BIGAP NEWS

Magazine Overview

Title: BIGAP NEWS
Issue: 4
Date: February 1978
Publisher: BIGAP
Country: UK
Price: 15p

This issue of BIGAP NEWS features a prominent cover story detailing a UFO sighting by two schoolboys and an article on a significant biological discovery.

Boys Panic at Sight of UFO Over Mytchett

This article, by Omar Fowler, recounts an incident on Wednesday, January 11, 1978, involving two 15-year-old Mytchett schoolboys, Ron Hills and Ian Hoole. While running home together around 9:35 PM, they noticed a large object flying over them near a railway bridge on Mytchett Road. Initially mistaking it for an aircraft, they soon observed two headlights illuminating the clouds and two red lights flashing alternately on the underside of the object. As the object descended, they could discern a large dark shape and heard a faint noise. They concluded it could not be an aircraft due to its low altitude and the relatively quiet noise, which they felt would have been tremendous for a plane.

The object then moved into the distance, leaving the boys speechless and scared. As they continued home, they saw the lights again between rooftops, appearing to move from side to side. Stepping into the road for a clearer view, they realized the object was directly ahead and seemed to be following them, with the noise becoming louder. After running another 100 meters, they stopped, experiencing what they described as the most frightening incident of their experience.

The article includes a small illustration of a UFO and notes the sighting occurred in Mytchett, Surrey, on January 11, 1978, with a related illustration dated "Surrey and Hampshire, 1974".

A Classic Pilot Sighting

This section summarizes an incident related by Donald Keyhoe of the Washington-based National Investigation Committee on Aerial Phenomena to 'True Magazine' in August 1950. The summary is translated from the Danish magazine 'UFO Nyt'.

On the evening of April 27, 1950, at 20:25 hours, Captain Manning and Captain Robin Addicks, pilots of a Transworld DC3 flying at 600 meters over Gosham, Indiana, observed a mysterious light. Approximately 140 kilometers east of Chicago, Captain Manning first noticed a peculiar red light approaching. The DC3 was flying at 280 kph, but the light maintained its position relative to the aircraft, later changing to an orange, fireball-like appearance. It was clearly visible on top but not on the bottom.

Captain Manning initially doubted his senses but, recalling UFO reports from other pilots, turned to Captain Addicks. Addicks contacted TWA Chicago to report the "remarkable object," but the air traffic controller could offer no assistance. The pilots estimated the object to be 800 meters away and continued on course at the same speed. Manning wanted to move closer, but the object receded and returned multiple times. Other passengers on board, including two Boeing engineers, were also asked to observe the phenomenon and were described as "amazed." The sighting was widely reported in newspapers.

Research Uncovers 'New' Life Form

This article reports on the identification of a "new" form of life on Earth by biologists working for NASA and the US National Science Foundation. This life form may date back to the planet's first billion years and is described as a methane-producing organism, representing an evolutionary line entirely separate from animals, plants, and bacteria. It is suggested that these organisms are older than any of these traditionally recognized life forms.

The discovery was made by a research team led by Dr. Carl Woese, Professor of Genetics and Development at the University of Illinois. These methane-producing organisms are believed to be well-suited to Earth's primitive atmosphere. They can obtain all their food and energy from simple compounds like carbon dioxide and hydrogen, do not require complex chemicals, and can grow at high temperatures (65-70°C).

Currently, these organisms are found only in oxygen-free environments, such as deep within hot springs at Yellowstone. The researchers believe this discovery offers new hope for understanding the creation of life on Earth.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine appears to focus on unexplained phenomena, particularly UFO sightings, as evidenced by the prominent cover story and the inclusion of a classic pilot sighting. It also touches upon scientific discoveries, such as the identification of a new primitive life form, suggesting an interest in both the mysterious and the cutting-edge of scientific exploration. The inclusion of translated articles and reports from various sources indicates a broad scope of research and reporting. The editorial stance seems to be one of presenting documented accounts and scientific findings related to unexplained phenomena and origins of life.