SUFOG Newsletter No 103-104

Magazine Overview

This issue of SUFOG, numbers 103 and 104, dated May/June 1999, is a UK-based UFOlogy magazine. It features a cover headline about the 'First crop circles of 1999' and includes a diagram of a crop circle. The magazine provides contact information via email and postal address, and promotes its website.

Content Highlights

UFO Reports and Initiatives

The magazine opens with an announcement about the 'European FT Initiative,' an attempt to track triangular-shaped UFOs across Europe from 1993-1997, based on a database of 7,000 sighting reports. It calls for additional reports to help identify the 'entrance/exit windows' of these objects.

Crop Circles and UFO Sightings

The issue notes that crop circles have begun appearing in England, Germany, Israel, and Chile. However, reports from Hampshire and the Southampton area for the year have been minimal. A significant portion of the magazine is dedicated to listing 'First crop circles of 1999,' detailing 30 reported formations from April and May 1999, with specific dates, locations (counties and nearby towns), descriptions of the patterns, and the crop type (mostly Oil Seed Rape and Barley).

Interviews and Group Activities

This edition features a report from group member Bill Smith and a transcript of his interview with UFOlogist Timothy Good. The magazine also discusses the '1999 Conference,' noting a slow start in ticket sales and the risk of cancellation if 90 tickets are not sold by October 1st. Details are provided for an upcoming Avebury trip, including dates, cost, and logistics, as well as a planned trip to London for a BUFORA lecture.

Meetings and Events

The 'Group Meeting 18th April 1999' is detailed, listing attendees and discussing the group's financial status, including the building society balance and funds raised from a car boot sale. The meeting also covered the Avebury trip, a TV appearance on '3 Minutes' to publicize the group, and upcoming speakers. It is noted that Sunday afternoon meetings might cease due to low attendance.

Media and Personal Accounts

'Your Editor Talks to the West End Ladies Group' on April 27th, 1999, recounts a talk given on UFOs, local sightings, and personal experiences, including work as a Special Constable. The 'Ye Olde Newspaper Reviews by Ernie Sears Esq.' section covers media reports from The Daily Mail and The Daily Telegraph concerning crop circles and UFOs, including a report of a large silver UFO over the North Sea and discussions on freedom of information bills. It also mentions the involvement of Laurence Rockerfeller and a question about the Shingle Street incident in Suffolk.

UFOlogy and Personal Reflections

'Another case of the heart attack' mentions Dr. Roger Leir and Richard Hoagland. 'Rockerfellar and Andrews...' discusses Laurence Rockerfeller backing Colin Andrews in crop circle research. The '3 Minutes of fame...' section details a TV appearance and the subsequent enquiries received. 'Modern UFOlogy (The State of !!)' by Steve Gerrard offers a critical perspective on British UFOlogy, citing ego trips, repetitive content, and a lack of information sharing among groups and individuals.

SUFOG Diary and Contact Information

The SUFOG Diary lists upcoming Sky Watch events and group meetings for 1999. The 'SUFOG Contact Corner' provides a directory of various UFO research groups across the UK and Ireland. Subscription details for the SUFOG newsletter and the BUFORA Newsfile are also included.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently promotes its own activities, including meetings, conferences, and research initiatives like the European FT Initiative. There is a strong emphasis on crop circle reports and media coverage of UFO phenomena. The editorial stance appears to be critical of certain aspects of the UFOlogy community, particularly regarding ego-driven individuals and a lack of open information sharing, as expressed by Steve Gerrard. The magazine also highlights the importance of public engagement and the challenges of maintaining group activities in the face of low attendance. The editor actively seeks contributions and information from readers.

This issue of SUFOG, dated July 7, 1997, focuses on UFO-related news and investigations, with a prominent article detailing the military's revised explanation for the Roswell Incident. The magazine also features a section on crop circles and UFO sightings in Holland, a report on the alleged relocation of Area 51, and a detailed analysis of government secrecy surrounding UFOs.

Roswell - The Sequel

Marc Peyser's article "ROSWELL - THE SEQUEL." presents the Air Force's new explanation for the 1947 Roswell Incident. The military released a 231-page report aiming to debunk the flying saucer theory. The official stance is that the debris found by a sheep rancher was from a device used for spying on Soviet nuclear activity. The article addresses specific 'weirder observations': a supposed flying saucer is explained as a disc-shaped NASA test craft, a creature resembling an alien is attributed to an injured air force captain, and eerie bodies with missing hair, ears, and thumbs are described as life-like dummies dropped from planes for parachute tests. The military also suggests a plane crash in the 1950s involving 11 fatalities might account for stories of secret autopsies on mangled corpses. Colonel John Haynes is quoted saying that people tend to conflate events over time. UFOlogists, like Stanton Friedman, are skeptical, arguing that the explanations, such as dummy drops, are anachronistic for 1947. The article notes the economic impact of the Roswell Incident, with two UFO museums and a burgeoning industry, anticipating 100,000 tourists for the 50th anniversary. Walter Haut, a retired army PR officer, believes a UFO landed but acknowledges that some people will never be satisfied.

E.T. ALERT...

This section reports on the alleged relocation of Area 51 from Nevada's Groom Lake to Utah's Green River Missile Launch Complex. Popular Mechanics is cited as the source, with evidence including the closure of the Nevada site and an $8.2 million budget for the Utah site, which has been unused since 1975. Air force sources dismiss the story as 'hokum,' while the mayor of Green River welcomes the prospect of jobs. The only current 'Area 51' in town is a videogame at Ray's Tavern. The report is attributed to Newsweek, 6/9/97, Periscope/Air force.

Crop Circle's and UFO's arrive in Holland...

This segment details a witness account from Holland on June 7, 1999, shared by crop circle researcher Nancy Talbot on the Art Bell show. A man observed a 'small, misty, pinkish-purple light,' football-shaped and about 10-12 feet above his field. The light stopped, elongated into a disc shape, and emitted electrical discharges for several seconds before dissipating. The witness then found a 30-foot diameter circle with a smaller 10-foot circle in his field, which had not been there earlier. The witness's field was described as grain, possibly wheat. The snippet is credited to Dave Horner in Canada.

Another Group Disbands...

Roy Hale reports that the ELUFON (presumably an organization) was disbanded in April 1999. He is now running 'Down To Earth Magazine' and requests that newsletters be addressed to them instead of ELUFON. Hale expresses appreciation for SUFOG's newsletter and congratulates Ernie Sears on his 'Non-Biased, and honest opinion' of magazine reviews.

TELEVISION & RADIO REVIEWS

This section reviews several programs from April 15 to June 15, 1999:

• Project UFO: Described as an excellent program on the Science Fiction channel, featuring two airforce officers investigating UFO cases based on Project Bluebook files. It's considered one of the channel's best programs. The review notes the program's inclusion of a 45-second segment filmed in Netley, which received a strong response.
• 23.5.99 : CH4 TV : Nick Pope: This interview with Nick Pope is described as a plug for his books, offering no new information. The reviewer suggests there's a deeper meaning behind the Ministry of Defence (MoD) allowing him to publish, but notes his books cover well-known cases and were likely censored.
• 24.5.99: The Secret KGB Files (Pt 1) & 31.5.99: The Secret KGB Files (Pt 2): Presented by Roger Moore, these programs are praised for being thought-provoking, showing what appeared to be a buried UFO and an alien autopsy. The reviewer questions how the UFO could bury itself in frozen ground and wonders if it's another Roswell hoax. The programs have featured in UFO journals and magazines.

READERS LETTER COLUMN..

Victor Kean from Germany contributes, agreeing with Ernie Sears about the importance of actual dates, times, and locations in UFO reports. He provides a list of 'Flying Triangle' reports received by Project FT from January to April 1999, detailing dates, times, locations, and shapes (mostly 'Triangle', with one 'Disc' and one 'Diamond'). An additional entry notes a report just 15 minutes after a SUFOG report SG/02/99.

QUEST HAS THAT SINKING FEELING..

This piece recounts a phone call to Quest International headquarters where Graham Birdsall informed the author that the rear two offices of the building had collapsed due to subsidence. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but the incident could have been worse. The computer equipment was stored safely elsewhere. The article expresses hope for Quest's recovery and mentions that full details will be in their next magazine edition. A conference is announced for October 24th, 1999, in Southampton, featuring Graham Birdsall, Russel Callaghan, and Malcolm Robinson.

NEWS RELEASE FROM NICK REDFERN 16.5.99

UFOS, THE OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT & THE JOINT INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE - A BREAKTHROUGH..

Nick Redfern presents evidence suggesting the British Government has used the Official Secrets Act (OSA) to silence individuals involved in the UFO subject. He references his book 'A Covert Agenda,' which cited officially released documents from the Public Record Office (PRO) showing RAF warnings in 1953 and 1956 not to discuss UFOs. While these records didn't directly reference the OSA, testimony from individuals suggested its use. Redfern claims to have secured a file ('UFO Policy') from 1958-1963 that conclusively links UFOs and the OSA. This file details procedures for investigating UFO reports, including diverting military aircraft and strictly prohibiting the media from receiving information about unusual radar sightings, with disclosures viewed as OSA offenses. The file also mentions a pre-1959 study of the UFO mystery by the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), which includes personnel from the MoD, Treasury, MI5, MI6, and GCHQ. Redfern highlights the significance of the JIC's involvement due to the high-level secrecy surrounding such investigations.

BOOK REVIEW By Ernie Sears.

Ernie Sears reviews Tony Dodd's book "Alien Investigator." Sears praises the book as one of the most gripping and authentic UFO books he has read, written in a down-to-earth style with meticulous detail from Dodd's experience as a police officer and his subsequent investigations. The book covers Dodd's first close encounter in 1978 and continues to the present day, including alleged encounters during NATO exercises and under the frozen wastes of Iceland. Sears notes the book discusses vanishing warships, illuminated craft, and UFO percipients. He believes the book compels readers to question governmental and secret organizations that have denied UFO events for decades. Sears concludes that Dodd is a brave man who prioritizes facts and truth, suggesting that humanity is part of a cosmic drama and may need spiritual help.

A conference is also advertised for October 24th, 1999, in Southampton.

THE TIMOTHY GOOD INTERVIEW..

Bill Smith interviews author Timothy Good at Waterstones book shop in Southampton on February 17, 1999. Smith introduces Good's work, mentioning his books "Above Top Secret" (1987) and "Beyond Top Secret" (updated), which are described as comprehensive and informative on UFOs and alien contact. Good's other contributions include "Alien Liaison," "Alien Update," and "Alien Base," as well as "UFO Reports." Good explains that "Alien Update" replaced the "UFO Reports" series. The interview covers Good's extensive TV and radio appearances. Smith recounts his experience arranging the interview, meeting Good, and conducting the interview in a relaxed atmosphere. The transcript of the interview follows.

Interview with Timothy Good:

• Greys: Good believes 'Greys' are a predominant alien form seen recently but cautions against over-reliance on hypnotic regression, suggesting it can encourage fantasies. He asserts that abductions have occurred.
• Alien Species: "Alien Base" aims to show a variety of alien species beyond the typical 'Greys.'
• Hoaxes: Good acknowledges the danger of hoaxes due to advances in video and photographic technology, citing instances of people filming airships or aircraft lights that are misinterpreted.
• Ray Santilli's Alien Autopsy Video: Good finds the video suspicious, noting that his messages and faxes to Santilli were ignored. He believes it looks like it was filmed on video, not 16mm film, and questions its authenticity.
• Proof of Alien Visitation: Good states that proof is elusive and that it's a multi-faceted subject, not a single case. He believes the Americans have alien craft and bodies.
• Defense Significance: Good argues that UFOs have significant defense implications, citing near-collisions with civilian aircraft and disruptions to military systems. He mentions the Rendlesham Forest Incident as an example of defense significance that was downplayed.
• Bob Lazar: Good believes Lazar may have been exposed to something, possibly as a 'maverick engineer' at Papoose Lake near Area 51, despite Lazar lying about his credentials.
• Area 51: Good confirms Area 51 is acknowledged and referred to as 'dreamland.' He believes top-secret aircraft are tested there, some possibly utilizing alien technology, but duplication efforts are ongoing.
• Mexico Sightings: Good finds most video evidence from Mexico unconvincing but acknowledges something genuine is occurring.
• Travis Walton and Whitley Strieber Films: Good finds the sensationalized nature of "Fire In The Sky" infuriating, stating it doesn't accurately reflect Travis Walton's experiences.

Smith thanks Good for his time and expresses hope for future interviews. The article is copyrighted to SUFOG and Bill Smith.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of SUFOG are government secrecy and cover-ups related to UFO phenomena, the investigation of specific UFO cases (Roswell, Area 51, crop circles), and the analysis of UFO-related media (books, TV programs). The editorial stance appears to be one of skepticism towards official explanations, a belief in the reality of UFOs and alien visitation, and a strong emphasis on the importance of transparency and evidence-based research. The magazine actively promotes the idea that governments are withholding crucial information and encourages readers to question official narratives. There is a consistent effort to provide detailed accounts of sightings, investigations, and expert opinions, often highlighting perceived inconsistencies in official statements. The publication also seems to foster a sense of community among UFO researchers and enthusiasts, as evidenced by the reader letters and group member contributions.