TUFOIC Newsletter - No 077 - 1996

Magazine Overview

Title: TASMANIAN UFO REPORT
Issue: 77
Volume: 1996
Publication Date: 1996
Publisher: TUFOIC (Tasmanian UFO Investigation Centre)
Country: Australia
Language: English
ISSN: 0158-0590

This issue of the Tasmanian UFO Report, published in 1996, provides a comprehensive overview of UFO-related activities and investigations, with a particular focus on events in Tasmania and Australia during 1995. It includes detailed sighting reports, statistical data, and reflections on significant cases.

1995 in Review

The year 1995 was marked by the release of the 'Alien Autopsy' film and the increasing accessibility of UFO information via the Internet, facilitated by TUFOIC's connection. The Centre received a copy of the 'Alien Autopsy' film, aiming to keep members informed without drawing conclusions on its authenticity. Abduction reports, once considered distant phenomena, were noted as occurring locally in Tasmania. Investigating these events presented a challenge, shifting focus from purely aerial phenomena to human experiences. Incoming calls to the Centre remained steady, with a reappearance of orange/red lights over Glenorchy, which were concluded to be likely hot air garbage bags, similar to 1994 findings. The report notes a less extensive list of Australian sightings for 1995, with some cases lacking detail, which is disappointing. Media coverage for local cases was minimal, with general items appearing in the Launceston Examiner. Popular TV programs like 'The Extraordinary' and 'The X-Files' maintained public interest.

Membership of TUFOIC remained stable, though quarterly meetings suffered from a lack of local UFO activity and speakers. The Centre experienced a loss of library space but appreciated the assistance of Dejavue Books. A significant logistical change was the relocation of the postal address from the North Hobart Post Office to the South Hobart Post Office after 15 years, necessitated by difficulties with the old P.O. Box.

Key Incidents and Sightings (1995-1996)

The report details several specific sightings:

• December 31st, 1994 (reported in 1995): A witness and friend at The Gardens, Tasmania, observed a fast-moving, silent, oval-shaped object with a metallic colour, estimated at less than 1000m elevation and moving at 100-150 knts. The object had no wings or tail and reflected sunlight brightly.
• January 3rd, 1996: Ms A reported a strange orange to yellow light near Dunalley, Tasmania, which moved at low level, stopped, reappeared, and moved across water. The witness described it as not performing like an aircraft.
• April 12th, 1995: A weather observer at Hobart Airport reported a black to dark brown shape at low elevation that suddenly increased speed and disappeared into the northern sky within seconds, ruling out a light aircraft theory.
• August 29th, 1995: Mr D, travelling near Port Arthur, Tasmania, encountered a rectangular object twice. His car experienced issues, and he saw a bright white mass of light.
• September 6th, 1995: Mrs E of Snug, Tasmania, observed two white lights close together that flashed, progressed lower, and repeated their performance.
• September 22nd, 1995: A witness in the Huon Valley, Tasmania, saw an oval to oblong orange coloured object moving slowly in a curve from north east to south west.
• October 19th, 1995: Mr N in Devonport, Tasmania, reported a bright white light on the north-east horizon that moved silently, appearing as a glow or circle of light.
• October 27th, 1995: The L family in Warrane/Bellerive, Tasmania, reported a bright silvery/white light that moved rapidly south and then shot upwards and disappeared.
• October 29th, 1995: Another report from Warrane, Tasmania, described an orange flickering light illuminating a yard, accompanied by an ear piercing whooshing sound, and a streak of orange light shooting across the sky.
• November 9th, 1995: Mrs K in Bellerive, Tasmania, observed a large round red light with lighter patches, stationary then moving, reappearing at its original position before disappearing.

UFOs in the News

Internationally, a British UFO report baffled enthusiasts when an official committee admitted being perplexed by a pilot's report of a lighted, wedge-shaped object near a Boeing airliner. Another report suggested a UFO seen over Scotland might have escaped from Loch Ness, possibly a promotional blimp.

Tasmanian Statistics

The report includes a table of "Tasmanian Statistics" from Pre 1965 to 1994, detailing the number of "Reports", "Unidentified", and "Identified" sightings per year. For example, in 1994, there were 93 reports, with 10 unidentified and 83 identified. The total number of reports from Pre 1965 to 1994 is 2,598.

Aircraft, Satellite, or What?

This section discusses the Centre's efforts to identify the source of "Nocturnal Lights" reports. While many are accounted for as aircraft or satellites, some cases present complications due to their duration or lack of fitting details. The report mentions that satellite information can be downloaded from the internet, and aircraft movements can be investigated if reports are timely. However, when no conventional explanation fits, the cases remain puzzling.

Reflections on the Valentich Episode

Reg. A. Watson reflects on the disappearance of Frederick Valentich in October 1978 over Bass Strait. Based on his research and conversations with Valentich's father, Guido, Watson concludes that abduction is the most likely explanation, dismissing the hoax theory. He notes that prior to the disappearance, there were numerous sightings of mysterious flying objects and lights reported by citizens of King Island. The article also mentions a professional television cameraman filming UFOs over the Tasman Sea and a journalist who wrote a book on the experience. A confession from an individual who claimed to have seen the UFO that took Valentich is also cited.

1994 Statistics: Swedish Reports

This section details UFO-Sweden's activities in 1994, reporting 468 new and retrospective cases, the largest number since the organization's formation in 1970. The report notes that many 1994 cases were still under investigation. UFO-Sweden has developed a chronological report file of over 12,000 Scandinavian cases and a dBase IV database. The database includes phenomenological classifications, dates, locations, witness numbers, and descriptions. It also includes submarine/USO reports, Fortean incidents, and ghost fliers.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the ongoing investigation of UFO sightings, the challenge of identifying their sources (distinguishing between conventional and anomalous phenomena), and the public's persistent interest in the subject, often defying official explanations. The editorial stance, as suggested by the Valentich reflection and the general reporting of unexplained events, leans towards acknowledging the reality of UFO phenomena and the need for continued investigation, even when definitive answers are elusive. The magazine aims to inform its members and the public about UFO reports and related research.

Title: AFU NEWSLETTER
Issue: 38
Date: March 1995
Publisher: AFU
Country: Australia
Language: English

This issue of the AFU Newsletter focuses on UFO sightings and mysterious phenomena, featuring reports from Australia, Argentina, and the English Channel, alongside details about the TUFOIC organisation and its publications.

UFO Sighting in Northern Territory, Australia

The newsletter reports a sighting of a cigar-shaped unidentified flying object (UFO) in the Northern Territory, Australia. A station hand, who wished to remain anonymous, observed the object hovering approximately 40 metres above cattle and wild horses on a remote station. The object was described as battleship grey, with a spinning top and a stationary, coffin-like box underneath. Misty gas, like steam, emanated from the bottom of the UFO. The witness managed to take two photographs of the object using a disposable camera. Ross Dowe, a spokesman for the Melbourne-based Peacemaker Project, provided this information and expected to receive the photographs by the end of the week. This incident was the second claimed UFO sighting in the Northern Territory within five days, following reports of strange-shaped lights flying in formation over Darwin.

Mystery Figure Encounter

Separate from UFO phenomena, the newsletter details intriguing reports of a 'mystery figure' seen near Melodale, Australia, in late 1994. The Centre has been following up on reports from this area for over 10 years, with encounters dating back to the 1940s. A witness couple were returning home around 9 to 10 pm when the wife saw a dark, elongated shape, about 1.8 metres tall, with a fuzzy definition, passing just above the ground. The husband later saw a similar figure, described as intensely black and resembling a milk bottle with a rounded top, atop a mown dam wall. The figure glided across the ground, a roadway, and a lawn, passing only 2 metres from the witness. The husband heard a sound like a soft breeze. Similar reports were made to the Centre in the early 1980s from the same area.

Extraterrestrial Encounter in Patagonia, Argentina

An account from Carmen de Patagones, Argentina, describes a 65-year-old rancher, Oscar Zavaleta, who claimed to have been plucked from a fog-shrouded pasture and swept away by an extraterrestrial, only to find himself on another property. Zavaleta stated that an extraterrestrial appeared to him in a field on July 14th. He described seeing a face with long, copper-coloured hair. He had not made the event public earlier, fearing disbelief.

UFO Probe over English Channel

A UFO sighting over the English Channel is to be investigated by the European Parliament. A British admiral, Admiral of the Fleet Lord Hill-Norton, endorsed claims that a fast-moving triangular craft was seen flying near the Kent coast. The object was tracked by radar, and Lord Hill-Norton described the story as "very convincing."

TUFOIC Membership and Publications

The newsletter also includes information about TUFOIC (The Unidentified Flying Object Centre), a serious-minded civilian organisation based in Hobart, Tasmania. TUFOIC investigates UFO reports scientifically and objectively, making information available through its publications and a computerised Database file called TASCAT. Membership is open to anyone interested in the UFO subject. The organisation also offers a publications-only subscription. Details are provided for various TUFOIC publications, including UFO sighting catalogues, landing compilations, and report magazines covering specific incidents and regions in Tasmania. Subscription rates for within Australia and other countries are listed, along with information on postage.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are UFO sightings, mysterious aerial phenomena, and unexplained encounters. The AFU Newsletter, through its reporting of these incidents, appears to maintain an open but investigative stance, presenting eyewitness accounts and official investigations without drawing firm conclusions, emphasizing the need for extensive research.