SIGAP News No 6 - 1978 August

Magazine Overview

Title: Sigap News
Issue: 6
Date: August 1978
Price: 20 P

This issue of Sigap News, the publication of the Surrey Investigation Group on Aerial Phenomena (Sigap), dated August 1978, presents an editorial titled 'Walking the Tightrope,' which outlines the group's philosophy and challenges in investigating UFO phenomena. The magazine also features various sighting reports, a summary of recent sightings, and a report on a guest speaker.

Editorial: Walking the Tightrope

The editorial emphasizes Sigap's 12-year commitment to acting as an independent investigation group. This stance is not due to a desire for secrecy but stems from a belief that larger organizations have not conducted investigations in a scientific manner. The core question addressed is what to do with completed UFO reports. Sigap argues that passing reports to larger organizations might result in them being filed away, whereas making them available to the public or scientific bodies is wiser. The editorial notes that many members have interacted with executives from other UFO investigation organizations, consistently finding that the investigation of UFOs often takes a backseat to internal power struggles and rivalries, which Sigap regrets. Despite facing their own ups and downs, Sigap's members have resolved differences quickly to continue their search for answers. Sigap believes its current course of passing reports to the Center for UFO Studies, run by Dr. J. Allan Hynek, and to Flying Saucer Review for publication, is the best way to make their findings available for scientific study. They also mention their continued cooperation with other groups for comparison and information.

Next Meeting and Summer Event Announcements

An announcement details the next Sigap meeting on Wednesday, August 9th, at the Prospect Country Club, Ash Vale, Aldershot, with free admission at 8:00 pm. The Summer Event will feature a report by Mike Prewett on his recent visit to the US, including movie films of a satellite launch, and a presentation by Peter Hicks from Guildford's RADIO LION.

Open Reporting: Navy Tracks UFOs Near Ocala

This section reproduces an item from 'Today,' a Florida daily newspaper, detailing an incident near Ocala, Florida. Naval personnel at a Navy electronic warfare center confirmed that unexplained lighted objects were sighted and tracked on radar. One object hovered and then sped away after an unusual hairpin turn that computerised tracking gear could not handle. Lt Commander John Sullivan, base commander of the Pinecastle Electronic Warfare Range, confirmed the event and permitted interviews. SK-1 Robert J. Clark, the duty officer, recounted receiving a call from a civilian about flares, then a call from a man and seven others who reported seeing a strange object about 50-60 feet in diameter with flashing lights flying over their vehicle. The object was later sighted with binoculars from a tower, appearing stationary at approximately 1500 feet. Navy radar technician Timothy Collins described the object's rapid directional changes as unlike any aircraft. The report notes that the Florida newspaper treated the UFO sighting seriously, unlike some British newspapers, and highlights that such a report would likely not have been released in Britain due to government restrictions.

An Unusual Incident at Churt

This section details Case S817, an incident that occurred on Thursday evening, April 6, 1978, near Churt, Farnham. Two local girls, aged 13½ and 14, reported seeing an oval-shaped object with green, red, and white flashing lights hovering over nearby trees. After five minutes, they returned home to tell their parents. Upon returning outside, they saw the object again, estimated to be about 400 yards away, lower through the trees, glowing, and silent. They described it as silvery and shimmering, with green lights flashing faster than the red and white. The object had unusual 'windows' described as resembling 'flies eyes.' The incident occurred during the April 'flap,' and no other witnesses have been traced. The lights were noted as Red (top right), White (top left), and Green (bottom). The investigation was conducted by Omar Fowler.

Publishing News: Nova Magazine

A brief announcement promotes 'Nova,' a new magazine from Penthouse Publications, described as the first magazine of the space age and a major publication combining science fiction and science fact. Gerard Van der Luen is quoted as saying 'Nova isn't going to be a nutter's magazine' but will be written by top science writers presenting a balanced view of the future.

Summary of Sightings (January - May)

This section provides a tabulated list of 107 UFO sightings reported between January and May 1978. Each entry includes a number, date, time, details of the incident, remarks, and whether it was recorded on tape. The sightings vary widely in description, including glowing objects, cigar-shaped craft, metallic pie-shaped objects, lights, and multi-coloured phenomena, reported across various locations in the UK.

Report of the Last Meeting (17 May)

This report, by Ann Dent, covers a meeting featuring guest speaker Ken Rogers, Chairman of the British UFO Society. Mr. Robert Stevens of Tongham reported seeing two vivid lights in the night sky, which he initially thought was a low-flying plane but then observed to be a cigar-shaped object with two lights at the front, two at the back, and a red static light in the middle. He watched it for four minutes before reporting it to the Royal Aircraft Establishment and Omar Fowler. The object was also seen by Mr. Stevens' wife. Another witness, Peter Inwood, reported a bright white light that changed to red and blue, seen by his wife and daughters. Mr. Rogers presented a list of sightings from April 5th across various UK counties, emphasizing the need for scientific investigation but noting the proliferation of amateur associations. He proposed a national body divided into counties and regions with evaluation panels and a single publication. Mr. Richard Beet of the Surrey Investigation Group expressed concerns about commercialization and the difficulty of getting people to report to a single center due to differing theories. Mr. Inwood wished for a central contact number. Mr. Rogers felt ufology was amateurish and underfinanced, with groups acting like 'secret societies' whose reports end up in filing cabinets. He stressed the need for efficient local and national cooperation and suggested a government grant could help organize the field, though the Ministry of Defence's interest is primarily security-related. The Surrey members, however, did not favor commercialization, fearing it would attract sensationalism and lose scientific members. Mr. Omar Fowler reported 32 substantial reports in Surrey during the year, with 11 being close encounters.

Cigar Shaped Object Tracked Across Southern England

This detailed report (Case S832) describes an unusual cigar-shaped object tracked on Tuesday night, May 9, 1978. The first report came from a journalist who saw a bright white light near Lamberhurst, Kent, at 2105 hrs. Later, the journalist observed the object again, now with a red light, estimated at 2,000 feet, flying towards Ticehurst. Gatwick Air Traffic Control could not explain the sighting. Approximately thirty-five minutes later and fifty miles away, at Tongham, a 32-year-old man, an aircraft spotter, saw two bright lights side-by-side approaching. Based on this second report, the object was travelling at about 85 mph. The witness described the craft as oblong, about the size of a BAC 111 jetliner, with no wings, a red light on top, and two bright lights at the front and rear. It changed direction slightly while passing overhead and headed north-east of Aldershot at an estimated altitude of 1,000 feet. The object was silent and was viewed by the witness and his wife for about four minutes. The report concludes that the object is fully substantiated and cannot be explained by conventional standards. It was investigated by Omar Fowler.

Sigap Film Project

A note indicates that a short documentary about Sigap's work, reported in an earlier issue, has completed filming and the results are awaited. The film was produced by students from the Television Production Department of Farnham College of Art and Design.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the challenges of UFO investigation, the contrast between independent and institutional approaches, the importance of scientific methodology, and the need for greater transparency and cooperation within the UFO community. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of independent, scientific investigation and the open dissemination of findings, while expressing concern over internal conflicts and secrecy within larger UFO organizations. There is a strong undercurrent of advocating for a more open and organized approach to ufology, potentially through a national body or a Freedom of Information Act, to better understand the phenomena.