Flying Saucer Digest - No 169 - 2005

Magazine Overview

Title: FLYING SAUCER DIGEST
Issue: NO. 169
Volume: 38th ANNIVERSARY ISSUE
Date: SPRING 2005

This issue of the Flying Saucer Digest, published by R. Hilberg Publications, celebrates its 38th anniversary with a collection of UFO sighting reports and related articles. The magazine is edited by Carol Hilberg and managed by Rick Hilberg.

The Saucer Scene

1969 Minnesota Landing Case Remembered

This section details an interesting email received by the digest, recounting a personal UFO sighting from 1969 near New York Mills, Minnesota. The author, who wishes to remain anonymous, describes a family car trip on a rural dirt road when they observed a brilliant light emanating from behind a neighbor's house. Initially mistaking it for a spotlight, they soon realized it was a saucer-shaped craft hovering about 100 feet off the ground and 100 yards behind the neighbor's house. The craft was described as brilliant orange and metallic, approximately 30-40 feet tall and 100-150 feet wide. There was no sound, but the light from the craft had characteristics similar to heat rising from a hot road. The craft hovered for about 15 minutes, then descended and landed behind a hill. A brilliant halo of light was visible from behind the hill. After about 5 minutes, the craft ascended again and hovered for another 15 minutes before flying south and disappearing into a forest. The entire encounter lasted over 30 minutes. The witness's parents, fearing they would be labeled 'odd,' never reported the incident.

Daylight Disks in El Monte, Calif.

This report, sourced from George Filer's 'Filer's Files,' describes a sighting on January 16, 2005, in El Monte, California. The witness and two friends observed two white specks high in the sky that remained stationary. Using binoculars, the witness distinguished three more objects and identified them as circular disk-like forms, white in color, moving slightly and leaving faint trails. One of the four objects had a blue circular disk-like component. The objects were described as being right above their location after five minutes and then headed east.

2004 Was a Banner Year for Canadian UFOs

This article, citing a report from The London Free Press via Ufology Research of Manitoba, highlights a significant increase in UFO sightings in Canada during 2004. A national survey recorded 882 UFO sightings, averaging more than two per day and representing a 31% increase from the previous year. The reports included disk-shaped crafts, spectacular fireballs, and large black triangular objects. Chris Rutkowski, research co-ordinator for the UFO tracking group, noted that people remain fascinated by the universe and continue to report unusual objects. He suggested that while popular TV shows and events like the millennium might have contributed to past increases, the current rise may be due to more UFO reporting sites on the Internet.

Ontario led with 254 sightings, British Columbia with 247, and Manitoba with 112. Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Quebec all had a record number of sightings. Over 5,000 UFO sightings have been officially reported in Canada since 1989. Rutkowski stated that about 15% of all UFO reports remain a mystery, and even high-quality cases, 7% still weren't explained.

Around and About the Saucer World

Department of Corrections

Rick Hilberg addresses reader feedback regarding a previous review of the History Channel's 'UFO Files' program. He acknowledges a mistake in stating that the aliens in the Betty and Barney Hill case did not take semen samples from Barney, correcting that they did indeed take samples, based on newer versions of the case literature.

"Aliens" Force Scottish Man to Leave the Country

This section features the story of Tom Moir, a 44-year-old north-east university lecturer from Scotland, who claims he was forced to flee to New Zealand due to persistent UFO sightings. Moir first reported seeing red lights and a small flying machine near his home in Muchalls when he was a teenager. For three decades, he observed mysterious lights hovering in the area. He felt his only option was to move to Auckland, New Zealand. His ordeal began in December 1971 when he saw a red light flashing on and off, followed by two other lights. He saw a flying machine that hovered overhead, described as a circle of red lights. For a week, the same lights appeared nightly, seemingly steered by automatic machinery. Moir's story is featured in Grampian TV's 'Beyond Explanation.' He has also captured video evidence of the lights. Investigator Brian Allan supports Moir's account, stating it's a real experience corroborated by others. However, psychologist Kevin Allan suggests that people who believe in parapsychological phenomena may have high mental imagery and could be misinterpreting their memories.

Las Cruces, New Mexico UFO

On March 8, 2005, at 6:55 a.m., eyewitness Jim Blackburn reported seeing movement in the sky in Las Cruces, New Mexico, while facing west-northwest under a cloudless sky.

Recent Canadian Reports

Whitby, Ontario

On February 24, 2005, at 6:50 p.m., a witness driving on Highway 401 noticed a full moon and three white lights with a single red light in the center of a craft hovering over a spot northeast of their position. The craft was described as triangular and was definitely over Whitby. The witness estimated the distance at 4 miles and the altitude at 2,500 feet. As the witness drew closer, the object moved toward Oshawa, Ontario. It was described as not being a helicopter, but long, with a rotating red light. The witness flashed their headlights, and the craft appeared to flash back, then moved off.

Langdale, B.C.

A report from February 26, 2005, at 9:55 a.m., describes two elongated shiny disks with a fuzzy grayish patch in the center, seen in the parking lot at the BC Ferry Terminal. The object made a sharp 45-degree turn, becoming a circular shape-thing, and then vanished as a point of light. The altitude was estimated at 8,000 feet, with no sound heard. The witness guessed it was about 75 feet in length.

Cylinder-Shaped Object Spotted in Washington

On Friday, February 18, 2005, at 4 p.m., Mario L. spotted an unusual object in the sky in Kirkland, Washington. Described as a shiny object shaped like a pencil, it was silver and appeared to be a reflection of the sun. The object was about the same height as an airliner flies.

38 Years of FSD

This brief section reflects on the longevity of Flying Saucer Digest, noting its origin in the spring of 1967 and the merger of the current editor's 'original' UFO Magazine into FSD in 1970. The editor expresses a wish that Al Manak, the late founder, could be present to celebrate this milestone.

Daylight Disks in Cleveland, Ohio

On Tuesday, January 18, 2005, Gary Kubalski reported seeing two grey luminescent disks, the size of nail heads, traveling in formation at a high altitude from east to west near Rocky River Drive in Cleveland, Ohio. These disks had no visible wing shape and moved steadily. They eventually disappeared into the horizon. After a minute or two, a single silver disk appeared, stopped in mid-air, hovered for five seconds, and then made a zigzag course change, followed by a lighting-fast 90-degree course change. A third disk then traveled, reversed course, and disappeared into the haze. The entire event lasted about 10 minutes.

Recent Florida UFO Activity

Royal Palm Beach: On February 23, 2005, at 6 p.m., a witness saw a silver spinning football-shaped object moving horizontally and spinning clockwise. About 20 minutes later, two helicopters were seen.

Clearwater: On Saturday, March 12, 2005, around 9:30 p.m., a witness saw two large off-white circular lights gliding overhead, rotating in a figure 8. Later, a large orange/amber light with a diffuse border was observed moving at the same height and speed before fading out.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are UFO sightings, particularly daylight sightings and craft of various shapes and colors, and the ongoing reporting and investigation of these phenomena. The editorial stance appears to be one of presenting witness accounts and reports from various sources, including news outlets and other UFO publications, while also acknowledging corrections and differing expert opinions. The magazine aims to document and disseminate information about UFOs, celebrating its long history of doing so.