APRO Bulletin - 1979 02 00 - Vol 27 No 8

Magazine Overview

THE A.P.R.O. BULLETIN - February, 1979

This issue of The A.P.R.O. Bulletin, Volume 27, Number 8, dated February 1979, features a prominent cover story titled "NEW ZEALAND FILM" and "Two Air Force Cases." The magazine is published by THE A.P.R.O. BULLETIN and is based in Tucson, Arizona, USA. The primary language of the publication is English.

Two Air Force Cases

The first section details two reports from former U.S. Air Force personnel, with names and locations withheld.

Case 1: Mt. Charleston, Nevada

The first report is from an individual who entered the U.S. Air Force in late 1972 as an aircraft maintenance technician, serving at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The witness states they have 20/20 vision and are familiar with aircraft. In early 1974, on a weekend, the witness and two colleagues drove to Mt. Charleston, Nevada, near Las Vegas, for a change of scenery. Around 9:00 p.m., while at the lodge, the witness noticed a light to the right of their car as they drove back towards Las Vegas on the highway. Initially mistaking it for a Goodyear blimp, the witness and their friends, including the driver Rich and passenger Mike, stopped the car to observe the object. They described it as being about three miles away and half a mile off the ground, hovering. The object was described as approximately 1/3 green on the left and 1/3 red on the right, completely illuminated, with the remaining 1/3 in the middle possessing a pulsating white light focused downward, possibly for picture-taking or scanning. The craft moved in a slow, zig-zagging pattern from left to right, progressing forward or backward. After about five minutes, it resumed a straight line pattern and moved into the distance. The witness later learned of two other similar incidents involving two people. Another individual reported seeing a red and green object with strobe lights. A former roommate from Ely, Nevada, stated that such sightings were common in that part of Nevada due to an underground nuclear test site, and he himself had witnessed similar events twice, once from a distance and another time more remarkably when two objects flew by close to him in the mountains. He also reported seeing a different vehicle with two white lights in Ely.

Case 2: North Dakota Missile Site Incident (September 10, 1976)

The second report details events that occurred on September 10, 1976, involving two alarm situations activated at separate missile sites within a North Dakota missile grid. At approximately 0115 hours, the night shift security supervisor arrived at the first alarm area (LCF) and detected nothing amiss. By 0120 hours, the SAT (Security Alert Team) reported observing "lights" hovering about 5 miles from their location, near another LF. The SAT could not see the actual object, only the lights (two), but determined it was likely a helicopter due to its ability to stop in the air. At 0130 hours, on-duty officers reported that computers from all missiles had suddenly stopped communicating with the LCF computers. At approximately 0115 hours, the night shift security supervisor arrived at the LCF from which the two alarms originated. At approximately 0120 hours, the SAT reported arriving at the first alarm area, but detected nothing amiss. They proceeded with their checklist. At approximately 0129 hours, the SAT, still at the first alarm scene, notified the FSC (Flight Security Controller) that they were observing 'lights' hovering in the air about 5 miles from their location and in the vicinity of another LF. The SAT could not see the actual object, only the lights (2), but determined from the movements that it was probably a helicopter because it seemed to stop in the air and remain in one position for a period of time. At 0130 hours, the on-duty officers at the LCF reported to the FSC that the computers from all of the missiles had suddenly stopped 'communicating' with their computers at the LCF. This was the case with all computers systems from missiles to LCFs in this grid. (Later it was learned that other strange lights had been observed by other SATs throughout the missile grid.)

The night security supervisor (FSS) quickly departed the LCF for the area where the lights were observed. The FSS noted exceptionally clear skies. Arriving in the area, the FSS could not see the lights. After reporting negative results to the FSC, the FSS decided to view the area from where the SAT had observed the lights. Arriving at the area of the first alarm and scanning the sky, the FSS still observed nothing. He reported this to the FSC and advised him that he would be checking a few more reports out in another area. After traveling only about 2 miles west, the FSC excitedly contacted the FSS again, and stated that the 'light' (only one this time) was back at the original sighting and he had it under observation from the LCF (5-7 miles south of his location). He further stated that the Base Command Post was excited about the strange lights and requested the FSS to return once more to the area. The FSS quickly made a u-turn and upon straightening out the vehicle, he, too, observed the light (7 miles east of his location). He noticed that the light was bright red, shaped like a cylinder, positioned north to south, with the south end tipped toward the ground at a 45° angle. He reported this observation to the FSC who then exclaimed, "Thank God, I thought I was going nuts."

During the drive back to the area, the FSS was unable to keep the object in sight and eventually it again disappeared. Upon arriving at the LF where the object had been observed, the FSS parked his vehicle, with lights out, and remained for some time. The object did not appear so the FSS finally departed. This time the FSS had traveled from approximately 12 miles west of the sighting, when, while watching his rear-view mirror, he again saw the red light. He pulled over and got out of the vehicle to observe the object better. This time the object appeared to be about five miles east of his location, was circular in appearance, seemed to pulsate, and was traveling at a slow speed from north to south. He kept it under observation for about five minutes until the object had left his field of vision. The FSS then departed for another LCF and made no further observation the rest of the night. The FSS later stated that he never observed the actual object, only the bright red light. It was certainly no fixed-wing aircraft as it could remain stationary in the sky. And the light itself was too large to be a fixture of a helicopter in the FSS's opinion. The last observation was around 0400 hours. All of the personnel viewing the object seemed to be intelligent and level headed. But they do not believe that what they saw was any conventional aircraft that they were familiar with. They all request that their names be withheld for fear of Air Force regulations, though their names are on file and will be kept for a future time when they are no longer connected with the Air Force. All individuals have a secret clearance, and are qualified under PRP(HRP). Questioning of the individuals involved did not prove that what they saw was indeed a UFO, though they could not identify the object. They all ruled out the possibility of it being a fixed-wing aircraft, nor do they believe it was a helicopter; and one of the individuals had been a crew member and mechanic on helicopters for eight years. None had ever given much thought to UFOs previously, but now they are wondering. The FSS has recently purchased every book on the subject he can find and now believes that what he saw may very well be an aircraft not of this world! He further revealed that he has had a more recent sighting of something he cannot explain.

On October the 21st, 1976, at 2200 hours, after watching a television program, he and his family were preparing for bed. He entered his den which has a window facing the east. As he glanced out the window he was attracted by what he at first thought was a very large, bright star, low in the eastern sky. He called to his family; wife-31 years old and son-10 years old, to come into the den to see it. As all three watched the 'star' for about one minute, it accomplished a feat that shocked them. The 'star' suddenly zig-zagged across the sky in a westerly direction toward them, and nearer to the main base. It also appeared to drop closer to the ground. The FSS remained at the window watching the object until 2330 hours that night. During this time the object appeared to be spinning, or something. At 2315 hours, the object shot straight up into the sky becoming no larger than a pin-point, but remained in this position until 2330, at which time he decided to go to bed. This object was east of the main base and would have had a good view of the entire installation. The night was clear, no clouds, and stars were in sharp focus. Again, he did not get a fix on the moon in relation to the object. One last note of curiosity is that during October of 1975, an unidentified ‘helicopter' was observed to hover over a weapons storage area at a SAC base, which caused the Air Force to go into an increased security vigilance for 2-3 months. The exact dates and location of this incident are unknown.

New Zealand Film

This section, authored by Dr. Bruce S. Maccabee, details a flight that occurred on December 30-31, 1978, involving a four-engine turbo prop Argosy freighter on a newspaper delivery run from Blenheim, N.Z., to Wellington and Christchurch. Aboard were pilot Captain Bill Startup, co-pilot Robert Guard, reporter Quentin Fogarty, and a film crew (cameraman David Crockett and tape recorder operator Ngaire Crockett). The flight was commissioned to obtain footage for a news story about a previous UFO sighting by pilots on a similar aircraft.

Flight South (December 30, 1978)

At 11:46 p.m., the Argosy freighter departed Blenheim. The pilot and co-pilot observed lights first seen in the direction of Kaikoura. Wellington radar also picked up targets in the vicinity of the plane. At least two, and possibly several, anomalous radar targets were observed by passengers. The cameraman filmed the interior of the plane, the lights of Kaikoura, and anomalous bright objects in the 12:00 to 3:00 quadrant relative to the direction of travel. The reporter recorded on-the-spot comments. The anomalous lights were mainly ahead of the plane, except for one seen off the right wing after passing Kaikoura.

At 23:54, the plane was passing over Wellington. By 00:10 on December 31, the plane was passing Cape Campbell. While working in the loading bay, the crew first spotted lights. At 00:12, the plane contacted Wellington radar, inquiring about targets in the direction of Kaikoura. Wellington confirmed targets at their one o'clock position, about 13 miles away, appearing and disappearing. The plane was at 14,000 ft. and traveling at 215 knots air speed. At 00:15, Wellington reported a target on the coastline at the 3:00 position. At 00:16, Wellington reported a target at 12:00 at 10 miles, possibly seen by passengers. At 00:16:30, a strong target was reported at 11:00 at 3 miles. At 00:17:30, a target was reported just left of 9:00 at 2 miles. At 00:19, a strong target was reported at 10:00 at 12 miles. At 00:22, Wellington reported a target to the left of the plane at about 1 mile, and the plane performed a left-hand orbit for two minutes, during which nothing was seen. At 00:24, Wellington reported a target at 12:00 at 3 miles, which the plane confirmed picking up, noting it had a flashing light. Quentin Fogarty recorded the lights being very bright, lighting up the sky, and flashing on and off. At 00:28, the plane passed the "turning point" at Kaikoura East. Wellington reported targets 12-15 miles behind the plane. The plane switched to Christchurch (CH) air traffic control. At 00:29, Wellington contacted CH by telephone about a target about 1 mile behind the plane. At 00:29:30, the target was reported at 6:00 at 4 miles. At 00:30, Wellington reported a "further" target at 3:00 at 4 miles, and Fogarty recorded "There's a whole formation of unidentified flying objects behind us."

At 00:30:45, Wellington reported a strong target in formation with the plane, which had doubled in size. The large blip on the radar was noted by GC and BC. At 00:31:30, Wellington stated the target had "reduced to normal size." The copilot spotted a flashing light traveling along the right of the aircraft. At 00:32:30, the plane reported a target at 3:00 just behind them, which Wellington confirmed. At 00:35, Wellington asked if they had seen the previous target, and the plane responded they thought they had. Wellington stated the target was stationary and joined by two other targets, leading Fogarty to report three unidentified flying objects. At this time, CH radar reportedly picked up something 67 or 68 miles north of the city. At 00:36:30, Wellington reported the three targets were replaced by a single one producing a blip larger than the aircraft's. The plane performed another left-hand orbit, but nothing was seen. The plane landed at Christchurch at 01:01.

Flight North (December 31, 1978)

The plane departed Christchurch for Blenheim at 2:16 a.m. About three minutes later, as the plane climbed through cloud cover, the pilot, co-pilot, and cameraman observed a bright yellow/white/orange light between 10 and 30 degrees to the right of the aircraft, appearing and disappearing through the clouds. The captain obtained a strong radar return, estimated to be 3 to 5 times larger than a fishing boat's blip. The flight crew and Christchurch reporter confirmed the radar target and the bright light were in the same direction. The radar distance was initially 18-20 miles. As the plane proceeded northeast, the distance to the bright light decreased. By the time the plane was 11 minutes out of Christchurch (32 miles) at an altitude of 11,500 ft, the bright light was 70 to 90 degrees to the right (southeast) and about 12 miles away, no longer on the plane radar. Observers agreed the object appeared at a lower altitude than the aircraft, with depression angles estimated between 5 and 30 degrees below horizontal. The radar in map mode could only pick up targets with depression angles between 3° and 15° below the aircraft's centerline. The cameraman filmed yellowish-white elliptical shapes with reddish fringes, and overexposed, nearly triangular and circular shapes. At about 12-13 minutes (35-38 miles), the plane reached 13,000 ft. The flight crew turned right toward the bright light. As the plane turned, the sighting line to the object moved forward, and even after a 90-degree turn, the object was not directly ahead, suggesting it had moved right. The captain proceeded straight, and the sighting line again moved toward 90 degrees right. The depression angle below horizontal was noticeable. The object was not picked up on radar after the turn, suggesting a depression angle greater than 15 degrees. After traveling on this new heading for 1-2 minutes, the captain turned left back toward the original path. The light was observed to move quickly to the left-front and above the aircraft, then to the left and down, below the aircraft. The object was not seen again. During this sighting, the object was not seen on Christchurch or Wellington radars, possibly due to being too low or a weak target for the 50 cm radar. After the aircraft regained its original course and approached Kaikoura, Wellington control tower again alerted the flight crew to anomalous targets within 20 miles. Unusual bright lights were visible, and in one instance, the plane radar picked up a target matching Wellington's indication. Temporal coincidences between visual and radar appearances and disappearances were noted. A particularly bright object seen approaching Cape Campbell was photographed, showing a bright light alternating cyclically from white to dim red and orange, described as "rolling and tumbling." The plane landed at Blenheim at about 3:10 a.m. The report includes a map legend and event descriptions, noting times in local Daylight Savings Time and distances in nautical miles. The crew members on the flight south were Captain William Startup, First Officer Robert Guard, David Crockett, Ngaire Crockett, and Quentin Fogarty. Wellington Air Traffic Controller was Geoffrey Causer, assisted by radar technician Bryan Chalmers. On the flight north, Ngaire Crockett was replaced by Christchurch reporter Dennis Grant.

Smithsonian Promotes Acceptance of ETI Existence

This article by Tom Day discusses two exhibits at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. – "Life in the Universe" and the "Albert Einstein Spacearium" – which are presented as educating the public about the probable existence of extra-terrestrial intelligent life. The exhibits are located in the National Air and Space Museum. "Life in the Universe" uses movies, static displays, and interactive elements to explore theories of planet formation and the possibility of life on other planets. The "Albert Einstein Spacearium" offers a planetarium show that aims to convince the audience that Earth is not the only planet with intelligent life. The article notes that while the exhibits do not mention UFOs, they are seen as promoting public acceptance of the probability of extra-terrestrial intelligences. It also mentions that the museum shop sells books by authors like Klass, Sagan, and Hynek, but not by UFO researchers like Hynek, Blum, or Fuller.

Photographs

A small advertisement offers to pay $50 for certain UFO photographs, seeking collectors with numerous rare and unpublished photos.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The A.P.R.O. Bulletin consistently reports on UFO sightings and related phenomena, often featuring accounts from military personnel or those with technical backgrounds. This issue highlights the detailed analysis of a New Zealand flight with radar data and film evidence, alongside personal testimonies from Air Force veterans. The inclusion of the Smithsonian article suggests an interest in the broader scientific and public perception of extraterrestrial intelligence, framing the UFO phenomenon within a larger context of scientific inquiry and public awareness. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious investigation into unexplained aerial phenomena, encouraging the sharing of information and experiences.