SPACE - No 41 - 1960 05

Magazine Overview

Title: SPACE
Issue: May 1960
Publisher: Fulcruja Productions
Editor and Publisher: Norbert F. Gariety
Country of Publication: USA
Document Type: Magazine Issue

This issue of SPACE magazine, a publication focused on "Saucer Phenomena and Celestial Enigma," presents a collection of articles and reports related to UFO sightings, government investigations, and related scientific and speculative topics.

Eastern Pilot Makes Sensational Report

The lead story details a report by Captain Erle W. Miles of Eastern Airlines, a veteran pilot with over 26,000 flying hours. On March 7, 1960, at approximately 8:00 p.m., while flying a Lockheed Electra at 14,000 feet near Gordonville, Virginia, Captain Miles and his crew witnessed a massive, wingless object passing overhead. The object was described as "tremendous in size," resembling a greatly enlarged fuselage of a modern plane, and spewing a "quarter-of-a-mile tail of flame." It moved at an estimated speed of 6,000 miles per hour and remained visible for about 50-55 seconds. Captain Miles stated that the flight was also witnessed by his pilot and engineer, and by the captain of another airliner flying below. A few minutes later, the Columbia, S.C. tower also reported a sighting. Captain Miles noted that he and his crew, along with Captain Bob Neal of a Constellation flying below, were reluctant to report the incident for fear of being called "crackpots." He identified his crew members as C.B. Flood (Pilot) and John A. Acree (Engineer). The report was originally published in the Atlanta Journal on April 7, 1960.

The "Atmosphere Isn't Encouraging"

Captain Miles expressed that the "atmosphere isn't encouraging" for pilots to report UFOs, citing experiences where such reports are often dismissed as mirages or lightning bolts. He contrasted this with the Air Force's official stance, which he felt lacked physical evidence. The article notes that more airline pilots are becoming willing to share their sightings, partly due to a group of 50 Newark pilots who banded together after a previous report.

Civilian Pilots to Check on UFOs (Ottawa, Canada)

Starting April 1, 1960, Canadian civilian fliers were to report any unusual sightings on land, sea, or air, particularly anything that appears "hostile, suspicious or unidentified." This includes guided missiles, UFOs, aircraft, or extraordinary ground activities, especially in polar regions.

The "Moth" Explanation and Conspiracy Theories

An editorial note discusses the possibility of Russian craft over Canadian provinces but dismisses it, suggesting that UFOs might enter and leave Earth from the Polar regions. The article also references Edward J. Ruppelt's book, "Report on Unidentified Flying Objects," and his later conclusion that UFOs haven't happened yet and that "we're stuck with our Space Age Myth--the UFO." The editorial criticizes Ruppelt's explanation for the "Lubbock Lights" as "moths," deeming it "assinine" and suggesting it was written "under duress." The magazine posits that disclosure of intelligent extraterrestrial life will be made by "the big WE" (ego-driven humanity) rather than acknowledging prior observation by other intelligences.

Joe Perry's UFO Photograph Incident

Joe Perry, a pizza maker and amateur astronomer from Grand Blanc, Michigan, reported an incident involving a photograph he took of a saucer-like object silhouetted against the full moon. After a newspaper story asked for UFO pictures, Perry contacted the FBI. Two agents visited his pizza place, took the slide, and stated they were sending it to Washington. Perry's subsequent attempts to retrieve the slide involved dealings with the FBI, the President's office, and the Air Force. He was informed the slide was at Selfridge Air Force Base and later at the UFO investigation center in Dayton, Ohio. The Air Force suggested the "object" might be due to film emulsion damage but sought official confirmation. Perry expressed a desire to simply get the matter resolved and his slides back.

Other Reports and Scientific Notes

• Tina Davis: A 2½-year-old girl from Richmond, Virginia, began playing "The Old Rugged Cross" on the piano with remarkable skill, leading to speculation that she learned it by watching her sister.
• Life on Venus: A Soviet scientist, Nikolai Barbashov, suggested that Venus has an ocean and seasons, and that forms of life are "just originating or perhaps already exist," based on its atmospheric composition and temperature.
• Moon's Atmosphere: U.S. scientists reported that the Moon has an atmosphere composed of cold neutral hydrogen and argon.
• Air Force Investigating UFOs over Western New York: On April 16, 1960, the Air Force began investigating a report of 20-30 circular, gray objects sighted over Olean, N.Y., moving at high speed.
• Claims Food Additives are Poison: Edward R. Moxey, president of the Pure Food Guild of British Columbia, claimed that Canadians are being poisoned by food additives and fruit sprays, leading to degenerative diseases.
• Claim of International Conspiracy: A British flying saucer group claimed governments are conspiring to suppress information about UFOs.
• Flying Saucers, Again (Tampa, Florida): A surge in flying saucer sighting reports tied up a local radio station's switchboard.
• Human Muscles Emit Signals: Researchers discovered that human muscles emit electrical signals, potentially leading to a new understanding of mental telepathy and clairvoyance.
• Excerpts from The Little Listening Post: This section includes a plea for a direct phone line between Eisenhower and Kruschev, and a report of a UFO following a plane from Canaveral.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently promotes the idea that UFOs are real phenomena, often dismissed or covered up by official authorities. There is a strong undercurrent of skepticism towards official explanations and a belief in a potential cover-up or conspiracy. The editorial stance is pro-UFO investigation and encourages civilian reporting, highlighting the perceived reluctance of official bodies to acknowledge the reality of these sightings. The magazine also explores broader scientific and speculative topics related to space and potential extraterrestrial life, often framing them within a context of human ego and the "big WE" in discovery.