Flying Saucer Digest - No 114 - 1991

Magazine Overview

Title: FLYING SAUCER DIGEST
Issue: No. 114
Date: Summer 1991
Publisher: UNITED AERIAL PHENOMENA AGENCY (UAPA)
Document Type: Magazine Issue

This issue of Flying Saucer Digest, No. 114, published in the Summer of 1991, is the last before the upcoming UFO Conference. The magazine is a quarterly publication by the United Aerial Phenomena Agency (UAPA), with Allan J. Manak serving as Chairman/Editor, Rick R. Hilberg as Assistant Editor, Benita C. Owens as Staff Artist, and Robert S. Easley as Associate. The UAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study of UFOs.

From the Editor

The editor expresses that this is a busy time due to convention planning for the UFO Conference in Cleveland. The agenda includes speakers such as James W. Moseley (of Saucer Smear fame), Ron Schaffner, Antonio Huneeus (giving two lectures), Ed Biebel (western UAPA delegate), Tim Beckley (publisher of UFO Universe), and Curt Sutherly. Two more speakers are expected to be announced soon. The conference will feature surprises, including Benita C. Owens selling her artwork, the editor selling a new booklet titled 'They Called Them Discs,' and a free UFO gift pack for attendees. Ticket sales are strong, the best since 1968, and the editor hopes for a similar attendance.

The editor also announces a sale on UFO maps, including ten maps from 1968 and five from 1988, available as a special set for $3.95. The sale ends October 31, 1991. Issue #115, due in September, is previewed as an exciting upcoming issue.

UAPA Product Offerings

• The magazine promotes several UAPA products:
• UFO Maps: A sale offers 15 UFO maps, including categories like 'Where UFO's are seen,' 'The 100 top UFO cases,' 'The top 50 landings,' 'UFO occupants,' 'Angel's Hair falls,' and 'Magnetic effects cases.'
• Booklets: The editor is selling 'They Called Them Discs.' A reader, R. Fleetwood, requests 'UFOs - An Enigma From Space.'

Readers Say

• This section features correspondence from readers:
• R. Fleetwood from Woodbury, NJ, praises the UFO maps and requests the book 'UFOs - An Enigma From Space.'
• N. Schmidt from Columbus, OH, inquires about a Harold Heaton, Ph.D., who reportedly collected 373 UFO cases involving animals, claiming animals react strangely to UFOs.
• J. Smolts from Toledo, OH, asks for the start times of the UFO Conference, which are confirmed as 1 p.m. for the afternoon session and 7 p.m. for the evening session on Saturday, September 14th.

UFO Bits and Pieces

• This section provides brief news items related to UFOs:
• Curtis G. Fuller Dies: Curtis G. Fuller, 79, former publisher of Fate magazine, passed away on April 29, 1991. Fate magazine, founded in 1948, featured stories on flying saucers and other paranormal topics. Fuller became skeptical of official explanations after investigating Kenneth Arnold's report.
• NBC's 'Unsolved Mysteries': The show featured a Vancouver, B.C. woman who recorded 25 hours of lights in the sky and witnessed a metallic UFO.

UFO Retrospective: The Dimmick "Hoax"

This article revisits the Dimmick story from 1950, which is often tagged as a hoax, similar to the Frank Scully book. The story involves a Los Angeles businessman, Ray L. Dimmick, who reported that Martians are 23 inches tall and that 'flying saucers' are 46 feet long and powered by two motors. Dimmick claimed to have heard the story about a crashed Martian while in Mexico, and that the Mexican government had sworn him to secrecy. Both Mexican and U.S. officials denied knowledge of such an event. The article also mentions a similar rumor in Denver, Colorado, and quotes the Mexican government newspaper, El Nacional.

The article includes reports from Mexico about discs carrying visitors from Mars, and sightings over Dayton, Ohio, which officials attributed to the planet Venus. It also details a disc sighting over Orangeburg, S.C., described as hovering for 25 minutes and leaving a vapor trail, witnessed by staff of the Orangeburg Times and Democrat and others. Residents of Van Nuys, Calif., also reported seeing a bright disc. Composer Eddie Coffman and actor Reed Hadley reportedly studied a disc through a telescope, estimating its diameter at 50 feet.

Foremost Sighting This Issue

UAPA Chairman Allan J. Manak selected a report from the Corvallis, Oregon Gazette-Times as the foremost UFO incident. This involved a series of reports in Harney County, Oregon, possibly triggered by a bright star. Authorities heard tales of aerial 'light with flames,' hovering objects, and silent craft. Burns Police Chief Aaron Richardson investigated a bright object but could not determine its nature. Pauline Brymen, editor of the Burns Times-Herald, initially identified a light as a star but later reports suggested more baffling phenomena.

Other baffling reports include a strange aerial object giving off blue and red rays over Burns, Oregon, which disappeared. A Nampa, Idaho, motorist reported a UFO buzzing his car, leaving behind three heaps of ashes and burning embers.

Around and About the Saucer World

• This section compiles various UFO and mystery light sightings:
• Mystery Lights Sighted in Michigan: A report from the Brown City, Michigan Banner describes a line of about five very bright spots seen in the sky on January 31. Selfridge Air Base stated the lights were not theirs, and Alice Errington suggested a possible link to a NASA atmosphere testing experiment, though NASA spokeswoman Mary Ann Peto stated their lighting experiments are only visible in the southeastern U.S. Witnesses described the lights as close, blinking on and off, and changing formation.
• Lighted Objects in New Hampshire: Reports from the Derry, New Hampshire News detail sightings of unusual objects with glaring lights and lightning speed on January 10 and 11. Joni O'Blenes reported a bright white light over a neighbor's house that grew larger and brighter as it moved towards her. She identified it as a flying saucer. Michelle Grenier reported an oval object with a white light on top and green lights on the edge, which moved slowly then fast. Another witness described a configuration of six lights (three green, two red, one white) flying at an unusually slow speed near Londonderry High School, which the witness believed was not a plane or helicopter.
• UFOs and Mystery Planes in Minnesota: The Faribault, Minnesota Daily News reported on incidents involving strange lights and military aircraft. Witnesses described an unidentified object that was flying, possibly cylindrical, and equipped with lights, moving slowly or hovering. Dick Feichtinger reported seeing an oblong object that appeared vertical rather than horizontal, first white, then red and green. He tracked the object to his driveway, where his family also observed it.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently focuses on UFO sightings, historical cases, and the broader phenomenon of unidentified aerial objects. It promotes the study of UFOs through its publications and events like the UAPA conference. The editorial stance appears to be one of open investigation into these phenomena, presenting various accounts and perspectives, while also acknowledging skepticism and potential hoaxes. The magazine aims to inform its readers about the latest developments and historical incidents in ufology, encouraging engagement through reader contributions and product sales.

Title: WEIRDOLOGY
Issue: 11
Date: November 17th (raw date from article reference)
Publisher: UFO JOURNAL
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of WEIRDOLOGY delves into a collection of unexplained phenomena, including aerial sightings, cryptid reports, and unusual atmospheric events.

Article: Feichtinger and the Minnesota Lights

The lead story details an incident in the Faribault, Minnesota area where witnesses, including Feichtinger and Steve Kelly, reported seeing a strange object described as red, green, and solid white, moving with apparent intelligence. The sighting was accompanied by the appearance of two very large military aircraft, identified by the Air National Guard as C130 cargo planes. Lt. Kevin Gutknecht, a spokesman for the Air National Guard, confirmed two C130s were on a routine training mission but stated their pilots did not see any strange lights. Furthermore, Gutknecht expressed puzzlement over the unidentified object, noting it did not match any known military inventory. The National Weather Service ruled out the possibility of it being a balloon.

Article: Nicaraguan "XIPE"?

This section, referencing an article from Managua Barricada International dated November 17th, discusses rumors of an unusual sighting near Matagalpa, Nicaragua. Local people fishing reported encountering a "large, hairy, agile humanoid" emerging from muddy waters. The article explores the legend of the 'xipe,' a creature described by Professor Juan Mendiola of the environmental institute of Direna as a monkey-like being, about 75-100 cm tall, with feet facing backwards. It is believed to be a supernatural being that looks after crops and single women. The article notes that the last reported capture of a 'xipe' was in 1968, when its skeleton was found after peasants trapped it in a cave.

Article: "BUBBLY CLOUD" IN ARKANSAS

Reporting from the Little Rock Gazette, this piece recounts an event experienced by Joseph Hubbard near Petit Jean Mountain, Arkansas. Hubbard witnessed a soapy, bubbly white cloud, described as the size of a cotton bale, rolling across his property and through a fence before stopping at his pond. Investigators later surmised that the substance might have been methane gas escaping from an old septic tank. George Wade, an environmental manager, collected a sample for analysis. The cloud dissipated by noon, but not before some of it was collected. The substance was described as slime and sticky, and a small cloud with bubbling particles burned when ignited.

Article: JAPANESE TO USE SUB TO HUNT OGOPOGO IN CANADA

This article, by Moira Farrow of the Vancouver Sun, details a planned Japanese expedition to investigate the legendary lake monster, Ogopogo, in Lake Okanagan, Canada. The expedition will be equipped with a submersible, helicopters, sonar boats, and other equipment. Murray Spier, project manager for Can-Drive Services Ltd., confirmed that Nippon Ty is renting their 'Deep Rover' one-man submersible, capable of reaching depths of 3,000 feet, well beyond the lake's estimated 800-foot depth. The expedition aims to film the investigation for a World Supernatural Phenomena television project.

Advertisement: UFO'S AN ENIGMA FROM SPACE

An advertisement promotes a book titled "UFO'S: AN ENIGMA FROM SPACE," described as an excellent book full of information, sightings, and speculative articles, fully illustrated, with 50 pages. It is offered for a limited time at $1.50 plus $1.00 for postage and handling, available from UAPA, Box 347032, Cleveland, Ohio 44134.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently features reports of unexplained aerial phenomena, cryptids, and unusual natural occurrences, suggesting an editorial stance that is open to and actively seeks out such mysteries. The inclusion of diverse reports from different geographical locations and the detailed recounting of witness testimonies indicate a focus on presenting intriguing cases for reader consideration, often without definitive conclusions, leaving room for speculation and further investigation.