1957 11 00 Fantastic Universe - Shapes in the sky

Magazine Overview

Title: FANTASTIC UNIVERSE SCIENCE FICTION
Issue: NOV.
Price: 35c
Publisher: ICD
Cover Headline: WHAT PILOTS A UFO?
Featured Articles: "SHAPES IN THE SKY" by CIVILIAN SAUCER INTELLIGENCE, "WHAT PILOTS A UFO?" by IVAN T. SANDERSON, "MEET THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL" by ISABEL DAVIS.
Other Stories by: F. B. BRYNING, BERTRAM CHANDLER, ROBERT F. YOUNG.

Shapes in the Sky by Civilian Saucer Intelligence

This article, the fifth in a series on UFO sightings and reports for Fantastic Universe by the Research Section of Civilian Saucer Intelligence (CSI), focuses on the acoustic phenomena associated with UFOs, specifically "sounds in the sky." CSI publishes a newsletter and maintains an extensive file of material on the subject.

The author begins by revisiting the proposition from a previous article that some UFOs might be a form of animal life. However, this article concentrates on UFOs that give the impression of being mechanical constructions, often associated with noise. While many UFO sightings occur at great distances or from noisy environments like airplanes, making sound detection difficult, the article highlights cases where the silence of UFOs is truly extraordinary.

It contrasts this with known phenomena like bullets or meteorites, which produce sound. The article dismisses Donald Menzel's theory that UFOs are merely "light phenomena" or air refractions, citing Project Blue Book Special Report #14, which indicated only 1.8% of sightings were explicable this way. The focus then shifts to UFOs that make noises, noting that while uncommon, there are numerous examples, including historical accounts from Charles Fort's collection, such as a "headless monster" that produced noise and cigar-shaped bodies with motor sounds.

Witness Accounts of Noisy UFOs

The article presents several contemporary accounts of noisy UFOs:

• Mary Schwarzkopf (March 1947): Observed a squadron of eleven dull, pale gold objects in a V-formation near San Fernando Valley, California. They appeared to be about the size of a fuselage without wings or tail and made a hollow clattering sound like "clap, clop, clap, clop." She noted they were not silvery but dull glowing gold and seemed to be towed.
• Major Herbert W. Taylor (March 13, 1950): Awakened by a loud motor sound, he witnessed a tremendous orange-cast object hovering in his backyard in Clarksburg, California. The object was saucer-shaped, brilliant, and made a constant droning-motor sound for fifteen to twenty minutes before receding.
• Camp Drum, New York (September 25, 1952): Soldiers reported a 20-foot disc with a red "exhaust flame" that circled and hovered for half an hour, emitting a whining noise "like a dynamo."
• Marrowbone Lake, Tennessee (March 29, 1950): Two fishermen saw six to 12 dark, round, heavy objects, about five feet long, whining overhead. They described the noise as being like the wind blowing through trees and the objects traveling faster than any airplane, turning together.
• Russell M. Peirce (April 26, 1954): An architect in Newburyport, Massachusetts, heard a "very loud, deep roar, like many heavy-duty truck motors all revving up at the same time." He saw a "flaming ring" with a small, bright disc inside, moving downward and to the right. The object stopped, wavered, and then ascended sharply.
• Rome, Italy (September 18, 1954): A widely publicized "half-cigar" shaped object flew over Rome, emitting a sound like approaching thunder with a staccato effect. It stopped at a height of about 5000-6000 feet and then shot vertically upward, leaving a trail of milky white smoke. Radar at Ciampino Airport tracked the object for 39 minutes.
• near Knoxville, Tennessee (May 21, 1957): A witness described an oval or round object making a noise "like a runaway power mower." It was metallic, flat, about six or seven feet in diameter, and had a unique stem-like appendage with holes. It stopped overhead, and the noise ceased.
• Pittsburg, Kansas (August 25, 1952): Bill Squyres observed an object about 75 feet long, 45 feet wide, and 15 feet thick, shaped like two oval meat platters. It hovered, making a deep throbbing sound, and vegetation was blown around its base. It ascended vertically through clouds.
• Santa Fe, New Mexico (October 25, 1953): Jimmie Milligan encountered a gunmetal colored object, described as like two boat hulls stuck together, about three feet high and ten feet long. It made a sound like a washing-machine motor, faster than a model airplane engine, before roaring and ascending steeply.

What Pilots a UFO? by Ivan T. Sanderson

This article, the lead piece on the cover, explores the nature of UFO pilots. While the content of this specific article is not detailed in the provided text, its placement suggests it is a primary focus of the issue.

Meet the Extraterrestrial by Isabel Davis

This article by Isabel Davis addresses the concept of encountering extraterrestrial beings. The content is not elaborated upon in the provided text, but it is a prominent feature on the cover.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently explores UFO phenomena, witness testimonies, and potential explanations, including mechanical and possibly biological origins. The editorial stance appears to favor presenting a wide range of accounts and investigations into these unexplained aerial phenomena, encouraging readers to consider various possibilities beyond conventional explanations. The inclusion of CSI's research and references to Project Blue Book suggest a commitment to documenting and analyzing UFO reports. The magazine also features science fiction stories, indicating a blend of factual reporting on anomalies and imaginative fiction within the genre.