Data Net - No 62 - 1972

Magazine Overview

Title: DATA-NET
Issue: Vol. VI NO. 8
Date: August 1972
Publisher: DATA-NET
Focus: The UFO Amateur Radio Network

Editorial Stance and Content Summary

This issue of DATA-NET, the publication of the UFO Amateur Radio Network, addresses the perception that UFO activity has declined, asserting that this is a false assumption. The magazine emphasizes the continued high volume of UFO reports and the sophistication of UFO research, particularly in the last five years. DATA-NET has focused on publishing significant cases involving multiple witnesses, Type-I landings, and close encounters.

The issue presents a breakdown of 1785 UFO cases published over a five-and-a-half-year period, with 969 originating in the United States and 816 from foreign countries. A chart illustrates the distribution of these cases, including Type-I landings, occupants seen, and traces. The magazine also includes a graph showing the annual distribution of UFO cases from 1967 to 1971, noting a peak in 1970 and a slight dip in 1971, attributed to selectivity due to space limitations.

Research in Progress: Computer Record of UFO Data

A significant portion of the issue is dedicated to the application of computers in UFO research. The article "COMPUTER RECORD OF UFO DATA: ASSISTANCE TO RESEARCH" by Vicente-Juan Ballester Olmos, discusses the benefits of using electronic computers for UFO data analysis. These benefits include storing large amounts of data, automatic retrieval of partial listings, aiding in hypothesis testing, detecting geographic patterns, and assigning quantitative values to interpretations. The article enumerates eight different projects in Europe and America that are based on computer processing of UFO cases.

• These projects include:
• California: A world-wide catalogue of Type-I landing reports maintained by Dr. Jacques Vallee.
• Colorado: UFOCAT, a comprehensive catalogue of all-categories UFO observations, maintained by Dr. David Saunders.
• Maryland: The UFO Information Retrieval Center, Inc., headed by Thomas M. Olsen, which uses a machine-readable format for 160 selected cases.
• Illinois: The Midwest UFO Network (MUFON), directed by Walter Andrus, which maintains an automatic file for its investigators.
• Arizona: The Aerial Phenomena Research Organization (APRO) is preparing Project Comcat, an attempt to electronically process UFO incident reports.
• Washington D.C.: The National Investigations Committee on Aerioa Phenomena (NICAP) is rumored to be planning a similar task.
• France: The UFO journal "Lumieres Dans La Nuit (LDLN)" published an article on the creation of a "Fichier Informatique de Documentation sur les UFOs" (FIDUFO).
• Spain: The team CEONI of Valencia, in cooperation with CEI, is working on a project to create complete and reliable catalogues of UFO activity in the Iberian Peninsula, called CATIB, which are processed by computer.

Census of Technical Works and Discussions Related to the UFO Propulsion Problem

This section, also by Vicente-Juan Ballester Olmos, provides an extensive bibliography of technical works and discussions related to the UFO propulsion problem. It includes over 30 entries, with titles, authors, sources, and publication dates, covering topics such as space, gravity, atom propulsion, silicon saucers, superconductivity, antigravitation, and magnetic models of matter. The author encourages readers to submit additional references to expand this list.

1896 Airship Sightings, Part III

This installment, submitted by Donald H. White, presents historical clippings about airship sightings in 1896. It includes an account where Professor Burckhalter of the Chabot Observatory dismisses these sightings as misidentifications of planets Mars or Venus. However, a young electrician named Case Gillson provides a graphic description of an airship he witnessed, describing it as cigar-shaped with a fish-like tail, moving rapidly at an altitude of 1000-1500 feet, and appearing to be made of aluminum.

Other Sections

The issue also contains "Announcements," "Data-Net Communication Centers," "The Editor's Desk," "Clipping the News," "UFO Reports," "UFO Comments and Opinions," and "Shop & Swap." The "Editor's Desk" discusses the ongoing nature of UFO reports and the importance of historical context. The network schedule for DATA-NET Communication Centers is provided, along with membership information and services offered to members, such as the "Saucer Seeker" magnetic UFO detector and access to a research library.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the persistence and significance of UFO activity, the growing importance of computer analysis in UFO research, and the value of historical UFO cases. The editorial stance is one of active investigation and a belief that UFOs are a real phenomenon, with a commitment to collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information to the UFO research community. The magazine actively encourages participation and contributions from its members and the wider research community.

This issue of SAGA, dated August 1972, presents a collection of articles and reports focusing on unexplained aerial phenomena, historical airships, and enigmatic events. The content spans various locations and time periods, offering witness accounts, investigative notes, and commentary on the UFO phenomenon.

Airship Sightings and Claims

The issue begins with an account from San Francisco and Oakland, California, detailing sightings of an airship in late 1896. Witnesses describe its tremendous speed and unusual behavior. A specific report from November 26, 1896, features John A. Horen, an electrician, who claims to have traveled on an airship that took off from Sandy Beach. He describes the experience, including the measurement of height by degrees rather than miles, and notes that the motive power was not steam or electricity.

UFO Sightings and Investigations

The bulk of the magazine is dedicated to UFO sightings and related investigations from the early to mid-1970s, with a significant number of reports originating from South Africa, New Zealand, Wales, and various locations in the USA.

South Africa

Several reports from South Africa detail UFO encounters. In Fort Beaufort, a flying saucer was reportedly seen for over four hours on June 26, 1972, with police officers and civilians firing rifle shots at it. The object was described as oval, gunmetal in color, and glowed, changing colors. It left imprints on the ground. Other sightings in Fort Beaufort included a mysterious object hovering and flashing various colors. In Vryburg, a large, low-hovering UFO was seen by a group of young people. Port Elizabeth reported a UFO photographed after being observed for nearly 35 minutes. In Ashburton, a dazzling white light, described as a giant UFO, blocked a bridge. Queenstown reported a UFO detector buzzing on multiple occasions when UFOs were sighted.

New Zealand

Reports from New Zealand include a sighting on May 18, 1972, near Napier, where a UFO with searchlight beams was observed. Between May 21-27, 1972, a bare circular patch of earth, identified as a 'bare earth circle,' was found on a farm near Tokoroa. The issue also highlights Robyn Jenkin's book 'NEW ZEALAND MYSTERIES,' which explores the country's historical and fortean phenomena.

United States

In the US, a report from Leeds, Alabama, on June 16, 1972, describes a flying saucer landing in a yard, composed of metallic fabric. Another incident on June 18, 1972, near Barstow, California, involved a strange, circular object that reportedly ran a vehicle off the road. In Dighton, Kansas, a recurring 'fiery red phenomenon' was sighted regularly, described as round with red-orange and white lights, hovering at a specific altitude.

Wales

On June 11, 1972, a policeman in Blackmill, Wales, spotted a cigar-shaped flying object with blue lights at either end, moving noiselessly.

Enigmatological Survey and Commentary

The issue features an 'Enigmatological Survey' by Paul Braczyk, which reviews Richard Winer's article on the Bermuda Triangle in the August '72 issue of SAGA. Braczyk critiques Winer's work for rehashing old material and notes that even his article contains little new information. He also mentions another article by Kenneth Gatland concerning radio signals from extraterrestrial intelligence.

A letter from John Ecklin raises a question about the relativity of motion concerning beams of light.

The 'Enigmatological Trivia' question asks about the location of the planet Clarion, with the answer provided from Truman Bethurum's account of meeting the leader of a landed flying saucer.

UFOs and Orgone Energy

A section discusses Dr. Wilhelm Reich and his theories on 'orgone energy,' with a book review of 'ORGONE ENERGY: THE ANSWER TO ATOMIC SUICIDE' by Jerome Eden. The book reportedly links UFOs to orgone energy, with an experiment described where Reich claimed to have drawn off the propulsive power of hovering UFOs.

Other Mentions and Features

The issue also includes mentions of research bulletins from Huch Auchincloss Brown, notes on ufology prepared by Brent Raynes, and a National Enquirer article about a town with numerous UFO sightings. A humorous 'Flittering Finger of Fortean' award is given to Ivan Marx for a film purportedly showing a white Bigfoot.

UFO Comments and Opinions

A study by Dr. David Saunders is cited, revealing that UFOs are most frequently sighted on Wednesdays and tend to be seen in areas with high education levels. The study refutes the notion that UFO reports are solely due to partying or hallucinations, attributing such ideas to anti-UFO propaganda.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the persistent reporting of unidentified flying objects across diverse geographical locations and the exploration of historical accounts of aerial phenomena, such as airships. The magazine appears to present these reports with a degree of seriousness, encouraging further investigation and discussion, while also critically reviewing existing literature on the subject. The editorial stance seems to be one of open inquiry into unexplained phenomena, acknowledging the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligence and advanced technology, but also maintaining a critical perspective on the research and claims presented.