Flying Saucer Digest - No 111 - 1990

Magazine Overview

Title: FLYING SAUCER DIGEST
Issue: NO.111
Volume: FALL 90
Date: November 4, 1957
Publisher: UNITED AERIAL PHENOMENA AGENCY

From the Editor

The editor announces the 28th National UFO Conference to be held in the Cleveland, Ohio area on September 14th, 1991. Thanks are extended to Mr. and Mrs. Hilberg for promoting the previous conference in Miami Beach, Florida. The editor mentions a rewarding trip to Alpine, Texas, with an article appearing elsewhere. Due to postal and printing price increases, the UAPA will raise subscription rates for Flying Saucer Digest and Weirdology magazines effective January 1st, 1991: a four-issue subscription will increase from $7.00 to $9.00 per year, and a two-year subscription from $13.00 to $17.00. Foreign subscriptions will add $3.00 per year. Subscribers are encouraged to renew before the rate increase. The editor notes positive feedback received for Flying Saucer Digest and reiterates an offer for subscribers to receive an extra issue for submitting letters or portions of letters for publication.

Issue No. 112 (Winter 1990) is announced, with its cover shown. The editor also highlights the success of their sister magazine, Weirdology, under the guidance of Rick Hilberg, noting a readership increase of over 100% in 1990. A sample copy of Weirdology can be obtained for $1.00, with a free gift for new subscribers. Weirdology is described as a publication for those interested in Fortean subjects.

UFO Bits and Pieces

This section compiles various UFO reports. David Wood of the Newhouse News Service reports that the Soviet Union's military air defenses are facing a new threat: an apparent invasion by flying saucers. Dozens of sightings of disk-shaped spacecraft with blinking lights and high-speed maneuvers have been reported, some corroborated by surveillance radar. General Igor Maltsev, chief of the Air Defense Forces, suggested that UFOs exist and are piloted by extraterrestrials, possibly unfriendly ones. An account describes a driver being followed by a shining ball near Moscow. Other Soviet reports mention UFOs sniffing around Estonia, probing a gas pipeline in Siberia, and hovering over Dalnegorsk. The article notes the Soviets' explanation of space aliens seeking natural resources. The Soviet air-defense system has been on alert since a 1987 incident where a Cessna flew through Soviet airspace. A recent report from Soviet policemen described being shadowed by two disk-shaped UFOs near Krasnoyarsk.

Elsewhere, Soviet Lt. Col. A. A. Semenchenko reported visually detecting a target with two flashing white lights at 6,000 feet over Pereslavl-Zalesskit. Capt. V. Birin described the object as looking like a flying saucer with two bright lights. Ground-control radar confirmed the presence of a fighter aircraft approaching the object, after which the object disappeared. Pilots also reported the UFO's lights flashing more quickly as it accelerated.

Readers Say

H. Sanchez from El Paso, TX, is writing a book about alien creatures found dead in or around spaceships and is seeking help remembering a specific illustration of a creature lying on its back. The magazine's staff provided a picture they found in their files.

The publication details state that Flying Saucer Digest is published quarterly by the United Aerial Phenomena Agency (UAPA). Allan J. Manak is the Chairman/Editor, Rick R. Hilberg is the Assistant Editor, Carol Hilberg is the Typist, and Robert S. Easley is an Associate. UAPA is a non-profit organization studying UFOs. Correspondence and manuscripts are welcomed but require a self-addressed envelope for return. Subscription rates are $7.00 for 4 issues or $13.00 for 8 issues. Foreign subscriptions add $2.00 per year postage.

B. Whilliams from Billings, MT, recalls hearing about a man-bird or birdman reported in the southern part of the country.

D. Treadway from Chicago, IL, subscribed to issue 108 and inquired about obtaining back issues. The magazine offers back issues through their "UFO Catalog" No. 2 for $1.00, and they are also reprinting back issues via xerox method, selling for $2.50 to $3.50 each.

Foremost Sighting This Issue: UFO Landing in Missouri?

Ray Nelke of COUD-I submitted an article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch by Marcia L. Koenig about a potential UFO landing in Missouri. Lawrence Akers, a farmer near Belgrade, Mo., discovered an unusual pattern in his hay field, suspecting it was a UFO site. The pattern, described as a wagon wheel with a round center about two feet across and 12 radiating spokes, appeared after he fertilized the field. Approximately 60 people, including six UFO investigators, visited the site. Akers described the hay in the pattern as dead to the roots, while the surrounding field was green. He ruled out burning or fungus as causes. The extensions of the pattern were about four inches wide, and the longest spokes measured 14 feet to the center. Indentations, possibly from landing skids, were noted. J. L. Palermo of the Mutual UFO Network called the case "potentially UFO-logical in nature" and requested further investigation. Akers stated he found the imprint and did not create it.

UFO Retrospective: Hamilton, Ontario Multiple Witness Case - 1952

This section details a case from the April 18, 1952, edition of the Hamilton News. A mysterious object was seen in the sky over Hamilton and district by dozens of spectators. It hovered motionless for several minutes around 7:00 p.m. before vanishing at high speed. About 40 smelt fishermen, several Hamilton women, and a Beamsville man witnessed the phenomenon. Mrs. M. Woodland described it as initially appearing like a dirigible, then becoming circular and lighter in color than the sky. A ring of brownish vapor appeared around it before it vanished. Gordon Cordiner, a smelt fisherman, reported spotting it around seven and that it hovered at a low altitude for about 30 minutes, disappeared, then reappeared whiter. Cordiner suggested the change in color was due to the darkening evening sky. Other witnesses included Howard Scott, Robert Henderson, and Lillian Mitchell. The article notes that four non-commissioned aircrew members claimed to have seen a flying saucer over North Bay, which is 100 miles from Canada's Chalk River atomic energy project. It also mentions that most US saucer sightings come from New Mexico and Nevada, sites of American atomic testing grounds.

The Marfa Lights - Still Unsolved

By Allan J. Manak

Allan J. Manak recounts his trip with his son Michael to Alpine, Texas, to investigate the Marfa Lights. They experienced numerous thunderstorms on the drive. Upon arriving in Alpine, they visited the Marfa Lights viewing area. That night, they did not see the Marfa Lights but observed lightning storms and met other viewers. The next morning, they visited the McDonald Observatory. Manak describes interviewing Dr. Bruesky, author of "The Marfa Lights," who refers to them as the "West Texas Mystery Lights." Manak found Dr. Bruesky to be a warm and pleasant person with a doctorate in anthropology. Later that evening, they returned to the viewing area. Manak identified several lights that could be mistaken for the Marfa Lights: a cellular telephone tower with blinking red lights, stationary lights from the Ranger Station, and vehicle traffic on Route 67. He observed lights moving from left to right, blinking on and off, and appearing to come closer, which he identified as a vehicle on Route 169. He also noted a distant house light. During their visit, they encountered three elderly women who believed they were seeing the Marfa Lights, mistaking the telephone tower for a historical marker. Manak and his son found the situation amusing, realizing how easily people could be misled. They did not see the Marfa Mystery Lights on this trip.

Around and About the Saucer World: Florida UFO Landing?

By Rick R. Hilberg

Rick R. Hilberg reports on a possible UFO landing or crash in Florida, based on information from correspondent Curt Sutherly. The Long Island UFO Network is investigating a report of a large object landing on a farm near Jacksonville, Florida, on June 18th at 3:05 p.m. A Florida contact, Peter Barcello, and a retired Air Force Colonel, heard about the incident from another person. State police reportedly first reported the incident to Air Force personnel. Barcello and his friend were turned away by a police barricade at the site, which was described as a large, 400-meter burned circle. A "clean-up" crew trucked out of the area in large white rigs with A&P markings. The witnesses observed individuals examining and loading soil and vegetation into metal containers. Robert Barry, host of the "ET Monitor" TV show, is reportedly involved in securing photos of the event. Hilberg raises several questions: whether the object departed under its own power or was removed, how investigators easily circumvented the barricade, and whether local police reports were checked. He also questions the whereabouts of the farm family and the attire of the clean-up crew. Hilberg suspects the incident may have been a setup.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently features reports of UFO sightings from various locations, including the Soviet Union, North America, and Europe. There is a focus on eyewitness accounts, radar confirmations, and physical traces left by alleged UFOs. The publication also includes reader contributions, investigations into specific cases, and retrospective looks at historical UFO incidents. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into UFO phenomena, while also maintaining a critical perspective, as demonstrated by the Marfa Lights investigation where mundane explanations were favored. The UAPA's mission is to study UFOs and related subjects, suggesting a commitment to exploring these topics seriously. The magazine also touches upon the broader context of UFO research, including the role of organizations like MUFON and the Long Island UFO Network.

This issue of UFO magazine, dated April 17th, focuses on recent sightings and reports of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and aerial phenomena. The cover story highlights a "Spooky Encounter in Wisconsin," detailing a sighting by a couple on Easter Sunday. Other reports include a pilot's testimony from North Carolina and observations from England.

"Spooky" Encounter in Wisconsin

The main article, reported by Jill Morris from the Janesville Gazette, describes an encounter by Juliana and Kenneth Pflager on the evening of Easter Sunday, April 15th. While driving home from Milwaukee, they missed their turn-off and ended up in Whitewater, deciding to head west on Highway 59 toward Milton. Between 7:40 and 8:00 p.m., they observed a bright light suspended in the sky, which they identified as a UFO. Juliana described the object as "a really bright light that was not moving. It was shaped like a football...only flatter." Kenneth's description mirrored his wife's, and both agreed the object was too bright and large to be a star. They pulled over and watched the object for about five minutes. Kenneth used his mirror to confirm it wasn't moving. They continued their journey, and the object remained visible for another five to ten minutes before dimming and disappearing. Kenneth, a welder at Stoughton Trailer, asserted, "We don't drink or get high or nothing like that. I know it was a UFO."

After their sighting, the couple stopped to share their experience with friends in Janesville. Upon returning home to Evansville at 10:30 p.m., they decided to report their sighting. Kenneth contacted Truax Field in Madison, where a supervisor confirmed that two or three other people had called in similar reports. The supervisor referred Kenneth to the National UFO Reporting Center in Seattle, Washington. Kenneth stated that knowing others had seen it too made him feel less crazy. He initially thought it couldn't have been a plane because it didn't move, but Juliana, who had spent a year in Arizona and was familiar with various aircraft, also insisted it was not an airplane. She described the sighting as "a bit spooky" and wondered if the passengers could hear them or come after them.

Pilot Sees Hovering UFO in North Carolina

This section, reported by Tom Weaver of the Fayetteville Times on February 16th, details a sighting by Art Canady, a former U.S. Air Force pilot. Canady reported seeing a brilliant white light hovering near Harrells, Sampson County, on Thursday, February 15th. He described it as "a bright light but soft, like a florescent bulb," and noted that despite its brightness, it did not hurt his eyes. The object was suspended in the air and completely motionless, making no sound, unlike any known aircraft. Canady, who commutes to Topsail Beach, stopped at a store at Jackson's Corner in Pender County to alert the clerk and two customers. Clerk Wanda Johnson also saw a light but could not identify it as a UFO. The customers went outside with Canady and also thought it was an unidentified flying object. Canady, a licensed pilot, estimated the object was about three miles west of Harrells on N.C. 411 when he first saw it around 5:40 a.m., hovering at an estimated 1,500 feet. He could not discern its shape, but noted that no light came from the bottom, only from the sides, and later observed three red lights over the white one. While he watched, the light moved "4,000 to 5,000 feet in a matter of two or three seconds and continued in a southeasterly direction almost parallel to the highway." Canady last saw the object around 6:43 a.m. ascending slowly. An air traffic controller at New Hanover County Airport reported no UFO sightings, and authorities with the N.C. Highway Patrol and Sampson County Emergency Management Center also had no reports. Canady stated that the experience made him a believer and he would gladly take a polygraph test.

"Golf Ball" Lights Over England

This report from a British UFO research group indicates that many strange object reports came from widely scattered areas in late January and early February. These areas included Colchester, Romford, Braintree, Clacton, Chelmsford, and Ipswich. The report describes three white lights forming a triangle in the sky. The lights were spotted by two people in Basildon and six people in Southend around 8 or 9 p.m. on February 8th. A spokesman described the lights as being "the shape of golf balls" and noted it was impressive that so many people in different places saw them.

Editorial Commentary and Advertising

The magazine includes a brief commentary suggesting that the UFO phenomenon might be a cover for other activities, questioning the effort required to silence witnesses and make them disappear. It poses the question of whether there are many extraterrestrials or if someone is going to great lengths to create the illusion of UFOs. The issue also contains advertisements for UFO-related books and reports, including a 42-page booklet titled "Mysterious Things in the Sky" by Allan J. Manak, offered by UAPA for $2.00. This book is described as a composite chronology of UFO mystery from 222 B.C. to 1929.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are UFO sightings, witness testimonies (including that of a pilot), and the description of aerial objects. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into UFO phenomena, presenting various reports and allowing readers to draw their own conclusions, while also hinting at skepticism regarding the official narrative and suggesting potential cover-ups or alternative explanations for the sightings.