Data Net - No 58 - 1972

Magazine Overview

Title: DATA-NET
Issue: Vol. VI No. 4
Date: April 1972
Publisher: Mrs. Josephine J. Clark
Focus: The UFO Amateur Radio Network

This issue of DATA-NET, the official publication of The UFO Amateur Radio Network, delves into UFO research and activity, with a significant focus on the 1950 Iberian UFO flap and upcoming conferences.

Key Articles and Features

Statistical Notes on the 1950 Iberian UFO Flap

This extensive report, authored by Vicente-Juan Ballester Olmos and Carlos Orlando de Soto, analyzes the UFO activity in Spain and Portugal during 1950. It details the data-base compiled from various sources, including CEONI and CEI files, and presents a catalogue of 86 unidentified cases. The report highlights the 'flap' which occurred primarily in March, with a dramatic start and abrupt end between March 21 and April 1. The authors discuss the distribution of sightings, noting that 59 events were reported within a 12-day period. They also touch upon the possibility of modern aircraft being mistaken for UFOs, citing the presence of planes with condensation trails. A correlation is noted between the shortest Earth-Mars distance in 1950 and the flap dates. The geographical dispersion of sightings across the Iberian Peninsula is visualized through a map, indicating areas with the most cases and those that were avoided.

Third Annual Midwest UFO Conference

Announcements are made for the 1972 Midwest UFO Conference, scheduled for Saturday, June 17, 1972, at the Holiday Inn in Quincy, Illinois. Hosted by the Tri-State UFO Study Group, Inc., the conference theme is "UFOs - A World-wide Phenomenon." The featured speaker is Dr. David R. Saunders, Professor of Psychology at the University of Colorado, who will discuss "New Lines for Orthoteny in UFO Research." The program includes sessions on UFOs as viewed by the news media, the UFO problem from an extraterrestrial intellect perspective, UFOs behind the Iron Curtain, and physical evidence for UFOs. Ticket information and reservation cut-off dates are provided.

Other Content

The issue also includes announcements for a $25.00 reward for an authentic photograph of a flying saucer, a shop and swap service for members, and access to a research library of UFO books. The magnetic UFO detector, "The Saucer Seeker," is available to members. A special report, "A Study of 100 Iberic Landings," by Vicente-Juan Ballester Olmos and Dr. Jacques Valiee, is also available for purchase. Data-Net's communication center schedule is provided, with network sessions on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM PST.

The editorial policy of DATA-NET is stated: "DATA-NET feels sufficient evidence has been presented to prove that unidentified flying objects exist. We seek answers to the following questions: What are they? Where do they come from, and how? Why are they here?"

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are UFO investigation, statistical analysis of sightings, and the promotion of scientific discourse on the UFO phenomenon. The editorial stance, as clearly stated in the policy, is that unidentified flying objects are real, and the network is dedicated to seeking answers through research and information sharing. There is an emphasis on encouraging respectability for the UFO problem and facilitating the communication of scientific ideas.

This document appears to be a section from a larger publication, likely a magazine or journal, focusing on UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) research. It presents statistical data and analysis related to UFO sightings, particularly from Spain and Portugal in 1950.

Table III: Provinces of Spain and Portugal that have recorded cases This section provides a table listing provinces in Spain and Portugal along with the total number of recorded UFO cases for each. Barcelona leads with 12 cases, followed by Tarragona (6), Sevilla (4), Madrid (4), Huelva (4), Jaen (4), Oviedo (4), Castellon (4), Albacete (3), Ciudad Real (3), Salamanca (3), Zaragoza (3), and Burgos (3). Several other provinces in both countries are listed with fewer cases, including Valencia (3), Guipuzcoa (2), Murcia (2), Caceres (2), Orense (2), Valladolid (2), Beira Alta (Po.) (2), Ribatejo (Po.) (2), Avila (1), Segovia (1), Cordoba (1), and Cadiz (1). Other Spanish provinces like Vizcava, Zamora, Palma, La Coruna, Gerona, Lerida, and Malaga are listed with 1 case each. Portuguese provinces mentioned include Douro Litoral (Po.), Alto Alentejo (Po.), Beira Litoral (Po.), and Estremadura (Po.), each with 1 case.

V. Time Tabulation of Cases This section discusses the distribution of UFO sightings by hour of the day, based on a sample of 60 cases where the time was known. The authors note that this distribution differs from more common patterns and may be influenced by factors like "interference" or anomalous crests at mid-day. They suggest that if new experiences validate this, the 1950 data might be considered low reliability for interpreting the "UFO Phenomenon" population. The section poses questions about whether there is a constant time repartition of UFO cases and if the 1950 data follows it.

VI. Day-of-the-Week Frequencies This part reviews existing literature on the daily variations in UFO reports, citing works by Vallee, Saunders, Clark, Lopez, and Ares. It notes that while some papers find incompatible results with chance laws, the values found do not widely exceed average values, and no strongly consistent correlation has been found. The Iberian reports from the 1968/69 wave and Dr. Vallee's Type-I cases attribute Friday as the top accumulation day. However, other studies, such as Mrs. Clark's North American observations and Dr. Saunder's UFOCAT, point to Wednesday as the most "prosperous" day. The authors state that the differences are small and not concurrent globally. They provide new data on the day-of-the-week distribution of 85 UFO incidents reported in Spain and Portugal during 1950, presenting percentages in Table IV. This table shows Monday (10%), Tuesday (13%), Wednesday (23%), Thursday (12%), Friday (14%), Saturday (16%), and Sunday (7%). Figure 5 visually represents the number of cases per day-of-the-week, highlighting the low percentage on Sunday and the abundance on Wednesday.

VII. Survey of Shapes and Colours Table V details the shapes of UFOs reported in 1950. Out of 67 reports mentioning shape, 42 were described as disc or ellipse, 17 as circular or spheric, 3 as cylinder, and 2 as other (star). One case each was reported as bulb, square, or meteor. The authors observe that most reported objects had symmetry of revolution, and that descriptions like "flying saucers shaped" are common among the uneducated. They suggest these results are consistent with explanations involving aircraft or UFOs. Table VI lists the reported colors of 54 UFO observations, with "Brilliant, luminous" being the most frequent (16 cases), followed by "Metallic, grey, aluminum, opaque" (11 cases), and "White, platinum" (8 cases). Other colors reported include Reddish (6), Orange (3), Blue (2), Phosphorescent (1), and Yellow (1). The section also lists "Other" colors: Red to green (2), Trail (1), Flashing (1), and Sparks (1).

The information suggests that the nature of objects causing the 1950 increment of cases might differ from typical UFO visions, given the low frequency of "hot" colors and the high number of metallic ones. The possibility of "agent X" (Aime Michel's term) changing its time rule, leading to the appearance of artificially-built engines, is left open.

VIII. Final Comments The authors emphasize that the 1950 Iberian flap requires further study and caution against launching conclusions prematurely. They present a series of "Facts" to guide future inquiries:

• Fact 1: The current sample is extensive and representative of the Iberian UFO activity in 1950.
• Fact 2: The year featured a sudden crest or flap centered at the end of March, with a distinct daily distribution.
• Fact 3: The flap date coincided with the minimum Mars-Earth distance.
• Fact 4: The time tabulation of 60 cases showed three peaks (10 p.m., 4 a.m., mid-day), with the mid-day peak being anomalous and its relative percentages differing from other researches.
• Fact 5: UFOs in 1950 were reported with discoidal or spherical shapes.
• Fact 6: Over half the reported colors were metallic, which is unusual for objects described as "hot" sources of light.
• Fact 7: Most negative cases were explained by aircraft, occurring between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• Fact 8: Information quality was divided into almost null (37 cases), insufficient (36 cases), and complete (13 cases), indicating poor documentation overall.
• Fact 9: A high percentage of sightings involved objects flying at great heights. 1950 was unusual for having only three Type-I cases (landings) and few close encounters, despite their abundance in other years.
• Fact 10: The spectrum of four major hypotheses explaining the sightings includes unknown cyclic phenomenon, UFOs, aircraft, and "Magoniabe." The authors suggest one of these was the motivating factor for the "unidentified" flap.

The document also includes contact information for Mr. Vicente-Juan Ballester Olmos and a list of 13 references, primarily academic papers and books on UFO research.

The Unidentified Flying Object Problem..........ANZAAS SYMPOSIUM This section reports on the first scientific Symposium in Australia on the UFO problem, held on October 30, 1971, in Adelaide. Organized by ANZAAS, it attracted about 300 attendees and received significant media publicity. The symposium was initiated by Dr. Brian Horton after a radio talk-back show revealed extensive UFO-related calls.

Dr. Rupert Best, Chairman of ANZAAS, emphasized the importance of scientifically investigating unexplained matters. The Honourable Steele Hall M.P. opened the symposium, recounting a personal "encounter" that turned out to be an inversion of lights.

Dr. Horton stressed the need for scientific investigation of UFOs, despite their fringe status and ridicule. Mr. Colin Norris provided a history of UFOs and their characteristics, showing slides and a film, and highlighting the lack of official activity. A paper by Mr. B. Roberss, delivered by Dr. Bill Taylor, assessed UFO reports and identified astronomical phenomena and meteor showers as common explanations, but noted the difficulty of proving this exhaustively.

Dr. M. Duggin called for closer cooperation between UFO organizations and scientists. Mr. Lynn Mitabell presented on meteorological phenomena, including scintillation, green flash, and mirages, as potential explanations for sightings. He noted that increased sky surveillance leads to more reported UFOs.

Dr. Peter Delin discussed the psychological aspects of belief and disbelief, comparing psychical and UFO research and emphasizing the need to separate witness reports from interpretations.

Dr. L. Mander examined the possibilities of extraterrestrial life, suggesting that a benign environment is necessary for complex life to develop, and that many planets may support intelligent life.

Dr. D. G. McCoy discussed "Space-Time of Extra-Terrestrial Cultural Contacts," estimating at least 100 million planets with intelligent life in the galaxy and suggesting that 0.001% of stars might host advanced civilizations. Radio communication was deemed the most likely form of communication, with signals taking hundreds to thousands of years to travel.

Dr. D. Herbiso Evans addressed how to solve the UFO problem, suggesting that observational stations and cameras with diffraction gratings could provide valuable information, but that "Information costs money."

A panel discussion followed, with speakers answering audience questions. A motion was passed requesting ANZAAS to consider acting as referees for UFO report funding submissions and potentially setting up a sub-committee for UFO study.

The symposium was described as objective, rational, and reasonable, contributing to keeping people's minds open on the UFO topic.

Footnote The ANZAAS Divisional Committee considered the symposium's motion and acknowledged sufficient evidence of unexplained phenomena, deeming it an unsolved scientific problem. They favored the motion and planned to examine the feasibility of establishing an investigation and appointing scientists, with ANZAAS prepared to appoint researchers from across Australia.

Enigmatological Survey This section, by Paul Braczyk, discusses various ufological and fortean items. It mentions an article by Ted Owens on communicating with UFO space intelligences, a subscription offer for Brad Steiger's Notebook, and a National Enquirer offer of $50,000 for proof of UFOs originating in outer space. It also reviews Andrew Tomas's book "WE ARE NOT THE FIRST," which suggests ancient knowledge of modern science, and "The Voice of Venus" by Ernest L. Norman. Two books by Laura Mundo, "Flying Saucer Up-Day" and "Doomsday Coming Up?" are also mentioned.

Other Items Several other short items are included:

• A mention of articles in the March ARGOSY about a Roman settlement in America and a mermaid of Lake Constance.
• A review of R. L. Dione's book "God Drives a Flying Saucer," described as a unique exercise in mental gymnastics about advanced super technology.
• "The Flittering Finger of Fortana" discusses a peculiar mail incident involving a bank and a borrower.
• A DATA-NET REPORT section provides subscription information for the UFO news report.
• A DATA-NET section for The UFO Amateur Radio Network is included, with contact information.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance The recurring themes in this document are the statistical analysis of UFO sightings, the exploration of various hypotheses for their origin, and the reporting of scientific and public discussions on the UFO phenomenon. The editorial stance appears to be one of cautious scientific inquiry, emphasizing the need for rigorous data collection and analysis while acknowledging the limitations of current knowledge and the potential for misinterpretation or hoaxes. There is a clear call for further research and a desire to maintain an open mind on the subject, as evidenced by the symposium's proceedings and the authors' concluding remarks.