John Lear
John Olsen Lear (December 3, 1942 – March 29, 2022) was an American aviator, conspiracy theorist, and ufologist. He was the son of Bill Lear, inventor of the Learjet and namesake of the Lear Corporation. John Lear became well known in the 1980s and 1990s for promoting controversial claims about UFOs, secret government programs, and extraterrestrial contact.
Aviation Background
John Lear was a highly accomplished pilot, having flown over 150 different aircraft types and logging thousands of hours of flight time. He held numerous FAA certificates and once flew missions for the CIA. His aviation pedigree, combined with his family name, gave weight to his credibility in the early days of UFO disclosure circles.
Conspiracy and UFO Claims
Lear became widely known in UFO and conspiracy communities for his extreme claims regarding secret underground bases, human-alien agreements, soul-harvesting technologies on the Moon, and the idea that nearly all of modern history is manipulated by extraterrestrial forces. He claimed to have inside knowledge from military and intelligence sources, though his assertions were frequently criticized by mainstream researchers and skeptics.
Some of his most notable claims include:
- The U.S. government signed a treaty with extraterrestrials in the 1950s.
- There are secret bases on the Moon and Mars.
- Souls are processed after death by alien entities in a "soul-catcher" on the Moon.
- The government is hiding a vast infrastructure of alien collaboration beneath places like Area 51 and Dulce Base.
Involvement with AboveTopSecret.com
John Lear was an active and highly influential member of AboveTopSecret.com (ATS), one of the internet's largest conspiracy and alternative discussion forums. He joined the community during the mid-2000s and contributed extensively to forums on Aliens & UFOs, Skunk Works, and General Conspiracies. His threads often attracted significant attention, controversy, and heated debate.
Among Lear’s most memorable contributions to ATS were:
- Detailed posts about lunar anomalies and artificial structures on the Moon.
- Repeated assertions that gravity is electromagnetic, not based in mass.
- Diagrams and explanations of secret aircraft and alien spacecraft.
- Engagements in Q&A sessions where he elaborated on his views, sometimes in opposition to both skeptics and fellow believers.
Lear was respected by many long-time ATS users for his openness and willingness to discuss extreme topics without filter. However, his claims were often challenged by both moderators and skeptical members, and some threads were subject to moderation due to content or tone. Nonetheless, Lear remained one of the most recognizable personalities in ATS’s UFO subculture during its most active years.
Legacy
John Lear left behind a mixed legacy. He was considered a legend by parts of the UFO and disclosure communities for speaking boldly about hidden truths he believed the government was covering up. At the same time, critics accused him of spreading misinformation and conflating speculative ideas with unverifiable "inside knowledge."
Lear passed away in 2022 at the age of 79. His involvement with ATS remains a key part of the site's history, and his posts continue to be referenced in discussions of UFO lore, lunar conspiracies, and black-budget technologies.
External Links
- Archive of John Lear's ATS profile and threads
- Wikipedia article on John Lear
- John Lear on IMDb (related to his rare media appearances)