Flying Saucer Digest - No 125 - 1994

Magazine Overview

Title: FLYING SAUCER DIGEST
Issue: No. 125
Date: Spring 1994
Publisher: UNITED AERIAL PHENOMENA AGENCY (UAPA)
Document Type: Magazine Issue

Editor's Log: The Marfa Lights Investigation

In his editorial, Allan J. Manak recounts his personal investigation into the Marfa Lights in West Texas during October 1993. Arriving in Alpine, Texas, on October 16th, Manak and his associate, Benita "Bunny" Owens, faced challenges finding lodging due to a local university homecoming. The following day, they visited an area off Route 67 to scout a viewing location for the lights. Manak encountered a U.S. Border Patrol officer, informing him of their presence to avoid suspicion. The officer confirmed he had seen the Marfa Lights on several occasions and recommended the Mitchell Flat area along Route 169 as an optimal viewing spot.

Later that day, they visited the official viewing area on Route 90, located about 12 miles west of Alpine and 9 miles east of Marfa. This site, a semi-paved drive with picnic tables, was occupied by six other vehicles. Despite spending four hours there, they observed no unusual lights.

On the night of October 18th, they drove to Mitchell Flat on Route 169. After stopping and turning the car to face west, they viewed the starry sky for about 45 minutes. Suddenly, they witnessed a tremendous flash of light, described as if a huge light was turned on for a split second. This was followed a few minutes later by a similar flash and rumbling sounds. They then returned to the official viewing area on Route 90 and continued their vigil for another four hours without success.

The next day, after visiting historical sites, Manak and Owens dined at a local restaurant where they encountered two Border Patrol officers. The officers confirmed their interest in the mystery lights and corroborated that Manak and Owens were in the correct area for viewing. That evening, they spent five hours listening to music and saw nothing unusual.

During their trip to the Big Bend area, they attempted to visit Judith M. Breeske, Ph.D., author of "The Marfa Lights," at her business, Ocotillo Enterprises, but she was attending a seminar in Arizona. Manak concludes that the Big Bend area is a fine place to visit, even without seeing the Marfa Lights, and notes the presence of West Texas lightning.

UFO Bits and Pieces

This section, also by Allan J. Manak, covers several distinct topics:

31st Annual National UFO Conference Update Kevin Randle, a lecturer and author, was added to the evening session of the conference, scheduled for September 17th. His lecture was set for 8:00 p.m., with a workshop at 9:45 p.m.

Solar Flare Myth? Jack Gosling, a scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, challenges the common belief that solar flares cause geomagnetic storms and auroras. He argues that while flares and storms can coincide, a direct one-to-one association doesn't exist. Instead, Gosling proposes that coronal mass ejections (CMEs) – massive blobs of hot gas resulting from the restructuring of magnetic fields in the sun's outer atmosphere – are the actual cause of geomagnetic disturbances. This information is cited from "Astronomy Magazine, April 1994."

Small Mission to a Big Rock NASA has launched a new low-cost Discovery program mission called Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR). The spacecraft is designed to orbit the asteroid 433 Eros, launching in February 1996 and reaching Eros in late December 1998. The mission will involve the craft orbiting Eros for over a year, measuring its physical properties, mapping its surface, and surveying its geology. The mission includes a lengthy trajectory, with encounters with another asteroid (2968 Iliya) in August 1996, a flyby of Earth in January 1998, and finally reaching Eros in December 1998.

New Book by UAPA: Ice Falls and Angel Hair This section announces a new book by Allan J. Manak titled "Ice Falls and Angel Hair." The book chronologically details the history of strange anomalies, described as ice falls and angel hair, which are presented as potentially UFO-related, alien-connected, or astronomical phenomena. Manak, who is neither a believer nor a non-believer, has researched these occurrences for 38 years. The book is available for pre-publication order at $8.00 for subscribers before May 1, 1994, with a regular price of $10.00. It includes illustrations by Benita C. Owens and offers 10 UFO maps with orders.

Around and About the Saucer World

This section, by Rick R. Hilberg, features several brief reports:

Lighted Object Spotted in South Carolina On November 9th, Ed Davis of Rock Hill reported seeing a strange pattern of lights in his backyard, described as a string of lights 4-5 feet long, with some going straight up. The object moved slowly to the left, then straight up, and then slid toward York. Davis noted the phenomenon made no noise like an airplane or helicopter. The York Police Department and the FAA reported no unusual activity or radar contacts. Davis described the lights as being in a cross-like pattern, silent, and moving away slowly before disappearing.

Around and About the Saucer World (Continued)

Lighted Object Spotted in South Carolina (Continued) Davis stated that the lights were about 130 feet away and 15 feet above a 60-foot pine tree. He initially thought it was a reflection but confirmed they were real lights. He called his stepson, Raymond Owens, who also witnessed the event. Davis concluded it was a UFO if it couldn't be identified. He admitted he wasn't sure if UFOs exist but felt there must be "something out there."

December 28th Report from Willow Creek, California Harold Hough, a retired PG&E manager from Willow Creek, reported an incident on December 28th. While driving eastbound on Highway 299 near Berry Summit, he and his wife, Lorraine, and grandson saw a string of bright lights near the summit. Hough initially thought it might be a decorated house but realized there were no houses in the area. The object appeared to be standing still, then moved southwest to westerly, slowly at first, then picking up speed. Another vehicle stopped briefly to observe but then drove away. Hough described the leading lights as bright white, with additional colored lights in a square pattern on the bottom. He estimated the craft was about 500 feet above them and moving too slowly to be a plane, possibly a helicopter. He considered it might be a search and rescue operation, but authorities were unaware of any such activity.

Several Sight Mystery Object in January Vermont Report Four Franklin County residents reported seeing a brightly lit rectangular craft in the night skies over Enosburgh and Sheldon on a Sunday night around 9:15 p.m. Trudy Bryce described the object as moving very slowly over the landscape at an estimated altitude of 100 feet. She described it as square or rectangular, "like a hang glider, but enclosed," and "transparent, like one big window," with two bright white lights on one side and a fainter string of white lights around its perimeter. The craft floated across a pasture and disappeared behind a house. Leonard Weed, about six miles east, saw bright lights hovering about 500 feet over the Health Center for three to four minutes. When he went inside and told his wife, Leah, they looked out and saw the "strange" lights moving west. Leah described the object as square, "actually two squares joined together," nearly transparent, and "lighted up with lights around each side." They both described "two big bright lights" on the craft and noted it was silent, though Leah thought she heard a low vibration.

Weirdology

This section, by Rick R. Hilberg, focuses on debunking and unusual phenomena:

Famous "Nessie" Photo Exposed as Hoax A March 16th AP dispatch from London reported that the famous 1934 photo of the Loch Ness Monster was a hoax. Two Loch Ness researchers, Alastair Boyd and David Martin, claim that a conspirator in the hoax revealed the truth before his death. The photo, attributed to Robert Wilson, a London gynecologist, was allegedly a toy submarine fitted with a fake sea-serpent head, built by Marmaduke Wetherell's stepson, Christian Spurling, at Wetherell's request. The fake Nessie was photographed in authentic surroundings at Loch Ness. The article notes that this hoax has not deterred those seeking the truth behind the legend. David Cotton, general manager of the Loch Ness Center, called the revelation a "breakthrough" in scientific research.

Sasquatch in British Columbia? Richard Watts of the Victoria Times-Colonist reported on January 7th that massive footprints and a "whoo'whoo'whoop" call in British Columbia have a wildlife biologist, John Bindernagel, on the trail of a Sasquatch on Vancouver Island. Bindernagel found massive, human-like footprints in Strathcona Park, about 40 centimeters long and very broad with a full heel. He also heard a strange, ape-like call in 1992 near Comox Lake, which he believes is a Sasquatch trying to communicate. He has kept these findings private for years due to fear of being branded a crackpot.

Rare UFO Material by UAPA

This section lists various publications available for purchase from UAPA, including "Mystique" and "Phenomenology" series covering topics like Sea Serpents, UFOs, Flatwoods Thing, Sasquatch, and legends. It also lists "Flying Saucer Classics 1968" featuring Top 20 UFO Cases.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of Flying Saucer Digest include UFO sightings, mystery lights (particularly the Marfa Lights), investigations into unexplained phenomena, and the debunking of hoaxes. The editorial stance appears to be one of open-minded inquiry, presenting reported phenomena and investigations while also acknowledging scientific explanations and debunking efforts. The publication aims to cover a wide range of topics within the UFO and paranormal field, from eyewitness accounts to scientific theories and historical cases.