing on UAP in July 2023. His credibility as a highly trained and respected naval aviator has been a crucial factor in legitimizing the UAP issue as a serious national security concern.[^1]
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### Footnotes
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[^1]: Elizondo, Luis. *Imminent*. William Morrow, 2024.
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