SUN 62 (Mar 2000)

Magazine Overview

Title: SKEPTICS UFO NEWSLETTER
Issue: SUN #62
Date: March 2000
Publisher: Philip J. Klass

This issue of the Skeptics UFO Newsletter critically examines various UFO phenomena, focusing on debunking common sightings and questioning the authenticity of alleged government documents.

1970s Data Helps Identify January 5th Illinois UFO As Extraterrestrial

The lead article revisits the January 5th, 2000, west-central Illinois UFO sightings, which impressed UFOlogists and the media due to unusual descriptions and the witnesses being law enforcement officers. The article leverages Allan Hendry's 1970s research from "The UFO Handbook," which analyzed 1,307 UFO reports. Hendry found that 36% of reported UFOs were actually bright planets and stars (identified flying objects or IFOs), with law enforcement officers having the worst record (94% IFOs). The article explains that bright celestial bodies like planets and stars can be mistaken for UFOs due to atmospheric refraction, autokinesis (the illusion of movement when staring at a fixed point), and the common misinterpretation of the planet Venus.

By coincidence, Venus was rising in the southeast on January 5th, 2000, at the time of the Illinois sightings. The principal witness described the UFO as "a bright star...awful low." The article provides two examples of Venus being mistaken for UFOs: one from Arkansas City, Kansas, in 1972, where police officers and a reporter observed a bright UFO that changed shape and color, later identified as Venus through a photograph; and another from Yakima, Washington, in 1975, where three men reported a cone-shaped UFO with unusual lights.

The newsletter then details the National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS) interviews with the Illinois witnesses. Despite the witnesses' descriptions, NIDS investigators reportedly did not consider Venus as an explanation, instead exploring possibilities like a B-2 stealth bomber or a secret blimp. The NIDS witnesses described objects of immense size, with various lights, and exhibiting hovering and sudden linear movements. NIDS's preliminary conclusions suggested the craft's physics were beyond conventional technology.

The article questions whether the Venus explanation will be accepted by UFO researchers, noting that admitting such a misidentification is rare, especially for witnesses who have become local celebrities.

NIDS "Preliminary" Conclusions

NIDS's analysis of the Illinois UFO sightings concluded that the observed craft's physics were not explainable by conventional technology. The consensus among witnesses described an arrowhead or triangular-shaped craft, 400-600 ft. long and 40-60 ft. thick, with downward-pointing white lights, red lights, and multicolored lights along one side. Witnesses reported hovering, slow rotation, and sudden linear accelerations. NIDS tentatively hypothesized a physics beyond conventional explanations.

Tim Cooper Offers His Diverse Views On His Majestic-12 Documents

This section discusses Tim Cooper, who provided numerous alleged "Majestic" documents. The newsletter notes that Cooper offers a variety of assessments regarding the authenticity of these documents and their creators. One theory suggests the documents are disinformation created by the U.S. government to mislead the USSR. Cooper himself believes the documents are an attempt to reconstruct a historical narrative based on non-existent and authentic documents, and that their content, regardless of authenticity, holds answers. He also suggests that while the documents are reliable in content, they contain a questionable hypothesis about intelligent, machine-building cultures visiting Earth regularly.

Cooper also offers a disclaimer that the documents might be a product of U.S. or Soviet disinformation, the work of a frustrated Ufologist, or simply a hoax designed to cause division within the UFO community. He concludes that authenticating them would be a costly and time-consuming process.

Woods' Credulity Revealed By Their Explanations For Why Cooper Failed His "Lie Detector" Test

The newsletter recounts a polygraph test taken by Tim Cooper regarding the "Majestic Documents." Cooper failed three relevant questions, with the examiner concluding a 0.99 probability of deception. The Woods (Robert and Ryan) explained Cooper's false answers as an attempt to protect his sources. The newsletter dismisses this explanation, emphasizing that polygraph examiners review questions beforehand to ensure truthful Yes/No answers.

RPIT Analyst Sees Match Between Symbols On Debris In Ramey Office Photos And Those In Santilli Film--Which Is Admitted Hoax

This section reports on findings by Neil Morris of the Roswell Photo Interpretation Team (RPIT), who claims to see a match between symbols on debris photographed in Brig. Gen. Roger Ramey's office in 1947 and symbols on debris from the "Tent Segment" film, which was later exposed as a hoax. The article provides background on the "symbols," suggesting they might be from radar targets manufactured for Project Mogul. It also details the controversy surrounding Ray Santilli's "Tent Segment" and "Alien Autopsy" films, noting that the "Tent Segment" was admitted as a hoax by an actor involved, while Santilli claimed doubts about its authenticity. Despite this, Morris finds the evidence compelling that at least that portion of the "Tent Segment" is authentic.

MUFON's New Leader Offers Views On "Majestic Documents"

John Schuessler, the incoming head of MUFON, believes some of the "Majestic" documents provided by Tim Cooper are authentic, though he avoids specifics. He acknowledges that some material may be faked disinformation but praises the research being done by Dr. Robert Wood and Ryan Wood. Schuessler suggests that researchers should focus on the content of the documents rather than debating their authenticity. He also recalls his own experience with the Cash-Landrum incident, where he concluded witnesses were exposed to severe radiation from a UFO.

The newsletter notes that the Woods have had the alleged original paperwork and ink analyzed but have not publicly disclosed the results. It also points out a potential flaw in the MJ-12 documents related to typewriter characteristics and obsolete terminology.

STILL ANOTHER "BLOOPER DISCOVERED BY UFO RESEARCHER

This short section highlights an alleged "bloopers" in the "Majestic" documents identified by UFO researcher Brad Sparks. Two documents, a field order and an intelligence assessment from July 1947, allegedly use obsolete "G-2" terminology, misidentifying Maj. Gen. Stephen J. Chamberlin's title. Sparks notes that the G-2 designation was abolished a year earlier.

Filer's Files: "Garbage In, Garbage Out"

This article critiques George A. Filer's "Filer's Files" column, which appears in the MUFON UFO Journal and online, for including unsubstantiated reports. It highlights an example from the January issue where Filer presents a 1953 incident involving a radar sighting of a UFO that allegedly split into nine smaller objects and later performed a high-speed maneuver. The article points out the implausibility of the radar's range and the alleged cover-up, including interrogation and signing of a secrecy document. The newsletter notes that Filer published the name of the involved person, despite the alleged secrecy pledge.

Filer also offers advice to NASA for future Mars probes, suggesting UFO investigators should be included and volunteering his own expertise based on his USAF experience. The newsletter notes that Filer has not yet responded to a request for more information about his alleged briefings to generals and Congress.

More wild UFO tales on the Internet

This section briefly mentions several other UFO-related items:

• CAUS Report: A report on the Citizens Against UFO Secrecy (CAUS) website claims an Air Force shot down a UFO on June 26, 1981. The newsletter disputes this, stating that in 1981, the USAF lacked missiles capable of engaging such objects.
• Dr. Mack's Book: Harvard psychiatrist Dr. John E. Mack is reportedly disappointed with the media reaction and sales of his new book, "Passport to the Cosmos." The review notes skepticism towards abduction accounts.
• Skeptical Book Praised: UFO-abduction expert Thomas E. Bullard praises a new book, "The Abduction Enigma," which debunks abduction tales. The book is described as a milestone that may cause a crisis for abduction research.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The Skeptics UFO Newsletter consistently adopts a critical and skeptical stance towards UFO phenomena. Recurring themes include the misidentification of celestial bodies as UFOs, the questioning of the authenticity of alleged government documents and hoaxes, and the debunking of unsubstantiated UFO reports. The editorial stance emphasizes the importance of rigorous scientific analysis, critical thinking, and the elimination of conventional explanations before considering extraordinary ones. The newsletter aims to provide a counterpoint to more credulous UFO publications and researchers.