APRO Bulletin - 1981 04 00 - Vol 29 No 4

Magazine Overview

Title: THE A.P.R.O. BULLETIN
Issue: VOL. 29, NO. 4
Date: April, 1981
Publisher: AERIAL PHENOMENA RESEARCH ORGANIZATION, INC.
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of the APRO Bulletin focuses on an upcoming conference, UFOHIO '81, and features a significant UFO photograph from Honduras. It also includes various reports of UFO sightings and discussions on UFO contactees and abductees.

UFOHIO '81 Conference Details

The APRO has scheduled a conference titled "The Case For Aliens" in Cleveland, Ohio, on the weekend of June 6th, 1981. The conference plans have undergone some maturation. A sub-theme, "A Search For Magic," has been suggested, drawing from Arthur C. Clarke's statement that advanced cultures' actions are indistinguishable from magic. Dr. Robert Creegan will keynote with a presentation on "The Nature of Truth" and "A Search For Magic." Dr. Van Arsdale will present two models for UFO reality. William Moore, co-author of "The Philadelphia Experiment" and "The Roswell Incident," will provide updates on crashed UFO retrievals. Double abductee William James Herrmann will discuss the personal impact of UFO abduction and the dangers of suppressing UFO phenomena. Betty Hill will reflect on twenty years since her initial experience and attempts to discredit her. Dr. R. Leo Sprinkle will present "UFO Activity and Human Consciousness," noting the contactee/abductee aspect in many UFO investigators' backgrounds. Saturday evening is open for "rap sessions." Sunday morning features three workshops: Wayne Laporte on "Anatomy of a UFO Window" (referencing sightings near Charlotte, N.C.) and exhibiting UFO case dioramas; and Peter Jordan discussing cattle mutilation causes. Earl Neff will discuss "UFO Art Through the Ages." Jim Lorenzen will present an "all-embracing reality model" addressing UFO mystery facets and skeptic objections to the Alien Hypothesis. Stan Friedman will deliver the feature address. The conference will conclude with a film simulating a space-ship ride. Advance registration is $30.00, covering eight presentations and three workshops; registration at the door will be $40.00. Attendees can reserve rooms at the Marriott Inn/Airport at a special reduced rate.

Honduras UFO Photograph

The cover story, "HONDURAS UFO PHOTOGRAPHED" by Coral E. Lorenzen, details a photograph of an unusual unidentified flying object submitted by a businessman in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, who wishes to remain anonymous. The photographer, an amateur astronomer, used a Celestron 14 telescope and Kodak Ektachrome ASA 400 film on July 27, 1980, between 3:45 and 4:50 a.m. The object in the photograph is described as an oval or disc-shaped image with a "tail" or trail. The article briefly discusses possible explanations such as a comet or a "green fireball" (bolide meteor), noting that the object's profile does not perfectly match a comet's and referencing the historical controversy surrounding "green fireballs." The object is described as a "rather unusual shade of blue-green, with a blue trail which appears to be dissipating." Readers with expertise in astronomy, mathematics, photography, or physics are invited to comment.

Letters

Robert S. Camburn writes a letter suggesting that organizations studying UFOs should abandon the term "alleged" when referring to sightings, contact, and abductions. He argues that the term carries a "semantic burden" of skepticism and supports government and media disparagement of the subject. He proposes using terms like "reported" or "claimed" and asserts that the reality of UFOs is beyond "reasonable doubt."

General Membership Meeting

APRO will hold its First Annual General Membership Meeting in conjunction with UFOHIO '81 on Sunday, June 7th, 1981, at 8:30 A.M. in the New Orleans Room of the Cleveland Marriott/Airport. The agenda includes the election of the APRO Board of Directors. Proxies submitted for the April 4th Special Meeting remain valid.

Recent Visitors to APRO

The bulletin notes the company of Leonard and Eleanor Bongle, charter members of APRO, and introduces Laurel Oplatka and Jerrald Blankenship, Field Investigators from the Los Angeles area, who visited the APRO office.

UFO Reports

New Zealand UFO: On July 27, 1980, a 16-year-old boy in Upper Hutt reported seeing a peculiar green light, followed by three large lights moving swiftly from a southeasterly direction, accompanied by smaller lights. The event concluded with a greenish-blue light flashing across the sky at tremendous speed.

Fishermen Watch UFO in Iowa: On June 23, 1980, near Star Lake, Minnesota, three individuals witnessed a green ball rise from trees, move parallel to them, then ascend at a 40-degree angle, decreasing in size and moving at fantastic speed.

Press Reports:

• California, August 19, 1980 (Paradise): Mrs. Ann Whitson and her family observed a bright light that drifted, floated, and then shot off rapidly, described as a triangle of lights with a dim flashing light in the center, accompanied by a low-pitched sound.
• California, August 25-28, 1980 (Apple Valley): Brian DuPont and Linda Lott observed a shiny ball of whiteness with flashing red borders for approximately 3 hours. The object's glow dimmed when approached and brightened from a distance.
• California, August 28, 1980 (Apple Valley): Darla Henderson observed an unusual light bordered by red lights moving toward the Apple Valley dump.
• Pennsylvania, August 15, 1980 (Macungie): Albert Trumbauer, a security guard, observed an object resembling a "hamburger in a bun" or an upside-down coffee cup, with rotating green lights, hovering for over 2 hours.
• Pennsylvania, August 25, 1980 (Lancaster): Ed Resh saw an "outstanding" object resembling a "roll of quarters" with brilliant white lights, hovering about 1-2 miles off the ground.
• South Carolina, September 11 & 15, 1980 (Anderson): Jerry McAlister and his wife observed a large saucer-shaped object, described as 70 feet long, making a shrieking noise, then a purring noise, and traveling upward. On September 15, witnesses reported "whirling lights" hovering high in the sky.
• England, August 20, 1980 (Norwich): Leslie Frost and his family witnessed two huge "absolutely square" structures with red and white lights. A smaller triangular craft emerged and circled before vanishing with the larger craft.
• Senegal, September 20, 1980 (Barí-Diáne): An unidentified object, described as 30 meters long and 15 meters wide, with a blue crown and emitting white smoke, caused injuries, uprooted trees, and scattered roofs.

Some Questions

This section poses questions about the nature of UFO sightings, particularly regarding objects that appear or disappear instantly. It queries the speed required for such phenomena and explores the implications of objects receding at speeds proportional to their distance, relating it to the concept of an event horizon and the detectability of light sources at extreme distances.

UFO Contactees: Captive Collaborators or Cosmic Citizens?

This paper by Dr. R. Leo Sprinkle provides a tentative view on the significance of UFO experiences, focusing on abductees and contactees. It summarizes a survey of over 200 individuals who claim psychic impressions related to UFO encounters, with a list of approximately 50 persons detailed. These individuals underwent hypnotic time regression to explore "loss of time" experiences, recalling memories of abduction, examination by alien beings (UFOLK), and receiving "mental messages." The paper concludes that these individuals do not exhibit psychosis and often find relief in connecting with others who report similar experiences. The hypothesis of "cosmic citizen" is suggested as a purpose for UFO contact.

The paper details the methodology of Dr. Sprinkle's research, including questionnaires and psychological inventories. It notes that participants' scores are generally similar to average US adults, refuting the "psychosis hypothesis." The fear of being ridiculed is common among these individuals.

The paper then lists 31 summarized cases of "UFO Abductees," detailing the year of interview, participant's description, and a brief summary of their UFO experiences, often involving "loss of time" and encounters with UFOLK.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the upcoming UFOHIO '81 conference, the analysis of UFO evidence (specifically the Honduras photograph), and the detailed reporting of numerous UFO sightings from around the world. There is a strong emphasis on the experiences of UFO contactees and abductees, with a dedicated paper exploring this phenomenon and challenging the "psychosis hypothesis." The editorial stance, as expressed in Robert S. Camburn's letter, advocates for a more serious and less skeptical approach to UFO reports, urging organizations to move away from the term "alleged."