[1] In the 1980s, he began speaking of alien collusion with secret governmental forces,[2] and in the second half of the decade, Lear was "probably the most influential source" of UFO research.

In 1962, Lear crashed a biplane during stunt flying at his boarding school; He underwent an emergency tracheotomy, a five-hour surgery, and a long convalescence.

[14] 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.

"[22] Since the 1947 flying disc craze, Americans had reported seeing unidentified objects in the skies, and by 1955, UFO researchers were accusing the US Government of a cover-up.

In 1984, ufologist Bill Moore's partner Jaime Shandera received an envelope containing film which, when developed, showed images of eight pages of documents that appeared to be briefing papers describing "Operation Majestic 12", a top-level UFO group with the US Government.

[25] On December 29, 1987, Lear posted a Statement to ParaNet, an early bulletin board system dedicated to the paranormal, claiming that the US government has close contacts with extraterrestrials and were secretly "promoting" films like E.T.

Lear argues that "Germany may have recovered a flying saucer in 1939" and discusses the 1946 American military investigation into the Ghost rockets reported over Sweden.

Lear's statement influenced Thomas Allen LeVesque, pen name "Jason Bishop III", who later admitted to fabricating stories about Dulce Base.

[29][30] Mirage Men author Mark Pilkington later described Lear's Statement as "a perfect synthesis of the Aquarius and MJ-12 disinformation and the chthonic [subterranean], paranoiac horrors of Paul Bennewitz.

According to Cooper's first post, in 1966 he was serving aboard the USS Tiru when he and fellow Navy personnel witnessed a metal craft "larger than a football field" repeatedly enter and exit the water.

[39][40] In 1989, Lear served as State Director for The Mutual UFO Network, hosting their 1989 annual convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 1, 1989.

"[33] 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] The Ufologist Bill Moore was scheduled as the main speaker, and he refused to submit his paper for review prior to the convention, and also announced that he would not answer any follow-up questions as was common practice.

Moore's claims sent shock waves through the small, tight-knit UFO community[citation needed], which remains divided as to the reliability of his assertions.

Lear made multiple appearances on TV shows, including Ancient Aliens, America's Book of Secrets, Brad Meltzer's Decoded, and The Unexplained Files.

Cooper and Lear 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.

"[2][33][44] In 1970, Lear married Marilee Higginbotham, owner of a California fashion modelling agency, at a ceremony in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles.