Area S1 - No 5 - 1996 09

Magazine Overview

Title: AREA S1
Issue: 5
Volume: 1
Date: September 1996
Publisher: SUFORA
Price: £1.00

This issue, titled "TRIANGLE SPECIAL," delves into the phenomenon of triangle-shaped UFO sightings, presenting a collection of reports, investigations, and analyses. The cover features a striking black and white photograph of a glowing triangle against a dark sky.

The Hudson Valley UFO Mystery

This extensive report by P.J.Imbrogno with Marianne Horrigan details the ongoing UFO sightings in southeastern New York and western Connecticut, beginning in the early 1980s. Witnesses describe a large, triangular object, the size of a football pitch, with multi-colored lights, moving at low altitudes. The sightings have caused public panic and traffic disruption. The report recounts early accounts from December 1982 and February 1983, including a detailed close encounter by Monique O'Driscoll and her daughter, who described a boomerang-shaped object with beautiful, bright lights and a dark, massive structure emitting no sound. The object was estimated to be 200 feet across. Further reports from March 17th, 1983, describe similar boomerang-shaped objects with bright lights, witnessed by over 100 people. A private pilot reported a brilliant white beam of light engulfing his car, accompanied by a voice saying, "Do not be afraid, we are just doing a test." The March 24th, 1983, event is described as a "grand appearance" witnessed by thousands, with reports spanning a 14-mile stretch and involving police officers. The object was described as the size of a football field, projecting a white beam of light. The report notes that in 1984, the object was seen in various shapes, including oval, and caused a blackout and power surge in Thomaston, Connecticut. The article mentions that while many photos and videos were taken, only a small percentage were useful, with one night-time video from Brewster being considered the best.

Report from 1963: Triangle Over The Manor

Richard Price recounts a sighting on September 6th, 1963, in Sheffield, UK. As an 11-year-old, he and his friends observed a small, black object in the west that appeared motionless before accelerating faster than anything he had ever seen, without sound. The object later reappeared, described as silver with a red sunset reflection, similar in shape to Concord, and then moved east and disappeared. The witness's father also observed the event.

Breaking Down "The Wall" of UFO Silence

This article by Antonio Huneeus discusses the unprecedented wave of UFO sightings in Belgium in 1990-91, characterized by gigantic "flying platforms." The Belgian Air Force and government meticulously documented these events, sharing results with civilian investigators. Thousands of witnesses, including police and Air Force personnel, reported triangular-shaped vehicles flying slowly, hovering, and performing maneuvers, captured on videotapes and tracked by radar. The article explores potential explanations, including secret military aircraft like RPVs, AWACS, the F-117, and the B-2 Stealth Bomber. It highlights the cooperation between the Belgian Air Force and the Society for the Study of Space Phenomena (SOBEPS), involving scientists like Leon Brenig and August Mecssen. A key event occurred on March 30-31, 1990, when unknown targets were tracked by radar, leading to the scramble of two F-16 interceptors. The report details how the UFOs exhibited drastic changes in speed and altitude when targeted by the F-16s, with speeds changing from 150 to 970 knots and altitudes from 9,000 to 5,000 feet, then returning to 11,000 feet. The article notes the impossibility of such performance for known aircraft and the absence of sonic booms. The author discusses the similarities between the Belgian and Hudson Valley triangular craft, leading some researchers to suggest terrestrial, not extraterrestrial, technology. The article also touches upon the theory of "The American made UFO" proposed by Tony Gonsalves, suggesting modified B-2 Stealth Bombers or alien technology. It contrasts this with the views of UFO debunker Phillip Klass, who dismisses the secret aircraft theory for most sightings.

Triangle Picture Gallery

• This section features visual representations of triangle UFOs, including:
• WARP EFFECT: Describing how the shape of a UFO can seem indistinct.
• MANCHESTER '95: Depicting a triangular craft with a beam of light.
• BELGIUM '89: Illustrating a triangular object.
• HUDSON VALLEY '82: Showing a triangular craft with a detailed underside.
• RECENT SIGHTINGS: A caption describes military personnel encountering a more angular shaped vessel than traditional hubcaps, as large as a jumbo jet but much faster.

Manchester UFO?

This report details an encounter on January 6th, 1995, where Captain Roger Wills and First Officer Mark Stuart encountered a triangular UFO while descending to land at Manchester Airport. The article also includes an account from Richard Prince, who reported seeing a strange, amber-colored, glowing triangular light in the sky near Bramley, Rotherham, in January 1995, which he believes was a different UFO than the one seen by the pilots.

Investigation Report: Triangle Special

• This section compiles several witness reports of triangle UFO sightings:
• Redruth, Cornwall (November 4th, 1995): Michelle Rowe and her mother saw a fluorescent pink triangle with three red discs of light, moving slowly and silently.
• Heeley, Sheffield (July 7th, 1996): An anonymous source described an object resembling two triangles stuck together, black in color, moving fast and silently, reminding them of a stealth bomber.
• Mosborough, Sheffield (June 12th, 1996): Emily Walker and Robert Simpson observed a triangular object that made no noise and traveled at a constant speed before shooting off at great speed.
• The Manor, Sheffield (July 2nd, 1996): Three friends saw a triangular object hovering over their car, which then flew side-by-side with a passenger plane before vanishing.
• Gleadless, Sheffield (July 15th, 1996): A witness reported a bright, black triangle with well-lit lights traveling fast and silently towards the Manor Estate.

Triangles and Technology

• This article by Martin S. Jeffrey explores the possibility that triangle UFOs are related to modern secret military projects. It discusses:
• Northrop A-17: A two-seater electronic warfare/reconnaissance variant, possibly a swing-wing design, sighted at Palmdale and operated out of Cannon AFB. An A-17 reportedly made an emergency landing in Amarillo, Texas.
• Northrop TR 3A Stealth Reconnaissance Aircraft: Mentioned in relation to a crashed aircraft in Boscombe Down, UK.
• Boeing and Lockheed Martin Project (JAST): Described as a "one wing wing, with twin vertical end plates" designed for stability and reduced infra-red signature. Boeing has built a 94% scale powered model for testing.

The article questions whether these technologies are the source of the reported triangle phenomena.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the prevalence and characteristics of triangle-shaped UFOs, the debate between extraterrestrial origins and secret military technology, and the importance of witness testimony and scientific investigation. SUFORA, the publisher, is presented as a non-profit organization dedicated to spreading the truth about the UFO phenomenon. The editorial stance appears to be one of open-minded inquiry, presenting various theories and evidence without definitively concluding the nature of the phenomena.

This issue of UFO DATA, identified as issue number 19, focuses on advanced stealth aircraft projects and their potential connection to UFO sightings. The magazine explores military aviation developments from Germany, Britain, and the United States, alongside local UFO society activities.

"Firefly" - German Air Force's Stealth Fighter

The "Firefly" project, also known as LAMPYRIDAE or Medium Range Missile Fighter, was detailed. Released in March 1995, its objective was to develop a highly aerodynamic fighter with a forward radar section significantly less detectable than conventional fighters. Photographs revealed a polyhedral airframe with multi-faceted surfaces, a triangular wing platform, and a triangular engine intake duct. Dr. Gerhard Lobert claimed the design likely possessed superior radar characteristics to the F-117 Nighthawk, despite the F-117's greater number of radar-scattering facets.

HALO - British Aerospace

Confirmed in November 1995, British Aerospace was developing technology for a future stealth fighter aircraft at Warton, Lancashire. This High Altitude - Low Observable (HALO) project was initially planned to lead to a technology demonstrator that could fly by 2005. One evaluated option was a large, stealthy flying wing design. If successful, Britain might seek international partners for production, potentially integrating it into the JAST project. HALO was described as emphasizing wing-body blending with outwardly canted vertical tails. The aircraft was projected to be fully operational by 2013, replacing the RAF's Tornado GR4.

The article notes that Warton was undergoing reconstruction, with a £100 million hangar and other facilities being built. The Lancashire UFO society had received numerous UFO reports from witnesses in the Warton vicinity. The article also mentions an incident where anti-war protesters, known as the "Swords into Ploughshares," damaged a jet, causing £1.5 million in damage, and that Warton Security teams were using new Black Range rovers with flashing orange lights.

Aurora/Artichoke - America's Black Projects

Specifications for the "Aurora" aircraft were presented, including a cruise speed of Mach 8 (5,300 mph), flight altitude of 30-40 kilometers, a range of 9000 Kms, a length of 27 meters, and a wingspan of 15 meters. It was suggested that Aurora could reach any point on the globe in under 3 hours.

Experts suggested Aurora was a spyplane, a successor to the Blackbird. Its narrow, delta-shaped craft design was considered ideal for speeds up to Mach 8, where wings become less critical, making the vehicle more like a missile. The possibility of a "lifting body" fuselage, generating lift through its shape, was discussed. Due to the extreme heat generated at Mach 8 (over 1000c), it was speculated that the aircraft might be constructed from heat-resistant ceramic tiles and titanium, with a cooling system using chilled methane fuel pumped through pipes in the skin.

An explanation for the "doughnut on a rope" vapor trails sometimes seen behind unidentified triangular craft was proposed: a pulse engine producing up to 100 explosions per second. The article posed the question of how long it would take for Aurora to be officially acknowledged, noting it took thirty years for the Blackbird.

Conclusions

The author concluded that the mentioned aircraft (Firefly, HALO, Aurora) were too small to be the "Flying Triangles" often reported, despite their speed. One Ufologist had recently claimed that all "FTs" were either HALO or Aurora. The article questioned whether anything discussed in the magazine fit the description of these technologies.

It raised the possibility that a prototype of Aurora could be the "Belgium UFO" and questioned whether pilots of HALO had risked the lives of 150 passengers on an aeroplane coming into Manchester to test its capabilities.

Sources

Sources for the article included "Flight International" (various dates in 1995), "Air Forces Monthly" (Feb. 1995 and Jan. 1996), and "Air International" (Feb. 1995). Thanks were extended to Dave Pritchard, Gavin Slack, and The Lancashire UFO Society.

Triangle Technologies

This section featured information on various aviation projects and events:

• Boeing and Lockheed Martin ASTOVL programme: Described as a vertical take-off plane similar to the Harrier.
• The new A-17: Based on sightings in the USA and UK by Pete West of "AFM". It was described as a sister plane to the F-117A, recently flown by the RAF for testing at Boscombe Down. The A-17 was noted as being totally black and potentially mistakable for a UFO, bearing similarities to Aurora.

Meetings and Events

• Next Meeting: WEDNESDAY, 9th October 1996, at 7:00pm: To be held at Nelson Mandela Building, Pond Street, Sheffield.
• UFO INTERNET NIGHT - TUESDAY 17th September 1996: Meet at Elektra Cafe, Westfield Terrace (Off Devonshire Street), Sheffield. Starts at 7:00pm till 9:00pm, costing £2, with refreshments and toilets available.
• SKYWATCHES:
• 5th October: Meet at Sportsman Pub, Redmires Rd. At 8:30pm, bring warm clothing and drinks.
• 21st September: See above.
• Special Lunar eclipse Skywatch.
• Friday 27th September 1996: To be announced.

Helpline

SUFORA was seeking assistance to translate foreign language documents. Contact 0114 275 6144 for inquiries.

They were also looking for funny stories related to Skywatching and needed other groups to provide them. Contact 0114 275 6144.

Did You Know?

A close encounter of the fifth kind is defined as when humans contact UFOs, according to Karen Tyler.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme throughout the issue is the potential overlap between advanced military aircraft technology and unexplained aerial phenomena (UFOs). The editorial stance appears to be one of investigation and speculation, presenting information on cutting-edge aviation projects and encouraging readers to consider these as possible explanations for UFO sightings. The magazine also actively promotes local UFO research group activities and engagement, fostering a community around the subject.