APCIC - Vol 10 No 02 - 1985

Magazine Overview

Title: UFO NEWS
Issue: VOLUME 10 NO.2
Date: FEBRUARY 1985
Publisher: AERIAL PHENOMENON CLIPPING INFORMATION CENTER, CLEVELAND, OHIO 44137

This issue of UFO NEWS delves into various UFO-related incidents and investigations, spanning multiple locations and time periods. It features a mix of personal accounts, official reports, and media coverage, reflecting the ongoing public and official interest in unidentified flying objects.

UFO Sightings and Encounters in Virginia

The article "UFO: Over the years, plenty of Virginians have seen the light(s)" by Paul Dellinger highlights numerous UFO incidents in Virginia. It recounts a pilot's fatal encounter in 1948, a reported landing near Fishersville in 1964, and an investigation into a scorched patch of road in South Hill in 1966. The piece also touches upon the cultural impact of UFOs, referencing the movie "The Thing" and the popularization of the 'flying saucer' concept.

One notable case detailed is the sighting by gunsmith Horace Burns in 1964, who described a large, aluminum, beehive-shaped object. His account led to an investigation where Professor Ernest Gehman reported high radiation levels, a finding disputed by the Air Force investigators.

Another incident involves C.N. Crowder's report from South Hill in 1967, describing an object like a 'storage tank on legs' that emitted a bright light. Despite the Air Force listing it as unresolved, Crowder himself believed it was not a UFO, attributing it to atmospheric conditions or a possible hoax.

The article also mentions the historical context of UFO reports, including the "strange airships" seen in 1897 and the impact of H.G. Wells' "War of the Worlds" radio play. It notes that the Air Force's Project Blue Book investigated thousands of reports, classifying most as misinterpretations or hoaxes, but leaving a percentage unexplained.

Swedish Abduction Claim

"My terrifying battle with a UFO kidnap team" by Ray Finch recounts the alleged experience of Ante Jonsson, a Swedish man who claims he narrowly escaped abduction by aliens. Jonsson describes encountering a massive UFO while driving home and being dragged out of his car by six or eight alien creatures. He managed to escape and hide, with a lumber truck's arrival reportedly scaring the UFO away. Despite extensive psychoanalytical tests, Jonsson was found to be a credible witness, and his account has remained consistent.

UK UFO Mystery and Media Attention

"Suffolk Pc American TV crew films scene of mystery landing" reports on a potential key witness in the Rendlesham Forest UFO mystery: a Suffolk policeman. An American television crew from Cable News Network was investigating the 1980 incident, which involved alleged sightings of strange lights and a landed spaceship near Woodbridge airbase. The crew claimed attempts to interview the policeman were thwarted, with an appointment mysteriously cancelled.

UFO Conference and Historical Cases

"Saltaire's fresh look at flying saucers..." details a conference on UFOs featuring an interview with PC Alan Godfrey, a West Yorkshire policeman who claimed to have been abducted by beings from a flying saucer in 1980. The conference aimed to present UFO research objectively, including cases from the West Yorkshire UFO research group and an outline of the Suffolk UFO incident.

Another article, "Mystery sky lights," mentions Mrs. Brenda Catterall of Wigan seeing strange lights in the sky, which she believes were not aircraft.

Flying Saucer Sighting in Dorset

"Flying doughnut sparks UFO alert" by Michael Hunt covers a UFO sighting in Dorset on Saturday, December 15, 1984. Probation officer Andrew Child and his wife Pam reported seeing a grey, doughnut-shaped object with a ring around the middle, hovering near Rampisham. They described it as being the size of an aircraft and rotating slowly. The object was reportedly seen near an international radio relay station.

UFO Searchers Dive Today

"UFO searchers dive today" reports on a scuba team preparing to search the waters off Lummi Island, Washington, for an unidentified flying object that reportedly splashed down there in July 1984. Seismic radar had detected an egg-shaped object on the seafloor, described as a "large mass of something that shouldn't be there."

Alien Birds Attack Truck

"UFO alien birds attack truck" by Patrick Cotter details the bizarre account of truck drivers Robert and Jackie Blair, who claimed they were dive-bombed by UFOs shaped like birds. The couple reported being strafed with metal filings for hundreds of miles, forcing them to abandon their truck. They filed a report with the National UFO Reporting Center, and the trucking company manager described them as "plain-old everyday folks."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue include the persistent nature of UFO sightings across different decades and locations, the challenges faced by witnesses, and the role of media and official investigations in shaping public perception. There's a clear interest in presenting diverse accounts, from alleged abductions to unexplained aerial phenomena. The magazine appears to lean towards reporting on these phenomena with a degree of seriousness, while also acknowledging skepticism and the need for scientific investigation. The inclusion of historical cases and ongoing investigations suggests an editorial stance that supports the exploration of UFO phenomena.

Title: Vaghi promotes UFO sightings
Publication: DANBURY NEWS TIMES
Date: January 4, 1985
Country: USA
Document Type: Magazine Issue

Dante J. Vaghi: Promoting UFO Sightings

The lead story focuses on Dante J. Vaghi, a UFO enthusiast from Bethel, USA, who is actively promoting his experiences. Vaghi has designed a T-shirt that announces his three reported sightings of unidentified flying objects and has also built a model of a UFO he claims to have seen. He is sending these T-shirts to various officials, including local selectmen, NASA, and President Reagan, with the aim of ensuring he receives credit for his detailed UFO reports from the 1950s.

Vaghi's interest in aviation stems from his father, Joseph Vaghi Sr. He joined the U.S. Air Corps during World War II and helped develop aircraft recognition books, though he never became a pilot. His fascination with UFOs began in March 1950 when he witnessed a long, jet-black object floating about 12 miles above south-central Bethel. This object had birdwing-like ridges and emitted a brilliant white light with dark crosses before disappearing without a sound or vapor trail.

Since this initial sighting, Vaghi has created a wooden model of the object. His T-shirt features the date and location of the 1950 sighting, along with a drawing. It also includes drawings of two other objects he saw in the summer of 1956: one a circle seen over Wooster Mountain near Danbury Airport, and another oblong object that resembled a glowing ice cream cone or egg.

Vaghi is convinced these objects are extraterrestrial, arguing that the U.S. would test secret aircraft in the desert, not along the crowded East Coast. He believes aliens have come to Earth to observe human technological knowledge.

The idea for the T-shirts reportedly came from a television program where a man discussed making money from novelty T-shirts. Vaghi has commissioned 50 copies for officials and plans to sell another 150, with his initials instead of his name, at his shop. While he doesn't expect to make $1 million, he hopes to recoup his expenses and believes the gift T-shirts will remind NASA officials of him when the space telescope launches, hoping it will find UFOs and prove his observations correct.

Celebrities Who've Seen UFOs

This section highlights several well-known figures who have reported UFO sightings:

• Muhammad Ali: The heavyweight boxing champion reported seeing a bright light, described as a huge electric light bulb in the sky, while jogging in New York's Central Park in 1972. This account is retold in the book "The World's Greatest UFO Mysteries."
• Elke Sommer: The German-born actress described seeing a great shiny orange ball floating like a big moon in her Los Angeles garden in 1978. It appeared to come toward her, causing her to flee inside.
• Jimmy Carter: While governor of Georgia in 1973, Carter witnessed a UFO with red and green flashing lights that streaked across the night sky. He described it as being as big as the moon and changing color. This experience led him to launch a $20 million study into UFOs during his presidency.

Other celebrities mentioned include John Gilligan and former President Jimmy Carter.

Rendlesham Forest Incident: A Lighthouse Explanation?

This article critically examines the famous Rendlesham Forest UFO incident that occurred near the U.S. Air Force base at Woodbridge, Suffolk, in December 1980. The News of the World reported it as a sensational encounter with an alien spaceship.

However, the investigation by Ian Ridpath suggests a more mundane explanation. A local forester, Vince Thurkettle, stated that people in the area do not believe anything strange happened. Thurkettle proposed that the "flashing light" seen by the airmen was actually the Orford Ness lighthouse beam, which appeared to hover above the trees due to the forest's elevation.

Ridpath, accompanied by a BBC TV crew, visited the site and found that the lighthouse beam could indeed be mistaken for a hovering UFO. The airmen's description of the object's movement and appearance matched the lighthouse beam. The article notes that the airmen never mentioned the lighthouse, only the pulsating UFO.

Further investigation into the alleged landing marks revealed they were likely irregular rabbit diggings, not spacecraft impressions. The "burn marks" on trees were attributed to axe cuts made by foresters. Radiation readings were found to be consistent with natural sources. The "star-like objects" seen later were likely bright celestial objects, possibly Sirius.

The article concludes that the Rendlesham Forest case, while compelling, can be explained by a combination of natural phenomena (a bright meteor, the lighthouse) and human imagination, rather than an alien spacecraft landing.

UFO Information Filed Away by Ministry of Defence

Information about UFO sightings in Oxfordshire is being sent to the Ministry of Defence (MoD). However, local UFO expert Derek Mansell states that it is almost impossible to obtain any information from the MoD, with results only revealed after 30 years, which he considers too late. The MoD spokesman indicated that they are only interested in any defense implications a sighting might have, and otherwise, the information is filed away.

Mystery Object Over Resort

A young woman from Hunstanton, UK, reported seeing a dome-shaped, fluorescent, glowing orange object moving slowly in the night sky above the resort. She described it as a ball of light with a white tail, and her boyfriend also witnessed it. She believes it was a UFO.

A Perfect Night to Hunt for UFOs

This article follows reporter Tom Moroney as he joins Betty Hill, a well-known figure in UFOlogy, for a night of UFO watching in southern New Hampshire. Betty and her late husband Barney Hill are famous for their alleged "close encounter of the third kind" in 1961, where they claimed to have been taken aboard a spacecraft and examined by aliens.

Betty Hill adheres to two strict rules: not revealing the landing site location and obeying instructions. She recounts an incident where she confronted low-diving saucers that had been harassing her, asserting her ownership of the planet. The reporter experiences a sighting of a blinking, silvery light, and later, multiple lights in the sky. Betty indicates that aliens are aware of their presence and that many people are watching the skies.

UFOs Never Stole Anyone's Baby, Astronomer Insists

This article features Andrew Fraknoi, an astronomer at San Francisco State University and a member of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. Fraknoi is critical of popular beliefs in UFOs, ancient astronauts, and astrology, which he finds prevalent among his students.

He argues that the vast distances in space make it unlikely for aliens to travel light-years just to harass people. Fraknoi's group aims to debunk paranormal claims. He cites a study showing that only 11 percent of psychic predictions are accurate, yet horoscopes remain popular because they offer simple answers to life's difficulties.

Dr. Wallace Sampson, another speaker at a Stanford University meeting, specializes in debunking psychic medicine claims. He states there is no evidence that positive thinking can cure diseases and warns against people forsaking traditional medicine for unproven psychic cures.

Namedropping: Close Encounters of the Kodak Kind

This brief item mentions Eastman Kodak's involvement in space programs and a report of a UFO photographed by Pal Kirstian Vaag in Norway using a Kodak Disc 4000 camera. The Royal Norwegian Air Force has deemed the photos unretouched, and NASA is studying them. Kodak's Norwegian division has reportedly used this to advertise their cameras as "the UFO camera."

We Saw UFO Commandos

This article details three alleged encounters with unearthly aliens in Italy, being investigated by the Italian Ministry of Defence. The most detailed report comes from Isidoro Ferri, a farmer near Florence, who claims to have been subjected to a "commando raid" by mysterious beings who could walk through walls. He describes a four-foot-tall alien in a dark gray metallic garment with a bright circular light on its forehead. The beings examined him and his room before gliding through a closed door. Ferri's dog also became unresponsive for seven days.

Two other incidents are mentioned: Giuseppe Cocozza in Avellino encountered a four-foot creature in a silvery suit that emerged from a landed spaceship, and a group of hunters near Florence saw a UFO land silently in the woods.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine presents a mixed perspective on UFO phenomena. While it features personal accounts and promotes the idea of UFO sightings through individuals like Dante J. Vaghi, it also includes critical analyses and debunking efforts by scientists like Andrew Fraknoi. The Rendlesham Forest incident is presented with a skeptical explanation, suggesting natural phenomena and imagination played a role. The overall stance appears to be one of reporting on UFO claims while also providing counterarguments and scientific skepticism, particularly concerning paranormal beliefs.

This issue of the Faversham Times, dated November 8, 1984, includes reports on UFO sightings and alleged cover-ups. A concurrent article from the Warrington Guardian, dated November 14, 1984, is also featured, focusing on UFO research and claims of secrecy.

Teenagers Claim a UFO Sighting (Faversham Times)

The main cover story details a UFO sighting by 17-year-old Michele Bergin, who was waiting outside Teynham station on Hallowe'en night. She described a kite-shaped object with white lights in the centre, which emitted orange sparks and moved in a zig-zag path with a tail of light. The centre lights reportedly shifted from green to red. Michele's father, mother, brother, and his girlfriend also saw the object later that night. The following night, Michele and her friend Sarah Lewis saw the object again, though it was more distant. Michele reported her sightings to the police, who passed the information to R.A.F. Manst for collation of UFO sightings. Both Michele and her family were mystified, stating it was definitely not a helicopter, plane, or star.

UFO Research Director's 'Cover-Up' Claim (Warrington Guardian)

This section features Jenny Randles, the national director of research for the British UFO Research Association, who has spent six years investigating UFO sightings in the UK. Randles has travelled extensively, appeared on television, and written several books on the subject. She has co-written a new book that accuses the British and American governments of a major cover-up concerning a suspected UFO landing in 1980.

The book, titled "Sky Crash: A Cosmic Conspiracy," reportedly provides the full story of a UFO landing near a NATO base in East Anglia in 1980. It claims that a "silver suited entity" made contact with a senior American base commander. The book calls for a public inquiry into the incident at Rendlesham Forest. According to the book, the spacecraft is thought to have crash-landed in the woods, and while repairs were carried out, contact was made with the base. The narrative includes details of radiation leaks, human-alien contact, and subsequent investigations and cover-ups at the highest levels on both sides of the Atlantic.

Jenny Randles stated, "We know something happened. Even if it wasn't a UFO, something happened, and it should be made public." The book was published by Neville Spearman and co-written by Jenny Randles, Dot Street, and Brenda Butler.

They HAVE Landed Say UFOLOGISTS, Claiming A Big Cover-Up (Article continued from page 21)

This article delves deeper into the Rendlesham Forest incident, referencing a dramatic tape recording allegedly made by a senior American officer during a search in a Suffolk forest in December 1980. The recording supposedly captures the officer describing eerie silence, the discovery of damaged trees and strange indentations in the soil, and radiation levels being recorded. Moments later, the officer orders his men to "douse lights" as a strange object appears to be moving towards them.

The tape allegedly captures the officer's stunned voice describing a small red light in the sky, which he calls "weird" and notes is "definitely coming this way." He then describes seeing "two strange objects, half-moon shaped, becoming full circle, with coloured lights on them." The recording ends with the officer seeming to lose control and ordering the men back to base.

British ufologists, who claim to have received this tape-recording recently, are demanding a public inquiry into the Rendlesham Forest sightings. They allege that the suppression of the tape and previous denials of its existence are part of a massive cover-up by the Americans and the British defence ministry. The identity of the tape's supplier is being kept secret.

Jenny Randles asserts that their objective is not just to sell books but to inform the public. She emphasizes that whatever landed in the forest, even if not a UFO, had dangerous radiation associated with it. Randles states that there is enough sworn testimony from eyewitnesses to warrant an open investigation and accuses authorities of a "conspiracy" to hide the truth.

The ufologists also claim support from Ralph Noyes, who formerly headed the UFO data section within the Ministry of Defence. According to Randles, civilian eyewitnesses have been warned off or paid off, and military witnesses were debriefed and sent back to the United States.

One former airman, who is too afraid to give his real name, reportedly described being taken to an underground room and seeing a UFO similar to the one that crash-landed. He also provided descriptions of "silver-suited aliens" attempting to repair their damaged craft. These beings were described as being just over three feet tall, with large heads, slits for eyes, nose, and mouth, and eyes like inverted cat's eyes. They reportedly communicated through sign language with commanding officers.

Randles claims that the Defence Ministry initially flatly denied any UFO reports from the area. Two years later, they admitted that "unusual lights" had been reported. An official report to the Defence Ministry from the US colonel in charge of base operations, obtained through the American Freedom of Information Act, reportedly mentions both events, describing the object as triangular, metallic, and capable of extraordinary manoeuvres.

Jenny concludes by stating that the people of Britain have a right to be treated with respect and that excessive secrecy could be catastrophic. She believes the government has not told the truth and continues to refuse to do so.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are UFO sightings, alleged alien encounters, and government cover-ups. The articles present a critical stance towards official explanations, highlighting eyewitness accounts and investigative efforts by UFO researchers. There is a strong emphasis on the need for transparency and public inquiry into these phenomena, particularly concerning the Rendlesham Forest incident. The editorial stance appears to support the ufologists' claims and calls for open investigation, suggesting a belief in the significance of these events and a distrust of official narratives.