TUFOIC Newsletter - No 052 - October 1987

Magazine Overview

Title: T.U.F.O.I.C. NEWSLETTER
Issue: Edition 52
Date: October 1987

This issue of the TUFOIC Newsletter, dated October 1987, notes a decrease in UFO sightings within Australia, while acknowledging a surge of interest in the United States concerning UFOs and abduction reports, which have filtered into the Australian press. The newsletter expresses hope that the focus on UFO phenomena will not be sidetracked by abduction stories. It also mentions previous newsletter coverage of a strange figure seen near Oatlands and a 'yowie'-like creature near Alice Springs, questioning if these are coincidences.

Australian Sightings and Incidents

The newsletter reports a lull in UFO sightings across Australia, with only isolated reports from the Northern Territory and North West Australia early in the year. However, several specific incidents are detailed:

Tasmania

• June 18th: An ambulance driver in Tasmania experienced a possible power loss case, noticing lights near ground level. This incident was reported in a leading Tasmanian daily newspaper.
• A few days later: Erratic lights were reported from Seven Mile Beach.
• August: A 'Cressy event' is mentioned as still under investigation.
• June 16th (detailed report): The same ambulance driver, on a trip from New Norfolk to Ouse, experienced two instances of power loss and headlights going out. Later, while driving the same section of road, the vehicle lost power again. The witness then noticed a glow on a nearby hilltop, which resolved into a well-defined shape with two rows of bluish/white lights, four in each row. The lights blinked twice and went out. The witness described the original dark yellow shape as twice moon-sized and compared it to the visible moon.
• June 21st: A call reported lights over Seven Mile Beach. While the proximity to Hobart Airport suggested aircraft, the airport confirmed no planes were in the air. A large bright red/gold flashing light, followed by a red light, was seen approaching from the northeast and travelling southeast. A third, fainter light was also observed. No noise was heard, and an aircraft entering the area later could not be seen due to intervening trees.

Other Australian Reports

• Near Gretna: Following media publicity, a similar report came from a truck driver who experienced a power loss, with lights and radio going off briefly. This occurred about 30km from the ambulance driver's event on the same evening, but no lights/objects were seen.
• Hobart Airport: An East West aircraft landed at 22:30 after passing 15km east of the sighting point, making it unlikely to be the cause of the ground-level yellow shape.
• Orange, New South Wales (January 31st, 1987): A report by Sandra Roberts details Peter Langham's sighting of an object that burst from the 'Saucepan' star formation above the city. The object had three large green lights in a boomerang shape, with smaller white lights on either side. Langham watched it for about 30 seconds before it zoomed off to the west. Orange UFO researcher Terry Diabop found the sighting strange and unlike any meteor or satellite. Langham stated he was not drinking and had been walking to his parents' home.

Old Power Loss Report (June 1977)

• A witness travelling south near Ross on the Midland Highway reported brilliant lights to the west of the road, and his car's lights went out simultaneously. By the time he pulled over, nothing could be seen. Subsequent checks of the car's electrics found no issues.

International Reports

Italy

• The newsletter briefly reviews a "wave" of "hairy" beings reported in Italy in 1986, particularly in the Irpine mountain area. These beings were described as 1.7 to 2 meters tall, anthropomorphic, with bright eyes, large ears, and covered in long hair. They often ran away when approached, sometimes leaving footprints or scorched trees. Hypotheses included a large dog, an escaped circus monkey, a bear, or an exaggerated story. While UFO correlations are more common in the USA, only about ten Italian "isolated hairy entities" were found, with only one directly connected to a UFO in 1984.

China

• Peking: Chinese fighter pilots tracked an unidentified flying object over Shanghai for seven minutes before it vanished into the East China Sea. Witnesses described it as looking like an oval plate or a comet with an umbrella-shaped tail, and a "reddish orange basin-shaped luminary" with a misty parachute above it.

Australian UFO Activity 1986

A table compiled by ACUFOS presents a summary of Australian UFO activity in 1986. It lists contributions from various groups including ACUFOS, TUFOIC, UFO Research (FNQ), UFO Research (NSW), UFO Research (QLD), UFO Research (SA), WAUFOIC, UFORA, and VUFORS, detailing the number of identified and unidentified reports received.

Other Mentions

• 'Yowie' Sighting in Sydney: Police declared a reported 'yowie' sighting by youths to be a 55-year-old Yugoslavian-born man who lived in the bush near Woronora Dam. The man was described as large, strongly built, and covered in fur, carrying a half-eaten wallaby. Police believed he was a harmless hermit.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter maintains a skeptical yet open approach to UFO phenomena, emphasizing scientific investigation. It expresses concern over the media's focus on sensational aspects like abductions, potentially diverting attention from genuine UFO research. The editorial stance appears to be one of seeking rational explanations while acknowledging the possibility of unknown phenomena and even other forms of life. The inclusion of a table summarizing national UFO activity indicates a commitment to data collection and analysis within the Australian UFO community.