TUFOIC Newsletter - No 055 - June 1988

Magazine Overview

Title: T.U.F.O.I.C. NEWSLETTER
Issue: No. 55
Date: June 1988

This issue of the T.U.F.O.I.C. Newsletter focuses heavily on a reported resurgence in UFO sightings, particularly within Australia, and provides a detailed listing of cases from late 1987 and early 1988.

Sightings Return?

The lead article, "SIGHTINGS RETURN ?", addresses a previous complaint about a lack of UFO activity, noting a significant upturn since October 1987. The publication suggests that the past twelve months have seen the highest level of UFO activity since the end of the 1970s. It questions whether this is a genuine increase or a result of increased media attention on the subject. The newsletter explains that it takes time to collect and verify information, and that the second half of 1987 and into 1988 have shown a clear increase in sightings. Some cases were initially attributed to space debris re-entries, but others were obtained second-hand from witnesses. The newsletter indicates that sightings have also risen elsewhere in Australia and overseas.

A brief listing of main events since March 1987 is provided:

• 1987 Mar 23: Midway Point - Tumbling disc with glow seen.
• 1987 Jun 18: Lawrenny - Oval object/glow near road, ambulance loses power.
• 1987 Jul 21: Seven Mile Beach - Erratic lights seen crossing sky.
• 1987 Aug 28: Cape Portland - Cigar object dives out of cloud to low level (Investigating).
• 1987 Sep 6: Cressy - Cone object seen to drop lights to near ground.
• 1987 Oct 18: Hawley Beach - UFO lands near house, 2 witnesses.
• 1987 Oct 18: Holwell (AM) - Cigar object passes low in front of hills.
• 1987 Nov 18: Hillwood (PM) - Motorist reports that flashing lights pace car.
• 1987 Dec 23: Bellbuoy Beach - Large red lights light up sand dunes, several witnesses.
• 1987 Dec 14: Northern Tasmania - Witness says car stopped, traces, noise from UFO.
• 1988 Jan 25: Grey - Orange oval object low over hill, goes west.
• 1988 Jan 29: Hob-Snug - Reports of erratic lights to Police/Media.
• 1988 Jan 29: Geeveston - Dark cigar object seen near town.
• 1988 Jan 31: Cygnet - Two lights with white oval below seen going south.
• 1988 Feb 3: Kingston - Cone of light near hill, shoots off to east.
• 1988 Mar 5: Lonnavale - Three lights travel up valley beneath low cloud.
• 1988 Mar 20: Youngtown - Light seen moving around plane, goes off NE (Investigating).
• 1988 Mar 23: East Tamar Highway - Car looses power as lights/beam seen at roadside.
• 1988 Apr 4: Waverley - Oval object with beam lights up 7EX Relay station.

The newsletter notes that reports of a space-debris burn-up over Tasmania in mid-October brought the UFO subject to media attention, followed by events on the Nullarbor in January that generated further public interest. It highlights that most sightings have occurred in the North of Tasmania, with low-level cases being prominent there. Reports from the Hobart area have mostly involved lights. On January 29th, Hobart radio stations and police received calls about erratic lights that approached closely, upsetting callers, but no witnesses came forward with details despite publicity.

Sightings New and Old

This section delves into older UFO sightings that did not make it into the annual report.

Robigana Case (1981)

The first case dates back to 1981 in Robigana, Tamar Valley. Mrs B, while feeding her baby, saw a bright object in the northern sky. Her husband observed an orange/red football-shaped object moving slowly downwards up the Tamar Valley. The moon-sized object was visible for a couple of minutes before disappearing behind trees.

Meadowbank Dam Case (August 1982)

Following a sighting by an ambulance driver near Lawrenny in June 1987, a case from August 1982 was uncovered. A witness at Meadowbank Dam, with his grandfather, saw a large, deep red light pulsing to orange above hills in the eastern sky. Initially thought stationary, the light was observed moving slowly south, stopping and moving again before disappearing behind hills after about half an hour.

Waterhouse Road Case (Early 1984)

In early 1984, on the long, lonely stretch of Waterhouse Road in North East Tasmania, Mrs C, driving with a sleeping passenger, noticed a bright light in the east. The light appeared to get closer, revealing itself as a frying pan-shaped bright white light. After several minutes, the light moved off, pulsed, and returned, appearing almost as large as a full moon at its closest. It was viewed against clouds and in front of hills and trees. Mrs C lost sight of it on corners but found it very close on one occasion. When she woke her passenger, the light had disappeared.

New England Aerial Phenomena Report (March 21, 1988)

An unconfirmed report from Dave H. of Duxbury, MA, details an incident on March 20, 1988. An airline travelling along the South Carolina coast was paced by an unknown object, which was not detected by radar. The object then appeared alongside a second airline travelling the same route. The sighting lasted 15 minutes. The newsletter states they are attempting to locate more data.

Sightings, Not So Old

This section continues with more recent cases.

Launceston Close Encounter (December 14th)

A press clipping refers to a close encounter by a motorist near Launceston on December 14th. The incident occurred about 9:30 pm, 30 km outside Launceston. Lights had followed the witness's car, then an object landed on the road ahead. The car's lights and motor failed. The witness saw a grey elliptical object with very bright lights about 15 meters away. Despite the handbrake being on, the car was pulled 10 meters up the road. A second vehicle arrived, also experiencing headlight failure. Both witnesses saw the object take off with a high-pitched whine. The car later required electrical repairs, and the witness reported bitumen splashed on the car's front, possibly from melted road surface. The case was initially reported to the Victorian UFO Research Society.

New Year Sightings (Early 1988)

The New Year brought significant media coverage of the Nullarbor reports. Meanwhile, events continued in Tasmania. On January 25th, an orange-red oval was seen at hilltop level before moving west. Near Hobart, an HEC architect sighted a dark oval shape stationary at his Geeveston home on January 29th. Later that night, at Cygnet, two lights with an oval shape below were seen moving together south. On February 3rd, a Kingston caller reported a cone of light that changed to white and shot east. More lights were reported from Lonnavale on March 5th. On March 20th, a witness reported a light following an aircraft, which the Department of Aviation could not explain. On March 23rd, on the East Tamar Highway, a car lost power as a beam of light illuminated the roadside, with four square lights above the beam. The car radio went off, and the car refused to move. On April 4th, an oval object emitted a beam of light over the 7EX Relay tower, observed by a Waverley witness.

The News: Meteorite 'not UFO answer'

This section features a news article from Adelaide, dated 1.2.1988, by Carolyn Collins. It discusses a leading UFO researcher, Paul Norman (vice president of the Victorian UFO Society), dismissing claims that a meteorite attacked the Knowles family's car on the Nullarbor Plain. Norman and fellow researcher John Aucherd were in Adelaide to test the car. They were satisfied their tests would reveal evidence of a UFO encounter. The article mentions that the dents on the car's roof could not have been caused by rolling, and the blown-out tire was unusual. Dust samples were collected, and the car was tested for radioactivity and magnetic field changes. The Knowles family claimed their car was picked up by a bright white object near the WA-SA border on January 21st, covered with ash, and then dropped, bursting a tire.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme throughout this issue is the increase in UFO sightings and the detailed reporting of individual cases. The newsletter adopts a stance of serious investigation, presenting witness accounts and seeking verifiable evidence, while also critically examining potential explanations like meteorites. There is a clear emphasis on documenting these events and encouraging further investigation. The editorial stance appears to be one of open-mindedness towards UFO phenomena, encouraging the collection of data and the pursuit of answers, while also acknowledging the need for rigorous analysis and debunking of less plausible explanations.