Flying Saucer Digest - No 117 - 1992

Magazine Overview

Title: FLYING SAUCER DIGEST
Issue: NO 117
Date: SPRING 92 (1992)
Publisher: United Aerial Phenomena Agency (UAPA)

This issue of the Flying Saucer Digest, published quarterly by the United Aerial Phenomena Agency (UAPA), focuses on UFO sightings, crop circles, and related research. The cover features a dramatic illustration of a flying saucer over a city.

From the Editor

The editor, Allan J. Manak, begins by apologizing for a previous announcement about an all-new catalog, stating it's not feasible at this time. Refunds are being sent to those who pre-ordered. He announces that UAPA's new booklets, 'The Saucer Saga' and 'UAPA's Bigfoot Journal,' are selling well. The editor also notes interesting comments received about a 'Yeti' jawbone found in China. Readers who submit mail that is printed in FSD will receive an extra issue added to their subscription.

UAPA has recently acquired a large collection of UFO material dating back to the 1950s, including books, magazines, and publications like 'Fate' magazines. Portions of this collection will be featured in future issues on a first-come, first-serve basis, with the material described as being in mint or very good condition. A request is made for anyone sending clippings or information on ice falls or angel hair falls, with the most significant contributor winning a one-year subscription and a copy of 'The Saucer Saga.'

The publication details are provided: FLYING SAUCER DIGEST is published quarterly by the UAPA, a non-profit organization. Allan J. Manak is Chairman/Editor, Rick R. Hilberg is Assistant Editor, Carol Hilberg is Typist, Benita C. Owens is Staff artist, and Robert S. Easley is Associate. Subscription rates are $9.00 for 4 issues or $17.00 for 8 issues, with an additional $3.00 per year for foreign subscriptions. The UAPA address is P.O. Box 347032, Cleveland, Ohio 44134.

Readers Say

This section features letters from readers. F. Nagy from McGraths Hill, N.S.W. Australia, thanks the Digest for its usefulness in their research and offers to share their plans for the next year, mentioning an interest in abduction cases involving a specific symbol. They hope the UAPA can provide insights. AJM (presumably Allan J. Manak) acknowledges the letter and states they will show the symbol around.

R. Rossback from Huntington Station, NY, expresses interest in UAPA's offerings, including membership and literature, and seeks information on active investigations, particularly regarding the 'MARS faces' and the upcoming Mars mission. AJM replies that information on all material is being sent.

A free offer for a Natal Chart with Tarot Reading is also included, requiring complete birth information and a fee per question.

UFO Bits and Pieces

UFO / ET World Museum and Scientific Research Library Opens in New Jersey

This segment announces the opening of the UFO / ET World Museum and Scientific Research Library in New Jersey, featuring the extensive collection of Pat J. Marcattilio. The collection, amassed over 36 years, includes over 900 bound volumes on UFOs and wide-ranging esoterica such as ghosts, poltergeists, myths, ancient civilizations, bigfoot, and more. The library also contains audio and VCR tapes of historic footage and lectures. The article highlights the potential for making connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena through this resource. It provides an example of connecting Daniel Fry's 1950 sighting of a craft with a repulsion field to concepts in Dr. Henry C. Montieth's paper on the Unified Field Theory and Dr. Burkhard Heim's work on six-dimensional cosmology. The museum can be reached at P.O. Box 4533, Trenton, New Jersey 08611.

UFO Retrospective

This section details a sighting that occurred at 12:40 a.m. on July 20, 1952, in Washington, D.C. Eight men in the radar room at the control center observed seven 'blips' on the scope. The objects reportedly changed direction at a 90-degree angle without decelerating and made a 180-degree turn, reversing their course. Later, a commercial plane followed a shining circular light after takeoff, which then shot ahead at tremendous speed and disappeared.

At 3:00 a.m., two jet planes landed, and the objects disappeared. When the jets left, the object returned and remained until daybreak. On July 26, 1952, the objects reappeared and were clocked at speeds of 5,000 to 7,000 miles-per-hour on three different radars.

Around and About the Saucer World

By Rick R. Hilberg.

Lighted Disk Sighted in Peconic, New York

This August 2nd incident, reported by Ruth Jernick of the Suffolk Times, describes something large and brightly lit that rose and hovered above a house before disappearing into the night sky. All parties agree on the sighting, but no explanation, terrestrial or extraterrestrial, is offered.

Pindar Vineyards Sighting

This report details an incident involving an unidentified flying object seen by at least fourteen people, including teenagers, a taxi driver, and a businessman near Pindar Vineyards. Michael Tyler, a passenger in a taxi, described the object as "nothing incorporeal, nothing spooky. It was there." He initially thought it was a crop duster but noted its unusual size and speed. Four teenagers on a nearby farm were terrified by the object, describing it as "three or four times as big as a house." They reported it was round with many lights, including red ones in front. The object hovered and then flew off without a sound. Eight investigators from LIUFON visited the area with a geiger counter but found no radiation. Southold Taxi driver Bernadette Cox reported that all three fan belts in her taxi broke simultaneously after driving Mr. Tyler. Pindar Vineyards manager Wojtek Majewski stated their regular sprayer machine, which operates at night, could not explain the sighting. Spokespersons for the Air National Guard, Army Aviation, and Suffolk County Police confirmed no military or police craft were in the air that night. Southold Town Police Lieutenant Joseph Conway noted that a patrolman found no evidence of anything unusual.

Crop Circles Found in North Carolina

Staffer Allen Norwood reported on an August 8th case in Charlotte, North Carolina. Eli Springs Jr. discovered crop circles in an 18-acre field. The circles were described as strange, some elongated and overlapping, with smaller ones nearby. The foliage was crushed to the ground, with stems pointing in various directions. Eli Springs stated, "They are strange." While some believe they are caused by aliens or electric-charged winds, others suggest wind eddies. A spokesman for the National Weather Service indicated the circles were probably not weather-related. Niell Cameron of the Mecklenburg Agricultural Extension Service found the phenomenon perplexing. George Fawcett, a UFO data collector for 47 years and a spokesman for MUFON, accurately described the circles without seeing them, stating, "You can't do that. Man can't do something like that." He concluded, "Some may be a natural phenomenon we know nothing about. Some.... are not natural and are not done by man as we know him."

UFOs Sighted in Pennsylvania

Pam Zikoski reported on a January 15th incident in Newton Township. Residents reported four or five low-flying, unidentified flying objects. Sgt. Anthony Cali of the Newton Police Department confirmed the report, noting the lights hovered, separated, and came together without noise. An investigation involving the Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport found no radar evidence of the objects, only the dispatched plane. Cali disputed explanations like ice crystals or weather phenomena, stating, "It was definitely none of those things they mentioned." The event attracted significant attention, with people calling from as far away as Binghamton.

New Hampshire Driver "Buzzed" by Strange Object

This case, filed by Maureen Milliken, describes an event on March 3rd involving Roger Cross, who saw a huge, triangular object with pulsating lights while driving on Route 3A in Concord. The object was described as "two or three times the size of Rollins Park" and flying about 400 to 500 feet above the road. Radio station WNNH received numerous calls about similar sightings. Cheryl A. Powell, an investigator for Mutual UFO Network, stated witnesses were "pretty shook up, but excited."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the persistent reporting of UFO sightings across different regions of the United States, the intriguing phenomenon of crop circles, and the ongoing efforts in UFO research and documentation. The UAPA, as the publisher, maintains a stance of actively collecting and disseminating information on these subjects, encouraging reader participation and research. The editorial tone is one of open inquiry, presenting witness accounts and research findings without definitive conclusions, while also highlighting the establishment of resources like the UFO/ET World Museum to further the study of these phenomena. The inclusion of historical sightings from the 1950s suggests a long-term interest in the subject matter.

This issue of "WEIRDOLOGY" (Issue 11, dated late 1991) from UFO JOURNAL delves into mysteries and legends, featuring reports on a winged monster from Illinois and a Bigfoot investigation in California. The magazine explores folklore, cryptids, and UFO sightings, with a focus on eyewitness accounts and historical descriptions.

Illinois Legend of Winged Monster

Donald Smith of the National Geographic news service reported on the "Piasa," a legendary winged monster from Illinois. The creature is described as being as large as a calf, covered in scales, with deer-like horns and tails that coiled around its body. The most terrifying aspect was its face, described as somewhat human-like but with tiger beards and horrible red eyes. French Jesuit priest Jacques Marquette encountered this depiction on a bluff high above the Mississippi River 318 years prior. The original rock pictures have weathered and faded over time, but local residents have kept the legend alive by repainting the image. The Alton-Twin Cities Convention Bureau notes the Piasa's influence on local identity, with the high school football team and a subdivision named after it. The name "Piasa" is believed to be an Illini Indian word meaning "the bird that devours men." The legend suggests the creature inhabited the region before Europeans and was particularly fond of Indians, leading to villages being depopulated until a chief offered himself as bait to defeat it. Natalia Belting, a retired history professor, suggests the story might be a 19th-century romanticized tale, possibly German. However, she, along with explorer Louis Joliet, believed Marquette saw a depiction of a fabulous animal. Belting's theory proposes the paintings were of underwater monsters, common in Indian cultures of the upper Mississippi Valley and Great Lakes, placed above dangerous water stretches as a warning and to appease the creatures with offerings. Raymond D. Fogelson, an anthropologist, links the Piasa to similar underwater monsters found in Eastern woodland Indian cultures. The painting was relocated and is now represented by a large enameled steel sign on a bluff near Alton.

California Bigfoot Investigation

Staffer David Harpster of the San Diego Tribune reported on an investigation into alleged Bigfoot sightings near Alpine, California. Terry Albright, co-founder of the Bigfoot Research Network, believes a Bigfoot is living in the hills. Albright visited the area and spoke with residents who reported hearing "weird screams and cries" at night. He concluded that a 10-foot-tall, human-like animal is present. Psychiatrist Richard Baddour, who claims to have seen and heard the creature, is reportedly writing a book on his experiences. Albright plans to return to the area to track the creature, which he believes roams a wide area from Anza-Borrego State Park to the Mexican border. Campers and tourists have reported seeing both Bigfoot and UFOs in the park, which Albright calls a "hotbed for this kind of activity." However, park naturalist Mark Jorgensen dismisses these claims, stating that while mountain lions are reported, there have been no Bigfoot sightings in his 20 years there. Albright argues that people are afraid of ridicule and remain silent until they hear of others with similar experiences.

UFO Sighting Near Grappone Ford

The issue also includes an account of a UFO sighting near Grappone Ford, where witnesses were kept awake by the sound of the object, described as "sounding like increasing rain on a summer night and a canvas tent." The witnesses, including Cross and Powell, planned to return to the site. Cross expressed a desire to see the object again and wished he had more time to observe it. Powell recalled a similar sighting in the same spot two years prior. A UFO investigator, while not confirming it as a UFO, stated the sighting merited investigation and that cynics should be more open-minded, suggesting it's more probable that "there's more than we know." Cross, who was unemployed, expressed hope and belief in such phenomena, suggesting they have been around in various forms for years and might lead to beneficial discoveries, while acknowledging that everyone is entitled to their opinions and that some things are beyond human comprehension.

UAPA Book Bargain

An advertisement offers a book titled "UFO's: An Enigma From Space" for a limited time at a bargain price of $1.50 plus $1.00 for postage and handling. The book is described as excellent, fully illustrated, with 50 pages of information on sightings and speculative articles. Orders can be sent to UAPA, Box 347032, Cleveland, Ohio 44134.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the exploration of unexplained phenomena, including cryptids (Piasa, Bigfoot) and UFOs, and the examination of folklore and eyewitness accounts. The editorial stance appears to be one of open-minded inquiry, encouraging readers to consider possibilities beyond conventional understanding, while also presenting skeptical viewpoints and the varying interpretations of these events. The magazine aims to document and present these mysteries, leaving the ultimate conclusions to the reader.