SIGAP News No 7 - 1979 January

Magazine Overview

Title: SIGAP NEWS
Issue: January 1979
Volume: 7
Publisher: SIGAP
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English
Price: 20p

This issue of SIGAP NEWS, dated January 1979, presents a collection of UFO news and events. The publication acknowledges a slight dip in print quality but assures readers that the content will compensate. The editorial expresses a commitment to producing the newsletter more regularly to keep members informed.

Editorial and Announcements

The editorial greets members with wishes for 1979 and highlights the contents of the current issue, including new reports and a list of investigations from 1978. A key initiative for the year is to update the list of investigators, with an enclosed form for interested individuals to fill out. The work involves visiting and interviewing witnesses, and the next SIGAP meeting on February 15th at the 'Prospect Club' will discuss investigation procedures. The meeting will also feature a review of 1978 UFO reports and a playback of a strange 'UFO Noise' recorded by Stephen Osbiston at Aldershot on October 20th, 1978. A map to the meeting location is provided.

Key Articles and Reports

A 1937 UFO IN SURREY

This article details an interview with Major F. Turner-Bridger, conducted by M. Prewett and O. Fowler in August 1978. Major Turner-Bridger recounts an experience from September or October 1937, when he and his wife saw a mysterious object hovering over Blackdown Hill near Haslemere. The object was described as a 'flaming orange circle with a lump in the middle, the whole thing was surrounded by orange flame.' It was observed to fly away at 'terrific speed' and reappear further along the ridge. The Major speculated it might have been a new experimental aircraft from Farnborough, especially given the pre-war anxieties of the time. His military background is noted: service in the Kings Own Scottish Borderers in WWI, followed by a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps in 1916. A sketch of the object and a picture of the interview are mentioned as appearing on the next page.

IN THE SKY

This section features a poem by Mrs R. Cutler, titled 'IN THE SKY,' describing a personal experience of seeing a brilliant light in the sky at 2 a.m., which felt like it was looking back. The light was described as bright and six inches long, dimming and brightening again before vanishing.

AS A MATTER OF INTEREST

This section lists various UFO lectures given during 1978 to different organizations, including The 'Ghost Club' in London, Ladies Circle in Fleet, Young Wives Assc in Frimley, Workers Educational Assc in Haslemere, Surrey Young Farmers in Guildford, Woking Science Fiction Club, Astronomical Society of Haringey, and The Vogue Society in Windsor. It also notes radio talks given to Radio Lion and Radio 210.

VIEW FROM THE PRESS

This section discusses the extensive publicity surrounding the New Zealand UFO reports. It quotes Jean Rook of the 'Daily Express' from January 3rd, 1979, expressing her unwavering belief in flying saucers despite various explanations. The article includes a letter from Jean Rook to O. F. Fowler Esq. MISM, dated January 11th, 1979, thanking him for his letter and enclosures and stating her certainty that 'time will prove us all right.'

"MEXICO SCENE"

Written by Richard Colborne from Mexico City, this report discusses UFO sightings, specifically 'Flaming "Coronas"'. Colborne was informed of an 'OVNI' (UFO) sighting on December 3rd, 1978, where an engineer saw a wing-shaped object with incandescent lights. Colborne later witnessed a strange spectacle himself: an aircraft advertising 'Corona' with illuminated bulbs on its underside, creating a rippling light effect. He suggests that polluted atmosphere could account for an orange effect. He also mentions recent headlines about UFOs returning and a report of a landing in Spain 18 years prior where occupants were captured.

1978 UFO LIST

This section states that during 1978, SIGAP received and investigated 87 UFO reports. A full abbreviated list will be published in the next issue.

UFO REPORTS 1979

This part lists several UFO reports from early January 1979:

• 901 (2/1/79): Oval object hovering over Ripley, Surrey, seen through binoculars (CE 1).
• 902 (9/1/79): Object with lights seen hovering over Epsom racecourse (CE 1).
• 903 (9/1/97): Whizzing noises across roofs in Bookham Village, later identified as OWLS.
• 904 (11/1/79): Sphere-shaped object seen over Guildford.
• 905 (13/1/79): Large square-shaped object flew over car and down M3 near Camberley, with lights coloured.

ITALIAN INCIDENTS

Extracts from 'LA Nazione' dated September 15th, 1978, detailing incidents in Italy:

• Province of Versilia (14/9/78): An illuminated object stopped twice in the air, vanishing its light when stationary. It was described as having a bright blinding light and flying at 'Aeroplane height', heading towards Pisa & Bologna. It was illuminated only when moving. Reports also came from Grosseto, Lucca, Arezzo, Carrara, La Spezia and Valdivara.
• Province of Valdivara: Three fishermen were frightened by a UFO emitting a green/bluish light towards the ground.
• ROME: An object described as a 'rugby ball' moved silently with a blinding light. A luminous ring detached from it before it moved away rapidly.

The editor's note from 'LA Nazione' acknowledges the unusual number of reports and the trustworthiness of the witnesses.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme is the reporting and investigation of UFO sightings and related phenomena. The editorial stance appears to be one of open-mindedness and a commitment to documenting and analyzing these events, encouraging member participation in investigations. There is a clear interest in historical cases (1937 sighting) as well as contemporary reports from various international locations. The publication aims to provide a platform for sharing information and fostering a community of researchers interested in the UFO subject.

Title: UFO REVIEW
Issue: 10
Volume: 3
Date: January 2, 1979
Publisher: Flying Saucer Review Publications
Country: UK
Price: 25p
ISSN: 0042-052X

This issue of UFO Review focuses on two distinct cases: a visual sighting of an unidentified flying object (UFO) and an investigation into an unidentified noise object (UNO).

Case S.901: Ripley Sighting

The first report, Case S.901, details a sighting by Mr. J. Hodge of Ripley, Surrey, on January 2, 1979. Mr. Hodge was awakened at approximately 7:15 am by what he initially thought was a low-flying aircraft with flashing lights. His attention was then drawn to a dull grey light higher in the sky, which he determined was not a star as it became brighter and took on a round disc shape. Using binoculars, he observed the object from his drive. After a cloud passed, the object became brighter and appeared to be coming towards him, then moved away from side to side in a rocking motion. As more cloud cleared, he saw it clearly as a silvery, very bright, slightly bluish light. The object then appeared to turn on its side, becoming a complete circle with visible discs around its edge, pulsating with a silver-bluish light. He also observed broad bands of webbing across its underside, which was pitted with shiny studs or dots. Believing it to be a UFO, he ran to a phone box to dial 999. As he did so, the object resumed its original position and flew off.

The report includes three diagrams illustrating the sighting: (1) a depiction of the side-to-side rocking motion, (2) a profile view of the object, and (3) a view of the circular object with discs around the edge. A note at the end states that no confirmation of this sighting has been received but acknowledges it shows known characteristics of UFO 'behaviour'.

Investigation into an Unidentified Noise Object (UNO)

The second article, titled "AN INVESTIGATION INTO AN U.N.O. (Unidentified Noise Object..)" by M. Prewett, details an incident on the night of October 20, 1978, between 2305 and 2320, when a strange rhythmic noise was heard over Aldershot, Hants. This noise had been heard previously in the areas of North Lane and Tongham. One witness located the sound in the North Lane area while driving. The droning noise was loud enough to be heard above traffic noise and attracted the attention of Mr. Stephen Osbiston, an 18-year-old student living in Cargate Avenue, Aldershot. Mr. Osbiston recorded the noise from his bedroom window, and the recording was featured on the local radio programme "Radio 210" in its "60 minutes" segment. This incident was the culmination of weeks of reports of strange droning noises and mystery lights in the Aldershot and Farnborough areas.

The recorded tape was subsequently passed to the R.A.E. Farnborough for analysis. The findings indicated that the tape recording waveforms were sinusoidal and showed a variation of frequency between 915Hz and 1kHz with a regular sweep rate of 0.23 seconds. This oscillation was simulated using a Frequency Sweep Generator, producing an almost exact copy.

On detailed listening, two possibilities were suggested for the sound:

(a) The noise is almost identical to the sound made by a British Rail "Mainliner" track ballast and rail aligner, which includes the slow reciprocating sound of a diesel engine, the sound of gravel/ballast being sifted, and the scraping of metal-to-metal contact of flanged wheels travelling slowly along a railway line. Sounds of a normal diesel locomotive were also present on the early part of the tape.

(b) The oscillating part of the sound could also be some type of experimental siren, although this does not fit precisely.

The article concludes by stating that the tape will be played for everyone to hear at the next SICAP meeting.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of UFO Review highlights the ongoing interest in unexplained aerial phenomena and anomalous sounds. The editorial stance appears to be one of diligent investigation and reporting of witness accounts and scientific analysis, even when definitive conclusions cannot be reached, as noted in the disclaimer for Case S.901. The magazine aims to document sightings and sounds, providing details for further study and discussion within the UFO research community.