APRO Bulletin - 1980 06 00 - Vol 28 No 12

Magazine Overview

Title: THE A.P.R.O. BULLETIN
Issue: VOL. 28, NO. 12
Date: JUNE 1980
Publisher: AERIAL PHENOMENA RESEARCH ORGANIZATION, INC.
Country: USA
Language: English

Articles

CE III IN CALIFORNIA: PRAVDA SLAMS ETI VISITOR BELIEVERS

This article, by Tom Day, discusses a 2 March 1980 article in the Soviet newspaper Pravda by V. Gubarev, which dismisses the idea of extraterrestrial visitors. Gubarev argues that mysterious lights in the sky are merely 'optical effects,' such as ball lightning or atmospheric pollution, and that theories of alien visitation are sensationalist claims made by excitable people. Pravda's article was written in response to requests from Soviet citizens to counter an underground manuscript circulating privately, which claimed extraterrestrials had landed on Earth. The author of the Pravda article implies that ignorance breeds belief in alien visitors. The article questions the state of UFO report investigation in the Soviet Union, noting that a member of the USSR Academy of Sciences stated the Academy has no facts about sightings, possibly due to narrow definitions of 'fact' or internal divisions within the Academy.

1. THE UFO APPROACH: ANDERSON, CALIFORNIA

This section details an encounter on May 7, 1980, near Redding, California, involving Mrs. Elizabeth R., her two daughters, and a 14-year-old girl. While driving, they encountered a huge lighted cloud that seemed to emerge from the river. Mrs. R. initially feared an atomic bomb. The cloud covered the southern horizon, and the FAA later confirmed visibility was 85 miles with a steady north wind. The car entered the cloud, and upon exiting, the occupants realized they had lost 30 to 40 minutes of 'real time,' with no memory of what transpired during that period. This is considered a possible UFO-induced time lapse or abduction.

2. THE UFO ENCOUNTER:

After exiting the cloud, the car was found to be moving smoothly in 3rd gear. A truck they had been following was no longer ahead. The car radio, which had gone silent, resumed playing. The witnesses recalled no sounds or other unusual senses during the encounter, except for the intense light. Mrs. R. noted that the car did not start with a flowing motion in 3rd gear, suggesting something unusual occurred. The incident occurred near an airport, but the control tower reported no unusual activity.

3. THE UFO DEPARTURE AND SUBSEQUENT INCIDENTS:

Following the encounter, the group felt a sense of peace and calm. They drove back to search for the cloud but found nothing. They then proceeded to their destination. Later, the car battery was found to be 'bone' dry. A significant aspect of the encounter was the reaction of the 14-year-old girl, who 'freaked-out' after the incident, seeing a wolfman-type face. The daughters also experienced nightmares and drew similar pictures. All three girls experienced apparent 'stigmata' – pinpuncture and slight burn marks – which were unexplained. Mrs. Riley's eyes were also affected. One daughter's wristwatch was found to be running slow after the incident. The report notes that the R. family is religiously oriented and questions whether their spiritual mindset influenced the event or if it was purely physical.

4. THE EVALUATION:

The article attempts to explain the event through physical phenomena, suggesting landing lights shining through a steam plume from a nearby mill could have caused an eerie effect. The strong north wind might have affected the plume. It also considers the possibility of a train's oscillating headlamps producing hypnotic effects. However, after analyzing other technological, astronomical, and natural phenomena, the author finds it almost impossible to explain the event away. Hoaxes are ruled out due to the family's standards and the consistent, sincere testimony of the four individuals. The article notes that several events associated with UFO close encounters occurred later, including loud banging on the house and the 'stigmata' marks.

5. INTERIM CONCLUSION SIX WEEKS AFTER THE EVENT:

Mrs. R. believes it is best to let time heal and restore memories. She reported that about a week after the event, some details became clearer, and she was better able to articulate them. Since then, their lives have returned to normal, and the poltergeist activity and nightmares have ceased. Mrs. R. described the cloud's appearance as a 'huge closed fist' that opened like a hand, emitting a beam of light that changed color and pulsated. The bottom portion darkened, and a bar of white light appeared across the top, so bright that Mrs. R. could not see out of the car. The author will continue to stay in touch with the family for further information.

6. ADDENDUM:

An anonymous investigator accompanied the author on the initial interview and brought forth several factors that might have been overlooked, such as the girls' thirst and the dry car battery. The author expresses gratitude for this insight. The event was learned of through Robert Gribble of Seattle.

'WAY BACK WHEN...

This section provides brief summaries of historical UFO-related incidents:

• October 12, 1947 - Caseta, Mexico: Mexican troops searched for evidence of a mysterious flaming object that reportedly exploded.
• April 9, 1948 - Longview, Washington: Three men were reported flying without planes or parachutes, with a sound similar to airplane motors.
• August 19, 1949 - Mojave, California: Two prospectors reported a 'whizzing disc' crash and two small, human-like 'dwarfs' who disappeared.

LETTERS

• Thorton Page from NASA JSC shares a TELEX received from Hamadan, Iran, regarding a UFO encounter. The TELEX, addressed to 'Dear Sir Professor Karel Sikan,' describes a UFO that came to Earth and talked to people, offering 'formula P.ands.' The sender, Mr. Mahmod Naderi, wants information about this subject. The author, who is not Karel Sikan but is an expert on UFOs at Johnson Space Center, notes the difficulty in replying due to Iranian censors and the political situation. He also points out the sender's apparent confusion between himself and Professor Karel Sikan.

DEBUNKING DEBUNKERS

By John Beckjord, this article critiques the approach of organizations like CSICOP (Committee for Scientific Inquiry into Claims of the Paranormal) and their journal, The Skeptical Inquirer. Beckjord argues that CSICOP members often use corollaries like 'It can't be, therefore it isn't' and 'I say it is solved, therefore it is.' He specifically analyzes Robert Sheaffer's explanation of Jimmy Carter's 1969 UFO sighting as Venus. Beckjord contends that Sheaffer ignored key details, such as Carter's description of the object as 'self-luminous' and 'bright as the moon,' and Carter's extensive naval background in navigation and astronomy. Beckjord also criticizes the 'shrimp-boat' explanation for the New Zealand sighting, citing Bruce Maccabee's findings that a squid boat would need to be exceptionally fast to keep up with the observed plane. The author suggests that skeptics are too quick to dismiss witness testimony and that investigators should be more open to unexplained phenomena, rather than rushing to provide easy explanations.

UFO's '79 Symposium

This section features photos from the 'UFO's '79' Symposium in San Diego, California. It includes images of APRO's display, featuring artist interpretations of UFO occupants and a figure from the Travis Walton Case. It also shows APRO staff and investigators, including Harold Lebelson, Carol Kovacs, Allen Benz, Ernest Bellantoni, Field Investigator Raymond Jordan, and Reverend G. Neal Hearn.

PRESS REPORTS

This section compiles several recent UFO sightings:

• March [date?], 1980 - King City, Missouri: Kermit and Sally Wells reported their house illuminated by a bright, colored light. Animals in a nearby field were agitated, and a loud explosion-type sound was heard as the light sped away. An old farm house burned down the same night.
• March 30, 1980 - Dundee, Scotland: A police officer and his wife reported hearing a loud hum and seeing four 'glows' in a diamond formation. One light detached and landed nearby, disappearing with noises. Other witnesses also reported similar noises.
• April 18, 1980 - Anchorage, Alaska: Numerous calls reported a bright, lighted object over south Anchorage. Witnesses disagreed with the FAA's explanation of an airplane towing a banner, describing the object as round and tilting, with internal lights.
• April 23, 1980 - Onalaska, Washington: Nine dark grass rings, 20-22 feet in diameter, were found in a hay field on a ranch. Similar circles were noted in the area the previous year.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The APRO Bulletin consistently focuses on UFO sightings, investigations, and the analysis of phenomena. There is a clear stance against the premature debunking of sightings, advocating for a more open-minded approach to witness testimony and unexplained events. The publication aims to document and analyze UFO reports, providing a platform for detailed accounts and critical evaluation of explanations. The issue highlights the ongoing debate between those who believe in extraterrestrial visitation and skeptics who seek conventional explanations, often critiquing the latter for their perceived biases and hasty conclusions.