Magonia Supplement - No 20 - 1999 10

Magazine Overview

MAGONIA Monthly Supplement, Issue No. 20, dated October 1999, is a publication focused on interpreting contemporary vision and belief, formerly known as the ETH Bulletin. Edited by John Harney, this issue features a mix of editorial commentary, in-depth articles, and reader contributions that critically examine UFO phenomena.

Editorial

The editorial highlights a common problem in ufology: the tendency for investigators to approach cases with preconceptions, either favoring the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis (ETH) and overlooking negative evidence, or acting as skeptics and dismissing cases that don't fit simple explanations. The editor notes that some cases defy easy categorization and require complex explanations, citing the Walton case as an example where the sheer number of people involved made a simple hoax explanation unlikely. The editorial encourages readers to engage in pursuing further questions on these complex cases.

Titium and Aston's CE3K

This article by Martin Kottmeyer examines the case of Cynthia Appleton, a housewife from Aston, England, who in 1957 encountered a tall man in a silvery garment who claimed to be from another world and seeking a substance sounding like 'titium'. While her husband suggested 'titanium' and Timothy Good in 'Alien Base' proposed 'lithium', Kottmeyer offers an alternative interpretation: 'tritium', an isotope of hydrogen. He explains that tritium, along with deuterium and hydrogen, can form water, including 'heavy water'. The article notes that knowledge of the hydrogen bomb and nuclear reactors in the 1950s made tritium and heavy water familiar concepts. Kottmeyer suggests that aliens seeking heavy water would be consistent with early UFO lore about atomic drives and that nuclear themes are common in alien encounters. He also touches on the 'sexualised phonic alchemy' of the term 'titium' in relation to nuclear and 'woman power'. The article references Timothy Good's 'Alien Base' and an entry in MUFOB.

The Spithead UFOs

Nigel Watson and Granville Oldroyd address a reader's query about UFOs seen in the early 1900s during a Royal Navy review. They trace the story back to a report in The Times on July 20, 1914, detailing 'AERIAL EVOLUTIONS' on July 17, 1914. The report describes an object making a harsh buzzing sound and observed at 700-800 feet overhead during a naval review at Spithead. The article identifies the pilot as Flight Lieutenant J. L. Travers, accompanied by Flight Lieutenant Hyde-Thomson, flying a Sopwith 'Batboat'. The authors conclude that this historical event, likely a test of naval readiness for an impending war, has been misremembered and inflated into a UFO story, illustrating how memories can be distorted to suit present-day prejudices.

Letters

Hudson Valley Sightings and Ultra-light Aircraft

Robert R. Young writes in response to a query about the Hudson Valley sightings. He recounts his own experience with formations of lights near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in the late 1980s, which he initially couldn't identify. He later learned of a group of ultra-light pilots who enjoyed flying in formations. Young details the characteristics of ultra-light aircraft: slow speed (under 63 mph), unlicensed pilots, inability to show up on radar, flying under Visual Flight Rules from rural strips, using lights for twilight flight, and having quiet motor noises resembling a buzzing lawn-mower. He reveals that a flying club in the NYC metro area called 'The Martians' used to fly formations and, after being reported as UFOs, began pretending to be UFOs, even coordinating lights with walkie-talkies. They stopped due to public safety concerns from traffic jams caused by onlookers. Young believes this explains many Hudson Valley sightings, noting that the descriptions of 'boomerangs' or 'V' formations and sizes (100-300 feet) are consistent with ultra-light formations. He also mentions that about half of the reports included motor noises, suggesting proximity or downwind observation, while the other half had no noise, indicating distance or upwind observation.

Scranton UFOs and Air National Guard

Young also mentions a rash of UFO sightings near Scranton, PA, in the early 1990s, which were attributed by an astronomy club and police to ultra-light aircraft taking off from a small airfield. Some reports were also identified as Air National Guard C-130s flying training paths.

'Mind-Blowing' UFO Evidence Debunked

Christopher D. Allan reports on his attendance at the Leeds UFO Magazine Conference in September 1999, where 'truly mind-blowing' new evidence was to be presented. He concludes that the material, comprising video tapes assembled over three years, was not mind-blowing, the 'proof' was non-existent, and it would cause no shockwaves. The evidence consisted of film footage from a shuttle flight, sourced from a mystery contact in Canada.

Kenneth Arnold's UFOs Reinterpreted

Philip J. Klass humorously suggests that the 'UFOs' reported by pilot Kenneth Arnold in 1947 were actually giant homing pigeons developed by the CIA. He claims these pigeons, some with rockets strapped to their legs, could fly at nearly 600 mph and that triangular UFOs recently reported might be these pigeons. He states he has kept this 'truth' under wraps for over 50 years.

Book News

Nigel Watson provides an update on 'The Scareship Mystery', a book that was to be published in October 1999 but faced cancellation due to a slump in sales of 'fringe' material. Research for the book began in the late 1970s, and despite interest from publishers in the 1980s, it remained unpublished. Watson laments that market forces can bury such ufological treasures.

Contact Information

MAGONIA Monthly Supplement welcomes letters and short articles. Contributions should be sent to the Editor, John Harney, at 27 Enid Wood House, High Street, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 1LN, UK. Contact is also available via fax (01344 482709) and email ([email protected]).

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the critical examination of UFO reports, emphasizing skepticism, the potential for misidentification, and the importance of objective investigation. The magazine appears to favor explanations that involve conventional phenomena, such as ultra-light aircraft, rather than immediately accepting extraterrestrial origins. The editorial stance is one of encouraging deeper inquiry into complex cases while debunking sensational claims and highlighting the fallibility of memory and the influence of preconceptions in interpreting evidence.