OVNI - 2003 09 - September-October

Magazine Overview

Title: OVNI
Issue: September/October 2003
Publisher: Journal of the Phenomenon Research Association
Country: United Kingdom
Price: £1 plus postage

Editorial Content

UFOLOGY SUFFERS A DOUBLE BLOW This section mourns the loss of two prominent figures in the UFO research community: Victor J. Kean, a founder member of ‘Project FT', who died on July 6th, and Gordon Creighton, the Editor of Flying Saucer Review, who died on July 16th. Both are remembered with appreciations in the issue. Dr. John E. Mack of Harvard University is quoted as saying Gordon Creighton “was a special person!”.

AN INCREASE IN 'STRANGE CREATURE' REPORTS Over recent weeks, there has been a noticeable rise in reports of 'strange creatures' worldwide. The most striking is the story of a photographer who entered a cave rumored to house an unusual creature. Screams were heard, police were called, and the photographer's mangled remains were found with his camera. The photograph of an 'evil looking entity' found on the cave wall will be published in the next issue.

Additionally, on August 30th, three witnesses in Rosario de la Frontera, Argentina, reported seeing a strange hairy beast, approximately 2 meters tall, covered in hair, with long arms ending in sharp claws and an oval-shaped head with menacing fangs. This creature is identified as the 'Mapinguary' (South American Bigfoot), first reported by Rogelio Martinez in 2001. A footnote mentions that Tibetan monks have displayed oval-shaped skulls attributed to the 'Abominable Snowman' or 'Yeti'.

Meanwhile, the Chupacabra continues to be reported in South America, with a recent incident in the 'Quete Quete' sector of Curico, Chile, where 50 hens were killed and injured without the intruder being detected.

The article also recalls a local incident in Bretby, near Burton-on-Trent, UK, where two foresters reported seeing a strange animal-like figure with a fox-like head walking upright through bushes before appearing to 'walk down into the earth'. The section concludes with a quote from Longfellow: “This is the forest primeval”.

The Sad Loss of Victor J. Kean This section provides a detailed obituary for Victor J. Kean, born September 2nd, 1931, and died July 6th, 2003. He was a founder member of ‘Project FT', dedicated to studying the Flying Triangle craft, and possessed a vast database on these craft. Kean lived in Haringey, London, was evacuated during WW2, and served as a 'National Serviceman' in the Canal Zone in Egypt in the 1950s. He was a close friend and colleague of Omar Fowler. Beyond UFOs, Kean researched the 'Bible Code' and ancient Greek artifacts, publishing a book on 'The Ancient Greek Computer From Rhodes'. He met his wife Sybille in Greece, and they lived in Berlin for many years. Kean was a flamboyant character, a fan of Marlene Dietrich, and had appeared on stage. He was also a keen athlete, participating in a 100 x One mile record attempt in 1978. He died suddenly at his holiday home in Sweden. 'Project FT' will continue under Tony Spurrier. Anders Liljegren of the AFU Group (Sweden) is quoted expressing devastation at his death.

The Life and Times of the Late Gordon Creighton This section details the life of Gordon Creighton, born April 26th, 1908, and died July 16th, 2003. He was MA (Cambridge), FRGS, FRAS, and Editor of Flying Saucer Review. Creighton was a British Diplomat (Foreign Office) and Intelligence Officer (Ministry of Defence). He was a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and the Royal Geographical Society. Educated at Bishop's Stortford College, Cambridge University, Westminster University, and the École Libre des Sciences Politiques, Paris. He worked for the Government on Oriental maps and was involved with the Permanent Committee on Geographical Names. He held diplomatic posts in China, Brazil, Europe, and the USA, and served eight years as an Intelligence Officer (Russian and Chinese matters) in Whitehall, London, in a top-secret section near where UFOs were being investigated. He served at various H.M. Vice-Consul and Consul posts in China, Brazil, Belgium, and the USA. Creighton studied 20 languages, including Chinese, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Mongolian, Burmese, Arabic, and Russian, and specialized in diplomatic and international relations in Central Asia and the Far East, Communism, and relations between Russia and China. He became interested in Flying Saucers in 1941 after seeing one over the Far West of China. He contributed to FLYING SAUCER REVIEW since 1955, was on its Board of Directors, and became Editor in November 1982. He also investigated psychic phenomena for over forty years and was a member of the Society for Psychical Research and the Ghost Club. The section includes a photo of Gordon Creighton as HM Consul in Shanghai in 1938 and another from 1986.

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL! This article draws parallels between the film 'The Day The Earth Stood Still' and recent widespread power cuts in the United States and London, suggesting an extraterrestrial warning. It presents speculation from Ufology circles that these power blackouts may have more to them than is revealed, reproducing stories from the internet.

One report from Bruce A. Perreault of Nu Energy Horizons describes a helicopter landing in a remote field and dropping something on major power lines, coinciding with a power outage. Two unmarked trucks with equipment were also present.

John Edmonds writes about a similar blackout on the Western Power Grid that occurred the previous year across Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington State. He recalls seeing dozens of 'Golden Orbs' appearing in sets of three nightly for months before the failure, which he video-taped.

Power Cuts continued: The Great Northeast Blackout: This section details the massive power outage on November 9, 1965, which affected 30 million people for up to 13 hours. The event began at the Ontario-New York border near Niagara Falls when a single transmission line tripped, leading to a cascade failure that isolated 1,800 MW of generation. The power system became unstable, causing outages across New York, Ontario, New England, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Media accounts, including those by NBC and the Associated Press, openly reported UFO sightings and suggested they be investigated as a possible cause. However, the Federal Power Commission quickly announced the problem was caused by a broken relay in a Canadian power plant, an explanation accepted by the press and public, causing the UFO angle to be forgotten. The article asserts that this official explanation was untrue.

Major Keyhoe reports that a private investigation by the utilities industry concluded the relay had NOT broken but had been tripped by a huge, unexplainable surge of power. The Boston Record America was the only major paper to follow up on a possible UFO connection, but its editors were reprimanded by an Air Force officer at the Pentagon for printing the story. The public remained unaware of the UFO presence during the blackout.

CONJECTURE FROM UFO SOURCES This section presents a conjecture from UFO sources about a future worldwide blackout that will paralyze every industrial country, lasting for days. Aliens are said to accomplish this by transmitting large amounts of electricity into power relay stations, blowing out circuit breakers. This technique is claimed to have been developed in the 1960s, as documented in John G. Fuller's book 'Incident at Exeter', and was also confirmed by an abductee during a 1960s blackout. The section further claims that aliens have disabled ICBMs, missiles in flight, and missile defenses in the US, Russia, and other countries, citing books like Timothy Good's 'Above Top Secret' and Richard Dolan's 'UFOs and the National Security State'. It concludes by questioning whether this is wild speculation or something more sinister.

AMATEUR ASTRONOMER OBSERVED MYSTERIOUS LIGHTS OVER DERBY - 2nd AUGUST 2003 An amateur astronomer and his brother-in-law observed an unusual group of lights flying across the sky at approximately 11:15 pm on August 2nd, 2003, over Littleover village, Derby. They described the lights as oval, dull orange, featureless, and appearing two-dimensional. They moved at a constant speed without sound, and their brightness did not vary. The two outlying objects moved inwards to join the rest of the group, changing formation within 6-7 seconds, indicating they moved faster than any aeroplane. The witnesses could not gauge the altitude but inferred high speed. A diagram illustrates the objects' movement. The report notes that the objects were not showing navigation or anti-collision lights and that their change in formation suggests intelligent control, deeming them 'unidentified'. Littleover has a history of UFO reports.

A UFO REPORT FROM OUR MOST NORTHERN MEMBER Melanie Cunningham reported an unusual sighting on Sunday, August 24th, 2003, at her home in Callanish, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides. The woman, who is unable to read or write, described a lighted round, stationary object above her home. It was silent, with white lights, and appeared slightly domed in the centre and darker. She described its size as about half the size of the Moon. She did not see the object move away as she went indoors shortly afterwards. Her drawing of the object is included.

AN FT REPORT FROM STREATLEY, OXFORDSHIRE 20th AUGUST An unnamed witness reported a sighting at 05:40 BST on August 20th, 2003. Using binoculars, the witness observed a triangular object, similar to an F117 Stealth fighter but flatter, performing aerial acrobatics impossible for any man-made object. It changed direction and altitude, sometimes hovering for five minutes. Subsequently, two identical objects appeared and behaved similarly. From one of these objects, a line of six smaller objects, shaped like the original craft, emerged and curved away, leaving streaks of light (possibly smoke/steam reflecting sunlight). All objects vanished instantly. The witness noted that the objects appeared to curve away from their point of origin.

A REPORT FROM OUR MOST SOUTHERLY CONTRIBUTOR Mr Harvey Cooke, Chairman of the Tauranga UFO Group in New Zealand, submitted a newspaper cutting from the 'Bay of Plenty Times' series of ‘25 Years Ago' (July 29, 1978). The article describes a 'Close encounter of the first kind' experienced by Mrs K. Gawn and her family, along with Mr Bill Butt and his children, near Mount Maunganui. They saw a bright light, initially resembling a 'Friendship' aircraft, which then appeared above the Kaimais. It was described as a bright light as big as a 10-cent piece held at arm's length. The light changed colour from white to bright orange, then to blue-green, and back to white over about 15 minutes. The observers were fascinated, stating it was definitely not an aircraft. The Tauranga Airport control tower and police had no reports. Mr Cooke expressed his impressment with the information provided and sought further reports.

UFO LIGHTS CAUGHT ON FILM From the 'BBC NEWS' webpage, dated July 23rd, 2003, a BBC cameraman, Tom Hines, spotted three bright lights in the sky over the Malvern hills near Hanbury on July 22nd, 2003, and filmed them. Hines, who works on the BBC drama series 'Doctors', is convinced it was a UFO, stating he saw two bright lights initially, thought they were stars, and then saw three lights that appeared and disappeared randomly. John Dason also saw the lights and could not definitively identify them as fireworks or flares. BBC Midlands Today's science correspondent David Gregory examined the tape and spoke to local UFO experts, suggesting they could be the 'Hanbury Orbs', lights known to hover in the area, but their nature remains unknown.

READERS LETTERS

Carol's Letter: Carol recounts an experience from 1991, two weeks after her 2-year-old granddaughter 'C' died of a genetic disorder. While watching the late-night news, her television and room vanished, replaced by a white room with a marble slab. A tiny body, covered with a sheet, lay on the slab. A figure in a white robe removed the sheet, took the child's hand, and led her through an archway into a bright, comforting light. The child turned, revealing herself as 'C'. Carol felt a great sense of peace, believing her mother might have come for 'C'. The experience lasted only seconds but felt real. She mentions having had other, less vivid experiences since.

Editor's Note: The editor notes that Carol's experience is similar to documented 'near death experiences' and invites readers who have shared similar experiences to come forward.

Peter Gregory's Letter: Peter Gregory found the article 'Mrs WPM: Contactee Extraordinary' fascinating, particularly the part about souls and aliens. He states that his recent channelling has focused on the Greys' obsession with the human soul and their attempts to access the subatomic structure of the human spirit. He believes the human psyche may be spiritually advanced, possibly superior to the Greys. He suggests their interest is in human essence rather than mere abductions or DNA retrieval. Gregory posits that humans may have a strong defense against mind intrusion that they are not yet able to use. He promises a full explanation when his notes are complete.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of OVNI are UFO sightings, encounters with unexplained aerial phenomena, and reports of strange creatures. The magazine also delves into the historical context of UFOlogy with the coverage of the 1965 Northeast Blackout and the passing of key figures in the field. There is a consistent focus on investigating and reporting on unexplained events, often presenting speculative theories and personal accounts. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into UFO phenomena, strange creatures, and related mysteries, encouraging reader participation and sharing of experiences. The inclusion of near-death experiences and discussions on alien interaction with human souls suggests a broader interest in consciousness and the paranormal.

Title: OVNI
Issue Date: September 2003
Content Focus: This issue of OVNI magazine covers a range of topics including UFO sightings, crop circles, and astronomical observations.

Solved Puzzle: The 'UFO SAM'

The lead article, "IT HAS TAKEN US 4 YEARS TO SOLVE THIS PUZZLE!", details a sighting reported by Mrs Patricia Woolley of Littleover, Derby, in December 1999. The sighting occurred on November 9th, 1996, from Waterloo Bridge in London. Mrs Woolley, with her family, observed a "butterfly shaped object with bright lights" moving over the Thames. She described it as spinning very fast while moving slowly, then accelerating with "lightning speed" out of sight, only to reappear and hover before disappearing again. The observation lasted about half an hour.

Thanks to a report in 'UFO Magazine', the mystery was solved. A Dutch visitor, Petr Kazil, had previously reported seeing a similar sphere-shaped object over London. Kazil had photographed a man flying a new type of spinning kite from a bridge over the Thames. The article suggests this man was responsible for the 'UFO SAM' sighting. Petr Kazil, from Rotterdam, provided photographs and stated that he saw a man flying such a kite on a Thames bridge during a holiday in London in 2000, believing it to be the same individual.

Crop Circles 2003

The magazine features a selection of photographs of crop circles from Southern England, taken by Busty Taylor. Despite scant media coverage in 2003, crop circles have continued to appear. The following locations and dates are shown:

• Adams Grave, Wiltshire: August 6th
• Angry Wiltshire farmer: August 13th
• A4 Road, Hungerford, Berkshire: August 6th
• Alton Barnes, Wiltshire: August 13th

Readers are invited to view the entire collection at http://www.busty-taylor.com/cropper/98busty2.htm.

The Evening Sky - September 2003

This section, written by Walter Berg, provides an astronomical overview for September 2003:

• Mars: Continues to be a bright object in the southeastern sky after sunset, but will begin to fade as Earth recedes from it.
• Mercury: Offers a good show in the pre-autumn mornings, especially around the 27th.
• Saturn: Visible from around 2 a.m.
• Venus: Becomes an 'evening star'.
• Jupiter: Becomes a 'morning star'.
• Full Moon: Occurs on the 10th, with traditional names including Harvest Moon, Wine Moon, Singing Moon, Holy Moon, and Wood Moon. September is noted as the last reliable harvesting month in the Northern Hemisphere.
• Autumnal Equinox: Occurs on the 23rd, when the Sun crosses the celestial equator heading south, resulting in 12 hours of day and night globally.
• Earth-Moon Relationship: The article touches upon the 4.6 billion-year existence of the Earth-Moon pair, the Moon's role in ocean tides, and the Earth's frictional tidal effect causing the Moon's synchronous rotation (rotating on its axis in the same time it takes to orbit Earth).
• Observational Notes: The author expresses enjoyment of the cooler, darker nights suitable for observing the heavens and the warm days. Bird migration and nocturnal activity are also mentioned.

Walter Berg can be contacted at [email protected], and his website http://www.theeveningsky.co.uk offers further articles on astronomy and environmental topics.

Tale Enders: Brief UFO Reports

This section presents several brief, unconfirmed UFO reports:

• FT SEEN OVER DONNINGTON, DERBYS: On December 15th, 2002, 'Helen' reported a triangular object with white/blue lights on the front and red/green lights underneath, which glided and disappeared.
• NIGHT SHIFT WORKER SPOTS UFO OVER DERBY: On December 23rd, 1999, Mr S.P. Burrows observed a bright green light moving East to West at high speed, which accelerated into the clouds.
• ‘CHEVRON' SEEN OVER LONDON: On July 7th, 2003, a 'chevron' shaped object was seen over London, described as soft white, fluctuating in luminance, and veering off at right angles at high speed.
• FILEY, EAST YORKSHIRE: A strange light, video recorded by Russell Kellett, was travelling South to North, then veered sharply East.
• CRASHED ‘TRIANGLE’CRAFT ON MARS?: Steve Wingate has produced images on a webpage purporting to show a half-buried triangular object on Mars. The article directs readers to http://www.anomalous-images.com/mgs/crashed_ufo.html for details.
• MARS: An astronomical note explains that Mars is at perihelion on August 30th, leading to increased solar intensity and the start of dust storms on the planet.
• HUBBLE SEES PLANET MUNCHER: The Hubble Space Telescope has photographed a galaxy devouring a smaller neighbour.
• A BOLSOVER BALL OF LIGHT: A photograph from the 'CHAD' newspaper featured a ball of light, identified as a 'LITS' (Light In The Sky).

Next PRA Meeting

The next meeting of the PRA will be held at the Royal British Legion, Allenton, Derby, on Tuesday, September 30th. The agenda includes a report on the Leeds International Conference and a historical UFO programme from 'Man Alive' (1973). Admission is £1, with a free raffle for the book 'The Abduction' by Shaun Hutson.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently reports on UFO sightings, often seeking rational explanations such as kites or misidentified aircraft, as seen in the lead article. It also covers related phenomena like crop circles and includes a regular astronomy column. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into unexplained phenomena while also providing plausible explanations when available. The inclusion of brief reports and reader contributions suggests a community-focused approach to UFOlogy.