UFO Allehenda - 1991 No 1

Magazine Overview

This issue of UFO (Nr 1, 1991) is the member magazine of Enköpings UFO-förening, aiming to provide current information to its members. It is published three times a year by the board. The cover features a dramatic illustration of a soldier facing a hovering craft, with figures interacting with it, and the headline 'Välkomna till vårfesten' (Welcome to our party).

Editorial and Membership Information

The magazine opens with information about the Enköpings UFO-förening, including its club location at 'Den lilla röda stugan' near the Ulunda crossroads. Contact details, including a postgiro number (67 81 27-2) and postal address (Box 350, 199 03 Enköping), are provided. Local phone numbers for the clubhouse are also listed. A reminder is given for members to renew their subscriptions for 1991, with various membership fees outlined: 100 Kr for families, 60 Kr for individuals, 40 Kr for 16-20 year olds, and 10 Kr for 0-16 year olds.

Contents of the Issue

• The issue's content includes:
• Information from the association
• A summary of UFO reports from 1990
• Program for the spring party and flea market
• Press clippings
• Report from the UFO-Sverige National Meeting
• 'Ivar's column'

Club Activities and Social Events

There's a mention of preparing for a spring party. The club has been experiencing low attendance at meetings due to economic constraints. A lecture by Editor Håkan Ekstrand is planned for April 17th, with the Sala interdisciplinary association also attending. The magazine notes a visit to Sala on March 19th, where they met Riksdagsman Anders Gernant, who was praised for his expertise. The visit was described as a 'pleasant evening'.

UFO-Sverige National Meeting

The UFO-Sverige National Meeting was held on April 6th, with 50 delegates from across Sweden. The Siljansringen UFO-förening hosted the event, and the next meeting is announced to be in Kungälv. The meeting resulted in a partial change in leadership for UFO-Sverige: Bernt Berglund stepped down and was replaced by Clas Svan from Stockholm. Barbro Magnusson from Nyköping became the new treasurer, taking over from Eva Andersson. Jörgen and Arnold from Enköping were appointed as board members. The magazine expresses gratitude to Bernt Berglund for his significant efforts in establishing UFO-Sverige.

The public part of the meeting included three lectures. Clas Svan spoke on 'Misinterpretations and False UFO Photos', which disappointed some attendees who expected discussions on current UFO cases. Bertil Kuleman presented on the 'mysterious circles in England'. Sten Lindgren spoke about contacts with 'Space Brothers'. The report notes that the Enköping representatives were not present for Lindgren's talk.

A spring party, combined with a flea market, is scheduled for May 11th. Members are encouraged to donate unwanted items to the club on Wednesday evenings or by calling.

UFO Reports from 1990

The core of this issue is the detailed review of UFO reports received by UFO-Sverige in 1990. The report central received approximately 120 reports, with about 70 attributed to rocket launches. The presented list includes only cases investigated by UFO-Sverige's field researchers.

Key Incidents and Observations:

• February 28, 1990 (Töllsjö/Bollebygd): An observer in a car reported a 'strange object' that rapidly increased speed, stopped about 200 meters away, hovered, and then descended slowly. It had an orange underside and evoked an uneasy feeling.
• April 1990 (Ludvika): Helga Mässing observed a large red sphere, larger than the full moon, behind a tree. It moved away and diminished over 15 minutes.
• December 28, 1990 (Äppelbo): Julia Toivanen saw a bright light outside her window, described as a clear light that seemed about to land. It disappeared behind a forest.
• August 1-2, 1990 (Stockholm): Malin Andersson reported a metallic object, about two decimeters long, with red, green, and blue lights and a faint buzzing sound, hovering above her head. It disappeared after a few seconds.
• October 7, 1990 (Arvika): Rose-Marie Sävström described a large flash and an object with a strong blue-white glow, stationary at first, then flying away at high speed. The object had a flat bottom and a dome-shaped top.
• November 20, 1990 (Orrefors): Three boys claimed to have encountered four 'ugly' alien creatures in a playground, and one saw their 'ship'. Parents also reported seeing unidentified objects. The account is noted as potentially exaggerated.

Bolides (Fireballs) over Sweden:

The issue highlights several bright bolide (fireball) sightings in 1990. Notably, two caused numerous reports in October: one on October 7th (21:00) and another on October 24th (19:06). The October 7th bolide traveled across Sweden and into Norway, with a loud explosion heard widely. Some parts were reported to have fallen to the ground.

Report Handling and Classification:

The magazine details the process of handling UFO reports, from initial contact with observers to investigation by field researchers and assessment by the report central. Reports are classified as 'UFO' (unidentified), 'IFO' (identified, e.g., meteors, planes), or 'svårbedömd' (difficult to assess) if information is insufficient. The collected reports are archived at AFU (Arkivet för UFO-forskning) in Norrköping.

Statistical Overview of Reports:

In 1990, UFO-Sverige received around 120 reports, with rocket launches accounting for about 70. Of the 56 non-rocket reports, most were explained. The distribution of reports across Sweden shows Dalarna leading with 21 reports, though 16 were identified as IFO. Other regions with significant reports include Småland (5), Västergötland (4), and Norrbotten, Närke, Uppland, Värmland, Skåne/Halland, Västerbotten, and Södermanland (all with 3 reports).

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently emphasizes the systematic investigation and analysis of UFO phenomena. It aims to provide factual information to its members, distinguishing between confirmed sightings, misidentifications, and genuinely unexplained cases. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious inquiry into the UFO subject, promoting scientific methods and data collection through UFO-Sverige's network. There is a clear effort to debunk common sightings while acknowledging the existence of unexplained events. The publication also serves as a platform for social interaction among members, with announcements of parties and meetings.

This issue of UFO-Sveriges Rapportcentral from 1990 focuses on UFO sightings and related phenomena, with a particular emphasis on eyewitness accounts of fireballs and explanations for visible Soviet rocket launches. The magazine also touches upon historical UFO cases, the work of UFO research organizations, and includes a section on a flea market.

Eyewitness Accounts of Fireballs

The issue begins with descriptions of similar fireball sightings. Gunnar Byström from Brättne reported seeing a rocket-like object at high altitude moving west, which then "dissolved into a cloud of multi-colored stars" after increasing in brightness, followed by a distant rumble. Another sighting on October 24th along the eastern coast of Sweden by Ingvar Claeson described a red-yellow object with a sharp green front edge moving rapidly across the sky for about a second. Claeson estimated its size as one-third of the moon's apparent diameter and noted that it split into small sparks, with a small white sphere falling towards the earth. This same fireball was also observed from Söderhamn and Umeå. Flight controller Leif Lundquist from Umeå Airport described following a light phenomenon that appeared suddenly to the south, moving quickly and green, visible for 5-10 seconds. Docent Bertil Lindblad of Lund, an authority on the subject, confirmed these were likely fireballs, explaining that the green color is due to the bright white light causing a refractive error in the eye, making it appear green, unlike meteors which are not as bright.

Lindblad states that Earth is hit by one or two fireballs daily, with about ten observed annually in Sweden.

Soviet Rocket Launches

The magazine then shifts to discuss Soviet rocket launches from the Plesetsk cosmodrome, located 100 miles east of Archangelsk. These launches, which began in the late 1960s, have reportedly caused a significant number of UFO reports. Two particular launches in 1990 garnered significant press attention.

The first, on September 29th at 03:30, was visible locally between Sundsvall and Ömsköldsvik. Fishermen Lennart Bystedt and Bengt Norberg described seeing a red light point in the dark sky that moved towards their boats with extreme speed before braking abruptly, emitting a powerful cone-shaped light beam. A green cloud remained, and observers mistakenly estimated the distance as 200 meters, when it was actually over 100 miles east. The launch was also visible from Vasa, Finland.

The second launch occurred on November 30th at 06:00 and was even more spectacular, visible across Sweden from Haparanda to Karlskrona, and from Strömstad to Gävle. It was also observed and photographed from Finland. The descriptions were similar to the September 29th event.

The article explains that the visibility of these launches is due to the timing: the sun's rays illuminate the rocket and its exhaust gases at high altitudes, creating a bright phenomenon against the dark sky. The combination of illuminated exhaust and the dark background made the launches stand out in sharp relief.

Several other Soviet rocket launches were observed from Finland on June 27th, July 24th, September 4th, and September 13th, but these were not visible from Sweden. The September 29th and November 30th launches were visible from both countries.

Public speculation in the press ranged from atomic bombs and nuclear accidents to falling satellites, with some suggesting extraterrestrial visitors. However, many correctly identified them as rocket launches.

Historical UFO Cases and Research

The issue delves into historical UFO accounts, including the case of Kenneth Arnold in 1947, who described nine silver objects moving at high speed near Mount Rainier, leading to the term "flying saucer." The article mentions the US Air Force's investigation into UFOs through projects like "Project Sign," "Saucer," "Grudge," and "Blue Book." It also references a story about a supposed spaceship found on Spitsbergen, allegedly reported by Norwegian pilots and detailed in a German newspaper, though the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied the claims.

George Adamski and Cedric Allingham are mentioned as authors who gained fame by writing about encounters with extraterrestrials, Adamski with a "man from Venus" and Allingham with a "man from Mars." Their books, "Flying Saucers Have Landed" and "Flying Saucer From Mars - The Facts," are highlighted as significant works from the early 1950s.

UFO-Sveriges Events and Activities

The magazine reports on a lecture given by Claes Svahn at the 1991 RIKSSTÄMMA in Rättvik, where he discussed fake and authentic UFO images, including those by Adamski and Fry. Bertil Kuhleman also spoke about mysterious crop circles in English fields, suggesting they might be signs from an extraterrestrial civilization.

Sten Lindgren, a controversial figure, is discussed for his lectures where he claimed telepathic contact with an advanced extraterrestrial civilization. He alleged that he could order UFO phenomena and that "space brothers" were working on a plan involving Sweden, with significant events expected in 1990. The article expresses skepticism, noting that one of Lindgren's alleged "space brothers" was proven to be a fraud.

The issue also mentions Project U.R.D., which collects and statistically analyzes UFO reports.

Ivar's Column

Ivar's column discusses his activities as a beekeeper, including attending a beekeeping exhibition and his role in a committee addressing a bee disease called "Warrova." He humorously connects bee swarms behaving like UFOs to the main topic of the magazine.

He also mentions receiving a book from honorary member Uno Kopvillem, which deals with UFOs and is written in Russian. Kopvillem, from the Pacific Oceanological Institute in Vladivostok, sent the book as a review of Soviet researchers' activities in anomalous phenomena.

Other Content

A short, humorous anecdote titled "12 bottles of whisky" describes a convoluted and nonsensical process of pouring whisky, ending with a count of 29 or 74 items. The page also features an advertisement for "UFO-Aktuellt," described as Sweden's largest UFO magazine, providing subscription details and contact information.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are UFO sightings (specifically fireballs and rocket launches), the scientific and skeptical analysis of these phenomena, and the history of UFO research and reporting. The editorial stance appears to be one of presenting eyewitness accounts and expert opinions, while also maintaining a critical perspective, particularly regarding claims of direct contact with extraterrestrials and the potential for hoaxes. The magazine aims to inform readers about UFO-related events and research, encouraging critical thinking and further investigation.