UFO POTPOURRI

Magazine Overview

Title: UFO POTPOURRI
Issue: no. 333
Date: Thursday, March 24, 1988
Publisher: ROTORUA DAILY POST (New Zealand)
Cover Headline: Professionalism thoroughness pride of US UFO group

This issue of UFO Potpourri, published by the Rotorua Daily Post, focuses on the professional methodology employed by UFO investigation groups, particularly the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), in discerning credible sightings from hoaxes. The main cover story, reported by Javier Rodriguez of Reuters, highlights the work of Walter Andrus, international director of MUFON, in coordinating investigations.

Walter Andrus and the Gulf Breeze Case

Walter Andrus, a 67-year-old director of MUFON, is dedicated to determining the legitimacy of UFO sightings. He is currently investigating a case in Gulf Breeze, Florida, where a local man, identified only as 'Mr Ed', claims to have encountered small alien creatures and a circular UFO in his backyard since November. Andrus emphasizes MUFON's commitment to professionalism and thoroughness, stating, "We want facts. We don't want anything else." Despite telepathic warnings against photography, 'Mr Ed' reportedly took pictures and a videotape. MUFON investigators have visited Gulf Breeze for stakeouts. While local police have not reported seeing UFOs, a city hall secretary noted that other residents have reported otherworldly encounters. Andrus himself believes he has had his own encounter with extraterrestrial visitors.

False Targets or UFOs: Denver Radar Anomaly

A report from The Orlando Sentinel (March 27, 1989) details an incident at the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center in Longmont, Colorado. Air traffic controllers were astonished to see numerous 'UFOs' appearing on their radar displays. These targets appeared like actual aircraft with normal speeds and altitudes, with some controllers observing a dozen or more merging with actual aircraft. The phenomenon is suspected to be caused by a computer that "just went haywire." The Denver center manages air traffic across a vast area including Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Utah.

Claims of US Air Force Involvement with Alien Craft

The issue delves into claims suggesting human test-flying of alien craft. The article references 'Falcon' and 'Condor' from UFO Coverup Live, who alleged that the UFO in the Cash-Landrum incident (December 29, 1980) was an alien craft piloted by Air Force personnel that went out of control. Another claim, reported in the May 30, 1989 issue of the EXAMINER, attributes to Clifford Stone the revelation that the United States established primitive communications with aliens in 1959. Further alleged events include a meeting between a U.S. Air Force intelligence office and two aliens in the New Mexico desert in 1964, and the commencement of a program in 1972 to test-fly a recovered alien craft. The article notes that these claims lack proof, and a publication called QUEST speaks of deals with aliens for technology, but actual documents and names are missing.

British Tristar Encounters UFO

Two aircraft-related UFO reports are presented from the May 1989 issue of the Lou Farish UFO Newsclipping Service. The first, from the London STANDARD (March 22, 1989), describes an incident during the inaugural flight of a TriStar. Pilot Bob Taylor informed passengers about a nearby multicolored object identified as an unidentified flying object, which vanished and reappeared. This sighting occurred over Sardinia on March 21, 1989, at 7 pm. The London SUNDAY EXPRESS (March 26, 1989) attributed the sighting to the Northern Lights, caused by unusual atmospheric conditions.

The second incident involved activities at the Bogota, Colombia International Airport. JORNAL NOTICIAS (April 3, 1989) reported that the airport was placed on alert after a UFO flew over. The object was detected by radar and seen visually, and aircraft were diverted. The UFO may have been an airplane with its lights turned off.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the investigation of UFO sightings, the challenges of distinguishing genuine phenomena from hoaxes, and the alleged involvement of government entities with extraterrestrial technology and beings. The editorial stance, as represented by Walter Andrus and MUFON, is one of rigorous fact-finding and a demand for evidence, underscoring a professional and skeptical yet open-minded approach to the subject of UFOs. The publication aims to present reported incidents and claims while maintaining a critical perspective, as seen in the dismissal of unsubstantiated reports and the attribution of some sightings to mundane causes like atmospheric phenomena or technical malfunctions.