The UFO Enigma - 2000 03 - Volume 20 no 7

Magazine Overview

Title: The UFO Enigma
Issue Date: March 2000
Publisher: UFO Study Group of Greater St. Louis
Type: Magazine Issue

This issue of The UFO Enigma, a publication of the UFO Study Group of Greater St. Louis, covers a variety of UFO-related topics, including upcoming meetings, recent sightings, skeptical analyses, legal battles, and research into abduction evidence.

Meeting Announcement

The UFO Study Group of Greater St. Louis announced its March meeting to be held on Sunday, March 12, 2000, at 2 PM at the Schnucks Store in Webster Groves. The program will feature Jim Kross, Chief Field Investigator for MUFON of Missouri, who will discuss UFO happenings in Missouri, older UFO cases, and the holistic approach to UFO investigations, supplemented with slides and audio tapes. The meeting includes an introduction of officers, a welcome to visitors, and an open discussion of UFO cases and related happenings. The group also thanked former President John Schroeder for stepping in as a substitute speaker and announced that Keith Preston is rescheduled for the April meeting. Arnold Pryor, the program chairman, was credited for increasing attendance.

UFO Sightings

Chesapeake Bay, July 14, 1952

This section recounts a sighting on July 14, 1952, where a Pan American Airways DC-4 pilot, William Nash, and copilot William Fortenberry witnessed six fast-moving discs flying at 8,000 feet above Chesapeake Bay. Two more UFOs joined them, and all eight disappeared to the west. Using navigation equipment, they calculated the UFOs' speed at an incredible 12,000 mph. Blue Book investigators interviewed ground witnesses and declared the incident unexplained.

Illinois UFO Sighting and Skeptical Analysis

This issue delves into the January 5, 2000, UFO incident in Millstadt, Illinois, where police officer Craig Stevens and three other officers reported seeing a large triangular object. The article contrasts this with the skeptical viewpoint of Professor Peter Ward of the University of Washington, who, along with Dr. Donald Brownlee, co-authored the book "Rare Earth." Ward, appearing on FOX-TV's "O'Reilly Factor," suggested that the government has been hiding information and that scientists have largely dismissed UFO sightings. He advised moving on from such reports.

When pressed by O'Reilly about scientists who believe in UFOs, Ward stated he knew of none in his circles. He also discussed the low probability of intelligent ET life in the universe, focusing on the scarcity of even simple life forms.

The article then focuses on Philip J. Klass, a prominent UFO debunker, who claims the Illinois witnesses saw the planet Venus. Klass, known for his decades-long work in debunking UFO claims, has published extensively on the subject. He cites Allan Hendry's "The UFO Handbook," which noted that nearly 28% of UFO sightings reported to CUFOS were identified as planets or stars (IFOs). Klass also highlights Hendry's finding that law enforcement officers had a high rate (94%) of misidentifying celestial objects.

Klass quotes Jacques Vallee stating that Venus has been most frequently misinterpreted as a 'Flying Saucer.' He argues that honest witnesses can be mistaken, especially at night. Klass points out that Venus was rising in the southeast at the time of the Illinois sightings and that the principal witness described the object as a 'bright star...awful low.'

CNI News communicated with Klass, who genuinely believes his Venus explanation. He also cited an example from J. Allen Hynek's "The UFO Experience" where the Condon study investigated reports in Georgia of a UFO, later identified as Venus, with Jupiter as a secondary object. Hynek noted that Venus could be mistaken for a UFO by police officers.

However, the article questions Klass's explanation for the Illinois sightings, noting that Venus was not visible to witnesses at 4 am, when the main sightings occurred. Klass humorously suggested Boeing might have been flight-testing a secret revolutionary airliner. CNI News remains unconvinced that Venus or any other celestial body could explain the Illinois sightings.

UFO Roundup: Silbury Hill, UK

This section reports on a mysterious sighting on February 20, 2000, near Silbury Hill in Wiltshire, UK. Driver Clive Stevens described seeing flashing lights forming a flattened oval shape, resembling a 'flying saucer,' with blinking red, white, green, and blue lights. He noted the area's reputation for crop circles and that the lights appeared to be on top of the hill. Stevens, a military historian, doubted it was a helicopter or hoax, suggesting the lights were designed to confuse radar. He also mentioned his telephone line went down that weekend, which BT attributed to an exterior line fault.

Silbury Hill is described as an ancient earthen pyramid, approximately 4,000 years old, possibly a burial site. The article draws a resemblance between Silbury Hill and the pyramid of Cuicuilco in Mexico.

Sightings: US Judge Sides With UFO Activist Group Against DOD

This report details a legal development in Washington, D.C., where a U.S. District Court Judge in Phoenix sided with the UFO activist group Citizens Against UFO Secrecy (CAUS) in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the Department of Defense (DoD). CAUS attorney Peter A. Gersten argued that the DoD's search for information on massive, black, triangular craft with extraordinary flight characteristics lacked "good faith." The judge declined to dismiss the case and ordered the DoD to provide additional affidavits detailing its search methods. CAUS is one of many groups advocating for government disclosure on UFO/ET phenomena.

Filer's Files: New Physical Evidence of Abductions

This section presents research by Dr. William C. Levengood, reported by Marilyn Ruben of Alien Abduction Experience and Research, on trace physical evidence of alien abductions. Microscopic glassy particles have been found in household dust of individuals claiming abduction experiences, but not in dust from control locations. These particles vary in shape, including hollow spheres and "pseudo crystals," and are amber in color, ranging from 1 micron or larger. Dr. Levengood is continuing his research.

Nancy Talbot of BLT Research confirms the preliminary findings, noting that the exploratory investigation requires extensive microscopic analysis. She states that similar particles have been found in white deposited material at crop formation sites and in material from UFO trace cases. BLT Research is conducting a long-term evaluation, but has no opinion on the origin of these particles at this time.

UFO Roundup: California Experimental Aircraft?

This report details a contact's observations near Edwards Air Force Base on February 8, 2000. Billy Dee reported seeing a strange object with randomly changing lights (red, green, white, or none) that abruptly reversed course and flew directly overhead. He described it as a small ultralight with an open cockpit, fixed wings, and an engine behind the cockpit, with a pole projecting forward and lights on the wings and rear. The lights' configurations changed constantly, leading to speculation that they might be testing various light configurations to confuse enemy radar, especially with the advent of stealth aircraft.

UFO Roundup: San Francisco Sighting

On January 30, 2000, a boat captain near Farlon Island reported seeing a huge triangular object with no sound, illuminated by a beam of white light. He fired his rifle at the object, hitting the light. A hatch opened, and two people yelled at him to stop shooting. A helicopter then emerged from the object and took a picture of him. The captain now believes it was an experimental military platform for transporting black helicopters, describing it as a "silent floating triangle the size of a football field."

UFO Roundup: Mystery Van in Arizona

On February 3, 2000, a dentist in Tucson, Arizona, spotted an unusual white van with Georgia license plates in a mall parking lot. The van had "UFO FIELD INTERCEPT TEAM" written on the back, along with a website address. This van had previously appeared in Warsaw, Indiana, and Lake Charles, Louisiana. The operator and purpose of the van are unknown.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue include the persistent investigation of UFO phenomena, the ongoing debate between skeptical analysis and proponent viewpoints, the search for physical evidence related to UFOs and abductions, and the role of government transparency in UFO-related matters. The magazine appears to present a balanced approach, featuring reports on sightings and research alongside skeptical analyses and legal challenges, aiming to inform readers about the complexities and ongoing developments in the field of ufology.

Title: The UFO Enigma
Issue Date: March 2000
Publisher: MUFON Skywatch Investigations
Content Focus: This issue, specifically Filer's Files #6-2000, details reports of unusually large unidentified flying objects (UFOs) sighted in Canada and Alaska.

Canada and Alaska Giant UFO

The primary article in this issue, sourced from the MUFON Journal of February 2000, discusses a massive UFO sighting over Fox Lake in the Yukon Territory, Canada, on December 11, 1996. The craft was described by 22 witnesses and appeared circular, resembling a walnut in drawn depictions. Triangulation calculations and witness testimony suggested the object was between half a mile and over a mile in diameter, a size far exceeding any known terrestrial flying objects.

The author, George A. Filer, MUFON Eastern Director, notes that this type of sighting significantly influenced his own interest in UFOs. He recounts the well-known incident involving Captain Kanji Teach and Japanese airline Flight 1628 on November 17, 1986. During this flight, the crew observed unusual lights accompanying their 747 aircraft, which approached very closely. They caught a brief glimpse of a large, walnut-shaped object, estimating its size to be "two times bigger than an aircraft carrier or 2,000 feet long." The pilot was instructed by air traffic control to descend and make turns, but the object continued to follow the plane for 32 minutes before disappearing.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) acknowledged that the objects were tracked on radar but stated they were not registered on the radar tapes. An FAA investigation found the flight crews involved to be normal and rational. Filer, who has experience flying the Pacific Ocean route, mentions that other TWA pilots flying south along the Alaskan Coast also reported seeing the same large UFO.

Filer emphasizes the importance of checking for other aircraft in the vicinity during verified airborne sightings. He notes that while airline pilots are generally discouraged from speaking to the media, they often share information with investigators. The FAA is typically reluctant to admit to tracking UFOs on radar, often diverting pilots to avoid mid-air collisions rather than acknowledging the presence of an unidentified object.

The article concludes by suggesting that this "huge walnut UFO" has reappeared. The combination of aircrew and 22 ground witnesses describing a craft of such immense size leads to the conclusion that it is unlikely to be of Earthly origin. Filer encourages readers to obtain the MUFON Journal to read the full account of this story, which was written by Martin Jasek, a civil engineer and MUFON investigator.

Local UFO Group Meetings

Page 12 of the magazine provides listings for local UFO study groups and their meeting schedules:

• UFO STUDY GROUP OF GREATER ST. LOUIS: Meets regularly on the second Sunday of the month at 2 PM at Schnucks Station Rest., 3650 Big Bend, Webster Groves, MO 63119. Contact Spence Wolling at 966-4955 or Walter Palmer at 771-0173 for more information.
• MUFON MISSOURI-ST. CHARLES, MO.: Regular meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 PM at the Holiday Inn Select, 4221 South Outer Rd., St. Peters, MO. Contact Bruce Widaman at 946-1394.
• MUFON OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS: Meetings are at 2 PM on the third Sunday of the month, now held at the Ponderosa Steak House in Collinsville. Directions are provided from St. Louis via I-55-70 east to Illinois 157, then a short distance to an overhead sign indicating "Police left," followed by a left turn. Contact Forest Crawford at (618)-345-0554.

UFO Study Group of Greater St. Louis, Inc. Officers and Board

The issue also lists the officers and board of directors for the UFO Study Group of Greater St. Louis, Inc. for the 1999-2000 period:

• Officers: Walter Palmer (President), Spencer Wolling (Vice-President), Margaret Myers (Treasurer), Walter Palmer (Secretary), Spencer Wolling (Librarian), Frank Brown (Marshall).
• Board of Directors: Spencer Wolling, Walter Palmer, Margaret Myers, Frank Brown, John Schroeder, Walter Rogers, Arnold Pryor.
• Chief Field Investigator: David Rapp
• Editor Enigma: (Name not specified)

An address for the UFO Study Group of Greater St. Louis, Inc. is provided as P.O. Box 31544, St. Louis, Missouri 63131. Another address for UHR is P. O. Box 176, Stoneham, MA 02180.

The organization is identified as a "NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO RESEARCH AND INVESTIGATION OF UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS (UFOS)."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme in this issue is the reporting and investigation of large-scale UFO phenomena, particularly focusing on a significant sighting in Canada. The editorial stance, as presented by George A. Filer, is one of serious inquiry into these events, encouraging readers to seek out detailed reports from investigators like Martin Jasek. The publication appears to align with the investigative goals of MUFON, aiming to document and analyze UFO sightings with a focus on witness credibility and physical evidence, while acknowledging the challenges in official reporting and radar confirmation.