UFO RESEARCH NEWSLETTER

Magazine Overview

This issue of the UFO Research Newsletter, Vol. V, No. 1, published by UFO Research Associates (UFOR) in Los Angeles, California, covers the period of August-September 1976. The newsletter focuses on unidentified flying objects and features several key articles and reports.

Project Blue Book Files Declassified; Hynek Studies Evidence

The lead article reports on the declassification of Project Blue Book files on July 5, 1976. Dr. J. Allen Hynek, director of the Center for UFO Studies and former Air Force UFO consultant, has been examining the 12,600 UFO reports, totaling approximately 140,000 pages from 1947 to 1969. Hynek noted that the Air Force could not explain over 700 of these cases and suggested that the Freedom of Information Act played a significant role in forcing the release of this information. He believes Project Blue Book should have been called 'Project Debunk' and that the attempt to debunk UFOs was a failure, with the classification of material serving to cover up mistakes. The declassified files, though potentially 'sanitized' by the removal of witnesses' names and national security information, are expected to keep researchers busy.

Enquirer Increases UFO Award to $1 Million; Walton Case Gets $5,000 Nod

The National Enquirer has significantly increased its award for positive proof of extraterrestrial UFOs to $1 million, a tenfold increase from its previous offer. The paper has also doubled its annual award for best UFO evidence to $10,000. Submissions will be screened by Enquirer editors and officials from APRO and NICAP. The most promising cases will be reviewed by a panel of scientists and a two-man judicial review board, including former Supreme Court Justice Tom C. Clark and former New York Court of Appeals Judge Francis Bergan. The $5,000 award for best UFO evidence of 1975 was shared by participants in the Heber, Arizona, UFO abduction case of November 5, 1975. Travis Walton, who claimed to be abducted for five days, received $2,500, with the remaining $2,500 shared among six other witnesses.

NORAD Officials Admit Tracking and Chasing a UFO

For the first time, North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) officials have admitted to tracking a UFO on radar and scrambling two F-106 fighter jets to intercept it. The incident occurred around 3 a.m. on November 11, 1975, when residents of Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, observed bright lights that moved at high speeds. Police and other witnesses observed the lights until 7 a.m. Maj. Robert Oliver, commanding officer of NORAD's radar base at Falconbridge, Ontario, confirmed the object was cylindrical and traveled at high speeds, ascending from 26,000 to 72,000 feet. The jets were scrambled from Selfridge AF Base, but did not intercept the UFOs. Lt. Col. Brian Wooding stated that jets are only sent up if there's a chance of interception. Capt. Gordon Hilchie confirmed this was the first time NORAD had officially stated they saw a UFO that coincided with public reports.

Friedman Lecture Schedule Grows; Publications Offered

Stanton T. Friedman, a nuclear physicist dedicated to UFO research, has an expanding lecture schedule, having spoken at over 300 colleges. The article lists his upcoming lectures through November 1976 across various states. Friedman is also offering two publications for sale: 'Proceedings of Symposium on UFOs' (1975), a compilation of papers by notable UFO scientists, and 'The Zeta Reticuli Incident' by Terence Dickinson, a reprint of an Astronomy article on Marjorie Fish's work.

Heflin Photos Labeled "Fraudulent"; Original Investigators Respond

This section details a controversy surrounding UFO photographs taken by Rex Heflin, an Orange County, California, highway inspector, on August 3, 1965. Heflin reported his truck's radio went dead, then saw a hat-shaped object and took four Polaroid photos. The photos, which showed clear images of the object and a vapor ring, were subjected to intense scrutiny by analysts, including the chief photographer for The Register and personnel from the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. Heflin was questioned by NICAP investigators and military officials. Despite initial scrutiny, Project Blue Book officials labeled the photos a 'hoax,' suggesting Heflin photographed a model. However, original investigators, including Mrs. Idabel Epperson, former NICAP Los Angeles Subcommittee head, strongly refuted these claims. They stated that six photographic analysts had pronounced the pictures authentic. Dr. A, from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, initially skeptical, became convinced of the photos' authenticity after examining them with advanced equipment, noting a shimmering around the object and a dome with a black band, which he attributed to particulate matter. A police chief also vouched for Heflin's integrity.

The article further notes that the Air Force Report itself gave a detailed account and a three-and-a-half-hour interview with Heflin, with officials determining an experienced man could take the photos within a 12-second period and that Heflin was not attempting a hoax, yet the AF still indicated it was a hoax. The case is supported by other sightings in the same area around the same time, including a landed 'disc' that 'suddenly took off,' a UFO observed over Huntington Beach, a UFO emitting a 'blinding light' in Sherman Oaks, a brilliant disc hovering over high tension wires near Santa Ana, an enormous disc observed in Westminster, and a saucer chased by a Piper Cherokee aircraft near the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station.

Mrs. Epperson concludes that the attack on Heflin, occurring 11 years later, is curious and that the Heflin pictures remain among the best taken, requiring a more convincing case to be dismissed as a hoax.

UFOs Seen Over California, Maryland

This section reports on several UFO sightings during the summer of 1976. On June 25, Ellen Roberts and her family observed a large, white, glowing UFO hovering over their car on Highway 680 in California. The object was described as 60-80 feet long and 40 feet high. On July 4, Donna Hodge and others saw a triangular-shaped UFO with a large white light that changed to green and red over the local airport in Chico, California, moving at incredible speeds. Shortly after midnight on July 6, David Birdsong and others observed an object with bright lights and red lights on its corners near Gridley, California, described as having a large, blunt front end. In Maryland, residents near Baltimore reported sightings of UFOs late on the evening of July 25 and early the next morning.

Famed Ghost Hunter Turns to UFOs in New Book

This review discusses Hans Holzer's new book, 'The Ufonauts: New Facts on Extraterrestrial Landings.' The book is described as a readable account of UFO occupant and abduction cases, though inconsistent and containing questionable documentation. Holzer dismisses the theory that UFOs are psychic manifestations, stating there is no evidence for it and that sightings have no connection with parapsychology. He cites radar reports and the Mantell case as evidence against parapsychological involvement. Holzer concludes that aliens are not bent on destroying humanity but consider themselves potential saviors. The review notes that Holzer examines claims from contactees like the Hills and Herb Schirmer, but his documentation is sparse and relies on questionable sources. Despite its flaws, the book is commended for presenting UFOs as extraterrestrial probes without invoking psychic phenomena or demonology.

Book and Record Reviews

Several books and a record are reviewed:

• UFO Trek by Warren Smith: This book posits that UFO contactees are not frauds but dupes in an ET game aimed at planetary takeover. It suggests that contactees are programmed agents for UFO occupants and that historical figures like Jesus Christ and Buddha may have been ET agents. The author claims a CIA source confirmed UFOs are real, representing advanced technology from another planet, and that aliens are eyeing Earth for a takeover. The review criticizes the writing as amateurish and the evidence as mere theory.
• Are UFOs a Reality? by Bob B. Blue: An LP record researched, produced, and narrated by Bob B. Blue, which tended to sound amateurish but was considered better than other available options.
• UFOs: The Credibility Factor: This is described as the best documentary UFO album to gain national release, featuring narration by John Newland and commentary from various UFO authorities, including Maj. Donald E. Keyhoe, Dr. J. Allen Hynek, and Stanton T. Friedman. It includes accounts from UFO abductees Betty Hill and Herb Schirmer, a police officer's account of a 1975 UFO case, and a retired Air Force major's dramatic case. The record is presented as a pleasurable alternative to repetitive UFO books.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently reports on UFO sightings, investigations, and the ongoing efforts to obtain and analyze evidence. There is a clear emphasis on official declassifications (like Project Blue Book) and the role of organizations like NICAP and MUFON. The editorial stance appears to favor the reality of UFOs as potentially extraterrestrial phenomena, as evidenced by the defense of the Heflin photos and the critical reviews of books that dismiss UFOs or attribute them to psychological phenomena. The newsletter also highlights the financial incentives for reporting evidence, such as the National Enquirer's award.