UFO RESEARCH NEWSLETTER

Magazine Overview

This issue of the UFO Research Newsletter, Volume VI, Number 7, dated August-September 1979, is published by UFO Research Associates (UFOR) and focuses on worldwide UFO sighting reports from January to May 1979. The cover headline highlights "OCCUPANTS, E-M AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS HIGHLIGHT WORLDWIDE SIGHTING REPORTS."

Key Articles and Reports

Worldwide Sighting Reports (January-May 1979)

The newsletter details numerous UFO sightings across at least nine U.S. states and nine foreign countries. These reports involved a variety of phenomena, including:

• Occupants and Physiological Effects: Several accounts describe encounters with UFO occupants or effects on witnesses. For instance, a witness in Plainfield, Connecticut, saw the sky turn blue and a white object speed upward. In Barnegat, New Jersey, witnesses reported "box-like flying ships" that caused dashboard lights to dim and radio static. A sighting in North Carolina involved a blue-white light source that emitted a high-pitched sound, causing vibrations in children.
• Electromagnetic and Physical Effects: A UFO sighting near Maywood, Nebraska, caused a witness's car engine to cease functioning, and static on the car radio. In Barnegat, New Jersey, similar effects were noted.
• Aerial Maneuvers and Pacing: A pilot and co-pilot near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, reported a UFO pacing their plane for 110 miles, exhibiting erratic movements, alternating lights, and changing pitch and direction. Another incident involved UFOs pacing a van in Scotland.
• Object Descriptions and Behavior: Objects were described as round, box-like, oval, disc-shaped, rectangular, and even "Z-shaped." Colors ranged from light blue and yellow to red, green, amber, and bright white. Behaviors included hovering, speeding upward, moving vertically and horizontally, emitting sounds (humming, "woo-woo-woo," "piercing humming noise"), changing colors, and disappearing abruptly.
• Specific Incidents:
• Plainfield, CT (March 1): Sky turned light blue, white object sped upward and disappeared.
• Pittsburgh, PA (March 24): UFO paced a cargo plane for 110 miles, showing erratic movements.
• Barnegat, NJ (March 28): Two "box-like flying ships" with colored lights hovered, causing E-M effects.
• Morgantown, NC (March 16): Blue-white lights approached a school, emitting sound and causing vibrations.
• Belton, SC (January 7): A "church-like" object with flashing lights hovered over a backyard.
• Spartanburg, SC (March 6): A UFO with strong lights hovered over a field and followed a family home.
• Winfield, AL (February 26): A large, bright red object with a circle was spotted.
• Winter Haven, FL (April 23): Two lights passed a car at high speed, causing it to slow down.
• Maywood, NE (March 2): A blue light caused a car engine to fail and radio static.
• Smithville, OK (March 23): A "great big ball of fire" with amber lights was observed.
• El Dean, Argentina (January 25): A rectangular metallic object landed, and humanoids emerged.
• Casanare, Colombia (January 23): A UFO emitted yellow and green sparkles, and occupants with "huge helmets" emerged; a waterspout was produced.
• Rivera, Uruguay (March 3): An oval UFO with colored lights moved over a truck.
• Glens of Foudland, Scotland (March 27): A "fierce light" appeared, disappeared, and reappeared, shining intensely on a van.
• Bupton, England (February 8): A brilliant white light with a red tinge flew low over a car, with a cluster of bright lights at the bottom.
• Hertford, England (March 17): A large, round, yellow ball of light approached, causing car headlights to dim and music to fade.
• Catalonia, Spain (March 19): A widespread electrical blackout coincided with UFO sightings.
• Upper Baracatan, Philippines (May 20): A round UFO landed, and villagers fled.
• Kampung Pertama, Malaysia (April 20): An elliptical, shiny object hovered over a paddy field.
• Coromandel coast, New Zealand (January 22): A formation of UFOs emitted intense lights, including a "perfect disc."

Book Reviews

The newsletter includes reviews of several books related to UFO phenomena:

• "The Philadelphia Experiment: Project Invisibility" by William L. Moore and Charles Berlitz: This book explores a purported secret Office of Naval Research project involving antigravity propulsion and possible alien contact during WWII. The review is skeptical, noting the evidence is weak and based on hearsay.
• "Messengers of Deception; UFO Contacts and Cults" by Jacques Vallee: Vallee suggests UFOs might be controlled by a human group aiming to undermine society. The review finds his case thorough but not convincing, proposing UFOs create distortions of reality.
• "UFO Terms" by Robert Stevenson Somerville: A reference book with over 1,400 entries on UFO terminology. The review notes it's dry and may not be accessible to the general public but is useful for serious researchers.
• "Official Guide to UFO Sightings" by Carl Sifakis: Described as inadequate and weak, this guide is criticized for lacking important details and relying on outdated reports.

New Poll: Most Scientists and Engineers Believe UFOs Exist

A recent survey of over 1,200 scientists and engineers revealed that 61% believe UFOs exist, with 44% thinking they originate in outer space. Additionally, 8% reported seeing a UFO, and 10% believe they may have observed an unexplained object. Younger respondents (under 26) were more likely to believe in UFOs than older ones.

Friedman Lauds New Film as Objective Enterprise

Stanton T. Friedman, a UFO lecturer and nuclear physicist, co-authored the script and served as technical advisor for the new film "UFOS ARE Real." The film aims to present UFOs as intelligently controlled extraterrestrial vehicles, using extensive photographic and film evidence, including footage from New Zealand. It features interviews with scientists, pilots, and abduction witnesses, and discusses alleged government cover-ups.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently presents reports of UFO sightings from around the world, emphasizing the variety of phenomena observed, including physical effects on witnesses and the environment, and the behavior of the objects themselves. The editorial stance appears to be one of reporting and investigating these phenomena, as evidenced by the detailed accounts and the inclusion of book reviews and survey results that engage with the subject matter. The inclusion of a poll showing significant belief among scientists and engineers suggests an attempt to lend credibility to the field. The book reviews, while sometimes critical, indicate an engagement with scholarly and popular works on UFOs, reflecting a broad interest in the topic.

The newsletter also covers upcoming events, such as the First London International UFO Congress, and announces the next edition's release date.