UFO RESEARCH NEWSLETTER

Magazine Overview

This issue of the UFO Research Newsletter, Vol. I, No. 6, published by UFO Research Associates for September-October 1971, presents a collection of recent UFO sightings and related topics. The newsletter covers reports from England and four US states, featuring observations by police officers and civilians, a review of a book on UFOs, a detailed account of a military pilot's encounter with an unidentified object, and scientific findings about Mars.

Sightings Increase: Policemen Observe and Photograph UFO

The lead article highlights a surge in UFO reports during July and August 1971. It details a sighting by Police Constable Les Leek and four other officers in Aldridge, Staffordshire, England, on August 16, who photographed a large, disc-shaped object. Staffordshire Chief Constable Arthur Rees initially imposed a security ban on the photos but later consented to their public release, stating the object was of great interest. Other reports from the same area corroborated the sighting. The article also describes a disc-shaped, red-orange UFO seen dropping from clouds near Pontiac, Michigan, on August 10. Additionally, it recounts sightings in Carroll County, Maryland, on August 3 and 8, including a large oval object observed by the Kenyon family during a storm, which emitted a sound like a large air conditioner and seemed to follow lightning. Another report from Frizzleburg, Maryland, on August 8, describes an egg-shaped object with bright lights.

"KOOK" PREOCCUPATION MARS UFO WORK (A Book Review)

This section reviews Paris Flammonde's book, 'The Age of Flying Saucers.' The reviewer criticizes the book for its "kook-preoccupied" nature and its "cut-and-paste" approach to UFO reports. Flammonde's central thesis suggests that UFOs became a substitute for God in an era of declining religious belief, driven by a "need" for spiritual fulfillment. The review notes that Flammonde gives significant attention to contactees and alleged alien abductees, such as George Adamski and Albert K. Bender, alongside more serious UFO researchers. The reviewer finds the book lacking in rigorous analysis and prone to errors in dates and names, suggesting it offers an unbalanced picture of the UFO phenomenon.

UFO Drops From Clouds

This subsection details a sighting on August 10, 1971, in Independence Township, Michigan, where Bruce McGowen, William Schultz, and Mrs. Bonnie Geliske observed a disc-shaped, red-orange UFO that glowed like an electric stove burner. The object dropped from the clouds, whistled, hovered, and then zoomed toward Pontiac.

UFOs Over Long Branch, N.J.

Reports from Long Branch, New Jersey, in late July and early August 1971, indicate numerous sightings, including by many police officers. On July 21 and 22, officers observed a pencil-shaped, glowing UFO with a blinking light that hovered and then sped south. On August 1, at least five witnesses reported seeing a UFO that appeared to blink on and off, looked cigar-shaped, and then assumed the appearance of an inverted saucer with a bright beam extending upward. The newsletter includes an editor's note suggesting that some sightings might be "planetary illusions," where bright planets are mistaken for UFOs.

Disc "Surveys" Witness

On July 5, 1971, in Tuscumbia, Alabama, Roger Enlow reported seeing a reddish-pink object, described as a disc turned sideways, moving slowly and making an arc as if surveying him before shooting into the sky at high speed. Enlow also reported a previous sighting in mid-November 1969, of a blue object resembling an electric arc, shaped like two plates, which increased speed and ascended rapidly.

INTELLIGENT LIFE IN UNIVERSE "A GROWING BELIEF"

This section briefly touches upon scientific perspectives on extraterrestrial life. Dr. George H. Herbig, acting head of the Lick Observatory, stated in July 1971 that the universe likely contains the molecular constituents of life and that there is a growing belief among scientists that intelligent life may inhabit other planets. He suggested that Earth's existence is not unique and that planetary systems are likely formed from stars.

SIGHTING CAPSULES

This segment provides brief summaries of several UFO sightings:

• August 13, 1971, Mobile, Alabama: Jim Johnston observed a small white object, described as a "single wing," traveling slowly at low altitude.
• August 13, 1971, Orange County, California: Witnesses reported a saucer-shaped object surrounded by hundreds of rotating lights. A possible explanation offered is an advertising plane.
• August 7-8, 1971, Long Island, New York: Witnesses described a domed object with a rotating rim and flashing lights. A possible explanation is an advertising plane towing a sign.
• July 19, 1971, Warsaw, Iowa: Numerous witnesses saw a reddish object with blinking lights, traveling from northeast to southeast. Possible explanations include low-flying aircraft and the planet Mars.
• July 14, 1971, Indiana: Witnesses, including a sheriff's deputy, saw a "ball of fire." A probable explanation is a bolide meteor.

OCCUPANT REPORT RECEIVED

Additional information was received regarding a sighting in St. Charles, Missouri, on February 18, 1971. Dr. J.W. Mueller and two others reported seeing an object with a "flat saucer type base with three rods up to form sort of [a] cage-like object." An apparent human being was observed within the "cage." The UFO hung suspended for about three minutes before disappearing behind treetops.

AIAA AIRS STARTLING MILITARY PILOT CASE

This section details an investigation by the American Institute of Astronautics and Aeronautics (AIAA) subcommittee into a military pilot case from July 17, 1957. An RB-47 aircraft crew, while on exercises, detected and tracked a single, intense bluish-white light that rapidly closed on them. The object then "almost instantaneously" changed direction and sped across the aircraft's path at an unprecedented angular velocity before blinking out. The aircraft commander and crew later observed two red objects. The official Air Force report noted a "huge light" below the aircraft, with the impression that light emanated from the top. The aircraft commander was given permission to pursue the object. Later, the UFO stopped, and the RB-47 overtook it. The case was identified by the Air Force as American Airlines Flight 655!, but the Condon report listed it as "unknown" due to a date mix-up.

DISCS OVER MILITARY AIR FIELD DURING WORLD WAR II

A report describes a disc that hovered over a Canadian Air Force field near Edmonton, Alberta, in 1944. Seen by several hundred witnesses, including taxi driver R.W. Johnson, the object was a "silver disk with a round dome on top and a compartment below." It hovered for about two hours until noon. A "new fast plane" was scrambled, and as soon as it took off, the disc departed at terrific speed. Some witnesses reportedly took pictures, but authorities allegedly confiscated them.

DISCS IN ENGLAND SEEN

Newspaper reports from August mention sightings in England. On August 15, Mr. and Mrs. David Stretch and neighbors in Bolton saw four glowing white discs moving in apparent formation. Stretch described them as glowing brighter as they headed over Bolton. Other reports came from Liverpool, Manchester, Matlock, Derbyshire, and Aldridge.

UFOS OVER NIAGARA FALLS IN THE 1960s

This section lists several UFO sightings in the Niagara Falls, New York, area during the mid to late 1960s:

• September 21, 1965: A UFO emerged from a cloud, joined by another, and they flew over Niagara Falls for an hour.
• August 25, 1967: Two policemen saw an unidentified object.
• September 16, 1967: A mother and son saw four UFOs.
• April 2, 1968: Three policemen observed four objects over the Sir Adam Beck power plant.

MORE EARTH-LIKE FEATURES DISCOVERED ON MARS

Cornell University scientists reported on photographs from Mariners 6 and 7 showing Mars with features resembling Earth's Great Lakes and North African desert. They noted "indications of glacial action and the presence of huge sand dunes." The "chaotic terrain" is compared to rugged areas in Earth's polar regions. Researchers suggest geothermal heating, not meteoric impact, caused permafrost collapse. Later, scientists Peter Gierasch and Carl Sagan reported that "super hurricane-force winds" up to 300 m.p.h. might be responsible for dust storms and color changes on Mars, potentially diminishing the possibility of discovering advanced life.

INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC ASPECTS OF THE PROBLEM OF UFOS (By Dr. James E. McDonald)

This article, excerpted from a statement by the late Dr. James E. McDonald, senior physicist, discusses the scientific aspects of the UFO problem. McDonald asserts that the phenomenon is of "extraordinary scientific interest" and criticizes the lack of adequate investigation by official US groups. He urges the United Nations to initiate a systematic global study of UFOs, noting an increase in close-range, low-altitude sightings by credible observers that cannot be easily explained away. He believes the extraterrestrial probe hypothesis is the most probable explanation for UFO phenomena, describing many facets as "utterly bewildering and inexplicable." McDonald advocates for replacing scientific ridicule with scientific concern and intensive study, emphasizing the need to erase the stigma associated with reporting sightings and to utilize existing radar facilities for scientific data collection.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently highlights the persistence of UFO sightings despite official skepticism and the closure of Project Blue Book. There's a strong emphasis on reports from credible witnesses, including law enforcement officers, suggesting that the phenomenon is real and warrants serious scientific investigation. The editorial stance, particularly through the inclusion of Dr. McDonald's views, advocates for a more scientific and less dismissive approach to UFO research, urging international cooperation and the collection of data. The inclusion of the book review and the Mars findings indicates a broad interest in related scientific and speculative topics within the UFO community.