Civlilian Saucer Intellligence of New York - No 02

Magazine Overview

This document consists of two pages from the Civilian Saucer Intelligence of New York (CSI), detailing upcoming and past meetings. The first page announces the meeting for Friday, March 25, 1955, with the topic "LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS ?" The second page provides a summary of the previous meeting held on February 28, 1955, featuring a talk by Mr. Richard Victor.

Meeting of March 25, 1955: "Life on Other Planets ?"

The upcoming meeting of CSI, scheduled for Friday, March 25, 1955, at 8:30 p.m. at Steinway Hall, 113 West 57 Street, 6th floor, will address the question of life on other planets. The speaker will be Mrs. Mary Warren Schiffmann, affiliated with the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York City and Chairman of their seminar discussion class, "Recent Advances in Astronomy." Her presentation will cover the planets of our own solar system and their moons, as well as the scientific thinking behind the potential existence of planets around more distant stars. The admission fee is 25 cents for CSI members and $1.00 plus tax for non-members. A summary of a previous talk by Mr. Victor is attached for CSI members, with copies available to non-members upon request.

Summary of Meeting February 28, 1955

The meeting of February 28, 1955, was called to order by Yeaman Condict. The speaker was Mr. Richard Victor, Field Service Representative from the Electronics Division of Curtiss Wright Corporation. Victor emphasized that his views were his own and did not represent Curtiss Wright. His background includes eight and a half years of flying experience in various types of aircraft.

"Foo Fighters" Discussion

Mr. Victor discussed the phenomenon of "foo fighters" (ffs) observed during World War II in the European and Japanese war theatres. He confirmed their reported behavior, describing them as "little silvery balls that seemed to have bubbles in them." These objects were frequently sighted between 1943 and 1945 on flights between London and Germany, where they caused considerable trouble for pilots by flying around their planes and outmaneuvering attempts to outspeed them. He noted that only one pilot reportedly managed to shake off an ff by flying into a cloud and reversing direction.

Victor doubted that ffs were St. Elmo's fire, as this phenomenon is not typically associated with aircraft. He stressed that the ffs appeared to be intelligently controlled, capable of "winking out" and disappearing, and actively maneuvering around aircraft rather than simply accompanying them. He cited an instance where a ff approached a lead plane at 1000 mph and stopped instantaneously inches from its tail.

During the war, both Allied and German forces suspected the ffs were enemy devices. In Japan, American pilots were briefed by Air Intelligence to remain calm if they encountered ffs, as they were considered a tactic to cause confusion and nervousness.

Theories on UFO Propulsion and Control

Mr. Victor shared his personal opinion that saucers are controlled and powered by magnetic force, possibly combined with recoil power, and that the Earth's gravitational field is also involved. He suggested that if humanity could overcome, oppose, or utilize gravity, it would lead to quiet, efficient, and fast flight. He mentioned that magnetism can currently nullify gravity to a slight extent, as demonstrated by levitating a frying pan in a magnetic field.

He theorized that a strong force field generated by a "saucer" would affect surrounding air molecules, potentially mitigating skin friction at high speeds and even creating a vacuum ahead of the object. He speculated that the materials used in saucers might be far superior to conventional metals, possibly more heat-resistant than diamond.

Victor also suggested that occupants within such a force field would be protected from extreme accelerations. He entertained theories involving counterbalancing gyroscopic action as a potential source for such a force field.

Magnetic Field Effects and Gravitational Anomalies

Mr. Victor noted that magnetic field effects might explain compasses being affected during saucer sightings, citing the Fred Johnson case. He also mentioned that light rays can be bent by strong gravitational fields, a phenomenon observed during solar eclipses, and questioned if gravity itself might be magnetic in nature. While acknowledging similarities, he pointed out differences, such as magnetism's ability to both attract and repel, unlike gravity's apparent attraction only.

He expressed belief in the possibility of magnetically-powered aircraft being developed on Earth, noting the rapid and unpredictable progress in aviation and the limitations of current propulsion systems.

Radar vs. Visual Sightings and Personal Experiences

Addressing radar-only sightings of UFOs, Victor proposed two possibilities: the objects move too fast for the human eye to perceive, or light rays are bent by the object's force field, making them visually undetectable. He also suggested that some objects might be concealed by light itself, rendering them invisible.

Regarding the "appearing-disappearing act" of some UFOs, Victor mentioned the Doppler effect in sound and light waves, suggesting that traveling at or faster than the speed of light could produce strange effects.

He explained that "visual only" sightings are easily explained by radar pulse reflection, but radar can have difficulty tracking fast, cylindrical objects like jets. He dismissed radar "errors" from clouds and storms as fuzzy and irregular images.

Mr. Victor recounted two personal UFO sightings: a blinking light observed for about 30 miles in Wyoming, and another light seen later that night. He also described observing jet planes chasing a whitish light for 15 minutes in 1954, noting its ability to hover, move horizontally and vertically with sharp right-angle turns without changing speed, which pursuing jets could not match.

Other UFO Cases and Air Force Views

Victor estimated that a plane with a 100-foot wingspread might be visible from 50-60 miles away, though this was debated by an audience member. He discussed audibility of aircraft, noting jets are hard to hear horizontally but audible from 7-10,000 feet vertically.

When asked about the Air Force's views on UFOs, he suggested they likely have opinions but may be withholding information due to fear of public panic. He cautioned against alarm, attributing incidents like the Mantell case to pilots getting too close.

He referenced several other cases, including the Ostrom truck incident, the Maury Island story, the wrecked plane seen by Arnold, a vanished South American plane, and the Salmon River Bridge burning, suggesting the latter might have been caused by a UFO's heat.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The CSI publication focuses on UFO phenomena, exploring scientific explanations, witness testimonies, and theoretical possibilities. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry, presenting information and theories from various sources, including scientific and technical experts, while encouraging critical thinking and discussion among its members. The organization seems to be a platform for sharing information and fostering dialogue on the subject of unidentified flying objects and related phenomena.