NICAP Reporter - Vol 4 No 07 - 05 1966 - No 44

Magazine Overview

The NICAP Reporter, Volume 4, Number 7, dated May 1966, is an issue dedicated to documenting and analyzing Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) activity, with a particular focus on reports from March and April 1966. The publication expresses concern over the volume of reports, stating that NICAP records contained nearly 700 reports from the U.S. and Canada, with an additional 200 unposted. The issue also critiques the prevailing scientific and media response to UFO phenomena, particularly what it perceives as skepticism and dismissal from mainstream sources.

UFO Activity in March and April 1966

The magazine details numerous UFO sightings from around the globe during March and April 1966. These reports describe a wide variety of objects and behaviors:

• Early March: Spotty reports included a large UFO with a reddish-orange glow sighted by police in Albion, Michigan. In Melbourne, Australia, a couple witnessed a large flying object descend near their car, which was then immobilized by an invisible force. A similar glowing object was seen in Geelong, Australia. Virginia City, Nevada, reported a fast-moving object ascending sharply. Pasadena, California, documented an object that glowed brightly when a jet approached.
• Mid-March: Sightings continued with a large UFO over Marquette, Michigan, and glowing balls over several Illinois counties. A glowing UFO was seen on the ground near Brisbane, Australia. Four flying discs were reported over Medina, Ohio, described as silver with domes and extremely fast. Westport, Connecticut, reported a pulsating red flying object.
• March 11: A large cigar-shaped object was sighted over Hartshorne, Oklahoma, where residents had reported numerous sightings since July. Mysterious red and white lights were frequently observed, sometimes forming formations or hovering at low altitudes. One witness described egg-shaped objects, automobile-sized, hovering at tree-top level.
• March 13: Strange bluish-green lights and beeping noises were reported near Black River, Wisconsin. Police in Ann Arbor, Monroe, and Detroit, Michigan, along with several Ohio cities, reported unidentified flying objects. A brilliant yellowish-green UFO was seen over St. Joseph, Michigan, described as tremendous in size. Objects were also reported over Ludington and Muskegon, Michigan, and Saginaw, Michigan.
• March 14: A truck driver reported a large UFO with bright red and blue lights over Napoleon, Ohio. Police in Washtenaw County, Michigan, observed several UFOs, including four in formation, traveling at high speed.
• March 15: A UFO flap condition was noted in the upper midwest, with Southern Michigan as a primary target. Reports included a polished steel object with blue lights over Youngstown, Ohio, and a football-shaped object with lights over Big Rapids, Michigan. Six men saw a circular object with appendages over LaPorte, Indiana. A glowing object was seen over Bloomer, Wisconsin, causing a dog to become agitated. Near Portland, Michigan, several UFOs ascended rapidly. In the Washington, D.C. area, a retired Air Force colonel sighted two objects, one disc-shaped, that stopped, started, and zig-zagged.
• March 17: Sheriff's deputies in Washenaw County, Michigan, saw three UFOs, two in formation. A child's top-shaped object was seen near Milan, Michigan, hovering and moving erratically. A bubble-shaped object was also reported over Milan. Three girls observed a large, oval-shaped UFO over Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a reddish-white glow and porthole-like spots.
• March 18: Residents of Bethel, Connecticut, reported a large red object. A white light with a twirling circle was seen near Kenosha, Wisconsin. Four UFOs hovered over Grand Beach, Michigan, with a fourth object appearing with an intense red glow. Four glowing UFOs were sighted at Monroe, Michigan, moving soundlessly and erratically. Three UFOs were seen over Hillsdale, Michigan, changing color and position.
• March 19: Eight reports came from southern Michigan. A football-shaped UFO with lights was seen over Big Rapids, Michigan. Six men observed a circular object over LaPorte, Indiana, hovering over a car. A glowing object was seen over Bloomer, Wisconsin. Near Portland, Michigan, several UFOs ascended rapidly. A retired Air Force colonel sighted two UFOs over Washington, D.C. An oval-shaped object with red, green, and white lights was seen over Hazelton, Iowa, making a whirring noise. A brilliant green object was seen near Adrian, Michigan, and a large, reddish-white object was seen over Beebe, Ontario, Canada.
• March 20: Several UFO reports came from the Seattle area. A "really huge" oval-shaped UFO with red, white, and yellow light was spotted over Elyria, Ohio. Objects were reported over Fairplain and near Rush Lake, Michigan. A major incident occurred in Dexter, Michigan, where a large glowing object descended at a 45-degree angle, stopped at tree-top level, hovered, and then appeared to settle in a swampy area.
• March 21: Another UFO landing was reported at Hillsdale, Michigan. Sightings were reported coast-to-coast, making UFOs front-page news.
• April 1: Warren Heckman, flying a Frontier Air Lines plane, saw mysterious lights near Salt Lake City and detoured to investigate.
• April 11: Ian Livingstone and Ron Sullivan reported no sightings on a stretch of road in Australia known for mystery lights and a fatal accident.
• April 11: A bright red UFO appeared over Fort Collins, Colorado. Two Portage County, Ohio sheriff's deputies chased a highly polished metal flying object for 86 miles into Pennsylvania. The object was described as having distinct lines, maneuverable, and emitting a steady humming sound. It was estimated to be 35-45 feet across and 18-24 feet high, with a downward-pointing beam and an antenna-like extension.
• April 25: Florida Governor Haydon Burns sighted a UFO while flying, ordering his pilots to give chase, but the object disappeared.

Scientific and Media Response

The issue criticizes the scientific community and media for their handling of UFO reports. It mentions Sir Bernard Lovell, a British scientist, touring the U.S. and dismissing UFOs as "utter nonsense." The magazine also condemns a one-hour CBS program titled "UFO: Friend, Foe or Fantasy," calling it an "outright SHAM." The program reportedly interviewed ten scientists and Air Force members who testified against UFOs, while excluding private UFO investigators. The moderator, Walter Cronkite, is accused of a "bare-faced lie" for stating that UFOs had not been photographed or tracked on radar.

Dr. J. Allen Hynek, a Northwestern University astrophysicist, is quoted as stating that the phenomena observed at Dexter and Hillsdale, Michigan, were "nothing more than marsh gas." This statement was challenged by John E. Sullivan, a chemical engineer, who argued that marsh gas could not account for the reported sightings. The NICAP Reporter notes that Sullivan's rebuttal did not receive national media coverage, unlike Hynek's statement.

Specific Incidents and Witness Accounts

• Dexter and Hillsdale Landings: The magazine details the alleged landings in Dexter and Hillsdale, Michigan. It mentions a Radio-Astronomy Observatory located near the Dexter landing site and claims a reliable source reported three additional UFO landings near Ann Arbor, Michigan, observed by police and scientists, described as having "fluted or corrugated surface."
• Portage County Chase: Deputy Dale Spaur described chasing a UFO that maneuvered and stopped, estimating its size and speed. He expressed disbelief in UFOs before the incident but now believes. Major Hector Quintanella of the Air Force suggested Spaur chased a satellite or Venus, which Spaur refuted.
• Maryborough, Australia Incident: Ron Sullivan recounted an experience where his car lights veered sharply right towards a fence, attracted by a column of colored light in a paddock. He links this to a fatal car accident that occurred nearby three days later, speculating if the light column could have been responsible.
• Florida Governor's Sighting: Governor Haydon Burns reported seeing a UFO with two round lights that maintained relative positions. The object pulled ahead and rose steeply when the governor's plane attempted to intercept it.

NICAP Operations and Future Plans

The NICAP Reporter announces that the decision to phase out the publication has been cancelled due to member protests and offers of help. The magazine will continue on a monthly schedule, but the annual membership fee will increase to $3.50 in the U.S. and Canada ($5.00 elsewhere). New printing equipment and an automatic addressing machine are needed, with funds to be raised through donations. A publication committee has been formed to assist with binding and mailing, and members in the Seattle area are asked to volunteer. The regular NICAP monthly meeting was scheduled for June 3rd at the Fischer Building, with a 50-cent admission.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The NICAP Reporter consistently promotes the reality of UFO phenomena and criticizes official and scientific skepticism. The editorial stance is one of advocacy for UFO investigation, highlighting witness accounts and questioning the explanations offered by authorities and mainstream science. The publication appears to believe that UFOs are a serious subject, potentially involving advanced technology and possibly extraterrestrial visitors, and that there is a concerted effort to downplay or conceal information about them. The emphasis on detailed sighting reports and the critique of media coverage underscore a commitment to presenting UFOs as a significant, ongoing phenomenon.