TUFOIC Newsletter - No 051 - June 1987

Magazine Overview

Title: TUFOIC NEWSLETTER
Issue: 51
Date: June 1987
Publisher: Tasmanian UFO Investigation Centre

This issue of the TUFOIC NEWSLETTER, dated June 1987, reports on a period of low UFO activity in Tasmania, dubbing it 'No News is Bad News.' The newsletter covers various sightings and incidents, including a close encounter with a strange creature, older cases, and a significant pilot report from Alaska.

Tasmanian UFO Investigation Centre Report

The editorial highlights a drought in sightings, with the last unexplained event being in August 1986, followed by a report on March 23rd at Midway Point involving a strange figure but no UFO. The centre notes that this is the quietest period since its formation in 1965. Action is noted in West Australia as a source for UFO cases, while overseas, events seem to occur about every six months, such as fighter pilots chasing lights over Brazil and Japanese pilots encountering objects over Alaska.

Tourist 'Longterm Nightmare' - Oatlands Encounter

A significant article details an encounter by two Victorian tourists at Oatlands' Lake Dulverton on January 3rd, 1987. They reported seeing a 'something strange and silvery and looking like an ape.' The creature, described as ape-like in outline with no discernible features, was approximately 2 meters tall. It emerged from the lake, moved towards them, and was illuminated as if by moonlight, though no moon was present. A torch shone on the figure seemed to be reflected back. The witnesses fled to their car and later reported the incident to Hobart Police, which led to a story in the local paper. The creature was described as having long hair, a long beard, a large forehead, big eyes, and red around the mouth, running like a monkey. One witness noted it lacked sexual organs.

Old Sightings Uncovered

The newsletter revisits older cases, including one from Fort Arthur in 1950. Witnesses returning home saw an irregular shaped light mass, about 3 meters above the ground and moving at approximately 60-70 kph, maintaining a position ahead of their car. The object, roughly rectangular and white, faded at the bottom. It moved over the road ahead and then veered off, obscured by bushes.

Another case from Lebrina in September 1979 involved four witnesses seeing an orange light mass, about 200 meters away and a meter off the ground. The object, described as egg-shaped with a darker band of orange light, approached within 150 meters of a farmhouse. It was estimated to be car-sized and moved south-east before returning and disappearing over a hill. This event was part of a period of high strangeness sightings in 1979.

A single unexplained case for 1987 is reported from Miaway Point on March 23rd: a tumbling elliptical shape with an orange glow, seen for nearly 10 seconds as it travelled northwards. Immediate checks with authorities failed to provide an explanation.

Man or Beast... The Monster of Alice

This section recounts an incident near Alice Springs where a family and a friend, rabbit shooting, were chased by a huge, hairy 'yowie-like' creature. The creature appeared from a water tank, described as having long hair, a long beard, a large forehead, big eyes, and red around the mouth. It was estimated to be 2 meters tall and ran like a monkey. The witnesses described it as 'like a devil.' Police reportedly stated they were too busy to investigate.

'Weird Lights' Where Boys Lost

This article discusses the disappearance of two teenage boys, Simon Amos and James Annetts, near the Gibson Desert. In the area where they went missing, two men reported seeing strange lights resembling a convoy of trucks, which seemed to follow them. These sightings have led to speculation about clandestine drug running operations or unidentified flying objects. Businessman Monty Barr and his colleague Wayne Trembath reported seeing extraordinary lights on a trip back from Lake Gregory station. Mr. Barr took photographs showing a saucer-shaped object. Oil rig supervisor Doug Hodgekiss also reported strange lights, saucer-shaped burns in the scrub, and loud noises in the same longitude as the missing boys' last known location.

The UFOs That Chased Jet

This section focuses on a close encounter reported by Captain Kenjyu Terauchi of Japan Air Lines. On November 17, 1986, his Boeing 747 cargo plane was followed by two bright lights and a large object, described as being as wide as two aircraft carriers placed end-to-end, for over 480 km over Alaska. The object showed up on the plane's weather radar. Terauchi made sketches of the globe-shaped 'mothership' and smaller objects. A subsequent sighting occurred in October 1987, where Terauchi reported 'irregular lights, looks like a spaceship' while on a flight from London to Anchorage. The FAA suggested this might be light reflecting off ice crystals. The co-pilot was uncertain if he saw lights, but the flight engineer was also uncertain.

Alien Research

An item from the Irish Independent reports that at least four types of aliens regularly visit Earth, according to American UFO researchers like Walter Andrus, director of MUFON. These types are described as: small humanoids (about four feet high with large heads and pupil-less eyes), experimental animals (large, apelike creatures), humanlike beings with odd characteristics, and robots that perform mechanical functions.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently focuses on unexplained aerial phenomena and strange encounters, primarily within Australia but also referencing international cases. There is a clear interest in close encounters and physical descriptions of objects and entities. The editorial stance appears to be one of reporting these phenomena with a degree of seriousness, providing details of witness accounts and official confirmations where available, while also acknowledging skepticism and the need for further investigation. The recurring theme is the exploration of the unknown and the potential implications for understanding our world and beyond.