BUFORA Journal - Volume 03 No 03A - Summer Newsletter Aug 1971

Magazine Overview

Title: BUFORA SUMMER NEWSLETTER
Issue: Summer
Date: Published 21st August 1971
Publisher: BUFORA (British Unidentified Flying Object Research Association)
Country: UK
Language: English

This Summer Newsletter from BUFORA, dated August 21st, 1971, was produced to keep members updated on recent events, particularly as the regular BUFORA JOURNALS and RESEARCH BULLETIN were being consolidated. It covers administrative changes, research activities, international cooperation, and reports on UFO sightings and related events.

Administration

The newsletter details several changes within BUFORA's Executive Committee. Stephen Smith resigned as Director of Research due to time constraints. Capt. Ivar Mackay, who had previously served as Chairman and made significant contributions, presented his written resignation but agreed to continue with certain duties and organize meetings. Miss Janet Gregory also resigned due to freelance commitments. The current Executive Committee, as of July, includes Lionel Beer (Acting Chairman), Norman Oliver (Acting Vice-Chairman), Miss Betty Wood (Hon. Secretary), Arnold West (Hon. Treasurer), Mrs Anne Harcourt (Membership Secretary), Miss Pam Kennedy (Assistant Secretary), John Cleary-Baker (Journal Editor), Omar Fowler (Investigations Co-ordinator), and committee member Brian Simmonds. Lincoln Richford and Peter Wain are new co-options. Miss Christine Henning continues as Publicity Secretary.

Research and Investigation

Dr Geoffrey Doel has agreed to oversee the photographic department. The post of Director of Research remains vacant, with hopes to fill it soon. Omar Fowler is handing over the role of Investigations Co-ordinator to Tim O'Brien, a retired oil executive. The association is considering re-subscribing to a press cutting agency to improve national coverage of UFO reports, while still requesting members to forward any reports they encounter.

Regional Co-ordinators

To decentralize the investigation work and reduce the load on the National Co-ordinator, the idea of appointing Regional Co-ordinators, similar to a system used when BUFORA was founded in 1962, has been revived. These appointments are limited to willing, long-standing, and reliable members. Reports can be sent directly to the appropriate Regional Co-ordinator, who can then expedite follow-up through local investigators. Names and addresses of these co-ordinators and the areas they cover will be published in the BUFORA JOURNAL.

COMCAT Project and Overseas Cooperation

BUFORA has agreed to open its files to APRO (Mrs Lorenzen's society in Tucson, USA) for their "COMCAT" project, a computerized catalogue of UFO sightings. This aligns with BUFORA's third stated aim. Anthony Pace initiated preliminary negotiations for this. Additionally, BUFORA supplied sighting report forms to GEPA, a French society, through Rene Fouere, its General Secretary.

International Contacts

The newsletter mentions a dinner with Mr Ernst Linder, Chairman of Ifologiska Sallskapet in Stockholm, Sweden. Linder, an inventor, has been involved in various projects, including designing machinery for the bread industry and automating factories. He also participated in expeditions to search for the Fleet of Xerxes and the Coelacanth fish. His contact information is provided for those wishing to write to him.

Project Warminster

The Executive Committee agreed to sponsor up to £100 for Project Warminster, directed by John Cleary-Baker and coordinated by Arnold West. £50 was allocated for a caravan for administrative use, and the remaining £50 for administrative expenses. A separate caravan, independently sponsored by the Bedfordshire UFO Society near Warminster, is equipped with chart recorders to monitor meteorological conditions, magnetic fluctuations, VLF radio waves, and electrostatic variation, potentially related to UFO activity. The project aims to correlate visual observations with these readings.

David Viewing is scheduled to give a talk at Kensington Library on September 4th, discussing BUFOS instrumentation and potential experiments for recording UFO "events".

Obituary: Dr. James E. McDonald

The newsletter reports the death of Dr. James E. McDonald, a leading scientific exponent on UFOs, at the age of 51. His body was found in an Arizona desert, and police records indicated suicide. Dr. McDonald was a senior physicist at the University of Arizona's Institute of Atmospheric Physics and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. He was instrumental in convincing the scientific community that UFOs warranted serious study and was critical of the Condon Report. He also testified before a House of Representatives sub-committee regarding the environmental hazards of Supersonic Transport Planes (SSTs) and their potential impact on the ozone layer. He authored "Physics of Cloud Modification" and other papers. His death is described as a major loss to UFO research.

National Sky Watch and Comments on Sky Watching

The annual national sky watch exercise, involving approximately 150 people at 16 sites across Britain, is discussed. While most reports were of mundane origin, one notable sighting was a bright light near Sheffield. The exercise is seen as a success in terms of participation and practice, though the organizer, Lincoln Richford, noted that some groups did not report in. The importance of disciplined sky watching and the use of equipment like tripods and binoculars are emphasized. Lincoln Richford has accepted the role of organizer for the 1972 National Sky Watch, scheduled for June 24/25th.

Publicity

Details of BUFORA were featured in TIME OUT magazine, which brought a number of enquiries. Publicity was also arranged for a National Sky Watch article in THE GUARDIAN, with the assistance of Lincoln Richford. The author expresses a desire for BUFORA to present a more critical scientific image to attract and retain members with technical expertise.

"SAUCER NEWS" FOLDS

It is reported that Ray Palmer's FLYING SAUCERS magazine will now incorporate SAUCER NEWS, as the latter has ceased publication due to financial reasons. Gray Barker has joined the editorial staff of FLYING SAUCERS.

Report on the National Sky Watch

Lincoln Richford provides a detailed report on the June 26/27th national sky watch. Sixteen watching posts were established across the UK, with a central control point in London. Most reports were mundane, but a sighting near Sheffield of a bright light and a smoke-ring-like object was investigated by the RAF. Other reports included flares near Norfolk, potentially distress signals from a cruiser, and a bright light sighted by the E.S.D. group in Essex. The report highlights the importance of practical experience in observing the sky and evaluating reports. Thanks are extended to all participants.

Recent Reports

Two recent reports are mentioned: one from the BOURNEMOUTH EVENING ECHO about a photograph of a "large white light" taken from a window, and another from the REDBRIDGE RECORDER about a 12-year-old boy who saw "two strange silver objects" moving rapidly across the sky.

Spirits and the Sky: Christopher Ford on a UFO Hunt

This section, a reprint from THE GUARDIAN, details Christopher Ford's experience participating in the BUFORA national sky watch. He describes the event, the participants' attitudes, and interviews several BUFORA members, including Ivar Mackay and Omar Fowler. Mackay emphasizes that BUFORA is not about "gimmicky ideas" but about the evidence for unidentified objects in our atmosphere. Fowler expresses caution and a belief in the existence of flying objects, while also noting the impossibility of interstellar travel with current knowledge. Edgar Hatvany, a former organizer, stresses the importance of instruments over witnesses. The article touches on the