APRO Bulletin - 1981 03 00 - Vol 29 No 3

Magazine Overview

This issue of The APRO Bulletin, Volume 29, Number 3, published in March 1981, features a prominent cover story titled "1964 ANTARCTICA UFO REPORT" and "MULTIPLE PHENO-MENA IN ENGLAND." The magazine is published by the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization, Inc. (APRO) and is based in Tucson, Arizona.

UFOHIO '81 Invitation

The issue begins with an invitation to UFOHIO '81, a conference to be held at the Marriott Inn-Airport in Cleveland, Ohio, from June 5-7, 1981. The theme is "The Case For Aliens," aiming to explore the UFO mystery by examining its disparate facets and developing a theoretical model. The invitation poses several questions to be addressed, including the prevalence of extraterrestrial visitations, the lack of recent crashed disc reports, the motives behind cattle mutilations, and the increase in abduction reports.

1964 Antarctica UFO Report

A significant portion of the magazine is dedicated to a detailed account of two unusual UFO experiences by a former member of the U.S. Coast Guard, identified as Mr. X, who served in the Antarctic. The first sighting occurred on April 20, 1964, when a C-130 aircraft, en route to McMurdo Sound, was paced by nine glowing white objects flying in a V formation. These objects, not visible on radar, slowed to match the aircraft's speed of 160-190 knots at an altitude of 35,000 feet. For approximately 45-50 minutes, the aircraft flew without the aid of its engines or electrical power, covering a distance of 265 nautical miles. During this period, the aircraft experienced a strange haze filled with static electricity, and upon landing, it was discovered that much of the onboard equipment, particularly items made of iron or steel, had lost weight. Seven rolls of photographs taken of the UFOs were turned over to the Navy and were found to be fogged, similar to the rolls Mr. X saved.

The second sighting by Mr. X took place on January 3, 1965, while serving as a crew chief on another C-130C. The aircraft lost all electrical power, radio, and the secondary generator. An elongated, glowing object passed the transport, causing it to be buffeted. The object was described as teardrop-shaped, displaying colors from light gold to light blue, with a vapor trail and a bulge on its side. It was larger than the C-130C and created a sonic boom. After about three minutes, power was restored, and the crew discovered they had flown without engines for 45-50 minutes. Mr. X also mentioned that the Russians often complained about unknown aircraft buzzing their installations.

Multiple Phenomena in England

This section details an incident that occurred on June 19, 1978, involving John Mann, his wife Gloria, their two daughters, and his sister Frances Farrow. While driving, they spotted a brilliant white light and later a vast circular shape that moved over their car and into a field. Following the encounter, John experienced a strange distortion of the road, and the car seemed to drive itself. A ball of brilliant white light paced their car, disappearing near houses and reappearing on deserted roads. The encounter resulted in a time discrepancy, with the journey taking an hour longer than expected. The following day, John found red heat spots on his chest, and Gloria developed a similar rash. Frances had a bruise on her knee, and both she and Gloria noticed dark blue marks on their legs. Natasha, one of the daughters, experienced nightmares.

Later, under hypnosis, John recalled encountering three men in silver suits with balaclava helmets and pale blue eyes. He was taken aboard a craft where he underwent a medical examination. He also recalled a dream of being escorted into a craft and undergoing a medical procedure. Frances also had a similar dream. John recalled a film of a desolate landscape and a craft collecting a coffin. The beings identified themselves as from the planet Janos and expressed a desire to find a new home on Earth, warning that they would be exploited.

UFO Prophecies: Mirage or Mirror?

This article by R. Leo Sprinkle, Ph.D., discusses the nature of UFO contactees and their experiences. Sprinkle posits that UFO contacts are not accidental and that contactees are ordinary people who exhibit a caring concern for humankind. These experiences are viewed as manifestations of their ideas of reality, involving paraphysical, parabio-logical, parapsychological, and paraspiritual elements designed to influence the contactee's world view. Contactees receive information related to their life interests and are gently coerced into studies that align with the ultimate purpose of UFO entities. The contacts are maintained within the contactee's reality framework, allowing them to be perceived as real encounters or as subconscious manifestations. Contactees are programmed for future activities and a greater sense of cosmic citizenship. Sprinkle concludes that the personal metamorphosis of UFO contactees is a forerunner of social transformation.

UFO Research in China

This section reports on the formation of the "China UFO Research Organization" with approximately 300 members, headquartered in Wuhan. The organization's journal is named "UFO Exploration." The article mentions a sighting and photograph of a UFO in Gangping county, Beijing, on August 24, 1980, which appeared as a triple star of an inverted T shape surrounded by a halo of light. The organization is headed by a 26-year-old student of astrophysics and includes members from various professions. Other sightings have been reported in Tianjin, with one unverified rumor of a landing and subsequent firing by a military group.

"A Detailed Account of a 'Flying Object' I Saw in the Sky"

This is a translated account from Chinese by John D'Andrea, detailing a sighting on December 25, 1979, in Kunming. The witness and a friend observed a dazzling red fire ball, semicircular in shape, which later transformed into a large, round, spinning object. The object flew past them at high speed, spinning counterclockwise, and then disappeared. The sky was covered in clouds, and no stars or moon were visible.

Press Reports

This section compiles several recent UFO sighting reports:

• September 26, 1980, Washington, Indiana: Susan Southerland and Debbie Riley reported a street-light shaped object that remained on the left side of their vehicle.
• September 9, 1980, Washington, Indiana: Deputy Alan Evans and a co-worker observed a strange, fast-flying oblong object with off-white lights.
• September 20, 1980, Hartford, Kentucky: Laura Birge's daughter, Lisa, saw a bright light that hovered, then joined other lights in the sky.
• October 19, 1980, Ann Arbor, Michigan: Several people, including police officers, reported a large, revolving, silent object described as a "merry-go-round in the sky."
• September 8, 1980, Waukomis, Oklahoma: Animals became agitated before an extremely bright, silent light was observed hovering and flashing.
• September 11, 1980, Easley, South Carolina: Larry Joe Garrett reported a large, dome-shaped object with a metallic purplish-gray color.
• September 17, 1980, Ghent, Minnesota: Undersheriff Tom Thompson investigated an object that changed color and kept pace with his vehicle.
• September 20, 1980, Scandia, Minnesota: Michelle Freudenberg encountered a disc-shaped object estimated at 30-50 feet long with red and white lights, noting a pungent odor.

Follow-Up

• October 24, 1980, Melbourne, Australia: Preliminary tests on aluminum strips dredged from Bass Strait indicated they were not from an airplane, potentially ending speculation about the Frederick Valentich case.

APRO Membership Meeting

An announcement for a special general membership meeting of APRO in Tucson, Arizona, on April 4, 1981, to review by-laws. Members unable to attend are invited to submit proxies. The issue also details a change in the Bulletin's dating system, moving from sequential monthly dating to a Volume and Number sequence to ensure more timely publication.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue include detailed eyewitness accounts of UFO sightings, investigations into alleged UFO phenomena, and the broader implications of UFO encounters on individuals and society. The magazine maintains a stance of serious inquiry into UFO reports, presenting witness testimonies and investigative findings without definitive conclusions, often posing questions for further consideration. The editorial also highlights the organization's efforts to improve publication timeliness and member engagement.