Inforespace - No 81

Magazine Overview

Title: inforespace
Issue: n° 81
Date: October 1991
Volume: 20th year
Publisher: SOBEPS
Country: France
Language: French

This issue of "inforespace" delves into the complex relationship between ufology and contemporary aerospace technology, exploring how advanced military aircraft and electronic systems might be perceived or mistaken for unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP). It also provides a comprehensive guide to the methodology of UFO investigation.

Avions Furtifs et AWACS: Compléments

The lead article, "Avions Furtifs et AWACS: Compléments" (Stealth Aircraft and AWACS: Complements), revisits the topic of stealth aircraft following reader interest in a previous issue. It discusses reports of F-117A stealth aircraft allegedly flying over Belgium weeks before the Gulf War, raising questions about potential military incursions into civilian airspace and the possibility of misidentification. The article notes that while some sightings might be explained by conventional aircraft, the characteristics of some reported triangular flying objects (silent, hovering) suggest phenomena beyond simple misidentification. It also introduces "Athena," a fictional electronic anti-radar system from Stephen Coonts' novel "The Minotaur," which employs advanced cooling and superconductivity to achieve near-total invisibility. The article speculates whether such technology could explain the Belgian UFO wave of March 1989. It further explores "smart skins" – advanced surfaces for aircraft that integrate microprocessors and micro-sensors to enhance environmental perception and reduce detectability, potentially leading to highly autonomous aircraft like the YF-22.

The Lockheed YF-22 ATF "Lightning 2" is presented as a modern fighter jet, but its inability to fly slowly contrasts with the silent, hovering triangular craft often reported. The TR-3A, a secret reconnaissance aircraft revealed by Aviation Week and Space Technology, is described as a triangular craft with rounded corners, reportedly in service since 1989 and potentially deployed in England, raising further questions about potential sightings.

Presentation des Rapports d'Enquête

This section focuses on the critical importance of rigorous methodology in ufological research. The author, having reviewed reports submitted to SOBEPS, emphasizes the need for clear, well-structured, and easily understandable documentation. The article critiques the current state of ufological publications, citing Allen Hendry's "The UFO Handbook" as a foundational, though perhaps dated, guide. It stresses that for ufology to be taken seriously as a science, researchers must adhere to standardized methods.

The author outlines a detailed structure for UFO investigation reports, comprising 20 sections, including witness details, location, observation conditions, object description (shape, dimensions, color, sound, speed, altitude, trajectory), credibility and strangeness indices, and classification. Specific suggestions are made for handling multiple witnesses, defining classifications (e.g., "disques diurnes" - DD, "disque nocturne" - DN), and the importance of including geographical references like map numbers.

The article discusses the challenges in classifying UFO phenomena, referencing J. Allen Hynek's work and the evolution of categories like Close Encounters of the Third Kind (RR3) and the more controversial RR4 (interactions with "ufonautes"). It highlights the need for objective data and warns against the "illusion of scientific exactitude" that can arise from overly precise measurements without proper context.

Les Triangles d'Avant les Triangles

This article, by F. Boitte, predates the well-known Belgian UFO wave of November 1989, which saw thousands of triangular objects reported. It notes that triangular UFO sightings were not new, citing the 1983 Hudson Valley wave in the USA as an earlier example. The author presents several historical cases of triangular UFO sightings from around the world, demonstrating that these phenomena have been observed for decades and exhibit consistent characteristics such as unusual lights, silent operation, and hovering capabilities.

Key incidents detailed include:

• January 3, 1965: A near-collision between a passenger plane and a triangular object near Washington D.C.
• March 18, 1965: Pilots in Japan reported being pursued by an oblong, luminous object.
• June 1970: A large, triangular object was observed and tracked by radar near Ponce, Puerto Rico.
• 1973: A triangular object hovered over a police station in Kentucky, USA.
• April 3, 1975: Police officers in North Carolina pursued a V-shaped craft exhibiting erratic movements.

The article emphasizes the need to compile a catalogue of these types of UFOs and suggests that further research is required to understand their nature.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the intersection of advanced technology and unexplained aerial phenomena. The magazine explores the potential for misidentification of military aircraft as UFOs, particularly stealth technology, while also presenting evidence of sightings that defy conventional explanations. A strong emphasis is placed on the importance of scientific methodology and rigorous investigation in the field of ufology. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry, seeking to understand these phenomena through systematic research and data analysis, while acknowledging the limitations and challenges inherent in the field. The magazine aims to bridge the gap between the public's fascination with UFOs and the scientific community's skepticism by advocating for structured investigation and clear reporting.

This issue of L'ÉCHO DU MYSTÈRE, identified as issue number 18, is a French-language publication that extensively documents numerous Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) sightings reported globally between 1975 and 1980. The magazine focuses on detailed accounts from witnesses, often including police officers, pilots, and ordinary citizens, describing the characteristics and behaviors of these observed objects.

Key Articles and Reports

The core of the magazine is a chronological compilation of UAP sightings, presented with specific dates, locations, and witness testimonies. Each entry details the observed object's shape, color, size, speed, altitude, and any associated sounds or electromagnetic effects.

Notable Sightings and Descriptions:

• 1975-1976: Reports include a police officer's account of a rapidly descending object near White Lake, USA, that illuminated the surroundings with a bright blue light. A triangular object, approximately 18 meters in diameter, was observed hovering above a barn in St. George, Ontario, Canada. In New Jersey, USA, two women reported stationary lights that became a boomerang-shaped object with a red light circle. Florida, USA, saw an oval light moving up and down, followed by V-shaped formations. A triangular object was also reported hovering above an abandoned hotel in Helena, Montana, USA.

• 1977: Sightings include a diamond-shaped object with colored lights over Massena, New York, USA, which hovered over a school. In Eustis, Florida, USA, scouts observed a diamond-shaped object with red, green, and blue lights that left a trace and disappeared silently. California, USA, recorded sightings of diamond-shaped objects moving at high speed near San Clemente and Fontana. Memphis, Tennessee, USA, reported lights arranged in a triangular configuration and later a hovering object.

• 1978: Reports from the USA include a triangular object with red, blue, and yellow lights near Leicester, UK, and a similar object observed over Kentucky. A triangular object with red and white lights was seen in New Jersey, USA. Michigan, USA, documented a large boomerang-shaped object with a bright central light. Sightings in Illinois, USA, described triangular objects with orange and white lights. Connecticut, USA, noted six triangular objects flying in formation over the Thames River. California, USA, had reports of triangular craft near Chula Vista.

• 1979: Sightings from Chile include three Chilean Air Force jets intercepting a giant UFO near Antofagasta. In Hawaii, USA, a triangular object with numerous lights was observed. Reports from Kansas, USA, described large, slow-moving, unidentified objects with lights. A woman in Nottingham, UK, saw a triangular object with red, blue, and white lights.

• 1980: Reports from Argentina and Chile detail sightings of large, triangular objects with red lights and blue luminosity. In Florida, USA, a photographer observed a triangular object with green lights. California, USA, documented a diamond-shaped object with white lights. Washington, USA, reported a large triangular object hovering over railway tracks. A sighting in Iowa, USA, described a diamond-shaped object with four white lights at each corner.

Object Characteristics:

The objects are consistently described as having various shapes, including triangular, diamond, boomerang, cigar, oval, disc, cone, V-shape, and round forms. Colors of lights reported include blue, white, red, green, yellow, orange, gold, and silver. Many accounts emphasize silent flight, though some mention humming, vibrations, or engine-like noises. Speeds vary from slow to incredibly fast, with objects capable of hovering, rapid acceleration, and sudden changes in direction. Estimated sizes range from relatively small (12-15m long) to very large (up to 180m in diameter or the size of two Boeing 747s). Altitudes are estimated from low (90-120m) to high (up to 3000m).

Witnesses and Credibility:

The magazine includes reports from a diverse range of witnesses, including police officers, military personnel (pilots, security guards), engineers, journalists, and ordinary citizens. The sheer volume and geographical spread of these reports suggest a consistent phenomenon being observed.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the prevalence of triangular and diamond-shaped UFOs, the frequent presence of bright, multi-colored lights, and the often silent or near-silent operation of these craft. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious documentation and presentation of witness accounts, implying a belief in the reality of these phenomena and the need for further investigation. The magazine acts as an archive, collecting and disseminating these reports without overt skepticism, allowing the details of the sightings to speak for themselves. The consistent reporting of similar characteristics across different locations and time periods suggests a pattern that the magazine aims to highlight for its readership.

This issue of OVNI magazine, number 103, from December 1980, with a cover price of 25 FB, focuses on the question 'Are UFOs secret weapons?'. It presents a compilation of numerous UFO sightings and encounters primarily from 1980 to 1982, with a significant number of reports originating from the USA and Great Britain.

Detailed Sightings and Encounters

The magazine meticulously documents a series of sightings, providing dates, locations, and detailed witness testimonies. A recurring theme is the appearance of triangular-shaped objects, often described as large and silent, with various colored lights.

October-November 1980:

• October 28, 1980, Middleton, New York (USA): Two women observed a black triangular object hovering over trees. It approached them, followed their car, and then disappeared with a humming sound.
• October 29, 1980, Newport, South Wales (GB): A witness reported a white triangular light moving slowly, with lights at the corners and a blue-green light at the top, which then vanished.
• November 18, 1980, Trenton and Kirksville, Missouri (USA): Hundreds of people witnessed a large triangular object moving slowly for four to five hours. It was tracked by radar and observed visually by a radar technician, who estimated its speed at 75 km/h at one point.

December 1980:

• December 1980 (date not specified), off the coast of Florida or Carolina (USA): A sailor saw a white triangular light that transformed into a red sphere, grew larger, and then disappeared.
• December 29, 1980, New Caney and Dayton, Texas (USA): The 'Cash-Landrum' case involved two women and a child seeing a brilliant red, diamond-shaped object that hovered, projected flames, and was later accompanied by over 20 military helicopters (identified as CH-47 Chinooks). The witnesses suffered severe physical ailments, including nausea, headaches, diarrhea, skin problems, and hair loss, with one woman hospitalized for several days.

January-February 1981:

• January 15, 1981, West Norfolk (GB): A couple saw a triangular object hovering, and a young girl had previously seen red and orange lights.
• January 16, 1981, Welling (GB): Two men reported seeing a bright light.
• January 20, 1981, Eltham, GB: A witness described a large triangular object with a V-shaped light beam and colored lights, estimated to be the size of a DC-10 aircraft.
• January 22, 1981, Jessup, Georgia (USA): Three people observed a red or orange triangular object with individual lights that disappeared silently.
• February 15, 1981, Offerton, Ontario (Canada): Three students saw a round object with lights and triangle-shaped lights underneath, which moved, hovered, and ascended.
• February 22, 1981, La Vernia, Texas (USA): At least 30 residents reported a triangular object hovering, during which TV and phone services were disrupted, and a false fire alarm was triggered. The object emitted a loud humming and a smell described as 'burning tar' or 'insulating material'.

March-May 1981:

• March 12, 1981, Attica, Michigan (USA): Nine family members saw a flat, triangular object with rounded corners and colored lights, moving slowly and quietly.
• March 15, 1981, Bethesda, Maryland (USA): A novelist and his wife observed a triangular object, the size of a Boeing 747, flying at high speed and altitude without noise. It had square windows and red lights.
• April 15, 1981, Fairchance, Pennsylvania (USA): A police officer and other witnesses observed diamond-shaped formations of lights in various colors.
• April 15, 1981, Mount Sunapee, New Hampshire (USA): An automobilist saw a large triangular object with red lights, initially appearing as 'two enormous stars'.
• April 15, 1981, Windsor, Vermont (USA): Two employees reported a V-shaped object with a large headlight and red side lights, emitting a low hum.
• April 27, 1981, Stretton (GB): Two motorists observed a brilliant light that hovered, then moved away rapidly. It was described as triangular and the size of a twin-engine plane, but clearly not an aircraft.
• May 20, 1981, Melones, California (USA): Six people saw two diamond-shaped objects with bright lights hovering before moving south. They were estimated to be at 300m altitude.

September 1981:

• September 28, 1981, Bancroft, Michigan (USA): A woman and her family observed several lights moving erratically, forming a formation, and then a triangular object passed overhead. The object was described as grey, bat-shaped, with lights and a dull surface.

Other Reports:

The issue also includes reports from October 1981 (MUFON observations of V-shaped and round objects) and February 1982 (a triangular object near Bakersfield, Vermont, that approached a witness). A July 1982 sighting in Houston, Texas, describes a boomerang-shaped object with orange lights and a loud hum.

Object Characteristics

The reported objects exhibited a variety of shapes, including triangular, round, horseshoe, V-shape, boomerang, and diamond. Colors ranged from white, blue-white, red, orange, green, amber, to grey. Sizes were estimated from small planks to the size of a football field or a Boeing 747. Behaviors included hovering, slow and fast movement, sudden ascents and descents, backward movement, and formation flying. Speeds were estimated up to 160 km/h, and altitudes varied from low to several hundred meters. Some incidents noted electromagnetic effects like TV and phone disruptions, and physical effects on witnesses. Trace evidence included smells of burning tar or insulating material.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the prevalence of triangular UFOs, the silent or humming nature of these craft, and the variety of lights observed. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious investigation into these phenomena, presenting detailed accounts and witness testimonies without overt skepticism. The cover question, 'Are UFOs secret weapons?', suggests an exploration of potential military or advanced technological origins for some sightings, while also leaving room for other interpretations. The inclusion of cases with physical effects on witnesses, like the Cash-Landrum incident, highlights the potential danger or unknown nature of these phenomena.