the apro bulletin

Magazine Overview

Title: the apro bulletin
Issue: VOL. 32. NO. 8
Date: December, 1984
Publisher: AERIAL PHENOMENA RESEARCH ORGANIZATION, INC. (APRO)
Country: U.S.A.

This issue of the APRO Bulletin delves into various aspects of UFO research, featuring a prominent report on a sighting near a Naval Weapons Center, an update on Soviet UFO investigations, and a discussion of the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis.

UFOhio Symposium Papers

The bulletin lists eight papers presented at the APRO UFOhio Symposium in June 1981, available from APRO Headquarters. These papers cover a range of topics including "Old Magic and New" by Robert F. Creegan, Ph.D.; "The Roswell Investigation, Update and Conclusions" by William L. Moore; "The Interrupted Journey Continued" by Betty Hill; "Ufo Activity and Human Consciousness" by R. Leo Sprinkle, Ph.D.; "The Night Surgeons" by Peter A. Jordan; "E.T.H. - Completing the Jigsaw" by L.J. Lorenzen; "UFO - The Cosmic Watergate" by Stanton T. Friedman; and "Sociological Aspects of UFO Research" by Peter Van Arsdale, Ph.D. Prices for these papers range from $2.00 to $3.50.

Urgent Request

APRO Headquarters is seeking to revamp its investigative system and requests information from its current investigators. This includes details about their current employment, past fields, interests, hobbies, and recently acquired skills. The organization also appeals to members who haven't participated previously but wish to do so now to provide the same information. This new system is planned to be instituted by the first of 1985, and the submitted information is considered vital.

Object Near Weapons Center

A significant portion of the bulletin is dedicated to a UFO sighting that occurred on January 9, 1984, near the Naval Weapons Center in California. The case was referred to APRO by Robert Gribble and investigated by Vance E. Dewey. The primary witnesses, Anthony McGarry and Eddy Bozza, along with their wives, observed a UFO while returning from a trip. The object, described as having bright red lights all around and two blue-green lights fluctuating between dim and very bright, passed directly over their car at an estimated height of 100 feet. The object was estimated to be about 45 feet long and 15 feet wide, with a metallic appearance. It moved slowly northward, veering northeast, and disappeared over low hills. The incident was also witnessed by occupants of a pickup truck. Further investigation revealed that the California Highway Patrol had also received reports of similar sightings in the area on the same night. The weather conditions were clear, with no wind or clouds, and the temperature around 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

Soviets Launch New UFO Probe

Wire services reported on May 30 of the current year that the Soviet Union had established an official commission to investigate UFOs. This decision followed an incident involving a "flying cigar" at Gorky in 1983. The commission is headed by Pavel Popovich, a former cosmonaut. According to the trade union daily Trud, while most UFO reports can be explained, scientists were disturbed by the Gorky events, which defied rational explanation. The Gorky case involved an object described as a "steel-grey cigar" about the size of an airliner, flying at about 900 meters altitude and 170-200 km/h. It was observed for about 40 minutes before vanishing after traveling 40 kilometers north of Gorky. The bulletin also notes that a bright sphere followed by smaller lights seen over Byelorussia and central Russia on December 2, 1983, was identified as a satellite burning up. Anatoly Loganov, vice-president of the Academy of Sciences, is quoted as saying that most UFO reports provide too little information, but that Soviet scientists take the subject seriously. The editor's note suggests this commission might be part of a propaganda battle or a tactic to manage UFO tensions, similar to the Condon Commission in the U.S.

The Extraterrestrial Hypothesis

This section features a conclusion by Vincent-Juan Ballester Olmos and Miguel Guasp, translated by Richard Heiden. They argue for converting UFO investigation into a scientific discipline, requiring rigorous methods and specialized knowledge. They contend that the academic community's increasing preoccupation with UFOs leads to more complicated study methods, potentially detaching the public eager for fantasy from serious ufology. The authors address the disappointment stemming from the lack of material evidence for UFOs, suggesting it's a result of expecting to find "bolts of the UFOs." They assert that evidence, not faith, substitutes for religion in their support of the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis (ETH), which they arrived at through logical and objective reasoning. They highlight the evolution of their thought process, driven by a search for the true UFO phenomenon and its characteristic patterns.

The authors also discuss the idea that the UFO phenomenon represents intelligent activity originating from outside Earth. They emphasize that their research is ongoing and they are prepared to revise their conclusions based on new evidence, following Albert Einstein's advice to never stop questioning. The section includes extensive footnotes referencing various scientific papers and publications related to UFOs and space exploration.

Three Attempts to Nullify Public Interest

Robert F. Creegan, Ph.D., outlines three historical attempts to reduce public interest in UFO reports. The first was the Robertson Panel in 1953, convened at the CIA's request, which classified nearly twenty-seven percent of serious reports as indications of unknown types of objects, but also stated that the phenomena posed no direct physical threat to national security. The second attempt was the Condon Commission, which, despite unsolved cases, recommended the closing of Project Blue Book and doubted the value of publicly funded UFO studies. The third, more subtle effort, involves unifying amateur groups, infiltrating them, and employing "disinformation" and "dirty tricks" to discredit individuals and groups. Creegan suggests that if a leader exists for this third wave, they might be a shadowy figure or a double agent.

Extraterrestrials at the AAAS

Dr. Michael D. Swords reports on a special session at the 1984 American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting that discussed parapsychology, ufology, and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Key presentations included James Oberg's argument against UFOs having paranormal reality (the "null hypothesis"), Frank Drake's arguments for the existence of ETI, and Eric Jones' anti-ETI argument based on galactic colonization scenarios. Swords notes that Oberg's "null hypothesis" relies on a social observation that unexplained residues exist in any body of reports and a "case study" of Argentinian UFO reports allegedly linked to rocket clouds. Swords questions the depth and details of Oberg's case study, emphasizing the need for thorough investigation of reporting dynamics and evidence types. Regarding ETI, Swords highlights recent findings from the Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) that suggest planets are common around stars, strengthening the possibility of ETI. He also discusses Michael Hart and Eric Jones' argument that ETI would have filled the galaxy by now if they existed, but notes that Drake's rebuttal suggests that different expansion patterns could lead to aliens arriving sooner. The section concludes by emphasizing the importance of ufologists interfacing with mainstream science to stay informed and avoid ignorance.

Press Reports

This section compiles several UFO sighting reports from various locations:

• Sweden (December 17, 1982): Captain Lennart Bergstrom observed a large, "flying bus"-like object glide into a forest clearing, followed by two smaller objects.
• Australia (July 23, 1983): Doreen Shepherd saw an oval-shaped, brightly lit object hover near her car in Leeton.
• Australia (July, 1983): Mrs. Pat Burns' son reported a strange object with red and blue lights in Griffith.
• Vermont (January 1, 1984): Stephen Cody and Michele Trudel spotted a pulsating, dark green orb flying low and slow in Montpelier.
• Oklahoma (January 4, 1984): An explosion-like noise was heard in McAlester, with speculation about a sonic boom or other phenomena.
• North Dakota (January 4, 1984): A driver observed lights that turned out to be an object that took off to the east near Fessenden.
• South Carolina (January 21, 1984): An unidentified object landed in a field near Presbyterian College in Clinton and took off when approached by security.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of the APRO Bulletin include detailed reports of UFO sightings, analysis of the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis, and critical examination of government and scientific approaches to UFO phenomena. The bulletin also highlights the importance of rigorous scientific methodology in UFO research and encourages open-mindedness and integration with mainstream scientific developments. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious investigation and a belief in the potential for intelligent extraterrestrial activity, while also being critical of attempts to suppress or dismiss UFO reports. The publication actively seeks information from its members to further its research efforts.