FLYING SAUCER DIGEST

Magazine Overview

Title: FLYING SAUCER DIGEST
Issue: NO. 210
Date: FALL 2015
Publisher: R. Hilberg Publications
Editor: Rick Hilberg
Managing Editor: Carol Hilberg
Founder: Allan J. Manak (1933-1999)

This issue of Flying Saucer Digest, published quarterly, focuses on recent UFO sightings and related phenomena from around the globe, with a particular emphasis on events from 2015. It includes detailed reports of sightings, investigations, and discussions on the nature of UFOs and potential extraterrestrial contact.

Featured Articles and Reports

South Carolina Sphere-Shaped UFO Photographed

A witness in Marion, South Carolina, reported a sphere-shaped UFO on the ground that "lifted off and started moving away" on September 2, 2015. The object, observed from a living room window, was later seen outside at approximately 100 feet. As it ascended, its color changed to reddish-orange. It then moved towards Wilmington, NC, stopped, and made a right-angle turn, followed by a second, identical object. The witness was able to capture seven images of the object with a cell phone. The case was investigated by Jeffrey Elliott and Cheryl Ann Gilmore of MUFON and closed as unknown. No physical evidence was left behind.

Arrowhead UFO Spotted in Minnesota

On September 21, 2015, in Rochester, Minnesota, two witnesses observed a "huge black arrowhead shaped craft" hovering silently in a clear sky. Described as larger than a commercial jet, the craft was flat black and did not reflect the sun. The witnesses noted ridges on the top and that the back appeared "cut out." Due to traffic, they could not pull over to get a closer look, and the object disappeared after about ten seconds.

"Lighted Black 'Twinkie'" Over Oil City, PA

On September 1, 2015, in Oil City, PA, witnesses observed a craft described as a "black 'twinkie'" with reddish-purple lights on the ends and a bright blue light in the middle. The object hovered motionless for at least a minute before moving erratically at high speed, zig-zagging and moving up and down, before halting and disappearing. The witnesses had previously seen similar craft in the same location on July 22nd and July 15th, 2015.

Oval-Shaped Objects in Illinois

A commercial pilot with approximately 800 hours of flying time reported a sighting on July 31, 2015, in Hanover Park, Illinois. At 11:30 p.m., the witness observed what he initially thought was a plane, but upon closer inspection, noticed the bottom of the object was round-shaped. The illuminated color was solid orange-yellow, with an estimated altitude of 6-8000 feet and a speed of 3-400 knots. The object emitted no noise and continued in a straight path south. Within 15 seconds of losing sight of the first object, a second, identical object was observed following the same flight path and altitude. Neither object had strobe lights, and their color was solid and bright.

Classic Disk Sighted in New Jersey

On July 22, 2015, in Montvale, NJ, a witness reported seeing an object without magnification that could not be recognized. The object appeared to be about 150 feet across and half a mile away, moving slowly north or remaining stationary. It had a classic saucer-like appearance, illuminated silver-metallic with a slightly flattened rim. As the witness drove closer, the object's appearance changed, showing a golden glow on the bottom, fading to orange, reddish, and dark on top, with three red lights on the bottom. The rim appeared tilted, resembling Saturn. Other drivers also slowed down to observe the object.

10 UFO Hotspots Around the Globe

This section, by Summit Passaru, highlights locations worldwide with a high frequency of UFO sightings:

• The Welsh Triangle (UK): Known for sightings in Dyfed, Wales, in 1977, including school children seeing a UFO and 7-foot aliens in silver spacesuits. Also reported are sudden halts of electronics and teleported cattle.
• Mexico: Reports of strange aircraft hovering during a 1991 solar eclipse and a horse-shaped UFO captured on webcam near the Colima volcano.
• Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: Numerous sightings of strange orbs and two fire-red circular objects reported in the sky.
• The M Triangle (Russia): Located near the Ural Mountains, this area is known for strange lights, UFOs, weird symbols, and encounters with translucent beings.
• Warminster (UK): Near Stonehenge, this town has a history of reported UFO sightings and strange sounds since the 1960s.
• Bonnybridge, Scotland: Considered a major UFO hotspot, with reports of strange lights forming triangular shapes and moving in the sky since 1992. Approximately 300 sightings are reported annually.
• Chile: An engineer reported a UFO moving at 4,000 m.p.h. during an acrobatic airshow in Santiago in 2010.
• Collahuasi copper mine (Northern Andes): A video captured a UFO flying at 14,000 feet, confirmed as not a weather or man-made object.
• Canada: High number of UFO sightings, with figures doubling from 986 in 2011 to 1,981 in 2012. Sightings include lights, spheres, and boomerangs.
• Texas: Numerous sightings, including a 2008 report of a UFO with bright lights moving at incredible speed in Stephenville.
• Pacific Coast Highway, California: Regular reports of UFOs, dating back to World War II when a UFO was fired upon by the military over Los Angeles and went undamaged.

Messages from Space

Martin Piechota's column discusses the long-standing question of whether humanity is alone in the universe. It touches upon scientific efforts to detect extraterrestrial signals and humorously notes how a 17-year mystery of strange signals at the Parkes Observatory was traced to a microwave oven.

Professors Say Alien Probes Have Visited Earth

This section explores theories by University of Edinburgh professors Arwen Nicholson and Duncan Forgana regarding alien probes. They suggest that alien civilizations, potentially millions of years ahead technologically, could have sent self-replicating probes to explore the galaxy. Using gravitational slingshots and self-replication, such probes could traverse the entire Milky Way within 10 million years, possibly even without exceeding the speed of light. This theory builds upon John Von Neumann's work on self-replicating machines.

Fortean Flashes

This section presents various unusual phenomena:

• The Chatham County, NC Devil's Tramping Ground: Described as a 40' wide clearing with a perfect circular path where weeds do not grow. Legends attribute it to the Devil pacing nightly, with anything left in the circle vanishing. The article notes that the area's vegetation suggests poor, acidic soil, possibly from charcoal ash, and that visitors keep the ground bare.
• Unusual Tracks and Falls: Mentions 19" tracks appearing in the mid-70s in the Chatham County area, and three-toed tracks found near the Deep River. It also recounts instances of blood and flesh falling from the sky in 1884 near New Hope Creek, and other instances of unusual precipitation like red clouds, greasy flakes, and black rain in various North Carolina locations.

September 9th California Ice Fall

A family in Modesto, California, reported a loud crash when a chunk of ice, the size of a basketball, fell through their roof. While a meteorologist dismissed a weather phenomenon, suggesting it was likely frozen moisture from an airplane, an FAA inspector visited the site.

Pennsylvania Paper Fall

In West Pittston, Pennsylvania, scraps of white paper fell from the sky onto a lawn on April 20, 2015. The FAA investigated but could not explain the source, ruling out a lavatory malfunction from a passing plane.

A Word About This Issue

An editorial note explains that due to computer problems with the previous issue, a smaller font size was used to fit all available information. The next issue will revert to a more standard font size and will begin a special series of "graphic art look backs" in anticipation of FSD's 50th anniversary.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of Flying Saucer Digest maintains its focus on documenting and investigating UFO and UAP sightings, presenting them with a degree of seriousness and encouraging further inquiry. The magazine appears to adopt a stance of open-mindedness towards unexplained phenomena, presenting witness testimony and investigative findings without definitive conclusions, often labeling cases as "unknown." The inclusion of "Fortean Flashes" broadens the scope to include other unexplained events, suggesting a general interest in the paranormal and anomalous. The editorial stance is one of reporting and exploring these mysteries, rather than debunking them, and aims to preserve accounts of unusual occurrences.