Phenomena - No 09 - 1992 05

Magazine Overview

Title: Phénomèna
Issue: No. 9
Date: May-June 1992
Publisher: SOS OVNI
Price: 25 F
ISSN: 1157-4704

This issue of Phénomèna, 'la revue des phénomènes OVNI', explores the paradox of significant media attention on UFOs despite a perceived decrease in sightings. It features a range of articles, interviews, and reports on UFO phenomena from around the world, alongside updates from the SOS OVNI organization.

Editorial: Il est des paradoxes...

The editorial highlights the paradox of intense media coverage surrounding UFOs while actual sightings seem to be few. It notes the recent media activity, including mentions of Jean Miguères, Michel Figuet, Léon Brénig, Jean-Jacques Velasco, and Pierre Lagrange, as well as extensive coverage of the sixth European Encounters in Lyon. Despite the apparent absence of UFOs, the phenomenon itself remains a topic of interest. The editorial also announces a new recurring section that will feature contributions from regional representatives and thanks readers for sending in names and addresses of interested individuals, acknowledging that despite efforts, results in improving the dissemination of Phénomèna are still needed. It apologizes for a slight delay in the issue's release due to circumstances beyond their control, attributing it to the summer-like conditions in May.

Table of Contents

• The issue includes the following sections:
• Il est des paradoxes... (page 3)
• Vague belge: nouvelles précisions (page 4)
• Bloc-notes (page 7)
• En France et dans le Monde... (page 8)
• En direct d'SOS OVNI (page 10)
• Notes de lecture (page 14)
• Revue de presse (page 15)
• Notes de lecture (page 18)
• Vous dites? (page 19)
• SOS OVNI Presse Service (page 20)

Key Articles and Reports

Vague belge: nouvelles précisions (Belgian Wave: New Details)

This section features an interview with Michel Bougard, president of the Belgian Society for the Study of Spatial Phenomena (SOBEPS). He discusses the Belgian UFO wave that began in November 1989. Bougard clarifies that the figure of 10,000 witnesses is an upper estimate, with approximately 1500 to 2000 testimonies recorded, involving between two and ten people per case. Around 750 to 800 investigations were completed by late January, with a total of about a thousand detailed reports available. Regarding the Petit-Rechain diapositive, he explains that analysis is being conducted by university students as part of their engineering theses, with results expected by September. He emphasizes that scientific analysis can only verify parameters and assign probabilities, not definitively prove authenticity or falsification.

Bougard also addresses military involvement, stating that while military observation posts were accessible, the observers were civilian. He notes that military interest has been limited, with any involvement stemming from personal initiative rather than official campaigns. He mentions that the military's primary concerns are budget constraints and avoiding over-commitment. Discussions with the military have focused on events from the night of March 30-31, 1990, and expertise work done by the military. He confirms that thirteen F16 fighter jets were involved in tracking objectives on March 31, 1990, with at least thirteen lock-ons recorded, though some were very brief.

Regarding the potential release of military conclusions on radar detections from March 30-31, 1990, Bougard explains that the report was drafted by a physicist serving as a conscript. He notes that a change in the Minister of Defense and political shifts have complicated the process of making the report public. Despite this, significant information has been gathered but cannot be published until the report is finalized.

Structures grillagées and gerbes d'étincelles

Details about UFO sightings that were not immediately made public include descriptions of "gridded" structures and "bursts of sparks" emanating from the objects. These sparks are described as resembling fireworks, lasting for several seconds before extinguishing. The Belgian UFO wave has reportedly ceased, with the last wave of observations occurring in late January.

En France et dans le Monde... (In France and Around the World...)

This section provides brief reports on UFO sightings from various countries:

• Great Britain: Two guards in Wales observed a strange phenomenon on February 9th, involving a classic saucer-shaped object that caused a power outage. The object performed maneuvers at high speed for thirty minutes and reappeared later.
• Great Britain: In late February, hundreds of people in the London area reported seeing luminous balls, cigar-shaped objects, and saucers. These were later identified as advertising blimps for The Daily Star.
• Israel: On January 26th, spherical objects were observed in various Israeli cities, including Safed and Eilat.
• Côte-d'Or, France: On April 11th, a resident observed a "large balloon pushed by the wind" moving much faster than the wind without noise. Others participating in a ULM demonstration also reported seeing a black "balloon."
• Australia: On April 28th, a large, round object emitting bright flashes was observed near Sydney. Police reported that the object was seen over Wyong and Toukley, described as large, red, round, with bright red and white lights. The Royal Australian Air Force stated no military aircraft were airborne at the time, except for a helicopter.
• United Kingdom: An unidentified object, black and diamond-shaped, that nearly collided with a Boeing 737 in July 1991, was suggested by British authorities to be a meteorological balloon. The object passed within 100 meters of the aircraft at an altitude of 4000 meters.
• Costa Rica: On April 3rd, dozens of witnesses, including police officers, reported seeing UFOs for two hours over San José and other locations, coinciding with power outages. One witness, Metropolitan Police Commander Roberto Guevara, described a strong, reflector-like light that caused his vehicle's engine and lights to fail.
• Argentina: On March 30th, about a hundred witnesses observed a flying object of orange color explode over Mount Uritorco, leaving smoke trails. Searches were initiated to find any traces of the incident.

En direct d'SOS OVNI (Live from SOS OVNI)

This section provides updates from the SOS OVNI organization, which functions as a network for UFO case monitoring, alert, and expertise, coupled with professional air traffic control radar data. It details the organization's structure and analytical capabilities.

David Vincent à Paris: An event was held at the Grand Rex cinema in Paris on March 19th to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the TV series "The Invaders," starring Roy Thinnes (as David Vincent). The event included screenings of episodes and discussions about UFO references within the series, such as crashes and underground bases. Roy Thinnes attended the event, discussing potential follow-ups to the series. The event also saw a confrontation between "Raëlism" followers and UFO enthusiasts.

Toujours le Sud-Ouest (Still the Southwest): On May 13th, four individuals in the commune of Canéjan (Gironde) observed a strange, stationary luminous object in the sky. The object appeared to be about 4-5 mm in diameter at arm's length. A small orange object detached and descended, while a small white object ascended. The main object then seemed to diminish in intensity and disappear.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently focuses on UFO phenomena, aiming for objective study and analysis, as stated in its editorial stance. It emphasizes the importance of detailed investigation and reporting, even when official channels are slow or reluctant to release information. The publication appears to maintain a critical yet open-minded approach, distinguishing between sensationalism and genuine inquiry. Recurring themes include the analysis of witness testimonies, the role of military and scientific bodies in UFO research, and international sighting reports. The magazine also highlights the efforts of organizations like SOS OVNI in collecting and disseminating information on UFOs.

This issue of Phénomèna, dated Mai-Juin, is an 8th-year publication from SOS OVNI, focusing on UFO phenomena, research, and related events. The cover prominently features the title "OVNI, nouvel objet de recherche" alongside the magazine's name.

Balloon Observations and Investigations

The issue begins with an account of a weather balloon launched by the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) from Aire-sur-L'Adour. The balloon, carrying a 300kg scientific payload, was observed drifting towards Bordeaux and later dropped its instruments near Noaillan and Villandraut. Another balloon observation occurred on May 14th under favorable meteorological conditions for new experiments.

Jean-Pierre Ségonnes of SOS OVNI - Sud-Ouest provides an update on the investigation into the observation by two young women between Périgueux and Ribérac. The case remains unidentified, with calculations suggesting an altitude of 220 meters, a size of approximately 9 meters, and a speed of 80 km/h. The drawings by witness Mme C. and her daughter E. are noted for their similarity.

Jean-Paul Lamagna of SOS OVNI - Isère is investigating a case from 1986 or 1987 involving an unidentified being emerging from the sea at Grau du Roi, accompanied by time and space distortions.

Sixième Rencontres Européennes de Lyon

The magazine reports on the sixth European UFO Encounters conference held in Lyon, which successfully brought together researchers from various cities in France and from Switzerland and the USA. This year's focus was on UFO events in France, following previous years' international scope. Yves Bosson presented on the famous Prémanon affair, illustrating how an environment influenced by the 1954 UFO wave led an instructor to interpret a student's ghost story in a ufological context. The case involved multiple individuals and culminated in a widely discussed event.

Renaud Marhic gave a presentation on his latest research into the UMMO affair, further developing the KGB hypothesis with new arguments. The conference provided a platform for participants to discuss doubts and confirmations related to this hypothesis.

Frédéric Dumerchat, a historian, shared his research on contemporary legends, drawing parallels between fantastic accounts from recent centuries and current ufology, referencing the work of Bertrand Méheust and Jacques Vallée.

Book Reviews and Publications

The issue features a review of Jerome Clark's "The UFO Encyclopedia," specifically Volume 1, "UFOs in the 1980s." While acknowledging the work's comprehensiveness and objective approach, the review notes its strong focus on American cases and ufologists, with limited coverage of other countries. Volume 2, "The Emergence of a Phenomenon: UFOs from the Beginning through 1959," is also reviewed, praised for its historical overview but criticized for its limited illustrations and disproportionate coverage of certain topics (e.g., 24 pages on 1959 New Zealand and Australian ufology versus no mention of the 1954 European wave).

The "Revue de presse" section highlights several international publications:

• Quest International (UK): Now a UFO magazine, it features articles on crop circles, the alleged Roswell humanoid photo, the Ilkley Moor photo, a police pursuit of a UFO in Yorkshire, animal mutilations, and the Belgian UFO wave.
• Journal of Meteorology (Austria): Features a report by Alex Keul on a fireball photographed by Werner Berger in Sankt Gallenkirch in 1978, which defied conventional explanations.
• Fortean Times (UK): Covers strange phenomena, with this issue focusing on the Piltdown Man hoax.
• International UFO Reporter (USA): Discusses the Gulf Breeze sightings and the ongoing debate about the credibility of the evidence, while also mentioning the Gulf Breeze Research Team's photographic and film evidence. It also touches upon the Roswell crash and potential developments.

Scientific and Academic Perspectives

Several scientific and academic publications are reviewed:

• Science et Nature (France): Features a well-documented dossier on the Belgian UFO wave, mentioning the forthcoming public release of analysis from Belgian Air Force radar data and the European Community's potential establishment of a UFO study structure.
• Science et Vie (France): Includes an article on "The First Extraterrestrial" (unrelated to UFOs) and a dossier on scientific perspectives on UFOs, featuring an interview with sociologist Pierre Lagrange.
• Ciel et Espace (France): Offers a dossier on scientific viewpoints regarding UFOs.
• Ca m'intéresse (France): Contains a less remarkable article, including an interview with sociologist Pierre Lagrange.

Pierre Lagrange is quoted as suggesting that ufologists are over a century behind scientists and that they place excessive value on human testimony. The article counters this by mentioning SOS OVNI's technical investigations, such as the analysis of recorded sounds and filaments found in Dordogne.

Other Reports and Reviews

The issue also covers:

• Conozca Mas (Argentina): A special dossier on the Belgian UFO wave.
• Just Cause (USA): An editorial urging ufologists to recenter their debate and avoid sensationalism to regain public trust, particularly in light of NASA's errors. It also addresses the Roswell crash, stating that while a crash is likely, definitive proof is absent.
• Journal of UFO Studies (USA): Described as potentially the best ufological review globally, it features peer-reviewed articles on folklore, psychosocial aspects of abductions, and a detailed dossier on the Delphos landing.
• Il Giornale dei Misteri (Italy), Northern UFO News (UK), Ruhve Madde (Turkey), Cuadernos de Ufologia (Spain), and La ligne bleue (France): These publications are briefly mentioned for their content, including reports on the Ummo affair, UFO sightings, and historical cases.

Jacques Vallée's "Révélations"

A review of Jacques Vallée's book "Révélations: Contact avec un autre monde ou manipulation humaine?" is presented. Vallée argues that the UFO phenomenon serves as a basis for various manipulations, from individual delusions to covert operations by secret services. His background as an astrophysicist, computer scientist, and ufologist, including his work for the French Ministry of Defense on computer networks, lends weight to his analysis. The review notes Vallée's assertion that the "Little Green Men" case was an opinion manipulation by AFOSI and that the Cergy-Pontoise hoax was orchestrated by a government agency.

Letters to the Editor

Two letters are included:

• Martine Castello from Paris responds to an article on the "Ummo: un château rouge en Espagne," agreeing with the logical deductions and suggesting that the "big blond" aspect of the Umites might have led to misinterpretations. She mentions the potential release of KGB archives and expresses concern about spreading false rumors.
• Patrick Fournel from Montbard thanks the magazine for its article on Ummo and agrees with the KGB hypothesis. He criticizes Jean-Pierre Petit's scientific errors and finds official protests to the media futile.

SOS OVNI Activities

SOS OVNI is highlighted for winning a lawsuit against the Ministry of Defense to obtain UFO-related dossiers concerning an alleged crash near Saint-Geniez in 1972. An enquête on this "Affaire de Sisteron" is offered for purchase.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The issue consistently emphasizes rigorous investigation, critical analysis of evidence, and the importance of distinguishing between factual reports and speculation or manipulation. There is a clear stance against sensationalism and a call for ufologists to maintain credibility by focusing on verifiable data. The magazine actively promotes its own investigative work and publications, such as the SOS OVNI PRESSE SERVICE, which compiles UFO-related press clippings. The editorial tone is one of serious inquiry into a complex and often misunderstood subject, encouraging readers to engage critically with the material presented.