The Ufologist - vol 1 no 5

Magazine Overview

Title: The Ufologist
Issue: Vol. 1 No. 5
Date: September 1992
Publisher: Terrell W. Ecker
Location: Palatka, Florida

This issue of "The Ufologist" delves into several prominent UFO cases and debates within the ufology community, with a strong critical stance on certain widely publicized events.

Editorial: Let's put the Gulf Breeze Fiasco behind us

Terrell W. Ecker, the Editor and Publisher, argues forcefully that the Gulf Breeze UFO case should be considered a hoax and put behind the ufology community. He draws a parallel between the Gulf Breeze situation and a fabricated serial killer story, where a businessman faked photographs for profit and notoriety. Ecker contends that the Ed Walters photos, despite efforts by researchers like Jeffery Sainio and Dr. Bruce Maccabee, remain unproven and that evidence suggests they could have been faked using simple equipment, citing the confession of a teenager who helped Walters and the replication of photos by a TV newsman using a model.

Ecker criticizes MUFON for its "scientific" approach while failing to apply it rigorously to the Gulf Breeze case, which he believes lacks hard evidence and is legally and journalistically uninvestigatable. He states that reasonable doubt exists regarding the authenticity of the photos, as it has been proven they could be faked, and credible testimony supports this. In a civil context, he argues that the evidence does not meet the preponderance of evidence standard. He highlights that no one outside of MUFON in Gulf Breeze believes the case to be genuine, and questions Ed Walters' reaction to his wife's supposed attack by aliens, suggesting the photo is fake or Walters is not a reliable witness.

Ecker also criticizes the commercialization of the Gulf Breeze case, noting that Pensacola MUFON benefited financially from hosting a symposium related to it. He points to the threats and slander directed at those who question the case's authenticity, and the firing of MUFON state section directors over it. He concludes that the case is a hoax and no longer newsworthy, urging MUFON and the ufology community to focus on more important issues.

Readers' Forum

Barbara Becker responds to an article and commentary regarding the March/April 1992 issue of the International UFO Reporter (IUR) and her piece, "The invention of a Gulf Breeze UFO." She reiterates her argument that the water tower sighting by Art and Mary Hufford in Pensacola, Florida, was likely a misidentification, not a genuine UFO. Becker emphasizes that her paper, based on sound principles and supported by footnotes and a bibliography (which were omitted by the editor), used the Hufford report as an example of memory fallibility. She states that a photograph of a water tower in Pensacola accompanies her paper, and this tower is similar to the "UFO" described, but it could not have been seen from the location where the Huffords reported their sighting. Becker asserts that compromise memory can mix existing information with new information, leading to inaccurate recollections. She criticizes the assumption that the Huffords saw a UFO simply because they said so, and suggests that the location being on the flight path for Pensacola Municipal Airport was a more plausible explanation. Becker accuses Art Hufford of misrepresenting her article and using the water tower premise to add credibility to his report and denigrate her work. She concludes that Hufford distorts the truth and makes up "facts" and labels like "ruse."

Pascagoula abductions to be subject of movie

This article reports that Baton Rouge producer Midge Soderbergh intends to begin filming a movie about the Charles Hickson story by late December. The production will be partly based on Hickson's self-published 1983 book "UFO Contact at Pascagoula," co-written with William Mendez. Ed Conroy, author of "Report on Communion," is writing the screenplay. The $10,000 movie will be cast and filmed by Walsh Production Company of Bayou Goula, Louisiana. Hickson stated that he wanted a movie that did not fantasize the event, and believes Soderbergh is capable of bringing his feelings to the screen. The article notes that Hickson and his fishing buddy Calvin Parker were subjected to publicity and investigation after claiming to have been taken aboard a UFO on October 11, 1973. Their claim has never been disproved, and Hickson's book recounts subsequent UFO contacts. Parker reportedly suffered a nervous breakdown and has avoided further media exposure. Hickson, a successful businessman, is described as not being motivated by money and has made modest efforts to "spread the word" about UFO reality.

Is the Stealth model kit's historical note a leak?

This section reprints an item from the independent newsletter UFO PARADOX, published by Kerri Murphy and Barry Ballenger. Erich Aggen, a MUFON state section director, discusses a "historical note" found in the instruction booklet of a Testors 1/72nd scale model of the F-117A Stealth Fighter. The note mentions Area 51 at Groom Lake, Nevada, as the initial test site for the stealth program and a rumored adjacent facility, S4, as the location from which extraterrestrial UFOs are flown and reverse-engineered for advanced technology. Aggen points out that the instruction booklet was written by two Lockheed Corporation employees, Eric Schulzinger and Denny Lombard, and that the model kit is produced in large numbers and sold worldwide, suggesting this information could be a significant leak.

Klass takes swipe at 'Linda' abduction story

This article discusses Phil Klass's critique of Budd Hopkins' "most important" abduction case, involving a woman named "Linda." Klass alleges that Hopkins ignored warnings from New Jersey MUFON investigators who were suspicious of Linda's story and that the story bears resemblance to the 1989 horror novel "Nighteyes" by Garfield Reeves-Stevens. The editors note that the consensus on the Paranormal Issues forum of Compuserve Information Services was that "Nighteyes" was not the Linda story. Klass also alleges that Hopkins believes "The Third Man" in the case is Javier Perez de Cuellar, former Secretary General of the United Nations, though Klass does not name his "inside sources" from New Jersey MUFON.

In Pennsylvania: Saucer lands on steel plate - or does it?

This article, reprinted from the New Jersey Chronicle, reports on an investigation by Lukens Steel Company into employee reports of seeing an "unusual object" land at the plant on June 10, 1990. According to Lukens spokeswoman Evelyn Walker, the object was described by one source as a silver flying saucer with multi-colored lights, rotating around a watermelon shape. It reportedly landed briefly on a steel plate before taking off. However, one worker, Gerald Wischuck, stated he saw only a balloon. The incident became a topic of discussion among employees. Evelyn Walker acknowledged that a security guard saw an unusual object and that the company is investigating, but had no explanation. A Coateville police spokeswoman stated no one had contacted the police. Dr. David Jacobs, an assistant professor of history at Temple University, commented that while sightings are common, the reporting of them is rare, with estimates suggesting only one in ten or one in a hundred UFO sightings are reported. He noted that UFO sightings are more accepted now than in the 1940s and 1950s due to increased exposure.

Arcturus Books, Inc. moves to Florida

This brief item announces that Bob Girard, former owner of Arcturus Book Service, has moved his business to Port St. Lucie, Florida, and is now Robert C. Girard, president of Arcturus Books, Inc. The company specializes in UFO and related materials and provides monthly catalogs with reviews.

"UFOs Tonite" on Cable Radio Network Sunday nights

This announcement details a weekly UFO radio talk show hosted by Don Ecker, UFO Magazine's research director, airing on the Cable Radio Network. The show features interviews with UFO notables such as Dr. Jacques Vallee, Dr. David Jacobs, Budd Hopkins, and Zecharia Sitchin.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the critical examination of UFO evidence, particularly photographic and testimonial evidence, and the skepticism surrounding certain high-profile cases. The editorial stance is clearly critical of what the magazine perceives as unsubstantiated claims and commercial exploitation within the ufology community, exemplified by the strong condemnation of the Gulf Breeze case. There is a clear emphasis on the need for rigorous investigation, evidence-based analysis, and a distinction between serious ufology and what the magazine terms "blind-faith anecdote-collecting."