FLYING SAUCER DIGEST

Magazine Overview

Title: FLYING SAUCER DIGEST
Issue: No. 127
Date: Fall 1994
Publisher: United Aerial Phenomena Agency (UAPA)

This issue of the FLYING SAUCER DIGEST, number 127, published in Fall 1994 by the United Aerial Phenomena Agency (UAPA), focuses heavily on the 31st National UFO Conference held in Cleveland, Ohio, and includes various articles on UFO sightings, crop circles, and other unexplained phenomena.

From the Editor

Allan J. Manak, the editor, reports on the success of the 31st National UFO Conference held in Cleveland, Ohio, on September 16th and 17th, 1994. The conference saw over 300 attendees, a complete sell-out, and featured top speakers like Dr. Frank Stranges, Stanton Friedman, and Kevin Randle. Manak also details the photo captions from pages 1 and 2, identifying individuals such as James Moseley, G. Cope Schellhorn, Allen H. Greenfield, Kevin Randle, Simone Mendez, Rick Hilberg, Rev. Hilton, Carol Hilberg, James Moseley, Benita C. Owens, and Rick Hilberg, who received the 'Ufologist of the Year' award.

UFO Bits and Pieces

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

UFO Encounters Magazine

A positive review is given to 'UFO Encounters Magazine,' a 32-page, bi-monthly publication by Aztec publishing, with subscriptions costing $19.95 per year. It is highly recommended by UAPA.

Mysterious Rings Circle Supernova 1987A

New images from the Hubble Space Telescope reveal a trio of rings around the site of supernova 1987A. The highly detailed images show the two outer rings may be mirror images. Chris Burrows of the European Space Agency hypothesizes that the rings, each a few light-years in diameter, might be 'painted' on a gaseous nebula by a high-energy beam of radiation from a stellar remnant in a binary system.

Canada's UFO Hotspot

The town of Bradford in York, Ontario, Canada, is highlighted as a 'UFO hot spot' and a potential 'portal into another dimension.' The Canadian UFO community views it as a port of entry for cosmic travelers, with the area between Bradford, Uxbridge, and Aurora being dubbed the 'Bradford Triangle.' A conclave in Bradford on March 12, 1994, attracted over 500 UFO investigators.

Ancient English Crop Circles

A 1678 pamphlet from a private collection is described, detailing strange happenings in Hertfordshire, England, where spiraling circles appeared overnight and were attributed to the devil. This is considered the earliest known reference to crop circles, though the stalks were cut and arranged rather than flattened. The account mentions a farmer's field being 'all of a flame' that night. A Hertfordshire historian in 1913 dismissed the story as imaginary.

More Crop Circles

Impressions in a field along US 26 in Oregon are described: a circle about 35 feet across, surrounded by a second circle of untouched wheat and four arms ending in trampled wheat. Washington County sheriff's deputies have been called to manage traffic. The circles have a divot in the center, suggesting a pivot point was used.

Around and About the Saucer World

By Rick R. Hilberg:

UFOs or Blimps Confuse Ohio Sighters

In late August and early September 1994, residents in Lorain and Erie counties, Ohio, reported seeing unusual things in the night sky. Christine Reichert of the Lorain Journal reported on a Berlin Heights teen-ager who saw an unidentified flying object with blinking lights hovering for almost three hours. An Erie County sheriff's deputy also witnessed the lights. Carmen Utter, 15, described the object as 'pretty big, bigger than an airplane; about the same size as a blimp,' with green, red, and white lights. Later, bright white lights formed a cross. Deputy Jeff Hippley observed the object as stationary and moving west at a slow rate. He suggested it might have been a blimp. On September 1st, a similar sighting occurred, and on subsequent nights, UFO hunters followed an object. Sheriff's deputies were informed that a blimp was passing overhead, with Capt. Joe Bell and Pearl Phillips identifying the object as a blimp, possibly the Goodyear blimp. However, the owner of the blimp remained unknown.

June 9th Sighting in Illinois

An article from the Barrington Courier Review details a sighting by Jenny Polk of Inverness, Illinois. Her boyfriend reported seeing huge red lights in the sky, which Jenny later witnessed as well. The lights dimmed and sped off, reappearing around midnight. The family, familiar with O'Hare flight path lights, were certain this was not an airplane. They described the lights as 'definitely alien.'

UFO Filmed in Willard, Ohio

Cindra Ellen Kilgore of the Willard, Ohio Times-Junction reported on William Willard, who filmed objects in the sky on June 18, 1994. Willard and his wife, Debra, along with neighbors, saw an oval shape with another oval trailing it, and an arch of three smaller round objects above the first. The objects moved in a loop and maintained their formation. The tape is shaky, but the objects are visible. They were brown, with no noise or lights. A meteorologist from the National Weather Service stated that they release weather balloons, but only one at a time, and that FAA voice recorder tapes are kept for only 15 days.

Weirdology

By Rick R. Hilberg:

Arkansas "Water Panther" Legend

Columnist W.C. Jameson of the Conway Log Cabin Democrat recounts the local legend of the Arkansas 'Water Panther.' Indians and early white settlers spoke of a creature in the Little Red River and surrounding woods, regarded as a spirit-monster. Deaths were attributed to it. After Greers Ferry Lake was formed, sightings ceased for a while but resumed in the 1960s, with the creature often spotted in the lake. Legend claims it lived in limestone caves. Drownings were attributed to the monster. In the early 1970s, a scuba diver reported encountering a man-like, fur-covered creature that attacked him. Many dismiss the tales as folklore, but long-time residents claim to still hear its eerie cries.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently reports on UFO sightings, conferences, and related phenomena, presenting witness accounts and scientific investigations. There is a clear interest in documenting and analyzing unexplained aerial phenomena, as well as exploring folklore and historical accounts of strange occurrences. The UAPA's stance is that of a non-profit organization dedicated to the study of UFOs and related subjects, welcoming correspondence and manuscripts.