TUFOIC Newsletter - No 094 - October 2003

Magazine Overview

Title: TUFOIC NEWSLETTER
Issue: 94
Volume: October 2003 Edition
Date: October 2003
Publisher: TUFOIC
Country: Australia
Language: English

This issue of the TUFOIC Newsletter focuses on UFO sightings and related phenomena in Tasmania, covering both recent events in 2003 and historical cases. The publication aims to investigate, document, and disseminate information on UFO reports.

Year to Date (2003) Sightings

The newsletter opens by noting that the sighting drought of 2002 has continued into the current year, with few unexplained cases reported. Several recent reports are detailed:

• Triangle Formation Lights: Reports of three star-like lights moving in a triangle formation were investigated and identified as being caused by the United States Navy's Naval Ocean Surveillance System, which uses three sets of three satellites to track military ships.
• Meteor Burn-ups: May and June saw several significant meteor burn-ups over Tasmania, with the June 18th event being reported in the Hobart Mercury.
• Southern Tasmanian Family Video: A family in Southern Tasmania filmed several lights over a period of time. Upon investigation, it was determined that these were caused by scintillating stars, which are a common source of calls to the Centre during winter months.

Historical Cases and Investigations

The newsletter delves into historical UFO reports, highlighting the ongoing work of TUFOIC and other organizations.

• Disclosure Australia Project: This project is underway from its Secretariat in Adelaide, with a website (HTTP://DISCLOSURE.FREEW EBPAGE.ORG) providing information. Action has been taken to search records held by the National Archives of Australia.
• TUFOIC Mentions: TUFOIC has been mentioned in recent articles in 'The Ufologist' magazine, which has featured special articles on UFO phenomena in Australia, including the Melodale events from the early eighties with photographs.
• Loss of Executive Members: The newsletter notes a negative aspect: the loss of three Executive members earlier in the year due to moving out of the state, with Janis and Hanna being commended for stepping in to fill the gaps.

Specific Sightings Detailed

Several detailed sighting reports are presented:

• 1954. Summer. 05.30. Oyster Cove: A young girl witnessed a silver oval UFO with a dome and red/white lights while assisting her father with milking. Her father photographed the object, and men in dark blue serge jackets later visited, demanding the negatives, though he refused to hand them over. The negatives were later destroyed in a bushfire.
• 1983. Night. King Island: A witness and a friend observed a round white light above a hill, which travelled fast at treetop height, slowed, stopped, moved upwards, then departed north at high speed.
• 2003. March 3. 4.50pm. Swansea: Two witnesses fishing saw a bright silver spherical object with a dark shadow moving silently north over the water. It had no wings or tails and disappeared in the northern sky.
• 2003. March 31. 9.15pm. Tunbridge: A motorist saw two bright white flashing lights side-by-side that moved as one and streaked downward like a shooting star. These lights were later obscured by terrain.
• 2003. June 24. 3.00am. Kingston: Two observers saw an object that appeared as a circular disc, then a cone, with lights changing intensity and color. The object was captured on video, though the quality is poor.
• 2003. June 27. 5.45am. Powranna: A witness observed a bright blue light behind his vehicle that maintained position and did not emit glare. The light disappeared when the highway ahead was clear.

History from the Files

This section revisits early UFO cases, particularly those in Tasmania:

• February 1942: The crew of a RAAF Bristol Beaufort aircraft encountered a UFO over Bass Strait. The object, described as a glistening bronze color, approximately 45m long with a 15m diameter dome, flew parallel to the aircraft before diving into the ocean, creating a whirlpool.
• February 1944: The crew of another Beaufort aircraft flying at 1400m reported electromagnetic effects from a UFO. A dark shadow appeared alongside the aircraft, about 35m away, while the Beaufort was travelling at 400 kph. The object had a flickering light and flame from its rear, paced the plane for 20 minutes, and caused all radio and direction-finding instruments to fail before accelerating away at three times the aircraft's speed. The pilot's report was reportedly met with disbelief.
• October 1951. Burnie: A Cooee resident and his son saw a dazzling object flying higher and faster than an aeroplane, zig-zagging and diving. They could not discern a shape but noted it hovered at one stage.
• January 1st 1951 (approx): Another saucer was reported over North West Tasmania. Three members of the Wynyard Aero Club saw a dark object circling Mt Hicks at high speed, varying in shape from round to elliptical.
• September 27, 1957: A strong white light was sighted east of Launceston Airport Tower, moving south at DC3 aircraft speed. Hobart Airport Tower was alerted, and radar detected an echo approaching from the north at 30k distance and 3000m elevation. The echo continued south, then burst of speed and disintegrated.

TUFOIC Objectives and Publications

The newsletter outlines the objectives of TUFOIC: to investigate Tasmanian UFO reports, publish UFO details, maintain a UFO database, and distribute authentic information. Membership is open to all who support these aims. It also lists available TUFOIC publications for sale, including catalogues of Tasmanian UFO sightings and specific documented cases.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the ongoing investigation of UFO phenomena in Tasmania, the importance of documenting both contemporary sightings and historical cases, and the challenges faced in verifying and explaining these events. The editorial stance appears to be one of diligent investigation and information dissemination, encouraging public participation and providing resources for further research. There is an emphasis on distinguishing between known phenomena (like stars and satellites) and genuinely unexplained events, while also acknowledging the historical significance of early RAAF encounters and other documented cases.