APRO Bulletin - 1960 09 00 - September

Magazine Overview

This issue of THE A. P. R. O. BULLETIN, dated September 1960, is the official publication of the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization (APRO). It is dedicated to the study of unidentified flying objects (UAOs) and aims to contribute to solving the mystery of these phenomena. The magazine features detailed reports on specific sightings, analytical articles, and updates on APRO's research efforts.

UAO Repair In Midair Observed

This article, written by B. V. Wilson, details a sighting by Ray Hawks in Boulder, Colorado, on August 11, 1960. While working with a tractor, Hawks heard a muffled detonation and then observed a disc-shaped object descend from a cloud and stop in mid-air. The object, described as dull aluminum with a surface like velvet, appeared to undergo a repair. A plate on its surface oozed a bright royal blue smoke and was then tilted and withdrawn inside the craft, leaving an elongated hole. Hawks described an intermittent hum emanating from the disc. After the repair, the UAO ascended vertically at extreme speed and disappeared. Hawks reported feeling an extraordinary sense of peace and contentment during the event, which he attributed to a possible ray directed at him to immobilize him. The object was estimated to be about 650 feet away and 200 feet above the ground, with a diameter of approximately 100 feet and a thickness of 20 feet. The article also notes a strange request from Air Force officers to Hawks to spread a false statement about the object reappearing, which he refused. The author concludes that Hawks was an intelligent and sincere observer and possibly the first human to witness a UAO repair.

New Sighting By Priest In Australia

Peter Norris, APRO's Australian representative, reports a sighting by Reverend and Mrs. Lionel Browning in Cressy, Launceton, Australia, on October 4, 1960. Residents reported a mysterious explosion. At 6:10 p.m., the Brownings observed a grey, cigar-shaped object with a dull surface and four vertical bands, descending through cloud cover. A rod with a propeller-like device was noted at the bow. The object stopped in mid-air above the Panshanger Estate. After about 30 seconds, five or six small disc-shaped objects appeared from above, moving very fast. These smaller objects, about 30 feet in diameter and light grey, stationed themselves around the larger craft. The larger object then reversed its course and entered the cloud faster than it had emerged. The incident was followed by an explosion that shook houses and the ground, comparable to an earthquake.

Patrolmen Chase UAO Two Hours

This article recounts a sighting by Highway Patrolmen Stanley Scott and Charles Carson of Red Bluff, California, on August 13, 1960. While pursuing a speeding motorcycle, they spotted a strange object about 15 degrees in the east. They pursued the object for two hours and 15 minutes. The object was described as football-shaped with a pale yellow glow, several white horizontal lights, a red glowing light at one end, and a red flashing light at the other. Observers estimated its altitude between 100 to 200 feet off the ground and about a mile away. The object suddenly ascended rapidly to about 500 feet, leading the patrolmen to believe it was extraordinary. The object exhibited "actually unbelievable" maneuvers, including up and down and sideways movements, and rotated a slowly sweeping red beam. Scott estimated its speed never exceeded 400 mph. Radio static increased as they neared the object, and complete radio failure occurred for about 15 minutes. The object was also seen to make a turn and sweep the area with its red light. On two occasions, it came directly toward the patrol car before turning away. Before disappearing, it was joined by a similar object. The article notes that the incident was reported to the press but did not receive significant coverage outside California. The Air Force radar station in Red Bluff confirmed the UFO as unidentified, though later denied picking up anything on their scope.

U. S. Sightings

This section presents a selection of UFO sightings from various locations in the USA during the summer of 1960, noting a pattern similar to the Fall 1957 flap with close-up sightings in military-important areas.

• August 1, 1960, Los Angeles, California: Strange, maneuvering lights of bluish-white and red-and-green combinations were observed.
• August 13, 1960, Plumas County, California: Deputy sheriff and private citizens reported formations of red and white glowing disc-shaped objects moving at unbelievable speeds.
• August 18, 1960, Redlands City, California: A disc-shaped object with red lights along the side and white lights at each extremity was observed by multiple witnesses, accompanied by a steady, deep roar and hum.
• September 12, 1960, Los Angeles, California: An unexplained "giant sparkler" trailing an orange tail was observed during a six-second flight.
• September 13, 1960, Albuquerque, New Mexico: Ex-Air Force pilots and wives watched a small reddish object performing unusual maneuvers.
• September 15, 1960, Colorado Springs, Colorado: Members of a classified installation tracking team observed an "unexplainable object" performing unusual aerial feats.
• September 16, 1960, Los Angeles, California: Police Officer Don Anderson observed a triangular-shaped object hovering about 300 feet over the Douglas Aircraft plant.

New Mexico Visited By UAOS

This report details sightings over Alamogordo and Las Cruces, New Mexico, on September 26. At 3 a.m., a glowing green disc-shaped object was seen traveling from north to west, making a turn and exhibiting three exhaust trails. The UFO officer at Holloman initially identified it as a meteor, but its characteristics contradicted this. Notably, about an hour earlier, police officers in Las Cruces observed a similar bright green disc. Additionally, two other Las Cruces policemen followed an object described as a bright ball of white light which appeared to land on west mesa before taking off with a blinding flash.

Orthoteny In Brazil

This is Part II of an article by Dr. Olavo Fontes, discussing the concept of 'orthoteny' as proposed by French author Aime Michel. Orthoteny suggests that UFO sightings on a given day tend to align in straight lines, often intersecting at specific points ('stars') and having terminal points ('apexes'). The article analyzes numerous sightings from Brazil on May 13, 1960, plotting them on a map to demonstrate these alignments. The author notes that the pattern of alignments observed in Brazil is similar to those found in France and suggests that these patterns are not accidental. The article details specific alignments and their lengths, highlighting how they form a complex network. It also discusses the possibility of predicting alignments based on the exact angular coordinates of a UAO's trajectory, a concept confirmed by factual evidence in later observations.

Far To The North: Flying Discs and Other UAOS (Brazil)

This section details sightings in the Ceara State of Brazil. On May 17, a strange green luminous sphere was observed in the northern sky near Acarau. Later that evening, a strange red glowing object approached the town, stopped in mid-air, and then moved away. Hundreds witnessed these events. The article then focuses on Paracuru, where flying discs were sighted. A farmer reported a grey object with a bright blue light silently following his caravan. Simultaneously, fishermen observed a disc-shaped craft hovering above their boat, emitting a blue glow. Over one hundred citizens in Paracuru witnessed a disc-shaped craft maneuvering over the town. The sightings caused fear and hysteria, exacerbated by a landing incident reported on May 14. A fisherman reported seeing two disc-shaped objects landed on a sandy hill, with two small, pallid beings of human appearance outside them. Another incident involved a military jet attempting to intercept a disc-shaped object near Fortaleza, which evaded at supersonic speed.

Far To The South (Brazil)

This section describes a sighting in Petrolina, Pernambuco State, on May 13. Dozens of witnesses saw a strange luminous object, described as a bright star encircled by a whitish mist, which grew larger than the full moon before stopping in mid-air. The nebulous envelope vanished, leaving luminous points that eventually disappeared. The phenomenon lasted 12 minutes.

The Spider Web

This brief report mentions several sightings in the State of Ceara on the same night as the Brazilian orthoteny events. A "ball of fire" was seen over Caninde and Marco, and a huge luminous sphere was observed over farms near Morada Nova and Russas. A Fortaleza newspaper noted these sightings and concluded that the trajectory of the objects was difficult to establish due to the distances between the reporting towns, suggesting zig-zag movements across the territory.

Pentagon USAF Comments On Sightings

This section presents a letter from Colonel Lawrence J. Tacker of the USAF, responding to inquiries about the Red Bluff, California sighting. Tacker suggests the sighting was "probably due to the refraction of common objects" and that the object was "highly probable" to be the planet Mars. The APRO authors disagree with this explanation, noting that Tacker's answer was "more involved" and "even more improbable." They also comment on Tacker's spelling of "Betelgeuse," noting that both spellings are correct. APRO's conclusion is that the object seen by the Red Bluff officers was an "unconventional aerial object, quite probably" from outer space.

Give The A. P. R. O. Bulletin For Christmas

This is a promotional piece encouraging readers to purchase gift memberships for APRO. It highlights the growing interest in objective reporting and the organization's upcoming 10th year of research. It also mentions the disruption of the publication schedule and assures members that progress is being made.

"Atmospherics" - The Final Key

Written by L. J. Lorenzen, this article discusses the concept of "atmospherics" as a potential explanation for certain UFO phenomena. The author expresses apprehension shared by officialdom regarding UAO activity, often seen as reconnaissance or surreptitious experiments, suggesting a potentially hostile or non-friendly nature. However, a confusing factor was the existence of UAOs that behaved without mass but produced radar returns and demonstrated abrupt appearances and disappearances. The article references examples like the Washington D.C. blips in 1952 and Lt. George Gorman's sighting in Fargo, North Dakota. It then introduces a solution suggested by the Armour Research Foundation to the Air Force: the production of man-made "fire balls" high in the sky for night illumination or anti-missile purposes. These "fire balls" would be "confined plasma" or masses of highly charged particles, confined by high-powered radar beams. The article suggests that such plasma productions might be a deliberate confusion factor introduced by UFO occupants to detract attention from their real threat, confirming their hostility or non-friendliness.

Special Reports Ready

This section announces two special reports available for purchase: Report No. 1 on the Keffel-Martins pictures from Rio de Janeiro ($1.00), and Report No. 2 on APRO's Physical Evidence ($1.50). Both reports will be printed on the same paper and with the same type of print as the Bulletin. Orders are needed to proceed with printing.

UAO Over Colorado

On September 20, 1960, a disc-shaped or spherical object with alternately flashing red, white, and green lights was reported over Denver, Colorado. An FAA employee estimated the object to be 37 miles above Earth. It hovered for 30 minutes before moving off to the southwest. Two Frontier Air Lines pilots were among the observers.

Adler Astronomer Sees UAO

Robert Johnson, Chief astronomer at Adler Planetarium in Chicago, observed an object on August 26, 1960, which he described as an artificial earth satellite that was not explainable to him. Johnson stated he knew a plane when he saw one. APRO has received 30 confirmatory reports of similar objects seen that night, some exhibiting unusual maneuvering.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue include the detailed analysis of UFO sightings, with a particular focus on geometric patterns like orthoteny, and the investigation of potential repair or maintenance activities of UAOs. The magazine consistently questions official explanations, particularly those from the USAF, and emphasizes the need for independent investigation and accurate reporting. The editorial stance appears to be one of skepticism towards conventional explanations and a commitment to uncovering the truth about UFO phenomena, regardless of potential government obfuscation. There is a strong emphasis on witness testimony and the correlation of data from various sources to build a comprehensive understanding of the UAO mystery. The issue also highlights the organization's efforts to gather and disseminate information through its bulletin and special reports.