UFO Potpourri No 411

Magazine Overview

Title: UFO POTPOURRI
Issue: no. 411
Volume: 281
Date: April 1997
Publisher: JOHN F. SCHUESSLER
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of UFO POTPOURRI delves into public perception, government acknowledgments, and specific sighting reports concerning UFOs and extraterrestrial life.

UFO Survey Information

The issue begins with data from a Gallup Poll conducted September 3-6, 1996, and a November 1996 Newsweek poll, highlighting significant public interest and belief in UFOs. Key findings include:

• Gallup Poll (September 1996):
• 87% of Americans have read or heard about UFOs.
• 12% have seen something they thought was a UFO.
• 45% believe UFOs have visited Earth.
• 48% believe UFOs are 'something real,' while 31% think they are people's imagination.
• 72% believe there is life of some form on other planets.
• 38% think there are people similar to humans on other planets.
• 71% believe the U.S. government knows more about UFOs than it is telling.
• Newsweek Poll (November 1996):
• 48% believe UFOs are real.
• 29% believe contact with aliens has been made.
• 48% believe there's a government conspiracy to cover up UFO information.

RAF Radar Tracks UFO

An article from THE PEOPLE (London, England, November 10, 1996) reports that the British Government, through Defense Minister Earl Frederick Howe, has admitted that RAF station commanders are ordered to report UFO sightings. This follows a request from Labour MP Martin Redmond concerning a UFO with red and green lights tracked by radar at RAF Neatishead and RAF Northwood for several hours. The object hovered before moving 50 miles down the coast. It was spotted by crews of a tanker and a civilian plane, and a video was taken by police. Mr. Redmond expressed concern that no aircraft were scrambled and accused the government of covering up information. Earl Howe stated the RAF does not respond unless UK airspace is 'compromised,' and that no sighting to date has provided such evidence. He added that the government does not investigate or provide explanations for observed phenomena. Defense Minister Nicholas Soames refused to disclose the number of UFOs spotted by RAF pilots since 1966, citing cost, but stated that unidentified contacts are identified by all available means.

Hum is Still Being Heard

Reporting from Providence, R.I. JOURNAL-BULLETIN (March 19, 1997), this section details a growing number of people in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom who report hearing a mysterious humming sound. Artist Claire van Vliet noted the sound changed in pitch and steadiness after the story gained national attention. Hearers are convinced the sound is of military origin, but a New Mexico study of U.S. Navy ELF stations concluded they could not be the source.

Pentagon Spokesman - UFOs

From the ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE (Little Rock, AR, April 2, 1997), Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon confirmed that the U.S. Government substantiates that UFOs exist.

'Heaven' Anathema to UFO Enthusiasts

This article by Paisley Dodds (The Associated Press) discusses the annual Ozark UFO Conference in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. The conference, which attracted about 400 people, focuses on 'nuts-and-bolts' issues of UFO sightings and alien abductions, rather than theological interpretations. The article highlights the contrast with the Heaven's Gate cult, whose members were previously denied entry to the conference for attempting to discuss religious beliefs. Coordinator Lou Farish emphasized that attendees are individuals with individual minds, valuing UFOs as proof of extraterrestrial life, not as a means to eternal life. The article mentions psychologist Robert Stone, who claims to have been taken aboard a spaceship, and notes that vendors sold UFO-related merchandise. Skepticism is also present, with Bob Shell, editor of Shutterbug magazine, estimating that at least a third of submitted UFO photographs are fakes.

UFO Sites on Internet

This section provides a list of websites related to UFOs and alien abductions, including:

• The Center for UFO Studies (www.cufos.org/)
• The International Roswell Initiative (www.roswell.org/)
• The Roswell Group's 'Hangar 18' site (http://hangar18.horizonco.com/)
• 'UFO Round-up' (http://www.ftech.net/~ufoinfo/roundup.hts)
• 'The Alien Jigsaw' (www.alienjigsaw.com/)
• 'The Black Vault' (http://www.primenet.com/~greeney/ufo.html) for Freedom of Information files.
• 'Russian UFO Page' (http://www.wic.net/page/rusweb.htm)
• 'UFO-Norway' (http://www.norconnect.no/~brenne/ufonor e.htm)
• 'Australian UFO Sightings' (http://yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au/~johno/)
• Rational Examination Association of Lincoln Land (REALL) (http://www.reall.org/)
• 'Art Bell Talk Radio' (http://www.artbell.com/)
• 'Chupacabra Home Page' (http://www.princeton.edu/~accion/chupa.html)

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the widespread public interest and belief in UFOs, the government's acknowledgment of their existence while maintaining secrecy, and the distinction between genuine UFO investigation and cult-like beliefs. The editorial stance appears to be one of reporting on these phenomena and public engagement with them, while also acknowledging skepticism and the challenges of verifying information. The inclusion of numerous internet resources suggests an aim to connect readers with further information and communities interested in the topic.