the apro bulletin

Magazine Overview

Title: The APRO Bulletin
Issue: Vol. 24, No. 7
Date: January, 1976
Publisher: The Aerial Phenomena Research Organization, Inc. (A.P.R.O.)
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of The APRO Bulletin, dated January 1976, focuses on a series of UFO sightings, primarily from Florida, with additional reports from California and New Mexico. It also includes a brief mention of an unexplained explosion in New York and updates on APRO's research activities.

Repeating Reports in Florida

This section, by Jim Jones, F.I., details numerous sightings of strange objects in the sky around Hastings, Florida, during the nights of December 12, 13, and 14, 1975. The reports are based on interviews with approximately thirty witnesses.

Friday, December 12, 1975:

• 7:00 P.M.: Patricia Beck Goodwin observed an object approximately 30 feet in length, glowing with a luminescence like a TV screen, ringed with bright red and orange lights. It hovered for about 10 minutes.
• 9:30 P.M.: Richard Beck, his wife Betty, and their daughters Patricia and Sandra, observed a large saucer-shaped object with a glowing, pulsating red-orange light around the edges, estimated to be as large as a DC 8 airplane. The object moved off and landed.

Saturday Night, December 13, 1975:

• 11:00 P.M.: Marcus Barnes reported seeing what he initially thought was the woods on fire, but upon closer inspection, it was a dome-shaped object with bright red-orange lights. The object hovered and moved away.
• 10:45 P.M.: Charlotte Shearer saw a huge dome-shaped object, about 200 feet in the air, with bright lights, obscuring everything beyond it.

Sunday Night, December 14, 1975:

• 9:10 P.M.: Larry and Mary Ellen Masters, along with Leighton and Tedra Middleton, observed a large dome-shaped object with bright amber lights rise from behind trees, hover, and then disappear. A subsequent search by helicopter and ground units found nothing.
• 9:15 P.M.: Donna Scanton observed a large circle of bright fire-colored lights in the air.

Ball of Light, Landing, Explosion (Florida)

This article by Ken Childress, Field Investigator, details the events of Sunday, January 18, 1976, involving Mrs. Roy Barrett.

Between 8:00 and 8:30 PM, Mrs. Barrett saw a brilliant ball of light, estimated to be 200 feet off the ground and 1/2 mile away. It was described as much brighter than a car light and had no definite outline. "Vapors" were visible emanating from the top of the object as it moved slowly south. The horses in a nearby field became restless. The object moved in an arc from ENE to SE, descending at the same speed it had been moving. Mrs. Barrett observed it for at least three minutes until it landed in rolling fields about 1/2 mile south of her.

After landing, the object was not directly visible, but a pulsating light emanated from it for two minutes before going out. Approximately two minutes after the light went out, a loud explosion occurred. Mrs. Barrett did not see the explosion itself, but Mrs. X, her neighbor, described it as an upheaval of extremely bright sparks, six to eight feet above the ground, lasting only a second or two, resembling "dirt being thrown up by a dynamite blast, except this looked like sparklers which were very bright." Both witnesses described the explosion sound as "a shotgun blast except many times louder." Neither witness felt any effects from the explosion.

Other witnesses, including Charles Segar, Sue Alexander, Clyde Alexander, and Norman Burwill, also reported effects consistent with an explosion, such as shaking houses and loud sounds, though they did not directly see the object or the explosion itself. An intensive ground-air search by Sheriff's deputies, the Rescue Squad, Fire Department, and Civil Air Patrol units found nothing.

Two Interesting California Cases

By R. Michael Rasmussen, Assistant Editor, APRO Bulletin.

This section highlights two previously unpublished UFO sightings from the 1973-1974 UFO flap.

El Centro Case (October 5, 1973):

Witnesses, a retired school teacher and her daughter, observed a disc-like, domed object when leaving El Centro, California, around 8 p.m. The object rose to a height of about 1200 feet, lights glowing, turned, dropped, and disappeared instantly, leaving a glistening, feathery vapor that remained visible for two minutes. The witnesses speculated the discharge might have been due to an unknown energy field.

Spring Valley Case (November 25, 1974):

Mr. P. observed a "globular mass consisting of many lights" on the side of the road. He estimated its size as approximately that of a DC-3 at 1500 feet. The object moved steadily from east to west without apparent course deviation. About two minutes before disappearing, the object vertically dropped a ruby-red piercing light, an oval-shaped object that departed from the craft and moved vertically toward the ground. This occurred three times, each about 40 seconds apart. Mr. P. noted no effect on himself or the surroundings. His wife also witnessed the light emissions.

New Mexico

This report by Officer David Rivera of the Taos, New Mexico police department describes a sighting on November 10, 1975.

While on patrol, Rivera heard a sound like a helicopter and then saw a "big, bulky thing" heading from west to east. He described it as cigar-shaped, "like a Med-Evac helicopter, only bigger," flying about treetop level and matching the speed of his patrol car. He estimated the object's size to be 100-120 feet in length and approximately 24 feet in diameter. The craft accelerated to 65-70 mph before veering northward. Rivera then saw a large, dull yellow-orange light on the side of the mountain. Dispatcher Paul Vigil confirmed seeing a distinctly circular source of light, different from a fire. An investigation by the U.S. Forest Service and Civil Air Patrol found nothing.

Three weeks later, Taos Police Chief Fernando Rivera suggested the object was a "Cruise missile" tested at White Sands Proving Ground. However, authorities at White Sands stated no cruise missiles had been fired there in the past six months. Officer Rivera and Mr. Vigil disagreed with the chief's assessment, particularly due to the absence of engine sound.

Landing (Continued from Page One)

This section continues the account of Mrs. Roy Barrett's sighting on January 18, 1976.

After the object landed, it remained out of sight, but a pulsating light was observed. Following a loud explosion, witnesses reported seeing extremely bright sparks. Other witnesses reported feeling vibrations or hearing sounds consistent with an explosion. An extensive search of the area by various authorities, including the Sheriff's Department, Rescue Squad, and Fire Department, yielded no evidence of a downed plane or wreckage.

Further details are provided about other witnesses in the area who observed lights or heard sounds. The article also mentions military planes seen searching the area on January 19, though Air Force bases and the FAA stated no military operations were scheduled in the vicinity.

E-M (Continued from Page Two)

This section continues the report on the December 18, 1975, check of the area where a UFO was sighted. A circle of vegetation approximately 50 feet in diameter was found, with a sweet sticky substance covering small trees within the circle. Samples of soil, vegetation, and the substance were collected for examination.

California (Continued from Page One)

This section continues the report on the two California cases.

El Centro Case: The object was described as a large disc with a domed top, with rows of lights on the rims. Its size was estimated as "bigger than the Goodyear blimp." Following its swift departure, witnesses and others returned to their vehicles.

Spring Valley Case: Mr. P. described a "globular mass" of uniform ruby-red lights, estimated to be the size of a DC-3 at 1500 feet. It moved steadily. About two minutes before disappearing, the object dropped a "ruby-red piercing light" vertically three times.

Huge Object Over New Mexico

This brief report details a sighting on November 10, 1975, by Officer David Rivera, describing a large, cigar-shaped object matching his patrol car's speed.

Mystery Blast Rips Oil Tank

An Associated Press story from January 5, 1976, is summarized, detailing an unexplained explosion that ripped through a 50,000-barrel oil storage tank in South Brooklyn, New York. Unconfirmed reports suggested the tank was struck by a small plane or helicopter before bursting into flames. FAA officials reported no missing aircraft, but firemen heard what sounded like a jet coming in low before the explosion and glow.

Close Encounter In Canada

This report by Field Investigator Henry McKay details a sighting by Robert Suffern in rural Brainbridge, Ontario, Canada, on October 7, 1975.

Suffern observed an object in the middle of the road, described as the color of dull aluminum foil, irregular and "crinkled." It made no sound and took off straight up at high speed. Later, he saw a "thing" on the side of the road, described as short with very broad shoulders, moving like an ape or midget. It grabbed a fence post and vaulted over. The figure was clad in a silver suit with a white globe for a head. Subsequently, the television in his home went black, and he saw an orange-colored fluorescent light behind the barn, which moved out over a lake, following its contour.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of The APRO Bulletin consistently presents detailed witness accounts of unidentified aerial phenomena, emphasizing the variety of shapes, sizes, and behaviors observed. The publication appears to maintain a neutral, investigative stance, collecting and presenting reports for analysis. Recurring themes include pulsating lights, unusual sounds or lack thereof, electromagnetic effects, and the difficulty in finding definitive explanations or physical evidence. The editorial stance is one of dedicated research towards the "eventual solution of the phenomenon of unidentified flying objects."