UFO MAGAZINE NEWS BULLETIN

Magazine Overview

This issue of the UFO Magazine News Bulletin, published quarterly from Cleveland, Ohio, is dated Spring 1974. It is identified as Volume 1, Number 2, with a subscription price of $1.00 for four issues. Rick R. Hilberg serves as the editor and publisher. The bulletin announces that the 'great wave of UFO reports' has continued, forcing them to select only the most significant reports due to space limitations. They also mention receiving 'hidden reports' from before the main 'flap' but will delay publishing them to focus on the chronology of the fall UFO wave. The publication invites readers to submit comments and short investigation-related articles to foster a better understanding of UFO phenomena.

UFOs Visit Northern Ohio in Force (10/17/73)

The issue details a series of UFO sightings on the evening of October 17, 1973, in Northern Ohio. Reports began around 7:15 P.M. with an off-duty Akron patrolman, Henry Bertolini, describing an object hovering over his home with red and blue flashing lights, as large as a car. Simultaneously, Akron Police Sgt. A. W. Fields reported that patrolmen in Car 10 observed a hovering oblong object that rapidly sped away. Patrolmen Lee Frasher and Joseph Gause in Car 57 reported seeing a cigar-shaped object with two red glowing lights moving through the night sky, with Frasher, a former Army helicopter crew chief, stating it was not a chopper.

At the same time in Willoughby, five families reported a bright light over their homes followed by a loud explosion. Witness Wallace Zawacki noted his daughter saw a yellowish light. An investigation of the area found no evidence of an explosion, and Lost Nation Airport reported normal takeoffs and landings without any engine trouble.

William Grizer, driving home on Massillon Road, reported a 'thing' about half the size of his car hood landing on his car roof. He described it as 'solid white, with kind of a rainbow effect' and stated that after he hit his brakes, it lifted off, leaving four scratch marks on his car hood.

Central Ohio Reports Same Night (10/17/73)

Several reports also came from Central Ohio on the same night. Mrs. Atlee Schonauer of Millersburg described seeing a very bright white light that grew larger and brighter, moving sideways and disappearing behind a hill. She expressed being frightened and stated she would never again make fun of UFO reports.

An unidentified woman in Steubenville reported being temporarily blinded after looking at a large UFO that descended upon her house.

UFOs Visit Toledo, Ohio Area (10/18/73)

On October 18, 1973, reports emerged from the northwestern area of Ohio. Williams County Sheriff's deputies received calls around 3:00 A.M. from the Montpelier area describing a very bright, cigar-shaped UFO traveling slowly southwest. Toledo airport radar, however, detected nothing unusual.

A woman in Lakeside reported to Ottowa County Sheriff's deputies seeing a bright object over Lake Erie at 8:33 P.M. that started sparking and was followed by a loud blast, after which the object vanished. Two other residents also heard the blast. A white light was also witnessed hovering over the Catawba Island ferry dock.

A Landing in Sheffield Lake, Ohio? (10/18/73)

Boys playing football in Sheffield Lake reported a strange object at about 7:15 P.M. that may have touched down on the ground. Dave McCormick, 15, described it coming from the west, stopping over apartments, swinging back, and then going down behind them, displaying orange and yellow flashing lights. Tom Miller, who lives nearby, saw flashing red, white, and blue lights, similar to a fire truck.

The Coyne Incident (10/18/73)

This section details what is possibly the most significant report of the flap: a close encounter between an Army helicopter and a cigar-shaped UFO over Mansfield, Ohio. Captain Lawrence Coyne, the helicopter's commander, stated he decided to instruct his pilots not to take evasive actions, as UFOs had been harmless so far. While cruising at 2,500 feet, they spotted a distant red light that rapidly closed in. Coyne initiated a shallow power dive to evade, but the object was traveling in excess of 600 knots and was on a collision course. At 1,700 feet, Coyne braced for impact. The object stopped directly over them, described as a big, gray, metallic-looking hull about 60 feet long, shaped like an airfoil or a streamlined cigar. It had a red light on the front, a center dome, and a green light at the rear that swiveled like a spotlight, flooding the helicopter's cabin with green light and disabling instrument lights. During the encounter, all radios on the helicopter failed to transmit or receive. After the object moved west toward Lorain, the helicopter found itself at 3,500 feet, having climbed from 1,700 feet without G-forces or turbulence.

Pascagoula UFO Goes Underwater? (11/6/73)

Near Pascagoula, Mississippi, Raymond Ryan was fishing when he saw an underwater light that began following his boat on the Pascagoula River. He tried to beat the light away with an oar, but it only dimmed and appeared to submerge. Ryan later returned with his twin brother, Rayme, and they again poked at the light with oars. After no further developments, they reported the incident to the Coast Guard. At 9:40 P.M., the Coast Guard dispatched a boat to investigate an object in six feet of water, moving at 4-6 knots. Officers described it as an 'amber beam, 4-6 inches in diameter, attached to a bright metal object.' The object would disappear and reappear when they tried to snare it.

Advertisement

The back page includes an advertisement from Bill Bemis in Versailles, Illinois, offering four authentic UFO photos, 105 places to write for UFO information, and a UFO book list of over 50 titles for $4.95.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme is the significant increase in UFO sightings during a specific period, particularly in Ohio. The editorial stance, as expressed by Rick R. Hilberg, is one of serious investigation and a desire to understand the phenomenon, encouraging reader participation. Captain Coyne's statement suggests a cautious but non-confrontational approach to UFO encounters, viewing them as potentially harmless. The publication aims to document these events chronologically and thoroughly, inviting diverse opinions and reports from its readership.