SUN 52 (July 1998)

Magazine Overview

This issue of the Skeptics UFO Newsletter, dated July 1998, is published by Philip J. Klass and focuses on debunking UFO claims through a skeptical lens. The cover headline highlights a report by the Fund For UFO Research that allegedly distorts and omits key facts regarding the 1952 Washington National Airport "Spaceships or Mirages" incident.

"Spaceships or Mirages Over Washington National Airport, 1952?" Report By Fund For UFO Research Distorts, Omits Key Facts

The lead article critiques a 75-page report by the Fund for UFO Research (FUFOR), written by its new chairman, Don Berliner. Klass argues that Berliner confuses "temperature-inversion" effects, which create spurious radar targets, with visual "mirages." Berliner's introduction is quoted, claiming the Air Force's "temperature inversion" explanation for the 1952 sightings was baseless. Klass counters by referencing a Pentagon press conference transcript from July 29, 1952, where Maj. Gen. John A. Stamford, USAF's Director of Intelligence, stated the USAF suspected temperature inversion and that a Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) investigation later confirmed this. The FUFOR report also includes a 1969 technical paper by USAF 1st Lt. Frederick V. Menkello challenging Dr. Donald Menzel's mirage explanation for visual UFO reports. However, Berliner omits the CAA investigation by Richard C. Borden and Tirey K. Vickers, whose April 1953 report concluded that "ghosts," "angels," or "pixies" (spurious radar targets) were almost always noted when surface temperature inversions occurred, citing similar findings at Chicago's Midway Airport and Cleveland's Municipal Airport. The CAA investigators found that anomalous radar targets had been spotted at Washington National Airport long before the July 1952 incidents, under temperature-inversion conditions.

CAA Investigators Spot Many "Radar UFOs" and Monitor Their Movements

This section details the CAA's 1953 report on monitoring radar at the Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center on August 13-14, 1952. Investigators observed groups of stationary and moving targets that appeared during a temperature inversion. These "radar UFOs" were uniformly small with a weak, fuzzy appearance, and their movement was consistent with prevailing winds, with some moving at twice the wind velocity, as predicted by theory for such conditions.

USAF Pilot Sent to Intercept Washington "Radar UFOs" Saw Nothing

Klass recounts a letter from former USAF pilot John W. McHugo, who was part of an F-94 interceptor mission on July 26, 1952. McHugo stated that neither he nor his wingman saw anything visually or on their airborne radar. The wingman, 1st Lt. William Patterson, reported seeing two or three lights at his altitude that suddenly disappeared, but McHugo suggests this was likely confusion with ground vehicle lights. Patterson's radar operator saw no airborne targets. The article notes the delayed response of the interceptors and questions the actions of Maj. Gen. Roger Ramey, who had previously identified the Roswell debris as a weather balloon, suggesting that if he believed UFOs were extraterrestrial threats, he acted derelictly.

USAF Report Alerts Radar Technicians to False-Target Problem

Nearly five years after the Washington incident, a 1957 USAF report alerted technicians to an increase in "Angels," "Pipsqueaks," and "Anomalous Propagation" (false targets) that were confusing operators and disrupting air traffic control. The report indicated temperature inversion was a major cause. One USAF radar north of San Francisco was shut down 15 times in one month due to spurious targets. The report concluded that not all operators understood the phenomenon and that erroneous assumptions about target movement could lead to conclusions of extremely high speeds. The USAF produced a training film to address this issue.

Former USAF Technician Admits That He "Created Radar UFOs"

An anonymous former USAF radar technician, Mr. "X," confessed to Klass that during his time in the Air Force, he would intentionally misadjust the MTI (moving target indicator) gain control during slow shifts to create spurious radar targets, amusing himself and alarming operators. He would then reset the equipment, making it appear to be functioning normally.

UFO (Reportedly) "Swallows" Small Ultralight Craft In Flight

This section discusses a case from the May issue of the MUFON UFO Journal concerning an ultralight aircraft reportedly swallowed by a large cylindrical UFO over Burlington, Iowa, on August 12, 1996. The witness, who requested anonymity, reported the incident to MUFON's state director, Ms. Beverly Trout. The witness claimed the UFO had a jaw-like nose section and that the ultralight craft could fit into the estimated 20 ft. diameter cylinder. MUFON investigators concluded it was possible. The witness's son also reportedly saw the UFO. The article notes the witness's reluctance to be identified due to seeking a job at a "sensitive installation" and his later re-reporting of the incident to a local newspaper without his name being published. The SUN's comment urges skepticism regarding such claims, especially when pilots blame "missing time" on traffic.

Strieber's New Book Focuses On "Alien Implants"

Whitley Strieber's new book, "Confirmation," is reviewed. Strieber has shifted his strategy to gain credibility by attributing many experiences to others, having received over 250,000 letters reporting abduction-type experiences. The book focuses on "alien implants," which Strieber first reported in "Communion." The article mentions Dr. Donald Klein's suggestion that Strieber might have temporal lobe epilepsy. MRIs showed white objects in Strieber's temporal lobe, which he suspected were implants. The book also details "implant surgery" performed by Dr. Roger Leir, a California podiatrist, who removed objects from patients. Strieber admits that none of the recovered objects have appeared unusual or shown evidence of being fabricated by intelligent creatures, and there is no pattern to their locations.

Strieber Becomes "Implant Investigator, Arranges for Analysis

Strieber learned of Jesse Long, an "abductee" who claimed to have been abducted in 1957. Long provided Strieber with an object removed from his leg, which was analyzed by Dr. William Mallow of the Southwest Research Institute and found to be 99.3% silica, electrically conductive glass.

Strieber Reports Own Implant In Ear By Mysterious Intruders

Whitley Strieber recounts an experience on May 24, 1995, where he and his wife Ann were awakened by intruders in their cabin. He describes hearing a voice and feeling something done to his left ear. The next day, his ear was sore and red. Two objects removed from his ear lobe were analyzed by Dr. Mallow, who reported one was cartilage and the other collagen with microscopic crystals. Strieber was unsure if it was natural or unknown. His surgeon later removed a "small gray inclusion" from his back, which was unlike anything previously seen, but was not saved for analysis.

IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT DR. LEIR AND OTHER DOCTORS WHO ARE INVOLVED IN "IMPLANT SURGERY" ARE OFTEN PUZZLED BY THE APPEARANCE OF OBJECTS THEY REMOVE.

This editorial note emphasizes that in traditional surgery, foreign objects are identified and discarded, while tissue is analyzed for cancer. The implication is that the analysis of "implants" may be lacking standard pathological procedures.

No UFO Tale Is Too Wild For Dr. Steven Greer, CSETI's Director

The article criticizes Dr. Steven Greer, director of CSETI, for his "wild claims." It cites an example from CSETI's website about a "Sarin-like nerve gas" attack on an "ET spaceport" near Mount Blanca, Colorado, involving "ET craft flying nearby" and "remote viewing" of ETs. Greer claimed ETs were attacked by "covert military forces." Steve Moreno, an admirer of Greer, recognized the damage these claims would do to Greer's credibility and convinced him to withdraw the report from the website, expressing concern that it might jeopardize Greer's efforts to get Congress to hold a hearing on a government UFO coverup.

Santilli Controversial Autopsy Movie (SCAM) Lawsuit Terminated

Kiviat Productions and Trimark Corp. withdrew their $60 million lawsuit against talk-show host Chuck Harder for selling a video containing scenes from the "Alien Autopsy" movie. This action avoided a Federal court decision on the copyright validity of the film, which Santilli claimed was shot by a U.S. Air Force cameraman.

Lt. Col. Corso Agrees To Aid UFO-Lawyer Gersten In FOIA Litigation

UFO lawyer Peter Gersten has secured an affidavit from former Lt. Col. Philip Corso for a FOIA lawsuit against the U.S. Army. Corso's affidavit supports claims in his book "The Day After Roswell," stating he saw ET bodies in 1947 and their autopsy reports in 1961. This could lead to Corso testifying in Federal Court. The article references previous SUN articles detailing false claims in Corso's book and a statement from Sen. Strom Thurmond, who regretted writing an introduction for Corso's book, disbelieving UFOs and government coverups. It also references declassified CIA documents from 1952 that offered possible explanations for UFOs, including "man from Mars" theories, but stated there was "no shred of evidence" to support them.

Short Shrift:

• CIA, NSA Get Many UFO Requests Under Freedom of Information Act: Roughly 15% of FOIA requests to the CIA and one-third to the NSA involve UFO data. NSA's role is covertly intercepting foreign communications, meaning any UFO secrets would come from foreign governments.
• SUN may be partially responsible for FOIA requests: In response to a SUN request, NSA released 156 partially declassified "TOP SECRET--UMBRA" intercepts from Soviet air defense centers (1958-1979) that referred to "UFOs," which NSA had previously refused to release. These often involved balloon-borne radar targets used to train Soviet operators.
• Roswell Museum To Expand: The International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell plans to raise $15 million for a larger facility, expecting 300,000 visitors. Speakers at its anniversary festival included Philip Corso, Peter Gersten, Stanton Friedman, and Robert Dean, who claims a UFO crashed in West Germany.
• A usually Unreliable source reports that President Clinton is considering ending the government's UFO cover-up to divert attention from the "Lewinsky-Gate" scandal and foster international cooperation. A satirical cartoon depicts this scenario.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are skepticism towards UFO claims, the scientific explanation of radar anomalies through meteorological phenomena like temperature inversions, and the debunking of specific UFO cases and alleged evidence such as alien implants. The editorial stance, as presented by Philip J. Klass, is consistently critical of unsubstantiated UFO reports and advocates for rational, evidence-based explanations. The newsletter aims to expose what it views as distortions, omissions, and outright fabrications within the UFO community.