UFO Research Newsletter - 1975 08 09 - Vol 04 No 07

Magazine Overview

This issue of the UFO Research Newsletter, Vol. IV, No. 7, published by UFO Research Associates (UFOR) for August-September 1975, focuses on UFO encounters in the Soviet Union and photographic cases from 1975. The newsletter provides a detailed look at reports from the USSR, highlighting the work of Dr. Felix Zigel, a prominent astronomer and professor.

Fantastic U.S.S.R. UFO Encounters Revealed

The lead article presents UFO encounters over the Soviet Union, drawing from an interview with Dr. Felix Zigel, who trained many cosmonauts and was instrumental in setting up a nonofficial scientific UFO commission in 1967. Zigel asserts, based on hundreds of sightings and evidence, that extraterrestrial probes have been reconnoitering Russia, with evidence rivaling that from the U.S. Several specific incidents are detailed:

• June 16, 1948, Baskunchak: Arkadiy Arpraksin, a decorated test pilot, flying at 31,000 feet, encountered a cucumber-shaped object emitting light beams. The UFO caused his plane's electricity to fail and his motor to conk out, leading to a crash landing with no major damage.
• May 6, 1949: Arpraksin experienced a similar incident with the same or a similar UFO.
• April 27, 1961, Lake Onega: 25 witnesses observed an object that scraped a frozen shoreline, leaving a trench approximately 50 feet long and 10 feet deep. A joint investigating team found strange, unexplainable metals of artificial origin.
• December 3, 1967, Cape Kamennyy: Members of a test flight for the State Scientific Institute of Civil Aviation were followed by a UFO emitting a light beam and several cones of light.
• September 19, 1968, Gagra: L.S. Tsekhanovich, a Moscow Planetarium astronomer, watched five orange balls maneuver and disappear in a flash of light.
• September 21, 1968: Tsekhanovich and others observed a bright, crescent-shaped UFO with a dome-like protrusion.
• July 31, 1969, Usovo: Dr. L.I. Kuprianov of the Academy of Sciences and friends saw two silver-colored discs that caused electro-magnetic (E-M) effects on automobiles.

Photographic Cases Enhance 1975 Reports

This section details numerous UFO sightings from January-August 1975, involving photographed objects, physiological and E-M effects, animal reactions, physical evidence, landings, and witness accounts of possible abduction. Witnesses included various professionals like control tower operators, police, military personnel, and firemen.

• Conneaut, Ohio (March 6, 1975): Two separate sightings of three mysterious yellow-amber lights pacing cars and hovering were reported by a husband and wife, and another couple.
• Ashland and Iron Counties, Minnesota (March 13, 1975): Nine deputy sheriffs and residents saw objects, one of which landed, emitting high-pitched sounds and red/green lights. Undersheriff George Ree investigated but found no evidence.
• Ellsworth-Elmswood-Maiden Rock Areas (April 6-7, 1975): James Koehler's family saw a huge, luminous object. Police Officer George Wheeler reported a huge, flaming object the size of a football field or a 747, later described as a glowing, cigar-shaped, whitish-orange UFO flying at an estimated 2,000 feet and 15,000-18,000 m.p.h.
• Brownstown, Ill. (January 5, 1975): David Mahon photographed a black, saucer-shaped UFO, about 100 feet in diameter, with a dome and circular markings, hovering at 1,500 feet and causing an electric motor-like sound.
• Morehead, N.C. (March 6, 1975): Robert James Wilson saw a UFO with rotating, flashing blue and green lights at its base.
• North Carolina (April 1975): A UFO flap occurred, with sightings reported in multiple towns. E. Lee Spiegel investigated, noting V-shaped objects with searchlights and red lights.
• Roseboro (April 3, 1975): Officer Jim Driver saw a V-shaped object hover over pecan trees, emitting a wide beam of light.
• Clinton (April 3, 1975): Deputy Sheriff Marshall Gilbert spotted an object with flashing lights.
• Newton Grove (April 3, 1975): Officer John Hayes saw an object with a humming sound, estimated at 300 feet altitude and 50-foot wingspan, causing E-M effects to his police radio.
• Robeson and Bladen Counties (April 15, 1975): Police saw a V-shaped object that hovered and moved erratically.
• Purvis (April 15, 1975): Officer Carl Locklear watched a V-shaped object hover at treetop level and shine a searchlight on trees.
• Seven Springs (April 20, 1975): Barry Whitley and Judith Johnson observed a square UFO with orange lights and a humming sound, flying at low speed and altitude.
• Garland (April 20, 1975): Police and fire/rescue workers saw a bright object with multi-colored lights, described as brilliant, phosphorescent white, about 30 feet across.
• Mount Olive Area (April 21, 1975): Police officers and college students witnessed a UFO.
• Pope AF Base (May 5, 1975): Soldiers, a sensor operator, and a police officer spotted a UFO circling the air base and flying faster than known aircraft.
• Antioch, Calif. (March 29, 1975): Ben Reed investigated an incident and saw a similar object.
• Carson, Calif. (June 6, 1975): Steven Sisneros and his mother saw a grayish-silver disc, estimated at 100 feet in diameter, with two domes and bright lights, hovering and moving erratically.
• Irondale, Ontario, Canada (February 16, 1975): Mr. and Mrs. Tom Simmons saw two UFOs, one bright white light and another with a bright white light on top and flickering red, green, and yellow lights below.
• Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (March 18, 1975): Pat McCarthy photographed a massive object described as a frisbee zig-zagging.
• Burlington, Ontario, Canada (March 21, 1975): A witness photographed a disc with a dome on top and two thin protrusions. Experts considered the photos potentially genuine and significant.
• Derwent Valley, Tasmania, Australia (March 14, 1975): Two girls observed a UFO emitting a strong silvery light.
• New Norfolk Area, Tasmania, Australia: Six reports described a craft that hovered, rose and fell in a zig-zag, and shot off at high speed.
• Rhodesia, Africa (July-August 1975): Numerous sightings of large, bright, orange, cigar-shaped objects were reported, some chased by police and causing effects like paralysis.

UFO Leaves Behind Physical Evidence

• March 27, Brentwood: Keith Nance and Richard Gill saw a diamond-ring-shaped orange object descend. It hovered over a field, then moved erratically. Examination of the field revealed a depression in compacted sand and missing tree limbs.

Book Reviews

• UFOs From Behind the Iron Curtain by Ion Hobana and Julien Weverbergh: This book covers the history of UFO sightings in the USSR, Poland, Rumania, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia, noting common characteristics like occupants and E-M effects. It also discusses the Tunguska "meteorite" explosion, suggesting a cosmic origin nuclear explosion.
• Sons of God Return by Kelly L. Segraves: This book theorizes that UFO occupants are "Satanic entities" promoting a "flying saucer myth" to manipulate humanity.
• The New UFO Sightings by Glenn McWane and David Graham: This book is critically reviewed as worthless, with authors claiming to see UFOs almost nightly.

UFO With Huge Legs Reported

• Gilroy, Calif. (August 10, 1975): Mrs. Terri Smith and cousin Imelda Lugo reported a large, bright, gray, metallic disc with three huge legs and colored lights. The witnesses experienced feeling "spaced out and light-headed," and later found small scratches with inflamed holes on their hands.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently presents UFO sightings as credible phenomena, often supported by witness testimony from respected individuals, including pilots, scientists, and law enforcement officers. The focus on physical evidence, electromagnetic effects, and photographic documentation suggests an editorial stance that favors the serious investigation of UFOs. The inclusion of reports from various countries, particularly the detailed coverage of Soviet UFO encounters, indicates a global perspective on the phenomenon. The book reviews also touch upon different interpretations of UFOs, from extraterrestrial probes to potentially demonic influences, reflecting the diverse theories within the UFO community. The overall tone is one of reporting and exploring these phenomena without overt skepticism, aiming to inform readers about the latest developments and evidence.