MUFON Arizona - 1997 07 23 - Vol 06 No 07

Magazine Overview

Title: MUFON Arizona Chapter Newsletter
Issue Date: July 1997
Volume: 6
Issue: 7
Publisher: MUFON Mutual UFO Network
Document Type: Magazine Issue

This issue of the MUFON Arizona Chapter newsletter focuses on recent UFO-related events and media coverage, with a particular emphasis on the Phoenix Lights and the 50th anniversary of the Roswell incident. The newsletter features updates on local MUFON chapter activities, reports from members, and discussions on the ongoing public and media interest in UFO phenomena.

Meeting Announcement and Director's Message

The newsletter announces the MUFON Arizona Chapter meeting on Wednesday, July 23, 1997, at 7:30 p.m. at the National Guard Armory. The program is an 'open forum' designed to allow members to share their thoughts and questions on current UFO events. Director Tom Taylor highlights the recent Phoenix Lights sighting, the Roswell 50th Anniversary, and presentations by Richard Hoagland on the 'Monuments of Mars' and Philip Corso on his book 'The Day After Roswell.' He also mentions new UFO-related movies like 'Men in Black' and 'Contact.' The meeting is also the last chance to sign up for Chris Town's 'UFO Awareness Weekend.' Taylor notes that Dr. Ruth Hover will bring abductees and Richard Motzer will show videos.

Taylor also mentions that sightings continue in the Central Arizona area, with a report of something seen near Queen Creek over the weekend. He relays information from Peter Davenport of the UFO Reporting Center about other UFO 'flaps' occurring in Southern California, the Midwest, and Georgia.

Media Watch

Tom Taylor's 'Media Watch' column reviews recent media coverage of UFO topics. He notes that Bill Strauss's radio show featured Richard Motzer discussing the 'Phoenix Lights,' and Jim Dilettoso also offered his perspective on the same event. Tamara Dietrich, a reporter for the Tribune newspaper, is credited with an 'excellent series' reporting daily from Roswell. The Arizona Republic published a front-page article on July 12 concerning Art Bell's radio program. An article in The New Times by Tony Ortez about Mitch Stanley's sighting of aircraft on March 13th is mentioned, noting that Stanley was contacted by MUFON investigator Ruth Hover. Thomas Ropp, a writer for The Arizona Republic, is highlighted for his articles, including an interview with Selman Graves about the 1947 crash and an interview with Allen Hynek shortly before his death. Taylor recommends the film 'Contact' and contrasts it with 'Independence Day' and 'Men in Black.' He also mentions Richard Motzer and Cal Corp being interviewed on Erskin's radio talk show about the Phoenix Lights, and a '6-hour marathon' event involving Richard Hoagland, Art Bell, Councilwoman Francis Barwood, and Vance Davis discussing the 'Monuments of Mars.'

Program Listings

• Television Programs:
• UFO AZ/UFO TALKS: Broadcast on TCI Cable Channel 28 (Thursdays, 4:00-5:00 p.m.) and Dimension Cable Channel 22 (Mondays and Tuesdays, 9:00 a.m.). It also airs in Prescott on Channel 13 (Fridays, 9:00 p.m., repeated Tuesdays, 3:00 p.m.). Co-produced by Alan Morey, it features guests and topics related to UFOs.
• Unsolved Mysteries: Fridays at 7:00 p.m. on Channel 12.
• X Files: Sundays at 8:00 p.m. on Channel 10.
• Sightings: Moved to Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. on the SciFi Channel.
• Strange Universe: Weeknights at 11:00 p.m. on Channel 45, repeated at 1:00 p.m.
• Late Night Cosmic Contact: Saturdays, 9:00 - 10:00 p.m. on Channel 61 (TCI Tucson Public Access). This show features host Chris Maynard and guests discussing UFO contact experiences and national cases.

• Radio Programs:
• DREAMLAND: KFYI Radio, 910 AM, Sunday evenings, 8:00 p.m. Hosted by Art Bell, it airs on various stations across Arizona and also features 'Coast to Coast' weeknights at 11:00 p.m. A repeat of 'Dreamland' is broadcast Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.
• Erskin Overnight: KXAM Radio, 1310 AM, Saturdays from 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
• UFO-AZ Radio Show: KTUC, 1400 AM, Sundays at 10:00 p.m. (after 'Dreamland').
• Mysteries Around Us: KTAR Radio, 620 AM, Sundays at 10:00 p.m. (day/time change), hosted by Frank Baranowski, a hypnotherapist.

50 Years of Arizona Sightings 1947-1997

Jim Ossipov has updated his comprehensive listing of reported Arizona sightings since 1947. Copies of this listing are available for purchase at MUFON-AZ meetings for $5.00 or by mail for $6.50. Contact Tom Taylor for details.

Article Submissions and Advertising

The newsletter encourages members to submit articles and book reviews. Handwritten or typed articles are accepted, and computer-generated submissions are preferred. Information on advertising rates is provided: ads up to three lines cost $5.00, and business-card sized ads cost $10.00. Ads and payment must be submitted by the first of the month for inclusion in the next issue.

Website Information

MUFON-AZ Web Address: http://www.idowebpages.com/mufon.html
MUFON (International) Web Address: http://www.rutgers.edu:80/~mcgrew/mufon/index.html
MUFON (International) E-mail Address: [email protected]

Article: PHOENIX LIGHTS SIGHTING OF MARCH 13, 1997 (Anecdotal Evidence)

This section presents anecdotal evidence regarding the Phoenix Lights sighting. Amateur astronomer Mitch Stanley of Scottsdale maintains his belief that the objects he saw through his telescope were airplanes in close formation, noting their extreme brightness but lack of noise. He described five airplanes with three underside lights each, flying at a 'really high' altitude. Another witness, a private plane pilot, believes they were A-10 'Warthog' aircraft, viewed from the north of Tatum and Shea in Paradise Valley. This witness reported sound and estimated the aircraft were at approximately 3,000 ft. altitude, moving southeast and climbing. The estimated time of this sighting was 8:35 p.m.

Mitch Stanley's sighting occurred between 8 and 9 p.m. near 64th St. and Shea. Both Luke AFB and Sky Harbor Air Traffic Control reported no radar signatures other than explainable air traffic. No military base in the Southwest has acknowledged any flights, test vehicles, or military experimental craft on that date.

The certitude of Mitch Stanley and the private plane pilot that the lights were conventional aircraft is contrasted with the lack of military acknowledgment, suggesting possible military maneuvers. However, Gila Bend AFB, Luke AFB, and Albuquerque Air Traffic Control Center denied any such maneuvers.

The article poses questions about the event: 'Hoax? Test flights of experimental craft? UFOs? Secret military movements?' The controversy continues, with Ruth Hover listed as the Field Investigator for MUFON-AZ.

Article: Roswell: Anatomy of a Myth and The Day After Roswell

This section discusses differing perspectives on the Roswell incident. It references a long article in the June MUFON Journal, 'Roswell: Anatomy of a Myth' by Kent Jeffrey, who interviewed numerous generals and colonels and concluded that 'Roswell,' as commonly understood, 'never happened.' Conversely, a review of Colonel Philip Corso's book 'The Day After Roswell' suggests that Corso affirms seeing alien bodies and other interesting details. The article also mentions a July 4th 'Nightline' program featuring 'experts' Kent Jeffrey and Kevin Randle, who politely disagreed on the Roswell events. The author notes the difficulty in discerning truth amidst conflicting statements from the Air Force and military.

Article: Alien Interrogation Segment

A segment on the TV show 'Strange Universe' presented an 'Alien Interrogation' film, which the author found to be a 'silly segment' that presented 'nothing.' Half of the viewers thought the film was genuine, while others believed it was a hoax. The article points out that the producer and the seller of the film would profit, drawing a parallel to the 'Alien autopsy' film and its seller, Santilli.

Article: Asteroid is 'little brother' to moon

This article, originally from the Houston Chronicle, reports on a newly recognized celestial companion to Earth: a small asteroid, officially known as asteroid 3753, with a wandering solar orbit. Paul Wiegert, a postdoctoral fellow at Canada's York University, discovered its link to Earth's gravity through a six-month computer analysis. The asteroid travels in a horseshoe pattern and comes close to Mars at its farthest point from the sun, and approaches Mercury at its closest. Its origin and composition are unknown. While it is a 'near-Earth' asteroid, Earth's gravitational forces keep the potential for impact very small. The closest approach to Earth is 9 to 10 million miles, occurring once every 385 years. The last such passing was about a century ago. Wiegert suggests this finding is an important clue to the formation of the solar system.

Article: Not to probe UFOs above Phoenix fosters a cover-up

This editorial by Joel Nilsson from The Arizona Republic addresses Secretary of the U.S. Air Force Shelia Widnall, urging a reconsideration of the Air Force's stance on investigating UFOs. Nilsson argues that the Air Force's credibility has been damaged by its handling of the Roswell incident, citing the changing explanations from 'flying disc' to 'weather balloon' to the 1994 admission. He believes the 'Case Closed' report on Roswell will be seen by 'true believers' as evidence of a cover-up. Nilsson also points to the Phoenix Lights sighting, where thousands saw bright lights in a V-shape, and notes the Air Force's statement that it no longer investigates UFOs. He questions whether the Air Force cares about truth or national security. Nilsson suggests that a full investigation would be beneficial for the country and for clearing up suspicions, warning that failure to seek truth could turn the 'Valley of the Sun' into another Roswell.

Personal Reports and Contributions

Article: Report of 7/4/97 Sighting

This report, taken and written by Ruth Hover, details a sighting by an unnamed witness (the reporter's family). On Friday night, July 4, 1997, at approximately 9:15 p.m., while traveling west on Osborn Road, the witness saw fireworks, followed by a red, glowing ball in the sky. Turning north onto Indian School Road, they saw the red ball paralleling them. The object then shot out two white lights. The witness stopped and observed the object motionless for about two minutes, concluding it was not an airplane or helicopter. Upon returning home to get a camcorder, they noticed the object returning east. The witness managed to capture about 50 seconds of video. The object was described as oval with a domed top, with red light bulbs around the edge and a white glow from the bottom. It disappeared by blinking. The witness used 20x60 binoculars and an 8x zoom lens on the camcorder.

Article: Expert/Counter-Expert

This section features reflections on the nature of 'experts' in the UFO field. The author notes that 'experts' tend to interpret phenomena in their own ways, leading to multiple interpretations from a single group. The author also humorously describes being introduced as an 'expert' on ABC-TV, stating, 'all I know is that I know nothing.'

Article: Jim Ossipov - Asst. State Director

Jim Ossipov provides an update on his comprehensive listing of reported Arizona sightings since 1947. New copies with updates are available for purchase.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently promotes the idea that UFO phenomena are real and warrant serious investigation. There is a strong emphasis on media coverage and how it shapes public perception. The editorial stance, particularly in Joel Nilsson's piece, is critical of government secrecy and cover-ups, advocating for transparency and thorough investigation of UFO events. The newsletter also highlights the importance of MUFON's role in gathering and disseminating information, encouraging member participation and contributions. The recurring theme of 'expert vs. counter-expert' reflects the ongoing debate and differing interpretations within the UFO community and among scientific and military authorities.