BUFORA Newsfile - No.73 - Feb 1999

Magazine Overview

BUFORA NEWSFILE, Issue 73, dated February 1999, is a publication from BUFORA, focusing on UFO phenomena. The cover prominently features a dramatic image of a UFO with a timestamp and a headline proclaiming it the 'most significant British UFO film ever'.

Cover Story: Saucer Wonder

The lead story highlights an 'incredible 35-minute video' filmed in Suffolk, UK, which reportedly shows three flying saucers, a cigar-shaped craft accelerating at high speed, and huge triangular objects engaged in a mock dogfight. The footage was exclusively obtained by the News of the World. UFO experts, including Graham Birdsall, editor of UFO Magazine, and author Nicholas Redfern, have analyzed the video and described it as 'absolutely amazing' and 'on a par with anything filmed anywhere in the world', with Redfern firmly believing it to be 'extra-terrestrial'.

David Spoor, the UFO spotter who compiled the video over five months in 1998, expressed his conviction that 'there is another life out there' and that 'they are from another planet'. His wife, Jean Spoor, a district councillor, noted that no earthly craft could have behaved in the manner observed. David Spoor explained that he filmed the first UFO in August from his home in Oulton Broad, Suffolk.

Thematic Exploration: Aliens in Our Midst?

Page 28 of the Daily Mail, dated Tuesday, March 31, 1998, features an article by Colin Wilson titled 'ALIENS IN OUR MIDST? DAY THREE OF OUR FASCINATING SERIES: Do these close encounters prove we are meet an alien life force?'. Wilson, a criminologist and former university professor, investigates the evidence about UFOs, suggesting that beings from other worlds may be trying to communicate with us and that people are 'selected to make contact with aliens'.

Wilson recounts the experiences of French astronomer Jacques Vallee, who, while working at the Paris Observatory in 1961, observed an unusually bright satellite not on any official record and moving in the wrong direction. Vallee's superior dismissed the sighting and confiscated the tape. Vallee later corresponded with J. Allen Hynek, a key figure in UFO research, and was urged to move to the U.S. Vallee's own UFO sightings, including one at age 14 and another at age 15 near Paris, are detailed. The article touches upon historical accounts of UFO-like phenomena in ancient Egypt and during Alexander the Great's siege of Tyre.

Vallee's work, particularly his books 'Challenge To Science' and 'Anatomy Of A Phenomenon', analyzed and classified UFO reports. The article highlights an engineering executive's account of being taken aboard a disc-shaped object and having information fed into his brain, resulting in a 18-day disappearance. Another case involves a pop performer, Helen, who recalled being taken aboard a UFO and shown its propulsion system after her band's car was enveloped by funnel-shaped lights.

Wilson discusses John Keel's theory that UFOs are not necessarily spaceships but something more mysterious, possibly belonging to another dimension. Keel's research into hundreds of witness accounts led him to believe that people do not witness UFOs by accident but are 'somehow selected', and that a significant percentage of witnesses possess psychic or paranormal abilities. Keel also noted that car engines would fail when UFOs were present, attributing this to very low frequency (VLF) radio waves.

The article further explores the idea that UFOs may manipulate energy to become visible and that aliens might possess supernatural powers, drawing parallels with folklore figures like fairies and goblins. The concept of UFOs as a 'control system' influencing human perception and consciousness is introduced, with comparisons to propaganda. John Mack, a Harvard psychologist, is mentioned for his similar conclusions after studying abductees, who often report feeling 'deepened' and spiritually stronger after their experiences.

Encounters Prove We Are Not Alone

Page 2 of the Daily Mail, dated Tuesday, March 31, 1998, continues the series with an article titled 'encounters prove we are meet an alien life force?'. It reiterates the idea that UFOs are not simply material spacecraft but may involve intelligent energy intermingled with ours, capable of manipulating past and present events. The article questions whether humans possess latent powers that aliens are trying to teach us to use.

Fishy Encounters and Local Sightings

An article from the Advertiser, dated Thursday, April 24, 1997, titled 'Fishy encounters', features Catherine Jones of Bournemouth, who claims a 'huge glowing jelly fish-shaped UFO' followed her. She became interested in UFOs after reading about a sponsored walk to Roswell and aims to help build a Dorset UFO research centre. She describes her encounter in Broadway Lane, where the object had a 'ring of coloured lights' and followed her for ten minutes.

The Burton Daily Mail, dated Thursday, April 24, 1997, reports on the activities of BUFOIB (Burton UFO Investigations Bureau), which has been monitoring the skies above Burton and South Derbyshire for 12 months. The group was formed after numerous reports of mysterious objects. Common sightings include large triangular glowing objects, which BUFOIB suspects might be new military stealth planes, but larger ones remain unexplained. The article details specific incidents, including a sighting of a UFO rising from a ditch in December 1990, and a report of over 100 gold coloured spots or discs flying in formation in June of the previous year. Another sighting involved a large triangular craft, followed by a black car and individuals searching the ground, with the woman reporting a subsequent call from someone claiming to be from the government.

Real Life X-Files and UFO Ordeals

The Evening Leader, dated March 18, 1998, reports on a 'REAL LIFE X-FILE' where drivers claimed to be shaken after a '40ft long unidentified flying object flew over the top of their car' near the Llandegla moors. Mike Speed described the oblong object with a blue glow at the back, noting it made no sound and disappeared quickly. His colleague's watch went back an hour, and his own went forward 15 minutes. Wrexham Police confirmed receiving a report and passed it to the Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry of Defence, who stated they only investigate threats to national security.

The Winsford Chronicle, dated March 1, 1998, titled 'UFO Sightings on increase', details how the British Unidentified Flying Objects Studies Centre (BUFOSC) has received a surge of new eyewitness accounts following a previous article. Founder Eric Morris notes that people are less inhibited about coming forward. The article mentions sightings of triangular objects and orange balls with spikes, and a report of a UFO crash investigation in Newquay, Cornwall. BUFOSC's next meeting was to discuss the 'Ilkley entity'.

A separate article from the same Chronicle issue, 'X marks spot over his car', reiterates the story of Mike Speed's encounter, describing the object as 'oblong in shape' and 'terrifying'.

Scientific Inquiry and Physical Evidence

The Daily Mail, dated Tuesday, June 30, 1998, features an article titled 'Scientists call for an inquiry into 'physical evidence' of flying saucers'. An international panel of scientists has called for a full-scale investigation into UFOs, concluding that some sightings are backed by 'compelling physical evidence', including burns and radiation damage. The panel studied cases such as a gigantic disc over Paris in 1994, strange lights above Norway and Texas, and a cigar-shaped object over Ohio in 1973. The review, directed by physicist Dr Peter Sturrock of Stanford University, acknowledges that while no concrete evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence was found, the scientific community might learn from such phenomena if it overcomes the fear of ridicule. The article also mentions the sale of 'alien bodyguard discs' by a California-based group, claiming they protect against alien abduction.

Obituary: Athelstan Spilhaus

The Economist, dated April 11, 1998, features an obituary for Athelstan Frederick Spilhaus, inventor of aliens, who died on March 30th, aged 86. Spilhaus was the engineer in charge of a balloon experiment in 1947 that led to the Roswell Incident, where debris was found near Roswell, New Mexico. While the government attributed the incident to a weather balloon, public speculation about landed aliens persisted. Spilhaus also contributed to the Explorer 1 satellite project and pioneered studies in oceanography. He was known for his imaginative ideas and his love of toys.

Butlin's Hosts UFO Conference

The Thanet Times, dated September 29, 1998, reports that Butlin's Grand Hotel in Cliftonville will host a UFO conference organized by Astrasearch and the East Kent UFO Research Group. The conference aims to attract visitors interested in UFOs, including those who have witnessed strange things in the sky. Speakers were scheduled to discuss topics such as 'Men In Black' and crop circles. The event was to take place over two days in October, with admission fees for daily or weekend passes.

Another article from the same Thanet Times issue, 'TORCHLIGHT UFO FLYING OVER PLANES SAY COUPLE', details an incident where Rosemary and Roy Hunt of Broadstairs were frightened by a mysterious object zig-zagging through the night sky. They described it as having red and green lights and a beam like a torchlight, and noted that planes were flying beneath it. Police contacted RAF Manston, who had no knowledge of the object.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of BUFORA NEWSFILE and the associated newspaper articles revolve around the increasing number of UFO sightings, the growing public interest in the phenomenon, and the persistent efforts by some to gather and analyze evidence. There is a clear emphasis on the idea that UFOs are not mere figments of imagination but potentially represent a real, unexplained phenomenon, possibly involving extraterrestrial intelligence. The articles highlight expert opinions, historical accounts, and scientific investigations, suggesting a shift towards taking UFOs more seriously, even within scientific circles. The role of government secrecy and public skepticism is also a recurring point. The overall stance appears to be one of open inquiry, encouraging the public to report sightings and supporting research into these unexplained events, while acknowledging the challenges and the 'giggle factor' often associated with the topic.