1979 05 00 OMNI - Lebelson - UFO Update

Magazine Overview

Title: GLOBAL DISCLOSURES UFO UPDATE
Issue: 32
Date: October 21, 1978
Publisher: OMNI
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of Global Disclosures UFO Update focuses on recent and significant unidentified flying object (UFO) sightings and investigations from around the world, with a particular emphasis on events in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.

The Valentich Disappearance

The lead story details the perplexing disappearance of twenty-year-old pilot Frederick Valentich on October 21, 1978. While on a flight to Melbourne, Australia, in clear weather, Valentich reported a confrontation with a UFO. His final radio transmissions described a "long shape... coming for me right now... hovering on top of me." He further described the object as metallic, cigar-shaped, and possessing four bright lights, which was orbiting his plane. After a six-minute game of hide-and-seek, a metallic noise was heard on the radio, followed by silence. Valentich and his aircraft vanished, leaving his disappearance a complete mystery.

The Department of Transport in Melbourne suggested Valentich might have been disoriented and flying upside down, mistaking his reflection for a UFO. This theory was refuted by Arthur Schutt of Schutt Aviation Company, who stated that a pilot would recognize such a situation.

International Sightings and Investigations

Less than an hour after Valentich's disappearance, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Bellew of Canberra, Australia, witnessed a UFO performing "impossible maneuvers." This sighting, along with others, including those by two freight planes over New Zealand and an Australian television news crew, made international headlines.

In New Zealand, Captain Powell and Copilot Perry of a freight plane reported seeing a massive white light with a red tinge flying parallel to their aircraft. Wellington radar tracked the object, which kept pace with the plane before veering southwest and disappearing. TV producer Leonard Lee of Channel O Melbourne sent reporter Quentin Fogarty to New Zealand to attempt to replicate the sighting and film the object.

Fogarty, after being initially reluctant to share details without payment, eventually retraced the flight path and, along with a photographer, located and photographed a UFO for five minutes. Their visual contact with the object lasted forty minutes. They described it as a large circular object with bands of changing color, ruling out the possibility of it being Venus due to its crescent shape at the time.

In Italy, doughnut-shaped objects with a hole in the middle and emitting green, red, and white lights have been reported and photographed in numerous locations. Even in Rome, UFOs (designated OVNI) have been observed by police and citizens. The article mentions the mysterious disappearance of two fishermen and their boat off the coast of Pescara during a period of high UFO activity.

The French government's creation of GEPAN (Groupement d'Etude de Phénomènes Aériens) in 1977 is highlighted as a positive step towards a more comprehensive evaluation of UFO material. Led by Dr. Claude Poher, GEPAN compiles statistical data and investigates actual cases, with some investigators concluding the existence of a "flying machine whose mode of substance is beyond our knowledge."

US Sightings and Expert Opinions

In the United States, several sightings have occurred, including two near Jersey City, New Jersey, one in Brick Township, New Jersey, and two in Poplar Branch, North Carolina. The article notes that many sightings go unreported due to media ridicule.

Major Ralph Williams of the US Air Force stated that the Air Force is no longer involved in UFO investigations. Police in Jersey City are attempting to downplay sightings, with one officer expressing concern about sensational headlines.

Lieutenant Joseph De Angelo reported seeing a "white circle of light with blue lights at either end" hovering over Barnegat Bay for nearly forty minutes. Similar objects were witnessed by police officers in Tennessee.

Critiques of UFO Research and Literature

The issue delves into the complexities of UFO research, referencing Allan Hendry's book "The UFO Handbook - A Guide to Investigating, Evaluating and Reporting UFO Sightings." The author expresses concern about the "corrosive emotional atmosphere" within UFO investigative organizations, which Hendry believes influences objectivity. The article questions Hendry's assumptions and conclusions, particularly his dismissal of civilian UFO groups' testimony.

Jacques Vallee, a mathematician and astronomer, advocates for centralizing all UFO files globally under an international scientific commission. Aimé Michel is credited with pioneering the scientific method for analyzing UFOs. The article suggests that the work of Vallee and Michel, along with continuous sightings by qualified observers, renders some of Hendry's claims obsolete.

The author concludes by recommending that the investigation of UFOs would be better served by "keeping our eyes peeled to the sky rather than to the pages of The UFO Handbook."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the persistent mystery surrounding UFO phenomena, the challenges in scientific investigation, and the varying approaches and opinions within the UFO research community. The editorial stance appears to favor empirical evidence and rigorous scientific investigation, while expressing skepticism towards unsubstantiated claims and sensationalism. The article highlights the need for more comprehensive data and methodologies to understand UFO encounters, suggesting that while progress has been made, much remains to be discovered.