UFO Mail - No 136 - 2011

Magazine Overview

Title: Skandinavisk UFO Information
Issue: 136
Date: October 26, 2011
Cover Headline: Flyvevåbnets ufo-mareridt (The Air Force's UFO Nightmare)

This issue of Skandinavisk UFO Information delves into the complex history of UFO investigations by the US Air Force, particularly focusing on Project Blue Book and the controversial Condon Report, alongside a detailed examination of the famous McMinnville UFO photographs.

Flyvevåbnets ufo-mareridt (The Air Force's UFO Nightmare)

The article begins by recounting the 1966 congressional hearing on UFOs, initiated by astronomer J. Allen Hynek's controversial "swamp gas" explanation for UFO sightings in Michigan. This remark led to public ridicule and prompted two congressmen, Weston Vivian and Gerald Ford, to call for a hearing. The committee, led by L. Mendel Rivers, heard testimony from Hynek, Project Blue Book leader Major Hector Quintanilla, and Air Force Minister Dr. Harold Brown. Dr. Brown maintained that UFOs posed no threat to national security and did not originate from outer space. Hynek, however, advocated for a civilian panel to critically examine UFO evidence.

Following the hearing, the Air Force sought a university to study UFO phenomena. After rejections from institutions like MIT and Harvard, Dr. J. Thomas Ratchford of the Air Force Scientific Division secured the involvement of the University of Colorado. Physicist Dr. Edward U. Condon was tasked with leading this study, which would later result in the highly debated "Condon Report."

The Condon Commission's work was funded by the Air Force with a budget of $525,000. The commission's analysis, completed by June 1, 1968, led to a 1,485-page report titled "Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects." In January 1969, the National Academy of Sciences endorsed the report's conclusions, and the Air Force announced the results the following day.

Dr. Edward U. Condon's introduction to the report stated that no scientific progress had been made in UFO research and none was expected. He recommended that the Air Force cease its UFO investigations, effectively ending Project Blue Book. However, it was known, even before the report's release, that the Condon project was allegedly set up to "scientifically justify" the closure of Project Blue Book. Critics pointed out that Condon's "Conclusions and Recommendations" chapter seemed disconnected from the detailed analyses of unexplained cases within the rest of the report. It is suggested that Condon wrote his concluding chapter before the main body of the report was completed.

The article argues that the Condon Commission's report was not the result of genuine scientific work but rather delivered the outcome the Air Force desired. Project Blue Book was officially closed on December 17, 1969, after the Air Force had reportedly spent $20 million on UFO investigations since 1947. The official conclusions were:

1. No reported UFO posed a threat to national security.
2. No evidence suggested that "unidentified" observations represented technological advancements beyond current scientific understanding or originated from extraterrestrial sources.
3. No evidence indicated that "unidentified" observations were extraterrestrial craft.

The US Air Force's decision to cease UFO investigations was intended to shift public focus to more terrestrial matters. However, the article suggests that the very act of the government dedicating resources to these investigations may have inadvertently fueled public belief in extraterrestrial visitors. The persistent public interest and the government's repeated denials are interpreted by many as attempts to conceal the truth.

The author concludes that the US Air Force, through its sometimes amateurish and unscientific approach, unintentionally strengthened the belief in extraterrestrial visits and provided ample material for conspiracy theorists.

The American Air Force's UFO Reports 1947-1969

A table presents the number of UFO reports investigated by the US Air Force annually from 1947 to 1969. Over 12,000 reports were collected, with approximately 700 categorized as unidentified, unexplained, or unknown. The archive of this material was transferred to the Air Force's historical archive at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, and is now accessible online at www.bluebookarchive.org.

Case No. 46 - Unexplained!

This section details one of the unexplained UFO experiences documented in the Condon Report: the McMinnville incident on May 11, 1950. Evelyn and Paul Trent, residents of McMinnville, Oregon, observed a disc-shaped, silver object in the northeastern sky as dusk approached. They managed to photograph the object with their Kodak camera. Paul Trent took two photos within 30 seconds, one while the object hovered and another as it moved rapidly westward. The object was described as shiny, almost silver, and moved silently, with a slight downdraft felt by the witnesses.

The McMinnville Photos: A Closer Look

Paul Trent's first photo of the object is presented. The article discusses the possibility that the object was a small model suspended by thin threads from nearby telephone wires, a theory suggested by its appearance and position. However, digital image analysis has not revealed any such threads or suspension points.

The second photo shows the object as it reportedly flew westward. The article notes that the object appeared to tilt, revealing a darker underside. The Trents' photos are referenced as being published in the book "Project UFO: Truth, Lies, and the Cold War" without cropping.

The Experience Becomes Famous

The film with the two photographs was developed later. After developing, Paul Trent shared his experience with friends, initially hesitant to involve the press due to concerns about it being a secret US military aircraft. However, the story leaked when Paul mentioned it to his friend and banker, Frank Wortman, and the photos were displayed in the bank's window. The local newspaper, "The Telephone Register," interviewed Paul Trent and published the story with the photos on June 8, 1950. The newspaper's experts concluded that the photos were not tampered with and appeared to be genuine.

Subsequently, newspapers in Portland and Los Angeles reported on the McMinnville UFO, and the story gained international attention through news agencies like INS and AP. "LIFE Magazine" featured the photos on June 26, 1950. The Trents also appeared on the TV program "We the People" on July 7, 1950, and reportedly never charged for the use of their photos.

Condon Commission's Analysis

The McMinnville photos were analyzed by the Condon Commission 17 years after the event. In June 1967, William K. Hartmann, a Ph.D. in astronomy and photo expert, visited the Trent family. His analysis suggested the object did not rotate, supporting witness testimony and indicating it was not a thrown model. Hartmann's study of the lighting conditions indicated the object was located 0.9 to 1.7 km behind the telephone wires, suggesting it was not a small, nearby object.

Hartmann's review concluded that the factors in the case were consistent with the claim of an unusual, flying object observed by two witnesses. While not completely ruling out a hoax, he noted that physical factors, such as the accuracy of measurements from the original negatives' lighting conditions, argued against it. The article highlights the significance of the Condon Commission, which generally concluded negatively on UFOs, yet declared the McMinnville photos to show the "real thing."

A point of contention is the light and shadow on the photos. Analysis of the original negatives suggests a sharp shadow on the garage wall, indicating the photo might have been taken around 7:30 AM, contradicting the reported time of 7:30 PM. Weather reports for McMinnville on May 11, 1950, indicated overcast and hazy conditions in the morning, but clear skies in the evening, further complicating the timeline.

Hartmann acknowledged the shadow but suggested it was caused by light reflecting off the cloud cover. The article questions why the Trents would lie about the time, noting that farmers are typically in the fields at 7:30 AM, making it odd if they hadn't also seen the object. Reporting the time as 7:30 PM, when most people are indoors, would exclude potential witnesses.

The History of the Negatives

In June 1950, the Trents lent their negatives to "LIFE Magazine," which subsequently misplaced them. The negatives were located 17 years later, in 1967, in the archives of "United Press International" (UPI). They were then lent to William Hartmann for the Condon Commission's analysis. After Hartmann's analysis, UPI returned the negatives. In 1970, the Trents requested the negatives back, stating they had not been paid. Philip Bladine, editor of "News-Register," asked UPI to return them, but he never informed the Trents that they had been delivered to him.

In 1975, Dr. Bruce Maccabee found the negatives in the "News-Register" archive. He concluded they were not a hoax but showed "a real, physical object." Maccabee claims he returned the negatives to the Trent family, but in reality, he kept them for many years before returning them to the newspaper within the last decade. In 2008, the Trents' children attempted to retrieve the negatives, but "News-Register" reportedly refused, stating they were to be part of a museum exhibit.

20-30 m in diameter - or perhaps just 20-30 cm?

In 1976, Paul Trent's photos were analyzed by the American organization Ground Saucer Watch (GSW), which at the time was the only group with access to computer equipment for digital image analysis. GSW's 17-page report stated:

• The object had a fixed, disc-shaped, three-dimensional form.
• The object was located very far from the camera.
• The object's gray tone was lighter than the shadows in some parts of the garage, and the edges of foreground objects (telephone wires, garage) were sharper than the object's edge.
• Microscopic examination of the original negatives revealed no strings or suspicious elements between the object and the telephone wires.
• Edge enhancement of the object and surroundings showed no strings.
• The two photos were taken less than 5 minutes apart.
• The object was very large, estimated at 20-30 meters in diameter. GSW was confident in this estimate, derived from measuring the object's edge resolution and comparing it to known distances of other objects in the image.
• The object's surface reflected light like polished metal.
• The photos were taken between 7:30 AM and 8:00 AM, contradicting the reported observation time of around 7:30 PM.

The analysis supported Dr. Bruce Maccabee's conclusion of a large object far from the camera but also pointed out discrepancies in the reported observation time. This discrepancy is a key point of criticism raised by Philip J. Klass and Robert Sheaffer, who believe the object was a small item suspended by strings and that the Trents lied about the time to avoid their neighbors noticing the object.

Discussion Online

As long as there is no 100% certain explanation for what the Trents photographed, speculation will continue on online blogs. Two examples are shown from www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/.

One blogger placed a wagon wheel under the telephone wires in a LIFE Magazine photo to test if a wagon wheel could be used as a "UFO" in a hoax. Another blogger overlaid the two McMinnville photos, noting that the object appeared to be in the same position under the wires in both images.

World's Best UFO Photos?

Evelyn Trent died in 1997 and Paul Trent in 1998. They never profited from their photos and maintained their authenticity until their deaths. Paul Trent stated in a 1998 interview that he didn't want the photos because of the trouble they caused. Evelyn agreed, saying she would never take such photos again due to the attention they brought.

Friends and acquaintances described the Trents as honest, down-to-earth people who would not perpetrate a hoax. Nurse Patti Lawler Scarbrough, who worked for the family doctor, described them as "the most down-to-earth, sweet, and trustworthy people you could wish to meet." She noted that they never spoke of the photos, despite their worldwide fame, remaining humble farmers who happened to be at the right place with a camera.

Ufologists have called the McMinnville photos the "world's best UFO pictures," suggesting they show the "real thing." The author, however, expresses a personal belief that the photos likely depict something created on Earth.

Keeping the UFO History Alive in McMinnville

McMinnville hosts an annual UFO festival in May, featuring lectures, a parade, and an alien costume ball. The festival has become the second-largest of its kind in the US, surpassed only by the UFO festival in Roswell, New Mexico.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently explores UFO phenomena, historical investigations, and photographic evidence. The editorial stance appears to be one of critical inquiry, presenting various perspectives and analyses, including those that question the extraterrestrial origin of sightings, such as the McMinnville case. The publication seems to favor detailed examination of evidence and historical context, while acknowledging the enduring public fascination with UFOs and the potential for misinterpretation or hoaxes. The article on the McMinnville photos, in particular, presents arguments for and against their authenticity, ultimately leaning towards a terrestrial explanation while respecting the witnesses' integrity.

Title: UFO-Mail
Issue Date: October 2011 (specifically referencing observations from October 8, 2011)
Publisher: Skandinavisk UFO Information

This issue of UFO-Mail delves into the "Himmelgåder" exhibition, a significant Danish art and astronomy display spanning from 1780 to 2010. The magazine also features an interview with the chairman of SUFOI (Skandinavisk UFO Information), discusses a controversial alien sighting video from Brazil, and compiles a list of UFO observations from Denmark.

Himmelgåder Exhibition

The "Himmelgåder: Dansk kunst og astronomi 1780-2010" exhibition, held at Fuglsang Kunstmuseum and later at Fyns Kunstmuseum, is a central theme. The exhibition is curated by Gertrud Oelsner and Gertrud Hvidberg-Hansen. It showcases how artists have been inspired by celestial phenomena, including the aurora borealis, and the evolution of astronomical measurement methods. The article highlights specific artworks such as "Himmelkugle" (celestial globe), Else Alfelt's "Mørkeblå bjergrytme" triptych, Carl-Henning Pedersen's "Stjernenatten," and Niels Hansen Jacobsen's sculpture "Astronomien." The exhibition aims to provide a comprehensive and sensory experience of artists' fascination with the cosmos.

A richly illustrated 218-page catalog titled "Himmelgåder" was published in conjunction with the exhibition, priced at 225 DKK. The museum also organized various activities for different age groups. Readers are invited to share their own photos of celestial bodies on Flickr, with some featured at the museum.

SUFOI and UFO Investigations

The magazine includes an interview with Kim Møller Hansen, the chairman of SUFOI. He explains that SUFOI, run by volunteers, provides serious information about UFO phenomena through its website, ufo.dk, and registers unusual aerial phenomena. Hansen recounts his personal interest sparked by old "ufo-nyt" magazines and his critical yet curious approach to UFO reports, including those from George Adamski. SUFOI investigates interesting cases to offer explanations for observed phenomena. The article mentions that SUFOI's website registers cases where people have noticed unexplained objects in the sky.

Notable Sightings and Reports

Brazilian Rainforest Sighting: The issue reports on a sensational story from "The Sun" newspaper about a video allegedly filmed by English tourists in the Amazon rainforest. The video purportedly shows a mysterious alien and a light phenomenon. The article notes that the story relies heavily on speculation and that "The Sun" is seeking further information about the tourists involved.

Danish Observations (October 8, 2011): A significant list of UFO observations from October 8, 2011, is presented. Many people were out observing the sky, partly due to media reports predicting a high number of meteors from the Draconid shower. While the meteor shower did not meet expectations, numerous sightings were recorded and submitted to SUFOI via www.ufo.dk. The observations include various colored lights (white-yellow, orange/flame-yellow, orange/yellow, white) reported in locations such as Aalborg, Slagelse, Holbæk, Ølstykke, Brønderslev, and Nykøbing F.

Art and Astronomy Connections

The exhibition "Himmelgåder" emphasizes the connection between art and astronomy. It showcases how artists have interpreted celestial events and scientific discoveries. The article mentions J.F. Willumsen's painting "To Svævende Drenge. En Moders Syn" and Harald Moltke's paintings of the aurora borealis, which inspired SUFOI's photo consultant Hans Bødker during his time as a flight controller in Greenland. The poem "Julestjærnen" (The Christmas Star) by Johannes Jørgensen is also featured, reflecting on stars and the cosmos.

Anders Brinch's Art

Artist Anders Brinch is discussed in relation to his paintings "UFO Sunset" (2007) and "Love in Space/Discodance" (2006). His work is described as a fantastical universe filled with invading UFOs, presented with an ironic distance and a humorous yet dystopian approach. His art blends classical art history with pop culture, using vibrant colors and engaging imagery that appeals to both children and adults.

SUFOI Membership and Support

The magazine concludes with an appeal for readers to join SUFOI's "Støttekreds" (Support Circle) in 2015. Contributions help fund the operation of ufo.dk and support investigations into UFO experiences. Members can receive a free book with their donation. Payment details for bank transfers and giro accounts are provided.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the intersection of art and astronomy, the investigation of UFO phenomena, and the reporting of specific sightings. The editorial stance appears to be one of promoting serious inquiry into UFOs, encouraging public participation in observation reporting, and highlighting the cultural and artistic interpretations of celestial events. The magazine aims to inform and engage readers interested in both the scientific and the mysterious aspects of the night sky and beyond.