TUFOIC Newsletter - No 072 - July 1994

Magazine Overview

Title: TUFOIC NEWSLETTER
Issue: Edition 72
Date: July '94
Publisher: TUFOIC
Country: AUSTRALIA
Document Type: Magazine Issue

Articles and Reports

Northern Tasmania: A Case of Memory Loss

This section details two cases of suspected missing time and potential abduction. The first, from the late 1970s, involved a witness driving from the Derwent Valley to Hobart who encountered a bright light mass near Lawitta, experienced vehicle power loss, and had no recollection of subsequent events. The witness was later stopped by police for driving without lights.

The second case, investigated by a Centre investigator, occurred in the late 1960s in North East Tasmania. A man, referred to as Mr. R, was at his sister's home when he went outside to the exterior toilet. He experienced a heavy feeling and pressure on his head, sensing he was trapped under a bright light. He heard a voice but could not recall what was said. After a period, he heard his family calling, the light vanished, and he found himself sitting on a log in a clearing a short distance from the house. His sister, Mrs. C, recalled that after 15-20 minutes, they went to look for him and found him staggering out of the bush. He recounted his experience and discovered his lighter was missing. The next day, the log in the clearing where he was trapped was found, along with his lighter.

Following these events, a howling jet-like noise was heard from a nearby gully, increasing in volume until all lights went out and the house shook. Shortly after, Mr. C, while working at a mine, witnessed a bright shiny object with other objects moving from east to west. He sent details to the press after an article appeared in the local newspaper. The report notes that the late 1960s saw a number of sightings reported to the Centre from the Tasmanian east coast.

King Island - 1907

This report, taken from the Hobart Mercury of August 31st, 1907, details a sighting by the Cape Wickham Light House. At 4 am on August 19th, a 'very large star, having a long tail in the shape of a rainbow' was observed in the sky. The sky was clear, but the body of the star appeared dull while other stars were bright.

Guest Editorial: Just Cause Newsletter - December 1993

This editorial discusses two main points. Firstly, it references a situation where US Secretary of Energy Hazel O'Leary had a classified folder cross her desk containing an analysis of a television news broadcast, to which she reacted, 'This is no secret. I saw this on television!' The editorial laments that the cold war's legacy continues, with the American public exposed to revelations of long-withheld facts, including shocking disclosures of radiation experiments conducted on citizens without their knowledge, often hospitalised patients or mentally-infirmed children.

It questions the disappearance of gun camera films of UFO encounters that were once in the public domain, such as a 1953 Luke AFB, Arizona film and a 1952 Osceola, Wisconsin film, noting that documents released on UFO-related matters often refer to other documents that haven't been released. The editorial suggests that plenty of information likely exists in government coffers, never having seen the light of day.

Secondly, the editorial observes a trend in European Ufologists' newsletters towards a more stereotyped American UFO research. It notes that attention given to close encounters is proportional to their increasing numerical count, with some authorities in Ufology making definitive declarations about UFO origins and purposes without conclusive evidence. The editorial criticizes this as 'junk Ufology,' driven by sensationalism at the expense of truth, and notes that the culture rewards such trends.

The World's Largest UFO Flap

This section reports on a UFO flap that began on July 11th, 1991, and peaked on January 1st, 1993. It is described as the most photographed and best-documented mass sighting to ever hit UFO researchers. The report suggests that while it may not be picked up by the Australian media, UFOs have been seen regularly over Mexico City. An executive from Mexico's biggest television network allegedly enhanced a video tape of a metallic disc-shaped craft suspended in the air, appearing to float or rotate. Analysis of six video recordings indicated the objects were structured, metallic, and reflected sunlight, appearing to position themselves beneath the eclipsing sun.

UFO Potpourri

Close Encounter in Czechoslovakia: Reports from the Detroit Free Press and Kansas City Star detail an encounter on February 8th, 1993, near Jihlava. Anna Sitarova and a friend reported seeing a 'dazzling light' about 100 yards from their car, which began to sputter. They felt compelled to follow the light, which then shot to a spot on the highway. The object was described as 5 feet long and 3 feet wide, floating about 12 feet above the pavement, emitting red light from its sides and bottom. They turned the car around and sought help. The report notes inferred EM effects on the car and driver.

• Planetary Mission Status: This section provides updates on various space missions:
• Galileo: The spacecraft is approaching Earth again, with distances from Earth and the Sun noted. Data playback from its encounter with the asteroid Ida will resume. Galileo will orbit Jupiter and relay data from a probe in its atmosphere on December 7, 1995. Its high-gain antenna is partly deployed, but the low-gain antenna will be used for the Jupiter mission. Galileo was launched in October 1989 and had gravity assists from Venus and Earth, and flew by asteroids Gaspra and Ida.
• Magellan: The spacecraft is in orbit around Venus, mapping its gravitational field. It radar-mapped over 98 percent of Venus's surface from September 1990 to September 1992.
• TOPEX/POSEIDON: This satellite is healthy and performing normally, mapping global sea level changes. It was launched on August 10, 1992.
• Ulysses: The spacecraft is in a highly inclined solar orbit, about 49 degrees south relative to the Sun's equator. It followed a gravity assist flyby at Jupiter in February 1992 and will make solar polar passages in 1994 and 1995. Ulysses gathers data on the heliosphere and was built by the European Space Agency, launched on October 6, 1990.
• Voyagers 1 & 2: These spacecraft are continuing their interstellar mission, collecting data on magnetic fields and charged particles. Voyager 1 is 8.25 billion km from Earth, and Voyager 2 is 6.41 billion km from Earth.

Help Wanted

TUFOIC is seeking members who speak Italian or Swedish to help translate publications received from UFO groups in those countries.

Skywatch

This section includes a brief mention of the upcoming meeting for TUFOIC on September 1st at 7:30 PM at the Glenorchy Library.

Newsclippings

• This section compiles several short news items:
• Hobart Mercury (7/10/93): Mentions a report from the Hobart Marine Board about a sighting on King Island in 1907.
• Port Lincoln Times (May 94): Refers to AIUFORS Newsletter.
• UFO Encounter No.155 (Oct/Nov. 93): Mentioned in relation to UFO Research-Queensland.
• Sunday Times (20/3/94): Refers to Australian UFO Bulletin - VUFORS.

'Operator, my call to Earth has been cut off abruptly'

This article discusses the reduction in funding for NASA's hunt for radio signals from alien civilizations. Senator Richard Bryan is quoted as deriding the project as a waste of taxes. The article notes that about 25 signals were detected but ruled not to be alien transmissions. Supporters defend the program as scientifically sound, accusing critics of using it as a scapegoat for national deficit control.

Fireball flash startles truckie

This report describes a spectacular fireball witnessed by a Perth truck driver and his friend while travelling from Port Augusta to Perth. About 120km from Norseman, they saw a bright, iridescent green light with brilliant gold and white flames, approximately 25m long, which drew alongside their vehicle and then disappeared downwards. Dr. Alex Bevan, curator of meteorites at the WA Museum, suggested it could have been a large fireball skipping along the outer atmosphere at a low angle of trajectory.

UFO sighted

This article features the account of Tumby Bay resident Daphne Hindle, who reported seeing a UFO outside her unit on the foreshore at 3 am on February 9th. She described a round, moving light that appeared to be an oval object, glowing on the inside, inflating at the top, and shooting pillars of light. A large, square panel of lights was extended at the top. She stated the object had to be generating its own power source and that she watched it for about three minutes before it disappeared. She found the experience eerie and could not explain it.

Yellow Eyeball and Other Oddities Dot Czech Skies

This report indicates that Czechs are experiencing a surge in UFO fever, with a growing number of sightings being reported. Vladimir Siska, who heads a UFO buff group, has received over 350 unexplained sighting reports in the past year. The article notes that before the 1989 Velvet Revolution, sightings of extraterrestrials were suppressed, but now 'they've taken the lid off the pot and let the genie out.' The report mentions a 'yellow eyeball,' brilliant orange spheres, a nine-foot tall dog, and a 1500-foot long silver boomerang as among the reported phenomena.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The TUFOIC Newsletter consistently focuses on UFO sightings, encounters, and related phenomena, with a particular emphasis on cases from Tasmania. The publication appears to advocate for open investigation into UFOs and expresses skepticism towards government secrecy and the suppression of information. There is a critical stance on sensationalism and 'junk Ufology' that prioritizes spectacle over evidence. The newsletter also includes sections on astronomy and space missions, suggesting a broader interest in scientific exploration alongside the primary focus on UFOs. The editorial stance seems to be one of encouraging public reporting of sightings and questioning official narratives, while maintaining a degree of scientific rigor in reporting.