UFO Potpourri No 438

Magazine Overview

Title: UFO POTPOURRI
Issue: No. 438
Date: November 2000
Publisher: John Schuessler
Contact: [email protected]
Location: Morrison, CO 80465-0369, USA

This issue of UFO POTPOURRI, dated November 2000, presents a collection of unidentified flying object (UFO) sighting reports, primarily from the 1970s, with a few from the late 1960s. The magazine focuses on eyewitness accounts, particularly those from pilots and aircrews, and includes details from various bulletins, such as The APRO Bulletin.

Philippine UFO Sighting

This section details a sighting reported by Reverend Angel Hidalgo, Head of the Archives of the Manila Observatory in the Philippines. On February 28, 1975, at 9:30 p.m., Hidalgo observed a UFO from the observatory's roof. He described the object as approximately tear-shaped, with a whitish, spherical front and a conical rear featuring semicircular arcs of different colors. The boundaries were well-defined. The object was seen a few minutes after the moon rose over the hills of Antipolo. It was located due east of the observatory, moved in a northerly direction parallel to the mountain range at an estimated one kilometer above the valley, and was visible for only a few seconds. No sound was heard, and there were other witnesses. The object was glowing and spherical.

Formation Seen By Air Crews

This report recounts an incident on January 26, 1974, involving Captain Lars Berglund, piloting a Boeing 727 with 130 passengers. While en route from Las Palmas, Mallorca, to Malmoe, Sweden, the aircraft passed over Lisbon at an altitude of 31,000 feet at 2:59 a.m. Berglund observed a formation of 10 to 15 luminous, saucer-shaped objects flying in a precise formation from south to north. The entire group was in sight for only one minute. The co-pilot and mechanic also viewed the objects. Shortly after, a Portuguese aircraft contacted ground control at Lisbon, reporting the same formation. Independently, a Norwegian and an English aircraft crew also reported the same observation. Berglund ruled out the possibility of the orange-glowing objects being connected with satellite reentry.

Flight Crew Sighting in Florida

This article describes a sighting on November 12, 1973, when the Tallahassee FAA tower notified a Southern DC9 aircrew that a UFO was under observation. Captain R.C. Cook and his crew were deplaning passengers when an FAA employee informed them of a UFO passing over the city at approximately 2,000 miles per hour at an altitude of 3,000 feet. Later, as Flight 730 taxied for a ferry flight to Atlanta, Georgia, Cook inquired about the object and was told it was still visible southwest of the field, low over the trees. After takeoff, Cook's crew sighted a round, glowing object low on the horizon, climbing away. The object was spherical, pulsating, and changed color from bright red to white with occasional light yellow or green flashes. Cook estimated the object to be about 15 miles away. Flight 730 continued its climb, keeping the object in sight. Jacksonville Center also had visual contact but would not verify radar contact.

Object Observed by Pilots Over Norway

On November 1, 1968, at 5:05 a.m., three SAS crews in different aircraft reported observing a ball-shaped luminous object in Middle Norway. The observation, which included ground observers, took place during maneuvers near Henningvatnet. The object was described as huge and bright, moving from the southeast to the northwest. It emitted brilliant beams of light in several directions before suddenly appearing to explode into an 'ocean of light.' A smaller object then separated from the main one, and both continued northwest before disappearing behind clouds. The total observation time was five minutes.

Disc Seen at Brasilia

This report details a sighting in Brasilia, Brazil, on November 8, 1968. Several residents of the suburb Taguatinga reported seeing an object that was round and resembled 'like two overlapping plates.' It flew over the army radio control tower and the city's water reservoir. The bottom 'plate' was said to be rotating rapidly and was lit by twinkling red and green lights. The object was initially hovering over the Army radio station, then circled the town a couple of times before taking off at great speed.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme throughout this issue is the presentation of credible UFO sightings, often involving multiple witnesses, including professional pilots and aircrews. The magazine appears to adopt a stance of documenting these phenomena without necessarily offering definitive explanations, relying on the accounts provided by observers and bulletins like The APRO Bulletin. The focus is on the details of the sightings: the appearance, behavior, speed, and altitude of the objects, as well as the conditions under which they were observed. The editorial stance seems to be one of serious consideration of these reports as potentially significant events.