OVNI INFO 34 - No 07 - 1e trim 1980

Magazine Overview

Title: Bulletin d Information du GROUPE PALMOS
Issue: 07
Volume: 34
Date: 1980
Publisher: GROUPE PALMOS
Country: France
Language: French
ISSN: 0222-4913
Price: 5 F

This issue of the GROUPE PALMOS bulletin, 'OVNI INFO 34', serves as a bimonthly information update for the organization, covering its activities, finances, and UFO-related research and reports. The cover features a distinctive graphic with concentric circles and an eye-like symbol, along with the title 'OVNI INFO 34' and the organization's name.

Editorial and Organizational Information

The bulletin opens with an editorial from Jean-Paul ROGER, the General Secretary, extending best wishes for 1980 and reflecting on the organization's progress. He highlights the acquisition of new equipment for projection and secretariat, the ongoing search for a permanent location for public outreach, and the upcoming lecture by Michel Figuet on April 4, 1980. The editorial also announces changes in the bureau following the December 15, 1979 General Assembly, with Pierre PARISELLE taking on the role of Vice-President, Luc ROLLAND as Treasurer, and Claire ROSSIBI as Secretary. The editorial emphasizes that articles are published under the authors' responsibility and may not reflect the group's opinion but can contribute to advancing the truth.

Page 2 provides the composition of the 1980 bureau, listing key figures such as Jean-Pierre CHARTON (Honorary President), Bernard DUPI (President), Pierre PARISELLE (Vice-President), Jean-Paul ROGER (General Secretary), Luc ROLLAND (Treasurer), and Claire ROSSINI (Secretary). It also lists honorary members, including Emile TIZANE, Richard NIEMTZOW, Francis ATTARD, and Marc Gilbert SAUVAJON. Jean-Louis PERRUCHOT is identified as the person responsible for the bulletin. Contact information for the group, including a postal address in Montpellier and phone numbers for Bernard DUPI and Patrick JUELLE, is provided. Information about monthly meetings held on the first Saturday of each month at the Centre International des Jeunes in Montpellier is also included.

Table of Contents

Page 3 presents the table of contents, outlining the issue's sections: Editorial, Dossier Archives 1954, Bilan 79 du Groupe Palmos (1979 Balance Sheet), Les Observations 1979 (1979 Observations), Document S.F.A./G.E.P.A.N., Revue de Presse (Midi Libre and Divers), Groupe Palmos Info - A Noter, Charlie Hebdo et les OVNI, and Mots Croisés (Crossword).

1979 Activities and Financial Balance

Pages 7 and 8 detail the 1979 activities and financial balance of GROUPE PALMOS. The 'Bilan des Activités' covers public relations, including eight conferences that reached two to three hundred people, and animation on Radio Quinzaine Commerciale. A meeting with the Gendarmerie is also noted. The 'Bilan Moral' indicates significant development with 53 new members, the creation and successful distribution of the 'OVNI INFO 34' revue (55 subscribers), and the establishment of a library service. However, the monthly meetings had low attendance (averaging 13 participants), and observation nights saw a decline in the second semester. Inter-group relations included participation in CECRU events and a Ufological Exposition in Nîmes.

The 'Bilan financier' reveals that while conferences generated income, the acquisition of equipment for investigation and detection created a deficit. The revue's costs for printing and distribution were covered by subscriptions. Membership fees were considered low. Decisions for 1980 included maintaining the subscription price at 30 F for six issues, setting membership fees at 20 F for active members and over 30 F for benefactors, and planning for administrative improvements such as purchasing an electric typewriter, finding a fixed location, and producing stickers. The group intended to request subsidies from the Mairie of Montpellier and the Conseil Général de l'Hérault.

Historical UFO Cases (1954)

Pages 5 and 6 delve into the 'VAGUE' 1954 UFO wave. Several incidents are detailed:

• September 22, 1954 (Puy de Dôme): Five people observed a cigar-shaped flying object that evolved in the sky. It was described as grey, about twenty meters in diameter, made no noise, and accelerated rapidly to disappear.
• September 23, 1954 (Lodève): Three residents reported a 'cigare volant' moving at 1500m altitude, described as having a pointed front and a brilliant red globe, moving silently.
• September 22, 1954 (Rome): Radar technicians detected a cigar-shaped craft, widening in the middle, at 10,000m altitude. It descended rapidly, then regained height and accelerated away.
• September 30, 1954 (France): Numerous sightings of cigar-shaped or disc-shaped craft were reported across several departments. One witness claimed to have filmed an object at approximately 700 meters.
• September 27, 1954 (Mauguio, Hérault): An aviatrix observed a very bright, flat object that transformed into a cigar shape. It was silent, lacked wings or propellers, and moved at an estimated speed of 300-400 Km/h.
• Madrid: A journalist suggested that flying saucers were advanced American military projectiles, possibly of Soviet origin, capable of extreme speeds.
• Near Valenciennes: A witness reported seeing a dark, oval mass with two short, stocky beings nearby. A bright light appeared, and the craft and beings vanished.

1979 Observations

Page 9 compiles UFO observations from 1979 in the Hérault region:

• February 4, 1979 (Montpellier): A luminous sphere was photographed, later identified as the planet Venus.
• March 1, 1979: A bright red luminous point was reported between Grabels and Bel Air.
• March 23, 1979 (Prades sur Vernazobres): A luminous orange ball was observed near the mountains.
• March 26, 1979 (Béziers): An OVNI emitting red, green, and white lights was seen by motorists.
• April 11, 1979 (Montpellier): Two luminous red-orange globes were observed.
• July 21, 1979 (Fréjorques Airport): An elongated, phosphorescent tube-like object was seen.
• August 1, 1979 (Montpellier): A brilliant object with facet-like reflections moved against the wind at the speed of a tourist plane.
• November 8, 1979 (Bassin de Thau): A craft arrived rapidly, stopped, ascended vertically in steps, emitting confused noises.
• November 27, 1979 (Clermont l'Hérault): An OVNI was observed.
• December 3, 1979 (Lunel): A luminous ring was observed moving horizontally.

The bulletin requests readers to submit any further observations.

Document S.F.A./G.E.P.A.N.

Page 10 contains a circular from the Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile (DGAC) dated December 18, 1979. It announces the creation of GEPAN (Groupe d'Etudes des Phénomènes Aérospatiaux non identifiés) within the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). GEPAN is establishing a system to collect information on unidentified aerospace phenomena and is soliciting collaboration from air traffic controllers and airline pilots. Pilots witnessing inexplicable phenomena are asked to notify the relevant control body immediately to ensure radar data is preserved for study by GEPAN. They are also requested to send a report of the phenomenon to GEPAN using a provided form.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the documentation and analysis of UFO sightings, both historical and contemporary, and the organizational activities of GROUPE PALMOS. The editorial stance, as stated in the 'Responsable du Bulletin' section, is to publish articles under author responsibility, aiming to advance the truth rather than necessarily reflecting the group's official opinion. The bulletin also highlights the importance of official channels like GEPAN in collecting and studying UFO data, indicating an engagement with both grassroots investigation and institutional efforts.

This issue of 'Revue de Presse' focuses on UFO (OVNI) related events, primarily detailing the mysterious disappearance and reappearance of Franck Fontaine, a 19-year-old from Cergy-Pontoise, France, in November 1979. The publication also includes a collection of news clippings from various French newspapers covering UFO sightings and related phenomena from late 1979 and early 1980.

The Franck Fontaine Case

The central narrative revolves around Franck Fontaine, who reportedly vanished after witnessing a strange light in the sky. His friends, Salomon N'Diaye and Jean-Pierre Prévost, claimed he was abducted by a UFO. The incident began on November 27, 1979, when Fontaine and his friends were loading a van. They saw a light that surprised them and approached the ground. While Prévost and N'Diaye went to get a camera, Fontaine drove towards the light. His car was later found enveloped in a luminous fog, with the door open, engine stalled, and Fontaine missing.

Subsequent searches by the gendarmerie, including the use of a tracking dog, yielded no trace of Fontaine. The gendarmes of Cergy-Pontoise took the case seriously, but radar and radioactivity checks found nothing unusual. The media, including 'Val d'Oise matin,' 'Est Républicain,' and 'Républicain lorrain,' reported on the disappearance, with some suggesting it was an "historical abduction" or a "3rd type encounter."

Remarkably, Franck Fontaine reappeared on December 4, 1979, standing alone in a street in Cergy-Pontoise, claiming to have a week-long memory gap. He stated he had seen a UFO and experienced a fog, and that he had "fallen asleep." He was found dressed in the same clothes he was wearing a week prior, with no signs of hunger or thirst, and his money and belongings intact. The gendarmes, though initially skeptical of UFOs, found the young men sincere and could not find evidence of a hoax. Interrogations by the parquet and specialists from GEPAN (Groupe d'Etude Spécialisé des Phénomènes Paranormaux) provided no further clarity.

Fontaine later described his experience as "pleasant" and stated that while memories returned, they were not nightmares. He refused hypnosis, fearing that revealing everything would lead to disbelief and ridicule. He indicated that he would only share more details if he received guarantees from the state.

Other UFO Sightings and Events

Beyond the Fontaine case, the 'Revue de Presse' compiles numerous other reports from late 1979 and early 1980:

• November 5, 1979: A colloquium on reincarnation and metapsychosis was held in Montpellier.
• November 6, 1979: Announcement of the sixth bulletin from the PALMOS group.
• November 27, 1979: A report from Nîmes about a UFO exhibition and conference.
• December 4, 1979: A luminous object was observed in the sky over Alès.
• December 4, 1979: A butcher near Annot (Alpes de Haute Provence) reported being followed by a large, luminous orange "fireball" that hovered near his vehicle and then disappeared.
• December 13, 1979: A mysterious phenomenon was observed in the sky over Malzéville, involving a bright point of light and later a disc-shaped object that changed color.
• December 15, 1979: A pilot reported seeing a "cigar-shaped" object take off.
• December 15, 1979: Reports of UFOs in Burgundy, with a captain pilot observing a metallic, elongated object.
• November 13, 1979: A 'Caravelle' aircraft was reportedly pursued by four UFOs for over four hours, forcing it to land in Valencia, Spain.
• December 11, 1979: A witness in Bruyères described a scintillating object landing in a field.
• December 11, 1979: Reports of mysterious phenomena in the Jura region, including a circular area in a field with disturbed and calcined earth.
• November 25, 1979: A broadcast on FR3 discussed UFOs, featuring experts like astronomer Paul Mulher and astrophysicist Pierre Kohler.
• January 18, 1980: An appeal was made for a new report on paranormal phenomena.
• January 24, 1980: An inhabitant of La Chapelle Basse-Mer observed a "dark" UFO, approximately 5 to 6 meters in diameter, that emitted a red and then orange glow before disappearing at high speed.

Media Coverage and Reactions

The issue highlights the media's varied reactions to these events. Some publications, like the 'Daily Telegraph,' were reported to believe in the possibility of UFO abductions, while others, such as 'Le Parisien' and 'Est Républicain,' presented the events with a degree of skepticism or irony. The 'Times' of London reportedly covered Fontaine's reappearance, similar to his earlier disappearance.

Scientific and Official Stances

The 'Revue de Presse' notes that NASA considered UFO investigations a "waste of time" in 1977. However, the Soviet scientist Vladimir Migouline suggested UFOs were not extraterrestrial in origin, while the UN's Special Political Committee invited member states to coordinate research on extraterrestrial life and UFOs in 1978. The GEPAN group's involvement in the Fontaine case, including blood tests and site examinations, ultimately yielded no conclusive results.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are mystery, unexplained phenomena, witness testimonies, and the ongoing debate between belief and skepticism regarding UFOs and potential extraterrestrial contact. The editorial stance appears to be one of reporting on these events as they unfold in the press, presenting various accounts and official reactions without definitively concluding on the nature of the phenomena. The emphasis is on the collection and dissemination of news related to UFOs, reflecting the public's fascination with the unknown.

Title: OVNI-INFO
Issue: 8
Date: 1st Quarter 1980
Publisher: GROUPE PALMOS
Document Type: Magazine Issue

This issue of OVNI-INFO, the information bulletin of the GROUPE PALMOS, focuses on the association's activities and UFO-related news from early 1980. The cover prominently features the organization's name and its mission: 'research of testimonies on UFOs' and '8 unusual phenomena'.

Conferences and Events

The bulletin announces upcoming conferences and events. The Groupe PALMOS is organizing a conference on the UFO phenomenon in Mauguio (M.J.C. de Mauguio, rue Léon Jouhaux) on Friday, February 15, 1980, and in Lunel (M.J.C. de Lunel, 31, rue Max Dormoy) on Saturday, February 16, 1980. They also confirm the visit of Michel Figuet to Montpellier, who will present his work and give a conference on Friday, April 4, 1980, at 9 PM in the Salle Frédéric Mistral. Reservations are possible.

An exhibition and debate, organized by the Groupe PALMOS in collaboration with Mr. Villaret, took place in Nimes. Panels created for Nimes were displayed at the 'LA PLANETE' bookstore, which also distributes their magazine and UFO-related books. This event, held from January 19 to 26, 1980, was reportedly very successful. Additionally, association representatives were invited to lead a debate dinner for the cultural association 'La Table Ronde' to present the current state of ufological research.

Association Activities and Services

The bulletin encourages members to spread the word about the Groupe PALMOS, its research, and its bulletin 'OVNI 6 - INFO 34', stating that a larger membership leads to greater effectiveness. The 'BIBLIOTHEQUE PALMOS' service is highlighted, reminding members who have paid their dues that they can borrow books and magazines. Requests can be made to the secretariat or during monthly meetings.

UFO Observations and Information

Readers are urged to promptly send in any observations and unusual information they might have knowledge of.

International Sky Watchings

Scheduled Saturday observation evenings for 'URVEILLANCES INTERNATIONALES DU CIEL' are listed: February 16, March 15, April 12, and May 17. Gatherings are to take place at Place des Arceaux (near the gymnasium) between 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM.

Monthly Meetings

Monthly meetings are held on the first Saturday of each month at the Centre International des Jeunes (Impasse de la Petite Corraterie, Montpellier) at 9:00 PM. All are cordially invited.

Press Service

The association thanks various ufological research groups for sending their publications. A list of these groups and their publications is provided, including INFORESPACE (SOBEPS), INFO OVNI (Groupe 03100), VAUCLUSE UFOLOGIE (GREPO), UFO INFORMATION (AAMT), PHENOMENE OVNI (CSERU), CHRONIQUES DE LA CLEU (LUXEMBOURG), UFOLOGIE CONTACT (SPEPSE), BULLETIN DE L'AESV (AIX EN PROVENCE), UFO BULLETIN (SLUB), and others from various French regions and Switzerland.

Recent Reports and Publications

The GREPO (Vaucluse) has sent a report on the CECRU congress held in Avignon in October 1979, with key excerpts to be published in the next issue. Issue N° 8 of the magazine will feature an investigation into a luminous wheel observed in Lunel in December 1979 and an article titled 'La Grande Paranoia' by Jean Bastide.

Additionally, SOBEPS is now distributing the French edition of the 'International UFO Reporter', featuring A. Hyneck, in addition to their own excellent magazine INFORESPACE.

Article: Charlie Hebdo and the Cergy Pontoise Case

A significant portion of the magazine is dedicated to reprinting a text that appeared in Charlie Hebdo N° 475 (December 19, 1979), inspired by the Cergy Pontoise UFO affair. The article satirically portrays the gendarmerie's investigation, suggesting that witnesses should not report UFO sightings to them, as it leads to harassment, searches, and interrogations. It quotes a gendarme likening the situation to the Middle Ages' 'question' (torture). The article highlights the gendarmerie's focus on finding where Franck Fontaine might have hidden during his disappearance, mentioning attempts to pressure his companion, Mahina. The role of GEPAN (Groupe d'Etudes des Phénomènes Aérospatiaux Non Identifiés) is also discussed, portraying it as an office interested in military implications of unexplained phenomena.

The article details the siege of Jean Pierre's apartment by various groups, including 'LES RAELIENS' and 'La Fraternité cosmique', who claim to have extraterrestrial connections or evidence. It also mentions ordinary individuals attempting to communicate with Franck Fontaine. The article questions how journalist Jean-Claude Bourret of Télévision Française gains access to gendarmerie reports for his books.

The Groupe PALMOS states that it takes no responsibility for the satirical nature of the Charlie Hebdo article but acknowledges that it highlights particular aspects of the UFO problem that are well-known to them and are nonetheless worrying.

Crossword Puzzle

The issue includes a crossword puzzle titled 'CROIJET' with horizontal and vertical clues related to UFOs and ufology.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the active engagement of the Groupe PALMOS in organizing events (conferences, exhibitions, debates), promoting its publications, and fostering a community for UFO witnesses and researchers. The editorial stance appears to be one of active participation in the field, encouraging information sharing, and critically examining official investigations and media coverage of UFO phenomena, as evidenced by the inclusion of the Charlie Hebdo article. There is a clear emphasis on member participation and the dissemination of research findings and witness accounts.