VIMANA

Magazine Overview

Title: VIMANA
Issue: 4/1969
Date: 1969
Content Focus: UFO sightings and investigations in Finland.

Investigation of Sarkivaara Sighting (Pudasjarvi Parish)

This section details an investigation conducted by 7 members of the UFC-Club of Oulu into a UFO sighting that occurred on September 8, 1969, in the Sarkivaara area of Pudasjarvi parish, near the mountain Syote. Nine people were interviewed, including the principal witnesses, Mr. Atte Sarkela (taxi driver) and Mr. Timo Laine (teacher). Their accounts were tape-recorded, and psychological tests were performed to assess their powers of observation.

The investigation revealed the following facts:

Mr. Atte Sarkela was driving with 6 passengers when, at 13:25 p.m., a light ball was spotted sideways in front of them. About a kilometer later, another smaller light ball appeared in the lateral direction, moving slowly alongside the mountains. The witnesses were intrigued as the area was wild and inaccessible by car. They then noticed the first, larger light ball again. Upon stopping the car, they observed the moving light with astonishment. During this time, some passengers left, and new ones boarded.

The sighting culminated near Sarkipera at Sarkivaara. A large light ball, resembling the moon in size and appearance, appeared to the left. A smaller ball was attached to its lower side, and another loose ball was seen to its left. Between Sarkipera and the mountain, in a deep gully, a spectacle unfolded: numerous small light balls crisscrossed near the ground, moving up and down in zig-zag patterns. A greater light ball appeared slightly apart from the others, moving slowly towards Taivalkoski.

The witnesses watched the spectacle for a few minutes before driving to the Sarkela school. Mr. Sarkela and Mr. Laine, along with his wife, observed the lights. Mr. Laine, using binoculars, noted that the large ball appeared to be the size of the moon to the naked eye, but filled his entire field of vision with the binoculars, indicating it was quite near.

The light phenomena vanished quickly. The large ball seemed to shrink and disappear, and the small balls in the gully vanished. The ball moving towards Taivalkoski remained visible on the horizon for a while. A similar light ball was reportedly seen in Kuusamo around 2:00 a.m.

Interviews: The interviews took place at the Sarkela school. Investigators Esko Hame, Olli Hame, Lasse Jalonen, and Martti Maki examined and photographed the sighting locations.

Measurements: A Wallac radiation meter registered 0.09 milliroentgens at a specific spot, compared to a basic reading of 0.02 milliroentgens in the school yard. This higher reading was not obtained at the location where the small light balls had crisscrossed.

Anomalies: Minor magnetic disturbances were noted in the vicinity of the sightings, and a spot exists where compasses function unusually. The article draws a parallel to UFO phenomena in Turku in 1966 and magnetic disturbances in Pahanniemi, questioning if magnetic anomalies affect the steering of ufonaunts.

Conclusion: The radiation measurements were deemed normal areal background radiation. The witnesses' experience is presented as an extraordinary UFO phenomenon.

Salla Sighting

At Pyyniemi of Hautajarvi in Salla, an UFO was viewed on three nights. On October 21, 1969, Mr. Pentti Liikanen, an excavator driver, observed a strange light from the west after midnight. The light grew brighter, appearing half a metre in size, and moved straight onward, stopping occasionally. It then moved horizontally and vertically, as if examining the ground. As it approached, its color changed to violet and red. The time was 5:20 a.m. Mr. Liikanen noted that the light was so bright it cast his shadow on the tractor's box, and the ground was also illuminated. This object had appeared before in the same region, with Mr. Liikanen and Mr. Helge Korva having seen it three times previously. Other workmen and local people also reported similar sightings.

It was not possible to investigate the Salla cases on-site at the time of writing, but it remains an objective for future activity.

Expert Opinion: Professor Juhani Oksman, head of the electric engineering department at Oulu University, studied the research material for the Pudasjarvi case. He stated that "the present-day science does not offer any explanation to the UFO sighting of Pudasjarvi."

Koskenpaa Sighting (Jamsankoski)

The night before October 6, 1969, at 3:50 a.m., Mrs. N.N. was awakened by bright illumination. Initially thinking an outside light was left on, she realized a light ball in the sky was the source. She woke her husband, and they watched the phenomenon from the window. A dog in the room did not react.

The object was measured at an arm's distance to be approximately the size of a football. It was colorless and very bright, with three large, veil-like tails extending tens of metres long. The object moved slowly from Southeast to North. Initially high above, its tails seemed to point downward, but as it disappeared over the horizon, the tails pointed upward. The sighting lasted about 5 minutes. The flight path was straight and regular. No sound was heard. The sky was cloudy in the west but bright in the east; the moon was not visible.

Meteorological Observations

It is mentioned that Mr. Sarkela and Mr. Laine made the most accurate sightings. Mr. Sarkela had completed a meteorological observation course while serving in the army and is capable of identifying weather phenomena, suggesting the observed events were not conventional weather-related.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine focuses on detailed accounts of UFO sightings in Finland, emphasizing witness testimony and the investigative efforts of groups like the UFC-Club of Oulu. The reports highlight unusual visual characteristics of the objects, their movements, and in some cases, potential electromagnetic or radiation anomalies. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious inquiry into unexplained aerial phenomena, presenting witness accounts and scientific observations, while acknowledging the limitations of current scientific understanding, as exemplified by Professor Oksman's statement. The magazine aims to document these events and potentially explore their implications, suggesting future investigations into the Salla cases.