UFO Newsletter (Richard Nolane) - No 23 - 26 octobre 1998

Magazine Overview

Title: UFO NEWSLETTER
Issue Date: October 26, 1998
Issue Number: 23
Publisher: Not specified
Country of Publication: France
Original Language: French
Price: 100F for 10 issues via rapid mail
Editor: RICHARD D. NOLANE

This issue of UFO Newsletter, under the editorial direction of Richard D. Nolane, announces a new presentation format aimed at improving readability. The editor thanks readers for their patience during recent IT issues that had affected the monthly periodicity.

OVNI: ETE CHARGE EN FRANCE (UFO: A BUSY SUMMER IN FRANCE)

The lead article details three significant unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) sightings in France during August and early September 1998 that received national media coverage. The author speculates on why these three cases gained prominence, suggesting it might be due to two of them being filmed and a potential link between them.

LE "TRIANGLE" DES ARDENNES (The "Triangle" of the Ardennes)

On the night of August 10-11, 1998, a triangular UAP was observed at low altitude over the Sedan and Carignan region in the Ardennes by approximately 150 people. Jean-Luc Lemaire, head of the Centre d'études OVNI France (CEOF) and author, provided details to AFP. The object was first seen at high altitude, then descended vertically over Charleville-Mézières before performing reconnaissance maneuvers over about thirty localities. It was described as a large, rounded triangle with a forward-pointing tip, featuring two non-blinking red lights at the rear and a large white light at the front. Two condensation trails were visible. Witnesses reported a dull hum and estimated the altitude at around 500 meters. Lemaire ruled out conventional explanations like stealth aircraft (due to low-altitude circular flight), meteorites (due to horizontal flight), comets (too high and fixed), or helicopters/planes (due to the strange sound). He suggested possibilities like optical illusions or secret military prototypes, and sought information on whether the UAP was observed over the west coast of France or had crossed the Atlantic.

A short film of the event, shot by two amateur videographers, was obtained. The analysis of the video itself is deemed too imprecise for definitive identification. While a military aircraft is not entirely ruled out, the lack of discretion in the maneuver is noted as typical of UAP behavior.

TRACES SUSPECTES EN HAUTE-MARNE (Suspect Traces in Haute-Marne)

On August 10, 1998, loud noises were heard by several people in Prauthoy, south of Langres (Haute-Marne). The following Friday, August 14, suspect traces were discovered in an orchard: two parallel lines of dry grass, approximately 25 meters long and 70 cm wide, separated by 8-9 meters, with a triangle in the middle. The mayor of Prauthoy reported that about twenty people saw lights in the sky, with one witness describing "two red lights and one white light in the sky, which did not move." Firefighters and gendarmes photographed the site, and soil samples were taken, but results were reportedly negative. Radio-activity checks also yielded negative results. The proximity in time and the similar descriptions of a dull hum and red/white lights to the Ardennes sighting, despite a 200 km separation, suggest a possible connection. However, Robert Fischer, who investigated the ground traces, believed they were of human origin, possibly related to construction work, and unrelated to the aerial observation.

ETRANGE « BALLON » EN ISERE (Strange "Balloon" in Isère)

On September 6, 1998, a family in Voreppe, near Grenoble, filmed an unidentified object hovering over a neighbor's garden. The case prompted an investigation by the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) in Toulouse. The object was described as spherical, likely metallic and incandescent, with appendages, hovering at an altitude of about ten meters and a diameter of four to five meters. The family managed to film its ascent. Gendarmes confirmed no known air traffic could explain the sighting. Combustion traces were found on the cherry tree branches. The CNES's SEPRA (Service d'Expertise des Phénomènes de Rentrées Atmosphériques), led by Jean-Jacques Vélasco, investigated the case. Vélasco stated on September 11 that the case seemed of great interest. However, on September 12, AFP reported that the CNES identified the object as a dark, helium-filled balloon, about one meter in diameter, shaped like an animal. The CNES attributed the misidentification to specific observation conditions (setting sun, light wind, urban environment). They claimed SEPRA identified the object after six days of investigation.

The article critically questions the CNES explanation. It points out the implausibility of mistaking a one-meter balloon for a four-to-five-meter object at close range, especially given the time of day. It also questions how a dark balloon could appear incandescent and why gendarmes, after viewing the tape, would alert SEPRA if it were an obvious child's balloon. Furthermore, CEOF members Ghislaine and Henri Girard claimed the reported "combustion traces" on the tree were fabricated by the press. The author expresses a desire for more detailed explanations and hopes the film, deemed "uninteresting" by SEPRA, will be examined by private researchers.

LIVRE: «LE DOSSIER 1954 ET L'IMPOSTURE RATIONALISTE» (BOOK: "THE 1954 FILE AND THE RATIONALIST IMPOSTURE")

This section reviews Jean Sider's book, which meticulously documents the 1954 UFO wave. The book, published by Editions Ramuel, is described as a comprehensive study of cases from France and other European countries, correcting and expanding upon previous works. It aims to debunk the rationalist explanations presented in a 1979 book, "LA GRANDE PEUR MARTIENNE" (The Great Martian Fear).

COURRIER DES LECTEURS / LE (PETIT) COIN DES DEBUNKERS (Readers' Mail / The (Little) Corner of the Debunkers)

This section features correspondence and commentary, primarily from Jean Sider, concerning the activities of UFO debunkers. Sider relays a conversation with Jean-Luc Rivera, who claims that debunker Pierre Lagrange admitted to being paid by his university to debunk UFOs. Sider also cites Bernard Thouanel, editor of Hors Série VSD, who suggested Lagrange had "high protection in the USA" and was being "guided by the establishment" to debunk UFOs. Sider connects this to Lagrange's public denigration of UFOs and SEPRA on Europe 1 radio, advising listeners to contact SOS OVNI instead. Sider suggests that Lagrange, and possibly others, might be sponsored to spread disinformation while claiming to be objective skeptics.

Sider draws a parallel between Lagrange and Henri Broch, described as the leader of a "Zetetic sect" and a professor paid by the state to combat the paranormal. He argues that Lagrange's university affiliation likely provides him with resources and a favorable environment for his debunking activities, contrasting this with the difficulties faced by researchers of serious phenomena like parapsychology.

The section also questions the financial sustainability of UFO magazines like ANOMALIES and PHENOMENA, suggesting they might receive subsidies from cultural services that support those combating "false sciences."

NEWS-NEWS-NEWS

This section provides brief news items:

• Bernard Hughes is launching the "Union Ufologique de l'Hémisphère Nord" (UHN), an informal network for UFO researchers without membership fees.
• Gildas Bourdais regularly publishes articles on UFOs in the magazine VISIONS DU FUTUR.
• SENTINEL NEWS issue #11 is noted for its international UFO coverage.
• The publication UMMOFRA, dedicated to the Ummo affair, is mentioned.
• A special UFO issue of the publication "Dossier Brûlant" is criticized for being skeletal, error-filled, and sensationalist, capitalizing on the X-Files movie.
• FOX TV is reportedly developing a TV series called "Roswell High," focusing on teenagers, with a potential extraterrestrial element. UPN is airing a series called "Seven Days," which uses technology from a 1947 Roswell crash for time travel.

DECLASSIFICATION DE DOCUMENTS MILITAIRES SUR LES OVNI EN Espagne (Declassification of Military Documents on UFOs in Spain)

In September 1998, Spain opened its classified "Top Secret" documents from 1962 to 1995 to the public. Approximately 2000 pages were released, with the "Galicia" newspaper reporting that "The truth is now here, in the library of the Air Force in Madrid." The article highlights that 20% of the 83 "X-Files" released could not be logically explained.

One report (No. 891205) from December 1989 describes a lenticular UFO with bright lights observed over Sada and Castro in Galicia. Military and civilian radars detected the object, which moved vertically. Three other UFOs appeared on radar later, with one remaining visible for hours.

Another case (File 660402) from April 2, 1966, involved a luminous object observed for 45 minutes by a corporal, a guard, and two sailors in Carreira, with one witness taking a photograph showing a white dot.

The declassification is seen as an admission by the Spanish Air Force that the phenomenon eludes them. However, the article questions if all "X-Files" have been released, given the relatively small number for Spain over several decades. It also notes that ufologist Manuel Cabral claims the December 1989 report is incomplete and that he possesses other military UFO dossiers. Juan Ballester Olmos, who managed the case with the military, suggests the Air Force never paid much attention to UFOs and that secrecy was a precaution due to the unknown nature of the manifestations. He controversially concluded that UFO characteristics relate more to sociology than aeronautics and pose no risk to national security. The author finds this conclusion similar to debunkers' rhetoric and suggests it might be a form of disinformation.

EDGAR MITCHELL ET LE SECRET DE ROSWELL (Edgar Mitchell and the Secret of Roswell)

Excerpts from an interview with former astronaut Edgar Mitchell published in "The People" on October 25, 1998. Mitchell explains that government secrecy regarding UFOs stems from fear. He confirms the Roswell incident in 1947, stating that an aircraft crashed with the bodies of several extraterrestrials. Mitchell claims to have seen secret files proving the government's knowledge of the event and its decision to conceal it. He believes revealing the truth would have caused public panic due to humanity's inability to comprehend the technology of advanced extraterrestrial beings.

Book Announcement

"OVNIS : UNE MENACE POUR L'HUMANITE ?" (UFOs: A Threat to Humanity?) by Richard D. Nolane is now available, signed, for 115F plus postage.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The issue consistently questions official explanations for UFO phenomena, particularly those provided by government agencies like CNES and SEPRA. There is a strong undercurrent of skepticism towards debunkers, with accusations of being paid or influenced by institutions to discredit UFO reports. The magazine highlights the importance of independent research and the potential for disinformation. The editorial stance appears to favor the reality of the UFO phenomenon and criticizes the lack of transparency and potential cover-ups by governments and official bodies. The recurring mention of Jean Sider and his work suggests an emphasis on historical research and the exposure of what the magazine considers "rationalist imposture."