By Greg Bishop
Coast to Coast AM is saddened to share the news that legendary aviator, UFO researcher, and longtime guest of the program, John Lear, has passed away at the age of 79. The son of famed Learjet inventor William Lear, he grew up surrounded by aircraft and pilots. In 1966, at the age of 23, Lear was the lead aviator on a record-breaking flight around the world. Lear also flew missions for Continental Air Services, Inc. (CASI) to provide airlift support during the Vietnam War. He was licensed to pilot almost anything that flew and achieved thousands of hours as pilot-in-command.
He was best known by C2C listeners for his stories and revelations about UFOs and aliens. He appeared with George Knapp, George Noory, and Art Bell numerous times to reveal information about apparent government cooperation with alien races and was one of the original researchers into the strange goings-on at Area 51 as well as other secret locations, using what he claimed was official insider information to support his assertions.
In 1987, he released a statement that the U.S. Government had entered into a secret agreement with aliens and was promoting the gradual public release of this information through popular media. He apparently became aware of a supposed ET presence on Earth and their deals with officialdom through his contact with UFO researcher Paul Bennewitz in the 1980s. From his extensive contact with Bennewitz, he learned of the claimed existence of an underground base near Dulce, New Mexico and actively promoted the story, which has become a staple of UFO lore ever since.
On March 22, 1989, Lear, along with Bob Lazar and screenwriter Gene Huff, famously drove his RV to a remote location on Nevada's highway 395 where it was said that UFOs could be observed every Wednesday night. This was one of the first expeditions to what was later learned to be Area 51. That evening, they saw a light dancing in the distance and Lear observed what he said was a disc-shaped craft through his telescope. Two months later, Lazar began appearing in interviews with George Knapp on Las Vegas’ KLAS TV as a secret government source.
In a now-legendary C2C appearance in November of 2003 with Art Bell, Lear shared what he called the 'Disclosure Briefing.' The lengthy dissertation outlined what he saw as the secret history of UFOs, deals with aliens for technology in exchange for abduction "rights," and how political issues such as the Cold War and Vietnam were actually promoted to draw attention away from the ET presence. Lear revisited the revelatory piece on subsequent episodes and frequently joined Knapp, Lazar, and Huff on memorable programs wherein the group reflected on their role in the Area 51 saga.
Lear will be fondly remembered by countless Coast listeners who were captivated by his riveting appearances on the program as well as the UFO research community, which celebrates his significant contributions to the field, his daring declarations about the nature of a government cover-up, and the many friendships he made with an array of investigators over the years. He is survived by two daughters and his former wife, Marcelle Tagand Lear.