UFO POTPOURRI

Magazine Overview

Title: UFO POTPOURRI
Issue: No. 437
Date: October 2000
Publisher: John Schuessler (Editor)
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of UFO POTPOURRI, edited by John Schuessler, focuses on historical UFO reports from the archives of the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization (APRO). Schuessler, a former member and consultant for APRO, highlights the organization's work in amassing a database of UFO reports from around the world, demonstrating the seriousness of the UFO problem.

UFOs "Escort" Mexican Aircraft

This section details an incident that occurred on May 3, 1974, over Lake Tequesquitengo, Mexico, as reported in the APRO Bulletin of August 1975. The pilot, Carlos Antonio de Santo Montiel, flying a Piper Aztec 24, encountered three unidentified objects after descending through a cloud layer. He described the objects as having the appearance of two plates joined at the rim with a cupola, a window, and an antenna. Two objects were seen on his right and above his left wing, and a third object appeared to be on a collision course with his windshield.

Montiel reported that his airspeed dropped from 140 to 120 nautical hours per hour, and his aircraft's controls became frozen, preventing him from maneuvering. He attempted to lower the landing gear, hoping it would dislodge the object beneath him, but this had no effect. A strange noise was heard from below, as if the object had collided with the underside of the plane.

APRO Field Investigator Fernando J. Tellez Pareja provided a tape-recorded exchange between Montiel and the Mexico City International Airport Control Tower. Montiel declared a "Mayday! Mayday!" reporting his aircraft out of control and being surrounded by three unidentified flying objects, one of which he stated hit his aircraft from underneath. He also reported that his landing gear was locked and the controls would not release.

Following the incident, the UFOs elevated the aircraft from 15,000 feet to 15,800 feet. The objects then departed one by one, disappearing in the direction of Popocatepetl. The aircraft's controls immediately returned to normal. Montiel spent approximately 40 minutes circling the airport, working with a screwdriver to manually lower the landing gear, before landing safely on a grassy area where emergency vehicles were waiting.

Turin, Italy Case

This case, also from the APRO Bulletin (June 1975), describes a bizarre incident that took place on the night of November 30, 1973, over Turin, Italy. A pulsating object was tracked on radar and observed by thousands of citizens.

Ricardo Marano, a professional pilot, was returning from a flight when he was notified by the control tower about a UFO hovering above the runway, approximately the size of a DC-8. Initially skeptical, Marano soon observed an enormous glowing globe that shifted in color from violet to blue to red. When the object moved away, Marano attempted to follow it, noting its speed at approximately 300 miles per hour.

Marano pursued the object for a short time but, due to low fuel, attempted to close the distance with a burst of speed. At this point, the object ascended vertically at an estimated speed of 3,500 miles per hour and disappeared. Another pilot in a DC-9 also gave chase after being alerted by the control tower, following the object for about 1¼ miles before it disappeared at high speed. Thousands of local citizens witnessed the object over Turin, and many contacted local newspapers to report the event.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme in this issue is the presentation of well-documented, unconventional flying object reports from APRO's historical archives. The editorial stance, as implied by Schuessler's introduction, is that these reports demonstrate the seriousness and breadth of the UFO problem, suggesting a belief in the reality of these phenomena and the importance of investigating them. The magazine aims to bring these significant past cases to a contemporary audience.