SIGAP Newsletter No 21 1969-02

Magazine Overview

Title: SIGAP BULLETIN
Issue: No. 21
Date: February 1969
Publisher: Surrey Investigation Group on Aerial Phenomena (SIGAP)
Price: 1/-

Main Cover Story: Andes Explorers to Investigate "Cosmodrome" for Saucers

The February 1969 issue of the SIGAP Bulletin leads with an intriguing report about an upcoming expedition to the Andes. A group of explorers, headed by Humberto Sarnataro Bounaud, a 32-year-old businessman and painter, is set to investigate a mysterious platform discovered in September. This platform, composed of 10-ton blocks of volcanic rocks, is rumored to be a "cosmodrome" for Flying Saucers. An initial investigation in September was forced to retreat due to high winds and snow, preventing the explorers from studying the platform or entering what appeared to be a door into a small fortress beneath. Helicopters and additional equipment will be used for the second investigation. Local peasants and villagers claim to have witnessed Flying Saucers taking off and landing near the platform, and have reported unusual phenomena such as cars restarting without mechanical attention, unexplained smells, and fruit trees blossoming out of season. Geiger counter scans of the area revealed no unusual radiation, but did detect a strange heat source that may have caused the premature blossoming.

The platform is located in the mountains between San Clemente, Chile, and San Rafael, Argentina, approximately 142 miles southeast of Santiago.

Is There Water on the Moon? Was Adamski Right?

This section examines claims made by George Adamski regarding water on the moon, which were previously dismissed but are now being reconsidered in light of new scientific findings. Adamski's book "Inside the Space Ships" mentioned "fireflies in space" (later observed by American astronauts) and rivers on the moon. While recent moon photographs seem to contradict the idea of rivers, the possibility of lunar water has been speculated upon. A January 2nd edition of "New Scientist" reported that three researchers from the University of California—S. Peale, G. Schubert, and R. Lingenfelter—analyzed photographs from Lunar Orbiter 4. They claim that over 80% of the moon's sinuous rilles, which are river-like channels potentially up to 1000 km long and a few km wide, lie on the margins of circular mare basins or craters with mare-like floors. This finding provides strong evidence for the presence of a fluid, likely water, on the moon.

Echo 2 Explains a Curving U.F.O. (S.138)

Tim Childerhouse from the Space Department at R.A.E. Farnborough explains how the behavior of the Echo 2 satellite could account for a UFO sighting reported in the previous month's newsletter. David Chaloner and the author both observed Echo 2 northbound on December 2nd. The article explains that satellite transits form a curved path in the sky, with the curve appearing greater for lower passes. An additional factor is Earth's rotation; for every four minutes, the Earth rotates one degree, accentuating the curved path. A diagram illustrates the satellite's direction (Northbound) relative to the Moon, Eastern Horizon, and the observer.

Author to Give Talk on FEB 11th

Norman Oliver, co-author of "The Scoriton Mystery" and "Sequel to Scoriton," and an authority on UFO contact cases, has formed a new group called COS-MOS (Contact Space-Men Or Saucers). He is scheduled to give a talk to SIGAP on Tuesday, February 11th, at 8 pm in the canteen of Plastic Coatings Ltd, By-Pass, Guildford.

Tønsberg Latest

Newspaper cuttings from the 'Tønsberg Blad' (Norway) have been received and are being translated. Latest news from January states that 40 bright UFOs were seen in the area during 1968. Full details are expected in the March edition.

Dog Meets UFO: A Brief Survey (Part II)

This extensive survey by D. G. Butcher details numerous instances of dogs encountering UFOs:

• October 26, 1967, Ringstead Bay, UK: A UFO hovered, causing a witness's Alsation dog to become distressed and refuse to obey commands.
• September 26, 1954, Valence, France: A witness's dog, Dolly, howled miserably as a UFO and its occupant appeared. The witness fled, and the dog's distress continued for days.
• Monza, Italy: A man's Boxer dog was set upon a UFO entity in a diver's suit, but the dog bit its master, suggesting disorientation or defensive action by the entity.
• Austria, 1951: A dog's barking reportedly frightened a ufonaut away, preserving a contactee's memory.
• September 30, 1954, Valence, France: A woman and her dog encountered a cellophane-wrapped form, which retreated into its UFO upon seeing the dog.
• October 15, 1954, Perpignan, France: A customs official witnessed a reddish object land, from which a man emerged who appeared scared by barking dogs before departing.
• October 17, 1954, Corbierres, France: A hunting dog approached beings emerging from a UFO but became partially paralyzed.
• October 14, 1954, Manosque, France: Similar to the Corbierres incident, a dog approached a UFO and became semi-paralyzed.
• October 21, 1963, Trancas, Argentina: UFOs landed near a railway line and directed beams of light at a house, terrifying its occupants and three fierce dogs.
• January 10, 1967, Point Pleasant, USA: Barking dogs drew attention to a descending UFO.
• Autumn 1966, Point Pleasant, USA: Three dogs disappeared coinciding with UFO appearances in the area.
• November 6, 1957, Everittstown, USA: A gnome-like ufonaut associated with a luminous egg-shaped object asked a man, "We just want your dog."
• November 6, 1957, Dante, USA: A boy's dog was seen with other dogs near an egg-shaped object, and one of the associated beings attempted to grab the dog.
• December 14, 1963, Vereeniging, South Africa: Two men saw an "exceptionally large dog" near where a UFO was later observed.
• January 19, 1967, Charleston, USA: A large metal sphere hovered above the road, and three months later, "very strange footprints" resembling huge dog tracks, but impossibly deep, were found nearby.

The article notes three coinciding elements in the South Africa and Charleston cases: a UFO, a road, and a trace of a giant dog. It also compares these to 'Surrey puma' legends.

Volunteer Flight Officer Network (V.F.O.N.) Update

Further information is provided on the V.F.O.N., established in autumn 1963 by SIGAP member John Bostock. Its purpose is to create a global network of commercial airline crewmen who report unidentifiable phenomena. Directed by Herbert E. Roth of American United Air Lines, the project involves 118 airlines in 54 countries, with 39,000 crewmen covering over 2.6 million air route miles. To date, V.F.O.N. has processed 1,346 reports, categorized as: 1127 Meteor sightings, 39 Reports of satellites, balloons and launch vehicles, 73 Reports on 28 different satellite re-entries, 34 U.F.O. type reports, 37 Reports of uncatalogued debris, and 36 Reports still in process.

New Members and Spreading The Word

New members joining in January are listed, including Rev. Dr. N.J. Cockburn, J. Dunkley Esq., M.C. Holt Esq., and S. White Esq. Omar Fowler and Graham Raine gave a talk on Surrey UFOs to the W.I. at Milland, Sussex, on January 8th.

A Report from Wales

A report from Monmouth by Mr P. Davies describes an observation on Sunday, October 13, 1968, at 8:45 pm. While observing the constellation Draco, he saw a bright red light, brighter than Mars. A shaft of white light protruded from the right side of the object. The object then disappeared into thick cloud at 30 degrees above the S.E. horizon.

Editorial Notes

The newsletter was produced by O. Fowler, with contributions from R.C. Beet and D.G. Butcher. Editor Mr R. Toft is welcomed back for the next issue.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The SIGAP Bulletin consistently focuses on UFO sightings, investigations, and related phenomena. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry, presenting reports and scientific speculation without overt skepticism. The inclusion of detailed case studies, such as the dog encounters and the Andes platform investigation, alongside scientific discussions on lunar geology, suggests a broad approach to the study of aerial phenomena. The emphasis on witness accounts, expert analysis (like the Echo 2 explanation), and ongoing projects (V.F.O.N.) highlights a commitment to gathering and disseminating information within the UFO research community.