UFO Intelligence Newsletter - 1995 08 August

Magazine Overview

This is a special edition of the "UFO Intelligence Newsletter" published by the UFO FILTER CENTER, dated August 1995. The issue is dedicated to "National UFO Information Week" and serves as Indiana's annual status report to various organizations and the public. Francis L. Ridge is the Director & Editor.

National UFO Information Week

The newsletter highlights the 48th year of the "UFO Era" and the ongoing efforts to understand UFO mysteries. National UFO Information Week, from August 12-20, 1995, is sponsored by MUFON, CUFOS, and FUFOR. The Indiana Group, the state's MUFON component, led by Francis L. Ridge, aims to inform the public and encourage reporting of significant sightings, with confidentiality assured. The state hotline is (812) 838-9843. Ridge's extensive background in UFO research, starting in 1960 with NICAP and later with MUFON, is detailed. The Indiana Group comprises about 150 members, including a Rapid Deployment Team of 44 Field Investigators.

Cases Currently Under Investigation

The Indiana Group is actively investigating 23 cases, with three pending assignment. These include 15 close encounters and 10 distant cases. The most significant case is the Mongo, IN, photos from August 31, 1994, featuring a saturn-shaped craft witnessed by over 10 people. The investigation is in its tenth month, with analysis of photos by Dr. Richard Haines in Los Altos, California, pending.

Special Work at UFO Filter Center

The UFO Filter Center (UFOFC) maintains the National Sighting Information Database (NSID), logging UFO intelligence from across the U.S. and producing a monthly report. This project began in 1986 with CUFOS and focuses on current activity rather than a comprehensive national survey.

U.S. Sighting Trends

In 1994, UFOFC logged 282 entries, including crop circle reports and fireball reports. The current year (1995) had 81 entries by July 15th, with a typical two-month lag in data receipt. A stacked bar graph illustrates U.S. entries from January 1991 to December 1994, differentiating between close and distant encounters.

Major Investigation: Roswell

The Roswell, New Mexico crash/retrieval case remains a significant media interest. The incident occurred shortly after the nuclear age began. A wave of sightings in 1947 preceded the crash. The Air Force, under pressure, explained the debris as part of a "Mogul" project, a claim questioned by researchers who note that the explanation does not account for witness reports. The newsletter dismisses the "Mogul" balloon configuration as easily recognizable.

Regional Sightings

The UFO Filter Center also maintains a Regional Sighting Information Database (RSID) since 1970, covering a six-state region including Indiana, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. This database contains over 4,000 entries from 1897 to the present. Mr. Ridge produced a book, "Regional Encounters: The FC Files," documenting this effort.

UFO vs. IFO

An IFO (Identified Flying Object) is an object that has been explained. A UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) remains unexplained after investigation.

Types of Sightings

Relatively Distant Sightings:
1. Nocturnal Lights (NL): Lights in the night sky with unexplainable appearance or motion, often red, orange, or white. Generally lack sufficient data for scientific study.
2. Daylight Discs (DD): Daytime sightings of oval or disc-shaped metallic objects, often hovering and capable of disappearing at high speed. Rarer than nighttime sightings.
3. Radar/Visuals (RV): Reports of radar contact coinciding with visual sightings.
4. Uncorrelated Targets (UT): Radar contacts with anomalous objects without visual confirmation.

Relatively Close Sightings (Within 200 Yards):
1. Close Encounters of the First Kind (CE-1): Witness observes a UFO nearby but no interaction.
2. Close Encounters of the Second Kind (CE-2): Reported interaction between the UFO and the environment, causing interference, imprints, burns, or physical effects on plants, animals, and humans. Vehicle interference is a notable subset.
3. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (CE-3): Entities generally of a humanlike appearance (humanoids) reported in or associated with the UFO, without direct contact or communication. These are rare, representing less than 1.7% of regional data.
4. Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind (CE-4): UFO abductions, involving temporary detainment of witnesses. The term "experiencer" is suggested. Statistics are difficult to compile due to lack of timely filing. The causative factor may not always be UFO-related.

Secret Weapons or UFOs?

Many current reports fall into "Category 9" sightings, describing objects shaped like "stingrays" and "boomerangs." These objects are large, silent, and can travel at low speeds. Reports began in the Hudson Valley in the early 1980s and spread globally. Unidentified aircraft-like objects are listed as "OWLS" (Objects With Lights).

What Are UFOs?

While some European views consider UFO phenomena as folklore, the U.S. perspective includes "nuts and bolts" (ET), "earthlights," "plasmas," and "parallel universes." The physical reality of UFOs is supported by over 130,000 sightings listed on computer, along with physical evidence like ground imprints.

What's Going On?

The first documented UFO crash coincided with the atomic age. UFOs have shown interest in fossil fuels and military bases, with incidents like low-level car chases and vehicle system disablements in 1957. Landings became more common in 1964. Major UFO waves have coincided with significant global events, such as the 1973 OPEC oil embargo and the 1978 Middle East Crisis. The newsletter asserts that some UFOs are real, high-performance vehicles that outperform current human technology, raising questions about their origin and purpose.

State of UFology (Letter from Bruno Molon)

Bruno Molon expresses concern about the current state of ufology, suggesting a need for serious researchers to reassess existing knowledge. He posits that UFOs represent a physical phenomenon with quasi-physical properties, and the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis (ETH) offers the most sober scientific explanation. He references Marjorie Fish's work on the Hill star map and discusses the possibility of UFOs originating from a nearby stellar cluster.

Indiana Research Publications

Information is provided on two publications: "Regional Encounters: The FC Files" (a 170-page book on regional UFO activity) and the "UFO Intelligence Newsletter" itself (an eight-page newsletter with a UFO Intelligence Summary sighting listing). Ordering details are included.

UFO Intelligence Summary

This section presents a list of isolated new UFO sighting entries prior to the current summary, including date, time, city, state, object characteristics, sound, duration, a brief description, and the source. This list includes entries from September 1994 to May 1995, covering various locations across the U.S.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently promotes the idea that UFOs are real, physical phenomena, often of non-human origin (ETH). It emphasizes the importance of rigorous investigation, data collection (through databases like NSID), and public awareness. The editorial stance is pro-research, encouraging the reporting of sightings and the scientific study of UFOs, while also acknowledging the challenges and debates within the field. There is a clear distinction made between identified and unidentified objects, and a focus on the physical evidence supporting the reality of UFOs.