Flying Saucer Digest - No 134 - 1996

Magazine Overview

Title: FLYING SAUCER DIGEST
Issue: NO. 134
Date: SUMMER 1996
Publisher: UNITED AERIAL PHENOMENA AGENCY (UAPA)

On the Cover: The Valensole Incident

The cover story details the encounter of farmer Maurice Masse near Valensole, France, on July 1, 1965. Masse reportedly saw an egg-shaped "craft" resting in his lavender field on six legs. Two small humanoids emerged, who seemed startled and immobilized him. The object, described as the size of a Dauphine car, then vanished. Masse also reported seeing "two boys of about eight years" near the object, who turned out to be the creatures. These humanoids were described as less than four feet tall, clad in close-fitting gray-green clothes, with "pumpkinlike" heads, large slanted eyes, and pointed chins. They made "grumbling" noises. Masse stated they returned to their machine, which then took off silently and disappeared at about 20 meters. Traces of its passage were found on lavender plants for 400 meters. The story broke after Masse, confused and frightened, recounted the event to a local proprietor.

UFO Bits and Pieces

This section presents a collection of short articles and news items related to UFOs and unexplained phenomena.

Area 51 Land Grab

The Interior Department has granted the U.S. Air Force control of 4,000 acres bordering Area 51, near Rachel, Nevada. This top-secret facility is rumored to be a center for evaluating extraterrestrial technology or studying captured Soviet war planes.

Do Unicorns Exist?

This piece explores the belief in unicorns, noting that while often considered imaginary, some authorities suggest their existence is not entirely unfounded, citing definitions like "an animal with one horn."

Retrospective on 1955 Florida Incident

An account from the Ft. Lauderdale Sunday News describes an event in November 1955 in east Hillsborough County, Florida. An object gouged a hole the size of a boxcar in a pasture and started a fire that burned for 40 days. Air Force officials initially suspected a faulty missile but could not explain the prolonged fire or the lack of lightning. The area around the hole was burned, and vegetation has since regrown, but the burned trees remain.

Send Your Name Into Space

The Planetary Society in Pasadena, CA, is planning to send digitized signatures of hundreds of thousands of people into space aboard the Cassini spacecraft in 1997. Participants can send their signatures on a postcard to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Shooting Stars on Mars

Astronomers suggest that Mars' atmosphere, though thinner than Earth's, is dense enough at high altitudes to cause incoming dust particles to burn up, creating "shooting stars" visible at night. Studying their location could help understand dust distribution in the solar system.

Weirdology Reprint Sets & Collectors Corner

This section offers back issues of the "Weirdology" newsletter and rare UFO-related magazines for sale. The "Weirdology" sets cover topics like Earth mysteries, Bigfoot, and UFO incidents. The "Collectors Corner" lists specific rare magazines such as "UFO Flying Saucers," "SAGA's UFO Report," "UFO Annual," and "Argosy UFO Annual," along with books like "UFO's Past Present and Future" and "Visitors From Space."

Around and About the Saucer World

New UFO and Fortean Book

This review discusses "STRANGE ENCOUNTERS: UFOS, ALIENS & MONSTERS AMONG US" by Curt Sutherly. The book is praised for its in-depth look at unexplained realms and its field investigations, covering topics from the "invasion" of Bushkung Lake in Ontario, Canada, to the MJ-12 and Roswell incidents, and also delves into Fortean phenomena like Bigfoot and mystery cats.

The Great Galactic Ghoul!

A brief mention of another book by Curt Sutherly, recommended for its engaging content.

1996 MUFON Symposium

The digest reports on the MUFON UFO Symposium held in Greensboro, North Carolina. The event featured speakers like Budd Hopkins, John Mack, and Kevin Randle. Chris Styles presented on the 1967 Shag Harbor "UFO Crash," and Kevin Randle discussed how popular culture influences perceptions of UFOs and abductions. The article notes that Randle's presentation offered prosaic explanations for abduction scenarios, which was met with some resistance.

Ohioans See "UFOS" As Blockbuster Movie Opens

Coinciding with the release of the movie "Independence Day," a glowing red object was reported by numerous people in the Middletown and Carlisle areas of Ohio on July 4th and 5th. Police confirmed receiving calls, and witnesses described the object as round, glowing red with red lights, and observed it dumping a "ball of burning liquid." Patrolman Mike Combs described it as "as high as the stars." However, pilot James Gwinn identified similar objects as four or five large balloons or inflated garbage bags with flares attached.

Ohio Crop Circle

An image depicts a crop circle. The accompanying text clarifies that a crop circle found in a farmer's field in Paulding County, Ohio, on July 3rd, was determined to be a hoax and a "man-made circle," not the result of an extraterrestrial landing. Sheriff David Harrow stated it was a prank. The circle measured 93 feet in diameter.

UFOs Reported in Albany, Oregon

John and Marjorie Friedrichsen reported seeing bright, v-shaped lights in the eastern sky above Lebanon on February 13th. Marjorie described the object as "perfectly still, motionless," mostly white and blue with red and green towards the ends. They counted at least 17 such lights forming a large circle. A retired Air Force friend of John's had also seen strange lights. The sighting was compared to weather balloons, but the duration and stillness were noted as unusual. A similar sighting was reported on February 16th near Tangent, Oregon.

"Ball of Rainbow" Spotted in Washington State

Several people in the Spokane Valley reported seeing an unusual hovering object on March 28th, which one family captured on videotape. Tessa Whipkey, 13, described it as a "ball of rainbow, just spinning out everywhere," that raced toward her and stopped 30 feet above her. Other witnesses described a giant white star with a ring of rainbow-colored lights. Norman MacDonald speculated it might be a "high-cost secret government project." Jerry Rolwes of MUFON expressed interest in seeing the videotape.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The digest consistently focuses on UFO sightings, alleged alien encounters, and unexplained phenomena, often presenting eyewitness accounts and investigative reports. There's a clear interest in cataloging and disseminating information about these events. The publication also includes sections on related topics like Fortean phenomena and book reviews, indicating a broad scope within the paranormal and unexplained. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into these subjects, providing a platform for reporting and discussing such events, while also acknowledging skeptical explanations or debunking hoaxes, as seen with the Ohio crop circle.