the apro bulletin

Magazine Overview

This issue of the apro bulletin, Volume 32, Number 4, published in July 1984, focuses on a significant UFO sighting over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and explores themes of government secrecy, folklore, and international UFO activity. The cover prominently features the headline "UFO OVER RIO DE JANEIRO."

UFO Ohio Symposium Papers

A renewal notice is included, informing readers of their due renewal fees for the APRO Bulletin. The notice also lists available papers from the APRO UFOhio Symposium in June 1981, with titles, authors, and prices, such as "Old Magic and New" by Robert F. Creegan, Ph.D., and "The Roswell Investigation, Update and Conclusions" by William L. Moore.

Letters

A letter from Carl F. Funk congratulates Mr. and Mrs. Lorenzen on their service to APRO and mentions a past rebellion within the organization. Funk, who is eighty-eight years old, shares that he and his wife are in good health and notes that the organization continues successfully. He recalls a report from a Cleveland convention about suppressed news of saucers landing in Arizona in the 1940s. Funk encloses his renewal fee.

UFO Over Rio de Janeiro

This article, by Irene Granchi, APRO Representative for Brazil, details a series of sightings of an unidentified object over Rio de Janeiro from October 31, 1983, to November 1, 1983. The event began around 9:30 a.m. on October 31st, with a journalist friend alerting Granchi to a brilliant object. The broadcasting team from Radio Globo also observed it. Granchi initially had difficulty seeing the object but eventually spotted a "little speck" among the clouds. Later, she saw a "silvery spot traveling slowly, then standing still." A streak of white smoke, attributed to an F-5E plane sent up by the Air Force, was observed. The object was described as large and clearly visible, with a pulsating light. The article includes a first-person narrative with detailed observations, including a flash that lit up the sky and the object leaving a bright light streak at high speed. Witnesses reported speeds of up to 100,000 km.p.h. The chief astronomer suggested it was a probe-balloon, but witnesses noted its size and visibility compared to the F-5E plane. The article also mentions other sightings in different districts of Rio and from Nova Friburgo. The official explanation from SINDACIA (Brazilian National Aerial Defense and Traffic Control) was that nothing was detected. The National Space Research Institute claimed it was a balloon launched from French scientists in South Africa. Sightings were reported from various locations, and a satellite-tracking station could not identify the object. The article notes that officialdom seemed intent on providing explanations regardless of facts, and quotes Mrs. Granchi, President of CISNE, extensively.

Space Myths in Romanian Folklore

By Tiberius A. Topor, APRO Representative for Romania, this article explores the presence of space flight themes in Romanian folklore. Topor notes that these myths are preponderant and often deal with spaceflight in the form of fairy tales. He highlights the magical character of these flight systems and suggests that astral flights in folklore predate airflights. The article discusses the "fairy (flying) horse" as a characteristic element, noting its fantastic properties when fed with "embers" and its elongated, aerodynamic shape. It speculates on the concept of a "cosmic vehicle" originating in mesolithic times. Another example is a water tower detached by magical power that flies at the "speed of thought." The article also mentions a "Fairies' log" vehicle and a "golden miraculous globe" used for interstellar travel, suggesting a connection to concepts of atmospheric re-entry.

History Repeats Itself

This section revisits a previous APRO Bulletin article about a boomerang-shaped UFO sighted in Morenci, Arizona, in October 1980. It then reports on similar sightings of boomerang-shaped and lighted objects over Duchess and Westchester counties in New York in March 1983. These objects were described as large, hovering at significant altitudes, and moving silently at high speeds, with witnesses emphasizing they were not airplanes.

Meet Our New Illustrator

This section introduces Norah Bazzurro from the Bronx, N.Y., as APRO's new illustrator. She has contributed drawings for APRO's brochure and for a case in a previous bulletin. Bazzurro, an art major, is largely self-taught and has interests including volunteering at the Bronx zoo and raising baby gorillas, one of which, Augustus, is pictured with her.

Astronomical Data

By Lee Emery, this column provides observers with general information on the location of significant stars and planets in the night sky for August and September 1984. It includes details on the visibility of Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter, as well as the positions of bright stars like Vega, Antares, Arcturus, and Capella at different times. It also mentions the Perseids meteor shower around August 12th.

UFO Secrecy-- the International Dimension

Authored by James A. Harder, this article examines the role of intelligence agencies in the suppression of UFO information. It references initial investigations by U.S. government agencies like the Air Materiel Command and the CIA, which were allegedly deflected by other intelligence agencies. The article notes similar patterns in the USSR and Europe, citing a French program, GEPAN, that was eventually abandoned. Harder discusses his conversation with Professor Edwin Condon, head of the University of Colorado's UFO study, who indicated that if the study concluded UFOs were extraterrestrial, the findings would be kept confidential and taken directly to the President's Science Advisor. The article proposes three hypotheses for suppression: that there is no substance to reports, that governments are independently suppressing information, or that there is an international agreement to do so. It suggests that intelligence agencies view UFOs as a potential threat to national security and are motivated to study them to analyze worst-case scenarios. The fear of public panic, similar to the reaction to "The War of the Worlds" broadcast, is also cited as a reason for secrecy. The article concludes that over time, the focus has shifted from the threat of invasion to the issue of UFO abductions, which are seen as potentially sinister.

The Contactee Problem

This section discusses the increasing occurrence of UFO abductions, viewing them as a subtle extraterrestrial activity that is worrisome due to its clandestine nature and unknown motivation. It suggests that a corps of cooperators might be recruited for a sinister purpose. An example is given of a retired employee of the former Atomic Energy Commission who was abducted and had his mind emptied of information about atomic bomb designs, potentially for defensive use by UFO occupants. The article also notes a correlation between individuals involved in peace movements and those who have had "hidden" UFO experiences, suggesting potential exploitation of psychic abilities by intelligence agencies.

Press Reports

This section compiles various UFO sighting reports from different locations:

• New York (September 18, 1983): Mysterious lights resembling those seen earlier in the spring and summer reappeared over the Carmel police station, described as a "boomerang about 200 feet across."
• Yorktown: Police received calls about residents seeing lights.
• Missouri (October 9, 1983): Silver-colored, oval-shaped objects with protruding lights were seen moving in formation.
• Pennsylvania (October 15, 1983): A silver flying object passed overhead after a car was lifted onto two wheels due to a "weird noise."
• England (October 17, 1983): An oyster-shaped object with five lights passed directly overhead.
• California (October 15, 1983): O'Hagen brothers saw a glowing oval blob move out of the fog, with a blurry photo taken.
• Oregon (October 25, 1983): Dan Kraus observed a distant light that became incredibly bright and hovered silently, described as half red.
• Arkansas (December 28, 1983): Police received numerous calls about mysterious booming sounds, with no official explanation.
• Oklahoma (January 4, 1984): An explosion-like noise rattled McAlester, with possible explanations including a "substantial inversion" or military aircraft sonic boom.
• Canada (October 11, 1983): Eleven men saw a 150-foot-long egg-shaped object with two large spot lights at each end hovering silently over the roadway.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the reporting of UFO sightings, the analysis of potential government cover-ups and the role of intelligence agencies, and the exploration of UFO-related phenomena in folklore and historical accounts. The editorial stance, as indicated by the content and the organization's name (Aerial Phenomena Research Organization), is one of serious investigation and open inquiry into UFOs, often questioning official explanations and highlighting unexplained aspects of sightings. The bulletin aims to provide a platform for detailed witness accounts, expert analysis, and the dissemination of information on UFO research from around the world.