UFO-Sweden Special Report - 1974 4

Magazine Overview

This issue of UFO-Sweden Special Report, dated 1974 and identified as issue number 40, marks a shift in editorial direction. Editor Lars Nilsson announces that the report will now focus exclusively on 'Straight UFO' content, drawn directly from the UFO-Sweden Swedish magazine 'UFO-Information'. This change is in response to reader requests for less mystery and more direct UFO-related material. The magazine is published by UFO-Sweden and is based in Sweden.

Editorial

Lars Nilsson's editorial explains the new direction for the publication, stating that future issues will consist solely of material from 'UFO-Information'. He apologizes for not providing a detailed follow-up to the Borlänge observation as promised in the previous issue, but instead offers a follow-up to the Lisbon observation and other interesting reports. Nilsson encourages readers to send in their own UFO-related magazines or newspaper clippings to RIKSORGANISATIONEN UFO-SVERIGE, Box 311, S-591 00 MOTALA 3, SWEDEN. The 'UFO-Information' magazine is available via the same box address for $10.00 per year for six issues.

In This Issue

The table of contents lists the following articles: "THE RETURN OF THE GHOSTFLIERS?" (Page 1), "EXAMINED BY SPACE-CREATURES" (Page 2), "SHINING OBJECT OVER BORGHOLM CITY WAS OBSERVED BY POLICEMEN" (Page 3), and "AIRLINER MET 15 UFO:s OVER LISBON (FOLLOW-UP)" (Page 3).

The Return of the Ghostfliers?

This article by J.O. Sundberg delves into the mystery of the "Ghostfliers," first observed in December 1933 over Västerbotten, Sweden. These mysterious airplanes were seen sweeping over treetops, often in blizzards, and were sometimes accompanied by a buzzing or humming sound, though many were completely silent. By January 1934, similar "mysterious ships" were reported along the Norwegian coast, with "Ghostfliers" being directed by light signals. The enigma of the 1930s "Ghostfliers" remains unsolved despite military actions. The article draws a parallel between the authorities' explanation in the 1930s (flying alcohol from Norway) and current claims by Swedish customs authorities that airplanes observed flying at tree-top level over Västerbotten and Jämtland are involved in narcotics smuggling from Norway. The article questions whether these are dope-smugglers or the return of the "Ghostfliers."

Further details emerge from an interview with Mr. Sigvard Redin, Chief Customs Officer in Östersund. He confirms reports of illegal flights from Norway into the province at night, with airplanes using overpainted signs to evade radar. These flights are suspected to be related to narcotics smuggling. Investigations have been ongoing since March 16, 1974, but have yielded no concrete results. The mysterious airplanes were first seen in early January over Västerbotten, flying at tree-top level at night, and by mid-February, they shifted to the province of Jämtland, originating from the Trondheim area in Norway. Witnesses described them as sports plane types, with buzzing sounds and visible lights. Some reports mentioned landings and marks in the snow. Redin believes it's likely dope-smugglers but doubts they are spy-planes, and states that Swedish and Norwegian customs authorities are cooperating on the case. The article notes that the "Ghostfliers" of the 1930s disappeared in 1937 after concentrating on northern Sweden and making several landings, leaving behind marks that led to no solution.

Examined by Space-creatures

This section reports on an incident that occurred at 00:20 hours on March 23, 1974, in Lindholmen estate, near Vallentuna Community, north of Stockholm. A man was reportedly startled by a large, blinding light and was then "sucked up into the air and into the hovering craft where he later was examined by space-creatures." The following night, March 24, 1974, at 19:20 hours, large, blinding light-bodies were seen flying over the treetops. A female motorist and her children were pursued for 8 kilometers by these mysterious lights. In the days following these events, military vehicles were reportedly seen in the area. Chief Engineer Tage Eriksson at FOA (The Swedish Defence Research Institution) in Stockholm has contradicted these statements. UFO-Sweden has interviewed witnesses and conducted a field examination, promising a detailed report in the next issue.

Shining Object Over Borgholm City Was Observed By Policemen

Reported by J.O. Sundberg, this article details an observation on the evening of March 23, 1974, over Borgholm City on Öland Island. Three policemen in a patrol car—Mr. Sidney Månsson, Mr. Per-Eric Axelsson, and Mr. Lars Göransson—observed a color-shimmering object that exhibited height, course, and side-alterations. The object's color was described as red-green-yellow-white. The observation, made around 21:30 hours, was during a routine mission for the Kalmar City Police traffic section. Mr. Werner Gustavsson, the policeman in charge at the Kalmar City Police station, monitored the radio traffic. He recounts that the F-12 airbase in Kalmar City was contacted but could not detect anything visually or by radar. Policeman Freddy Nilsson continued to call them after new reports came in from the patrol car. Pilot Olof Andersson at the F-12 airbase confirmed that the traffic policemen observed the object for 25-30 minutes. Andersson stated that alerting nearby radar units was a normal procedure, but he was unsure if the radar personnel saw anything. Policeman Ture Lindén, on duty at 22:00 hours, reported hearing rumors about the observation and also saw the object with his family from their balcony, noting it was motionless and tinged with different colors. Unconfirmed rumors suggest the object was also observed over Malmö and Halmstad.

Airliner Met 15 UFO:s Over Lisbon (Follow-up)

This section provides a follow-up to a previous report about an airliner encountering UFOs over Lisbon. It includes an interview with one of the pilots. On January 26, 1974, three Swedish pilots on a route from the Canary Islands to Sweden experienced something extraordinary east of Lisbon, Portugal. They encountered a large group of UFOs moving at fantastic speed. The Swedish Transair-liner, a Portuguese TAP airliner, and a Norwegian Braaten-airliner all made the same observation.

Mr. Lars Berglund, one of the Swedish pilots, described the objects as not unlike "saucers." The observation took place on a very starry night. They ruled out shooting stars and satellite debris. Berglund estimated there were twelve shining, disc-shaped crafts moving in a pulsating way, making it difficult to determine the exact number. He estimated their speed to be about ten times that of sound, possibly higher.

Pilot Berglund, who has over 15,000 flight hours, and his colleagues share the same interpretation of the event. Their Boeing 727, carrying about 130 passengers, was en route to Sweden from Las Palmas. The observation occurred around 03:00 hours at an altitude of 10,700 meters over Lisbon, lasting for two minutes (between 02:59 and 03:01 hours). The objects were seen racing in formation ahead of the airliner, on its right side, at an altitude of at least 20,000 meters. The sky was illuminated by the crafts as they moved from south to north, leaving enormous light-tails behind them.

The observers noted that the objects were shining white-yellow when most intense, turning greyish as the light reduced. The powerful light-tails were what initially drew their attention. The two lead objects appeared larger than the rest, seemingly commanding the formation. The pilots firmly stated that the objects resembled "saucers" but were unlike any terrestrial craft. They described them as something that "cannot explain in a scientific way" and powered by a force "tremendously superior to the sources of energy that we know of." The interview was conducted by Lars-Göran Hedengård.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around unexplained aerial phenomena (UFOs) and their potential connections to smuggling activities. There is a clear editorial stance towards presenting factual accounts and witness testimonies, moving away from speculative or sensationalized content, as indicated by the shift to "Straight UFO" material. The issue highlights the enduring mystery of the "Ghostfliers" and draws parallels between historical and contemporary unexplained sightings, suggesting a possible link between these phenomena and illicit activities like narcotics smuggling. The magazine aims to provide readers with direct reports and investigations into UFO incidents, encouraging reader participation through submissions.