Notizie UFO - No 52

Magazine Overview

This issue of "Notizie UFO" (UFO News), number 52, from September 1996, is a circular informative bulletin from the Centro Italiano Studi Ufologici (CISU). It announces a new, more frequent format aimed at providing more current information and incorporating content from the UFO-TEL newsletter, which has served as a reference point for UFO-related inquiries.

Editorial and Announcements

The editorial highlights the intention to publish more regularly and to focus on current events and information. A new section will feature answers to general questions received by the secretariat. The magazine promotes the upcoming 11th National UFO Conference in Rome on October 20th, which is reserved for CISU members and will discuss 'Official Ufology' and the 'real X-files of the FBI'. An ordinary assembly for CISU members is also scheduled for October 19th in Rome to discuss the 1995 budget and elect the 1996-97 board.

CISU Activities and Services

• Secretary's Desk:
• Address Changes: Updates on address changes for members Renato Fedele, Antonio Cuccu, and Maurizio Verga are provided.
• Received Material: The Central Archives have received 913 pages of investigation reports and clippings during July and August, with thanks extended to numerous contributing members.
• Software Archive: CISU is making its software archive available on 3.5-inch floppy disks for 3,000 Lire per disk (approx. 1.4Mb). This issue highlights discussion areas and current events on UFOs from Fidonet and Ufonet, including the Italian area 'Misteri.ita'.

Assembly Convocation:
A CISU assembly is called for October 19th in Rome to approve the 1995 balance sheet and 1996 budget, and to elect the 1996-97 board. Voting rights are extended to ordinary members in good standing and collaborators who were registered in both 1995 and 1996.

11th National UFO Conference:
Scheduled for October 20th in Rome, the conference theme is 'Official Ufology?' and it is not open to the public, only CISU members. It will cover recent releases of secret documents from various nations, a roundtable on official ufology in Italy, and a debate on the relevance of 'real FBI X-files'.

"UFO" Magazine:
Issue No. 18 of "UFO - Rivista di informazione ufologica" (UFO - Magazine of Ufological Information), dated July-December, is being sent to members. Members for 1996 will also receive issue No. 19 in January.

Book Offer:
Issue No. 18 features an article on Billy Meier by Maurizio Verga. CISU's book service is offering copies of Gary KINDER's book "Anni Luce - Le esperienze e i contatti extraterrestri di Eduard Meier" for 25,000 Lire (20,000 Lire for CISU members), available via postal order.

Other FBI Documents:
In addition to a previously available 157-page fascicle of FBI documents, three more monographic fascicles are being made available, related to the controversial Maury Island case and the files on George Adamski and George Van Tassel.

• Telematics and Local Outreach:
• Ufologia Telematica: The launch of UFOITALIA, the first Italian mailing list on UFO issues, is announced. Subscription is free and open to anyone with internet access.
• Local Dissemination: Reports are provided on CISU representatives' local outreach activities, including interviews and articles in regional newspapers (Corriere dell'Umbria, La Nazione, Corriere Adriatico, Corriere di Siena, Torino 7, La Repubblica delle donne, Il Giornale di Vicenza, La Provincia, Il Resto del Carlino, Il Mattino).

New Book Release:
"FBI: dossier UFO - I veri X-Files" by Paolo Toselli, published by Gruppo Editoriale Armenia, is announced for October 15th. The book summarizes secret FBI documents concerning UFOs. CISU members can pre-order it for 22,000 Lire.

UFO Activities and Reports

• July Sightings:
• Flap in July: A significant increase in UFO sightings in Italy during July is reported. A luminous object with a white light was observed in Chieti Scalo. A widespread 'flap' occurred on July 9th across central and northern Italy, involving a luminous body with a trail, observed by police and pilots.
• Other July Sightings: Various other sightings include nocturnal lights, two filmed cases in Vicenza, photographic cases in Vicenza, and a reported encounter with three strange humanoid beings near Vicenza.

• August Sightings:
• UFOs Over Campsites: Numerous August sightings include a luminous red ball observed over a campsite in Marina di Massa (later identified as a mini-hot air balloon) and a large circular light over a campsite in Baia Domizia (Caserta), also attributed to a balloon.
• Other August Sightings: A white and then yellow light was observed over Varazze. Other reports include two filmed cases in Vicenza, photos of daytime objects in Livigno, and sightings of a flying humanoid.
• Stealth Aircraft: Several sightings in the Trevigiano area on August 21st described dark, triangular shapes with lights moving silently, attributed by some to stealth aircraft.

• Specific Sightings:
• Savigliano (Cuneo): A luminous point was seen hovering and changing size on August 23rd.
• Guspini (Cagliari): Evolutions of luminous sources were observed on August 24th.
• Alassio (Savona): An object with lights was observed hovering for several minutes on August 25th, followed by a rotating object with lights.

• Latest News (Ultimissime):
• Udine: Five green spheres were seen connected in the sky on September 2nd.
• Tromello: A multitude of lights arranged in a rhombus shape was observed on a subsequent evening, disappearing towards an Air Force radar station that detected nothing.

• Circular Traces (Crop Circles):
• Netherlands: About thirty crop circle appearances were reported.
• United Kingdom: A video allegedly captured the formation of a crop circle, showing spiral lights and flattening wheat.
• Italy: Veneto was the most affected region. A circular trace was found in Lugo Vicentino, near where a bright light was previously seen. Other traces appeared in Asiago and Vicenza.
• Avellino: A 3-meter diameter circular trace appeared, near where a luminous red disk was observed.
• Ozzano Emilia (Bologna): Four circular traces were found in a meadow, with the clover turning red and then violet.

In Memoriam

Mario Cingolani Dies: The president of the Centro Ufologico Nazionale (CUN), Mario Cingolani, passed away suddenly on September 3rd at the age of 58.

In the Newsstands

Magazine Coverage: UFOs and aliens are featured on the covers of "Misteri" and "Oltre la conoscenza" magazines. "Oltre la conoscenza" includes a section on FBI 'X-files'. "Nexus" discusses the 'conspiracy of silence' regarding UFOs. "Dossier alieni" covers the Varginha case. "Giornale dei Misteri" features articles on a flying triangle and Italian ufologist Ernesto Thayat. Paolo Toselli writes about the Bermuda Triangle and a Roswell case.

International News

Cuba Declassifies UFO Case: For the first time in 36 years, Cuban state television (Radio Rebelde) aired a report on a UFO landing in Ibrriente on October 15, 1995, involving a farmer, a small figure, and plant samples.

American Belief in Conspiracy: A Newsweek poll of 770 adults found that 48% believe UFOs are a real problem, 51% believe sightings are scientifically explainable, 49% believe the government hides information, 20% believe in extraterrestrial spacecraft, and 12% claim to have seen a UFO.

USAF Filmed UFO: A "Nightline" TV program on July 16th featured a video of five lights in formation, filmed on December 1, 1993, by an automatic camera linked to a telescope in Maui, Hawaii. The USAF provided the footage without comment.

• World Sightings:
• Chile: A wave of UFO sightings in southern Chile in July, including a case at Pichoy Airport with luminous objects and an object observed over Chillan.
• USA: Close encounters in July, including a police officer in Alameda, California, blinded by a red light, and a family in Orlinda, Tennessee, encountering a strange being.
• Kazakhstan: Military air defense officials in Alma Ata observed a rhomboidal object for over 90 minutes on July 24th. Other sightings of luminous balls and lights were reported across ex-Soviet republics.
• Israel: A luminous object was observed in Jerusalem on July 27th, and a bright light was seen by thousands in Tel Aviv on July 31st. The Israeli Ministry of Research was asked to form an investigative commission.
• August: August saw numerous UFO sightings worldwide, possibly influenced by the NASA announcement about microorganisms in a Martian meteorite. Sightings were reported in Washington state (USA), Brazil (including a 50-meter disk and triangular objects), and Pretoria, South Africa (a pulsating disk filmed by police).

• Specific Cases:
• Argentina/Chile: An ring-shaped object observed on August 14th was identified as the third stage of a Russian Molniya satellite.
• Brasilia: A luminous blue object with a red light was filmed on August 21st, observed and filmed by a police patrol.

Archives and Research

Canadian UFO Archive Closes: The National Research Council of Canada's Solar Physics Group, which cataloged Canadian UFO sightings since the 1950s, will cease operations due to budget cuts.

New "Penthouse" Photos: Penthouse editor Bob Guccione announced September issue would feature photos from a secret military film of an extraterrestrial autopsy from Roswell, but these were later identified as props from the movie "Roswell".

Japanese UFO Museum: The planned international UFO museum in Hakui, Japan, has been postponed and is actually an astronomy and astronautics museum, not focused on UFOs.

US Air Force UFO Archives: American ufologist Jan Aldrich found UFO investigation reports from the 4602nd squadron of the U.S. Air Force, dating back to the 1950s, which were part of Project Blue Book. These include cases not previously in the public Blue Book archives, referred to as 'missing cases'.

Secret American Aircraft "LoFlyte": Italian newspapers reported that the experimental American aircraft "LoFlyte", capable of Mach 5 and remotely controlled, might be the cause of sightings of triangular objects over Europe, particularly Belgium. Belgian ufologists are skeptical, citing slow-moving, low-altitude objects.

New Secret US UFO Documents Released: The US group CAUS (Citizens Against Secrecy on UFOs) obtained 240 pages of NSA documents related to UFO investigations. Half of these documents originated from other military intelligence agencies and concern sightings in foreign countries. The NSA's opposition to releasing these documents was reportedly due to protecting intelligence sources and methods, not covering up UFO secrets.

Did the US Air Force Copy Flying Discs?: Released documents suggest that in 1947, the US Air Force considered flying discs to be Soviet aircraft and investigated German 'flying wing' projects. The USAF was testing flying disc models in wind tunnels and considering the 'German War Research Hypothesis'. These documents indicate that in late 1947, the US military did not possess a crashed extraterrestrial spacecraft.

Ken Phillips Dies: British ufologist Ken Phillips, director of BUFORA's investigations in the 1970s and editor of UFO Times, died of a heart attack on July 19th at the age of 50.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The issue reflects a strong focus on disseminating information about UFO phenomena, both from official sources (like declassified documents) and eyewitness accounts. There's an emphasis on the CISU's role in collecting, analyzing, and sharing this information through its publications, conferences, and regional networks. The magazine maintains a critical yet open stance towards various UFO-related claims, distinguishing between potential misidentifications (like balloons or aircraft) and unexplained phenomena. The recurring theme of government secrecy and the public's belief in a cover-up is evident throughout the reports on document releases and international polls.

Title: NOTIZIE UFO
Issue Date: September 1996
Volume: 1996
Issue Number: 11
Publisher: CISU (Centro Italiano Studi Ufologici)
Country of Publication: Italy
Original Language: Italian

This issue of 'Notizie UFO' delves into various aspects of ufology, covering insurance against alien abduction, reviews of new books and international magazines, discussions of historical and contemporary UFO cases, and a Q&A section addressing reader queries.

Insurance Against Alien Abduction

The lead story highlights the world's first insurance policy against the risk of alien abduction, offered by an English broker, Goodfellow Rebecca Ingrams Pearson. For an annual premium of 100 pounds, the policy offers a payout of 100,000 pounds for abduction and 200,000 pounds for insemination by extraterrestrials.

New Books and Library Additions

The magazine announces three new books added to the CISU library:

• "Spaceships of the Pleiades - The Billy Meier Story" by Kal Korff, which aims to provide a final word on the Swiss contactee Billy Meier.
• "German Circular Planes" by Justo Miranda and P. Mercado, a privately published work discussing alleged Nazi circular aircraft.
• "Wesen aus dem Weltraum? - Erste Dokumentation der Welt ueber fotografierte Ufonauten" by Klaus Webner, a 24-chapter analysis of cases involving photographic evidence of humanoids.
• "A Common Sense Approach to UFOs" by Betty Hill, the famous abductee recounting her experiences.

Two significant volumes released in the United States are also noted:

• "Top Secret Majic" by Stanton Friedman, focusing on the controversial Majestic-12 (MJ-12) committee allegedly formed in 1947 to study crashed UFOs, particularly the Roswell incident. Friedman defends the authenticity of the MJ-12 documents.
• Budd Hopkins, an artist and ufologist, has released his third book, dedicated to the "Linda Cortile case," where a woman claimed to be abducted by a UFO in New York City in 1989, witnessed by police officers.

Additionally, Australian ufologist Bill Chalker has published "The Oz Files," detailing Australian military archives on UFOs since World War II.

Reviews of International UFO Magazines

The issue provides a comprehensive review of various foreign UFO publications received in July-August 1996:

• ANO CERO (Spain): Features an article on the "Crosia effect" in a Saragossa film and speculates if "Independence Day" contains hidden truths about aliens.
• CENAP REPORT (Germany): Includes a special issue on UFOs and pilots, and the Aviano case.
• LA CIRCULAIRE (France): A monthly publication covering UFO activities, sightings, and related topics in France.
• EVIDENCIA OVNI (Puerto Rico): Explores a potential link between the Puerto Rican chupacabras and the Roswell case.
• FORTEAN TIMES (Great Britain): Now a monthly magazine, it features discussions on the controversial alien autopsy film and other Fortean topics.
• JOURNAL FUR UFO FORSCHUNG (Germany): Covers local German UFO cases and disputes within the ufological community.
• JUST CAUSE (USA): Reports on the declassification of UFO documents by the NSA and the recovery of USAF and Ground Observer Corps archives.
• MAS ALLA (Spain): Discusses new Spanish UFO cases, including a UFO crash in Galicia.
• MUFON UFO JOURNAL (USA): Continues its statistics on US cases, media management, and the chupacabras phenomenon.
• OHIO UFO NOTEBOOK (USA): Features a case of a rectangular flying platform similar to one reported in Italy, and details on military experiments from the 1950s.
• PHENOMENA (France): Interviews Jacques Vallée, who is critical of current American ufology, particularly abduction cases and the Santilli alien autopsy film.
• UFO TIMES (Great Britain): Reports on BUFORA joining an initiative against the Santilli film.
• UFO (Brazil): Covers the international UFO congress in Curitiba and compares the Roswell and Varginha cases.
• UFO MAGAZINE (Great Britain): Features an exclusive interview with Nick Pope and discusses the Varginha alien case and a congress in Brazil.

Other publications received include AWARENESS, CONTACT OVNI, INVESTIGANDO, TUFOIC NEWSLETTER, UFO AFRINEWS, and UFO NACHRICHTEN.

Questions and Answers

This section inaugurates a new reader mail column. The first set of questions is addressed to Edoardo Russo:

Mysterious Aircraft (Airships)

Regarding a report of a mysterious aircraft in the USA from April 18, 1897, F.C. from Bologna questions the discrepancy between the newspaper description (no wings or sails, fuse-like) and other contemporary accounts that depicted it with sails and rigging. F.C. also questions the date, recalling 1896 for similar sightings. The response clarifies that the "ortotenia" theory, which proposed that UFOs moved in straight lines, is outdated. It explains that Aimé Michel's theory, applied to French sightings from 1954, has been largely discredited by studies showing that alignments of sightings can be purely coincidental. The response also corrects the timeline of Michel's publications and refutes the idea that Garibaldi and Mazzini believed in UFOs, as the term "UFO" did not exist during their lifetimes.

Film on Roswell

In response to a query about a film on Roswell, it is mentioned that director Paul Davids made a film titled "Roswell" in 1994, inspired by the book "UFO Crash at Roswell." The film has circulated on US cable TV but has not yet been distributed in Italy.

Ministry Cases

Giuseppe D. from Naples questions the reliability of UFO sightings listed by the Italian Ministry of Defense. The response explains that these lists are compiled from reports forwarded to the Air Force General Staff's II Department, primarily from Carabinieri reports (using a UFO questionnaire since 1977) and from military witnesses. It notes that not all reports reach the highest levels, and some military sightings might be classified under "near misses" rather than UFO cases.

Garibaldi and Mazzini

A reader's claim that Garibaldi and Mazzini believed in UFOs is dismissed as "great stupidity." The response points out that the term "UFO" did not exist in their time, and the concept of unidentified flying objects was not discussed in Italy then. It also notes that the sensitivity and interest in extraterrestrial life were different in that era.

Other Topics

• Bermuda Triangle: A reader inquires about new developments regarding the Bermuda Triangle. The article mentions an article in the July issue of "X-Files" magazine by Paolo Ibselli, which reportedly includes behind-the-scenes information and explanations related to the Italian expedition involving Ambrogio Fogar, Enzo Majorca, and Uri Geller.
• Life on Mars or Scoop?: F.C. from Bologna questions the timing of the news about possible extraterrestrial microorganisms found in a Martian meteorite. The article explains that the news itself is old, having been reported the previous year, but a NASA press conference announced the upcoming publication of a peer-reviewed article in "Science." It suggests NASA may have used the opportunity to seek much-needed funding, capitalizing on public interest in extraterrestrials, especially after the success of the film "Independence Day."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of 'Notizie UFO' reflects a critical and investigative approach to ufology. The editorial stance appears to favor rigorous analysis, debunking unsubstantiated claims (like the ortotenia theory and the Garibaldi/Mazzini UFO belief), and distinguishing between sensationalism and scientifically verifiable evidence. There is a clear emphasis on reviewing documented cases, published research, and international ufological developments. The magazine also highlights the importance of historical context when discussing UFO phenomena, as seen in the discussion of airship sightings predating modern UFO reports. The inclusion of reader questions and detailed reviews of publications indicates a commitment to engaging with the ufological community and providing comprehensive information.