SIGAP News - No 5 1978 April

Magazine Overview

Title: Sigap News
Issue: April 1978
Volume: 5
Price: 20 PENCE
Publisher: Surrey Investigation Group on Aerial Phenomena (Sigap)
Editor: Richard Beet

This issue of Sigap News focuses on a surge of UFO reports in the Farnborough area of Hampshire during early April 1978, dubbed 'Reports Hot Up'. The magazine critically examines the media's role, particularly the Daily Express, in sensationalizing these events and explores potential explanations for the sightings.

UFO Reports and Media Sensationalism

The lead article details three significant sightings occurring on April 5, 1978. The first involved a caretaker at Ash Walsh school observing a multi-coloured object for over an hour, which changed colour and moved erratically. A constable was dispatched to the scene. Simultaneously, a woman in Farnborough reported her son being frightened by an oval-shaped object with golden flashes hovering over playing fields. The most dramatic report came from Kingstanding in the Ashdown Forest area of Sussex, where an object was seen breaking in two and crashing, causing a gorse fire. The Daily Express seized upon the Sussex incident, running a banner headline 'Close Encounter of the REAL Kind' and implying a single object had travelled from Aldershot to a crash in Sussex, a narrative the magazine disputes.

The article questions the facts, presenting a timeline that suggests the events were not part of a consistent trajectory and that the object underwent shape changes. The Farnborough sighting involved a 'large, cigar-shaped object' hovering, while the Ash sighting involved a stationary or near-stationary object changing colour. The Sussex incident was a 'flaming object'. The magazine concludes it would be illogical to assume these were all the same object.

Proposed Explanations and Investigations

Sigap offers several explanations for the reported phenomena:

• Farnborough Sighting: The son's sighting of a 'cigar-shaped object' might be related to local reports of disc-shaped objects. The observed flashes could be due to army flares or military exercises, with night flying from the Royal Aircraft Establishment also noted.
• Ash Sighting: The caretaker and policeman observing the object in Ash were likely looking at the planet Jupiter, which was prominent at the time. Atmospheric aberrations, dust particles, and ice crystals could cause colour changes, and prolonged observation, especially with binoculars, could create the impression of erratic movement due to difficulty in establishing a reference point and eye fatigue.
• Sussex Sighting: Investigations by Bufora and the British UFO Documentation Centre (BUDC) suggested the UFO and fire in Sussex were caused by an army flare, possibly from an exercise involving army cadets.

The magazine emphasizes that a large-scale military exercise might account for much of the aerial activity.

Lessons Learned

The article draws several lessons from these experiences:

1. Media Reliability: Readers should not blindly believe national newspapers, which are fighting for survival and may exaggerate or sensationalize stories (noting that national dailies had lost 27 million copies due to strikes that year).
2. Perception vs. Reality: What one sees is not necessarily the reality.
3. Official Errors: Policemen can also be mistaken.
4. Positive Outcomes: The publicity has generated more reports, with at least four further reports tallying with the Farnborough boy's account, which are now being investigated.

Sigap also expresses surprise at not being contacted sooner by the police and plans to improve communication channels.

Other Content

• Next Meeting: Announcement of the next Sigap meeting on Wednesday, April 19, 1978, at the Prospect Club, Ash Vale, Aldershot. The speaker will be Alan West, Director of the British UFO Documentation Centre.
• Close Encounters: A brief mention of Sigap representatives Omar Fowler and Richard Beet attending a press preview of the film 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' on March 3. A full review is promised for a future issue.
• A Question of Identity: An apology from Sigap for failing to edit out witness names in a previous issue, which was published without consultation in a local trade promotional newspaper, causing embarrassment.
• Sigap Film: Information about a 16mm film about Sigap being produced by David Furmage, with filming to commence in Surrey, Hants, and London.
• Bufora Conference: A note that the magazine will report on the Bufora Conference in Nottingham in the next issue.
• Skateboard UFO (Case S804): A detailed case summary by Omar Fowler of a sighting on January 30, 1978, in Basingstoke. Two boys (Tony and David, aged 13½ and 14) reported a bright, orangy-yellow, oval object that spun and hovered about 100 feet away. It had rotating yellow lights with a green light at each revolution, a red dome on top, and a white light at the front. A rhythmic 'doning' noise was heard. The object was described as the length of a house roof. The boys became scared and ran home.
• Close Encounter with Charles Bowen: A report on a visit from Charles Bowen on February 22, which coincided with publicity for CE3K. Bowen shared insights into press methods and discussed the 'Establishment view', Russian attitudes to UFOs, and the influence of the CIA and the Condon Report.
• A First World War Phenomenon: An extract from 'Air Observation - Warplanes of World War 1', describing an engine malfunction and the appearance of a 'pillar of grey-white smoky substance' resembling asparagus, which appeared and faded mysteriously. Rumours suggested it was an experiment in aerial gassing or a phosphorous compound.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently adopts a critical and investigative stance towards UFO reports. It prioritizes factual analysis over sensationalism, particularly when dealing with media coverage. Sigap aims to provide rational explanations for sightings, often pointing to misidentification of natural phenomena, military activities, or psychological factors. The publication also emphasizes the importance of accurate reporting, witness protection, and maintaining communication with official bodies. There is a clear skepticism towards unverified claims, especially those amplified by the press, while acknowledging the genuine strangeness of some reported events. The magazine also shows an interest in historical aerial phenomena and the broader cultural impact of UFOs, as seen with the film 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' and the discussion with Charles Bowen. The editorial stance is one of cautious inquiry, seeking to debunk hoaxes and misinterpretations while remaining open to unexplained phenomena.