UFO Potpourri No 364

Magazine Overview

Title: UFO POTPOURRI
Issue: no. 364
Date: August 24, 1992 (cover date of Aviation Week & Space Technology article)
Publisher: Aviation Week & Space Technology (for the lead article), with other articles sourced from The Arizona Daily Star, Florida Today, and an unspecified source for the "New Ship Performs" piece.
Content: This issue of UFO Potpourri features several distinct articles, primarily focusing on aviation-related UFO sightings and related phenomena, alongside a piece on a missile launch and a speculative article on the health risks faced by UFO investigators.

United Pilots Report UFO, Aviation Magazine Says

This article, sourced from Aviation Week & Space Technology, reports on an incident involving a United Airlines jumbo jet. The pilot and co-pilot of United Flight 934, en route from Los Angeles to London on August 5, 1992, reported an encounter with an unidentified aircraft that passed beneath their Boeing 747 at supersonic speed. The aircraft was estimated to be between 500 and 1,000 feet below the 747. The sighting occurred near George Air Force Base at approximately 1:45 p.m. The 747 was at 23,000 feet, departing from Los Angeles International Airport on a heading of about 40 degrees magnetic towards the Daggett VOR.

The crew described the mysterious craft as having a lifting-body configuration, resembling the forward fuselage of a Lockheed SR-71 spy plane but with rounded edges instead of sharp chines. It reportedly lacked wings but had a tail. The estimated size was similar to an F-16 fighter jet (49.3 ft. length), and its color was dark with a shiny spot on top, possibly a sun glint. The closure rate was described as two to three times normal, leading the crew to believe the craft was supersonic.

Los Angeles air traffic controllers and the FAA reviewed radar data but found no primary targets or other information on the mysterious aircraft. All aircraft at that altitude are required to be on an instrument flight plan and have a transponder, which the unidentified craft presumably lacked. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) is investigating the report, aiming to improve military range safety to prevent future occurrences.

Nearby Edwards AFB radar data and flight activity showed no military craft in the area at the time. Defense Department and Air Force officials stated it was not one of their secret projects, though one source suggested it could be a top-secret drone that escaped its testing area. The incident occurred near George AFB, which is about 15 nautical miles south of the restricted airspace surrounding Edwards AFB.

Interestingly, in January of the same year, an object with a similar shape and size was reportedly seen being loaded at night into an Air Force/Lockheed C-5 transport at the Lockheed Advanced Development Co. "Skunk Works" facility.

Missile From Vandenberg Lights the Sky

This article, dated September 16, 1992, reports on a missile launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base. A Peacekeeper missile fired at 8:15 p.m. towards Kwajalein Island, approximately 4,000 miles downrange, was seen as a trail of fire by hundreds of Los Angeles area residents. The Griffith Park Observatory received numerous calls from concerned citizens. The missile was sighted from as far away as Sacramento, San Diego, and Las Vegas. An observatory staffer reported handling 50 to 60 calls from various locations. A KCAL-TV Channel 9 cameraman also reported filming a light streaking across the sky.

UFO hunters face greater cancer risks

This piece, referencing a date of March 14, 1989, and an article from the Examiner, presents a warning issued by Canadian neuropsychologist Michael Persinger. Persinger, an authority on the effects of magnetic fields, suggests that UFO investigators may be leaving themselves vulnerable to cancer or suicide. He posits that the danger stems not from extraterrestrials but from intense magnetic fields created by UFOs. Studies on electrical engineers and technicians, as well as individuals living near overhead power lines, indicate a higher risk of brain tumors, leukemia, depression, and suicide. Persinger theorizes that similar low-frequency fields generated by UFOs could pose a similar risk to those who study them. He is currently examining cancer records in areas repeatedly exposed to UFOs to support his theory.

LEAP SUBORBITAL FLIGHT CLEARED

This article, dated August 31, 1992, from Aviation Week & Space Technology, reports that Rockwell International's Lightweight Exoatmospheric Projectile (LEAP) has been cleared for a suborbital flight test at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. This follows a successful 13-second free flight at Edwards AFB, California. The autonomous, 22-inch, 42-pound LEAP vehicle utilized an advanced infrared seeker and control system to track a heated target located 328 feet away. During the test, divert engines maneuvered the projectile at 2-4g, achieving a hover altitude of 33 feet. The high-resolution seeker, with 65,536 detectors, enabled target tracking accuracies of less than 200 microradians.

Distant object might shed light on comets

This article, dated September 17, 1992, from Florida Today, discusses the discovery of a distant, reddish, comet-like object orbiting beyond Pluto, approximately 4 billion miles from the sun. Two astronomers, David Jewitt (University of Hawaii) and Jane Luu (University of California, Berkeley), sighted the object, estimated to be about 120 miles across. They believe this discovery could provide insights into comet formation, the nature of Earth's solar system, and the existence of solar systems around other stars. Alan Stern, a scientist at the Southwest Research Institute, described the finding as fundamental to understanding the solar system, comparing it to finding a planet. The astronomers first spotted the object on August 30 using a telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Their findings were reported to the International Astronomical Union. The discovery is linked to the Kuiper Belt, a theoretical ring of icy objects beyond Neptune and Pluto, proposed by astronomer Gerard Kuiper.

New Ship Performs In Test, Japanese Say

This brief article, dated June 17, 1992, reports on the successful 30-minute test voyage of the world's first ship propelled by superconducting electromagnets, the Yamato 1. Sponsored by Japan's Ship and Ocean Foundation and developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., the ship ran at a speed of 6 knots (7 mph) in its first test. The technology is seen as a step towards building quiet, high-speed ships with good fuel economy.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of UFO Potpourri are UFO sightings, particularly those involving aviation and military contexts, and the broader implications of these phenomena. There is a consistent focus on pilot reports and official investigations, highlighting the tension between eyewitness accounts and the lack of definitive evidence or official explanations. The inclusion of the article on health risks for UFO investigators suggests an editorial stance that acknowledges the potential psychological and physical toll of pursuing unexplained phenomena. The inclusion of the missile launch and the advanced projectile test indicates an interest in aerospace technology and its intersection with unexplained aerial events. The discovery of a distant object in the solar system also broadens the scope to include astronomical mysteries.