UFO Magazine News Bulletin issue 19

Magazine Overview

Title: UFO MAGAZINE NEWS BULLETIN
Issue: 19
Date: February, 1979
Publisher: Not specified
Country: USA
Language: English
Price: $2.00 for six issues

This issue of the UFO MAGAZINE NEWS BULLETIN, published bi-monthly from Cleveland, Ohio, focuses on an update regarding the alleged filming of UFOs over New Zealand and presents several recent UFO sighting reports from the United States. The publication supports the aims of the National UFO Conference.

Update on the New Zealand Movie

This section, written by Robert S. Easley, details the alleged filming of a UFO by David Fogarty and his film crew on December 30, 1978, while flying over Kaikoura, New Zealand. The film was of such interest that CBS television broadcast parts of it. Bill Startup, the pilot, described sighting "bright globules of light pulsating and expanding and lighting up the town of Kaikoura." Those on board observed objects that came closer, including one described as saucer-shaped with a dome, and another as egg-shaped with white lights. At one point, the pilot and crew reported seeing 25 UFOs surrounding the plane. Air Traffic Control in Wellington confirmed picking up unknown objects on radar in the vicinity, with as many as ten at a time. William Spaulding of Ground Saucer Watch analyzed the film using computer enhancement techniques: Edge Enhancement, Color Enhancement Profiling, and Image Enhancement/Digitizing. Following this analysis, Ground Saucer Watch concluded that the photograph taken of the alleged UFO over New Zealand was likely not a light reflection from Japanese squid fishermen, as some had suggested.

Recent UFO Sightings

This section details several recent UFO sightings:

• November 8, 1978 - Greenfield, Indiana, USA: Cathy Wilfong, Cindy Bridges, and Mrs. Joe Wilfong reported a 100-foot-long, gray-greenish UFO with two bright white lights and one red light, divided into three sections, with wings and described as an "inverted saucer." It hovered silently about 60 feet above the ground for approximately 12 minutes. The next morning, a perfect circle 44 feet in diameter was found in a soybean field, with the vegetation crushed to within six inches of the ground. Police initially suggested a helicopter, but The Center for UFO Studies noted other similar sightings in the area.
• January 4, 1979 - Winter Haven, Florida, USA: Police officer Ron Perdue reported a bright, round object, nearly the size of a house (about 150 feet in diameter), hovering for 2.5 to 3 minutes. It had a steady glow with a bright red stripe through the center and illuminated the ground. It then rose straight up and moved rapidly southeast. Police officer David May and twelve civilians also reported seeing a large bright light.
• January 4, 1979 - Nashville, Tennessee, USA: Police officer Mike Smith reported sighting two circular UFOs with red, blue, green, yellow, and white lights hovering about 5000 feet above the city. 14 other police officers confirmed the sighting. Metro Nashville Airport reported no planes or weather balloons in the area, and helicopter pilot Sgt. Doug Johnson stated he had never seen any aircraft like them. The objects hovered for 45 minutes before disappearing.
• January 6, 1979 - Mamaroneck, New York, USA: Edgemont High School wrestling coach Vincent Wynds and two players reported a UFO hovering briefly. It was described as a transparent triangular configuration with brilliant red, green, and yellow lights at the corners. It became transparent for a moment, then reappeared as a pentagon-shaped object with yellow and orange lights before speeding off towards New York City.
• January 15, 1979 - Charlotte, North Carolina, USA: Four sheriff's deputies pursued a mysterious light for 10 miles down U.S. Route 321. The light appeared to lift suddenly and disappear. Deputies Ron Simmons and Phil Hubbard described a big white light, much higher than a tall tree, which flickered red and green. They contacted Hudson police officer Dewey Haynes.

Around And About The Saucer World

This column by Rick R. Hilberg discusses an unusual flyer received by Bob Easley from Samisdat Publishers in Toronto. The flyer promoted an expedition to discover "Hitler's secret flying saucer bases" at the South Pole for $9999.00, requiring disclosure of "ethnic origin." Hilberg and Easley found this offer to be a "crackpot" and racist propaganda. More concerningly, they discovered a NICAP mailing label underneath Bob's label on the envelope. Hilberg expresses dismay that NICAP, which he describes as a "pitiful shell of its former self," might have sold its mailing list to such a group, calling it a "very serious breach of judgement" and a "dangerous brand of hate."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently reports on UFO sightings and investigations, emphasizing witness testimony and photographic analysis. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious inquiry into the UFO phenomenon, while also being critical of organizations that engage in questionable practices, such as the alleged sale of mailing lists to groups promoting racist ideologies. The publication aims to provide factual reporting and analysis within the field of ufology.