Orbiter - No 04 - 1988

Magazine Overview

Title: ORBITER
Issue: #4
Volume: The New England Aerial Phenomena Report
Date: January, 1988

This issue of Orbiter magazine, subtitled 'The New England Aerial Phenomena Report,' presents a diverse collection of articles and reports related to unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and related phenomena. The publication aims to provide a platform for discussing these topics, drawing from historical accounts, contemporary sightings, and scientific inquiry.

An Interesting Footnote

The issue opens with an 'Interesting Footnote' from the book 'BRIGHTER THAN A THOUSAND SUNS' by Robert Jungle (1958). This footnote details early research into 'flying discs' by Air Ministry research workers. It describes the peculiar position of these researchers who produced new aircraft types, including 'flying discs' with a diameter of approximately 45 yards. These craft were reportedly built by specialists Schriever, Habermohl, and Miethe. The first of these 'flying saucers' was airborne on February 14, 1945, over Prague, reaching a height of nearly eight miles in three minutes and achieving a speed of 1250 m.p.h., which was later doubled. The footnote mentions that Habermohl may have fallen into Russian hands after the war, and Miethe later developed similar craft at A.V. Roe and Company for the United States. The editors solicit any information regarding this footnote or the scientists mentioned.

Ball-of-Light International Data Exchange

This section highlights the work of Hilary Evans, a UFO author who has cataloged hundreds of 'ball-of-light' sightings from scientific journals. The article quotes Evans urging readers to keep an eye out for relevant articles in current scientific journals. Readers interested in further information on his catalog, 'BOLIDE,' are directed to contact him in London, England.

Radio-TV Log

A log of recent media appearances related to UFOs is provided:

• January 10, 1988: Budd Hopkins was a guest on WBCN-FM radio.
• January 11, 1988: Budd Hopkins appeared on WBZ-TV's 'People are Talking' show.
• January 21, 1988: Paul Harvey on WBZ radio discussed the Australian UFO car chase.
• January 21, 1988: NBC-TV's 'Today Show' also covered the Australian case.
• January 21, 1988: Channel 25-TV's 'A Current Affair' featured a segment on the Australian case.

UFO Conference

An announcement for a UFO Conference organized by Bill Fitts and the Arkansas chapter of MUFON, headed by Ed Mazur, is included. The conference is scheduled for the weekend of March 25-26, 1988, at the Inn of the Ozarks in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Scheduled speakers include Major Dewey Fournet (USAF Retired), Al Chop, Max Futch, and Curtis Fuller. Confirmations are pending from early NICAP officers or staff members and former Project Blue Book Officers.

Vital Statistics

A small box provides astronomical and Earth statistics, noting that on January 21, Venus would be occulted by the crescent moon, visible through a telescope.

Weigh All the Evidence

This section delves into the phenomenon of abduction reports, acknowledging their bizarre nature and the public's fascination, often fueled by media attention. The author suggests that many viewers and listeners of such programs lack a deep understanding of UFO phenomena or abductions. The article then presents several points for serious students to consider, focusing on 'Vehicle Interference' cases.

Vehicle Interference

Several specific incidents of vehicle interference are detailed:

• October 14, 1954 (Chazey Wood, France): A reddish fireball flew low over a car, causing the engine and headlights to fail.
• August 22, 1957 (Cecil Naval Air Station, Florida): A black bell-shaped object with bright lights was chased by a civilian until the engine stalled. The object hovered, and when a jet aircraft took off, it vanished. The car battery was found dead.
• November 2, 1957 (Levelland, Texas): Numerous reports described a low-flying object interfering with car ignitions.
• January 13, 1958 (Farm Hill, Australia): A dome-shaped object emitted a light beam, followed a car, and overtook it at high speed, causing radio interference.
• March 30, 1966 (Lexisburg, Indiana): An oval object crossed the road, emitted a pulsating sound through the car radio, and followed a witness's car, changing color before accelerating away.
• January 24, 1985 (Rye Beach, NH): Three witnesses reported their car stalled as an oval object passed overhead. An audiotape played backwards, and vehicle functions returned to normal after the object departed.

The article concludes that these cases present a typical vehicle interference scenario where engines cease to function, and the object may show curiosity towards the vehicle. It notes that typical vehicle interference encounters appear to be accidental.

Humanoid Reports

This section lists several historical reports involving humanoid encounters:

• April 14, 1897 (Gas City, Indiana): An object landed, and six occupants emerged before it flew off.
• June 1914 (Hamburg, Germany): A cigar-shaped object with illuminated windows was observed near four or five dwarfs, who then boarded the craft and it flew off silently.
• October 3, 1954 (Vron, France): An orange, honeycomb-shaped object was seen with a 'man' in a diving suit nearby; the object then took off rapidly.
• April 24, 1964 (Socorro, NM): Lonnie Zamora observed an egg-shaped object with two small figures, which entered the object and it rose slowly.
• February 24, 1967 (Riachuelo, Chile): An object touched down, and a strange being emerged, then re-entered the craft which took off at high speed.
• October 1, 1978 (Groendal Reserve, South Africa): A silvery object with three humanoids was observed, who moved away and disappeared with the object.

The author notes that these 'CE III' reports suggest direct contact is systematically avoided by UFO occupants, who appear shy. In contrast, between 1950 and 1970, approximately 90% of humanoid reports indicated extreme interest in Earth itself, not its inhabitants.

Attempted Abductions

This section details reports of attempted abductions:

• September 12, 1953 (Brovst, Denmark): An attempted abduction of a girl by two humanoids emitting golden light.
• December 10, 1954 (Chico, Venezuela): Two young men approached a landed object and were attacked by four small beings who emerged and attempted to kidnap them before fleeing into the object.
• May 9, 1956 (Jacksonville, Florida): Two girls saw pulsating lights that merged, dived, and seemed about to abduct them.
• December 20, 1958 (Domsten, Sweden): Witnesses were attacked by four lead-gray creatures from a disc-shaped object, who attempted to drag them into the craft.
• February 5, 1967 (Hilliards, Ohio): A young man saw an egg-shaped object land, and entities emerged. The creatures tried to abduct him.
• November 1973 (Manchester, NH): A woman observed a spherical object and an occupant, and felt panic, thinking the UFO was about to capture her.
• March 21, 1974 (Salamanca, Spain): A metallic structure was observed, and four humanoids emerged, pointing at the witness before walking towards him.

The article states that these reports involve witnesses being aggressively approached, but the abductions are ultimately foiled. It notes that in some cases, the object chased a car with a frightened witness claiming an abduction attempt.

The author emphasizes that these reports are a small sample and that studying abduction phenomena requires considering all aspects to reach a consensus. The patterns in these cases conflict with the 'classic abduction' scenario, which includes recurring dreams, missing time, and alleged implants. The article poses questions about why this trend has changed and whether the same phenomena are being observed.

UFO Reports from AIAA Members

This article by Peter A. Sturrock presents the results of a survey conducted among members of the San Francisco Chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). The survey aimed to gain a fresh and objective perspective on the UFO problem, particularly concerning the possibility of extraterrestrial vehicles visiting Earth. Sturrock notes that scientists have often been discouraged from taking the problem seriously due to the bizarre nature of reports and the emphasis on the 'extraterrestrial hypothesis' (ETH), as well as the anecdotal nature of most accounts from non-scientists.

The survey involved mailing questionnaires to 1175 members, with 423 (36%) returned. Question 1 asked for a subjective assessment of the probability that UFOs represent a scientifically significant phenomenon. Of the returns, 93 (22%) provided numerical estimates, showing a wide spread of opinion. Most returns (290, or 69%) gave verbal answers, also indicating a broad range of views. Notably, 16% of those giving numerical responses and 25% of those giving verbal responses were definite in their opinions.

Question 2 asked if the respondent had ever witnessed an aerial phenomenon they could not identify. The article presents a list of 18 specific reports from AIAA members, detailing the location, date, time, duration, object characteristics (shape, size, luminosity), and whether the event was reported. These reports include sightings of disks, luminous objects, and unidentified aerial phenomena, with some witnesses interpreting their observations as known phenomena (e.g., meteors, satellites, flares) while others remained perplexed.

The survey revealed that scientifically trained persons do report aerial phenomena similar to 'UFO reports,' but often with a degree of caution or anonymity. The article concludes that if one wants to find out whether scientists see UFOs, it is necessary to ask them, likely with a guarantee of anonymity.

Subjective Aspects of Ball Lightning Seen Inside Aircraft

This article by E. W. Crew discusses the phenomenon of ball lightning observed inside aircraft. Crew suggests that the descriptions of such events are influenced by an optical illusion commonly used by film animators. He proposes an explanation involving an aircraft passing through a zone of high electrical charge, causing ionization within the aircraft. When the aircraft leaves this zone, the internal charge dissipates, leading to a discharge that may appear as ball lightning. Crew notes that the absence of audible noise and the difficulty of explaining how a floating object could remain within a high-velocity airstream support the illusion theory. He references previous reports and authorities on lightning.

A Speculative Vignette on Extra-terrestrial Visitations

Written by Duane E. Shaffer, this piece explores the concept of extra-terrestrial visitations from a philosophical and speculative standpoint. Shaffer argues against a parochial view of humanity being alone in the universe, emphasizing that our current understanding of physics and propulsion may be limited. He suggests that governments have historically withheld information on alien visitations due to fears of mass panic, but that science fiction has prepared the public for such revelations. Shaffer posits that if humanity were truly alone, the responsibility for its preservation would be immense. He concludes with a hopeful vision of future interstellar cooperation and the eventual journey of humanity to meet other civilizations.

Australian family says UFO chased its car

This news report details an incident where an Australian family reported a 'huge bright glowing object' chasing their car down a highway and then sucking it into the air before dropping it. Police took the report seriously due to the vehicle being covered in black ash and its roof being damaged. The incident occurred near Mundrabilla, on the Eyre Highway. The report also mentions other UFO sightings in the area that night, including a truck driver being followed and a fishing trawler reporting a hovering UFO.

1988 Eclipse

A brief note lists the four eclipses occurring in 1988: a partial lunar eclipse on March 3, a total solar eclipse on March 17, a partial lunar eclipse on August 27, and an annular lunar eclipse on September 11.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of Orbiter magazine revolve around the investigation and reporting of UFO phenomena. The publication appears to adopt a stance of open inquiry, presenting a wide range of accounts from historical footnotes to contemporary sightings and scientific surveys. There is a clear interest in documenting cases of vehicle interference, humanoid encounters, and attempted abductions, suggesting these are considered significant aspects of the UFO phenomenon. The inclusion of the AIAA survey indicates an effort to bridge the gap between popular interest in UFOs and scientific investigation, acknowledging the skepticism scientists often face. The magazine also touches upon the broader philosophical implications of UFOs and potential extra-terrestrial contact. The editorial stance seems to be one of encouraging the collection and examination of evidence, while acknowledging the challenges of interpretation and the need for further research.