Wednesday, August 5, 2009

UFOs One Year at a Time: 1952

LAC CHAUVET UFO IN THE FRENCH PRESS
From the daily newspaper Le Méridional, France, pages 1 and 8, on June 1, 1952.

Paris. -- An electrical engineer of Le Puy claims to have seen a flying saucer Tuesday evening. "It was, he said, spindle shaped, afterc having made a sudden half-turn it took the shape of a disc of gray colour."

But a resident of Clermont, Mr. Frégnale, residing at the Martes-de-Veyre did better: he photographed a saucer. He was hiking in the area of Bessem Friday in search for geological curiosities, when suddenly, whereas he was near Lake Chauvet, he saw a kind of disc that crossed the sky from West to East.

Without wasting time, he directed his camera (which he always has with him when he goes hiking) and ook four shots of the mysterious machine... With his binoculars he studied the "flying saucer" during a few seconds.

- "It was approximately 6 p.m., told Mr. Frégnale, when I saw the saucer. Being unaware of its diameter, I cannot say at what altitude it flew. Apparently it was between 3.000 and 8.000 meters. I do not think that the altitude could be higher, for then, because of the thickness of the atmosphere, the craft would have had a bluish metallic colour which it did not have.

Four clichés

"I had the time to take four shots very quickly. I saw the machine approximately during 50 seconds and after having taken the photographs I observed the craft with binoculars. According to my observations and calculations I made afterwards, if the saucer were at 3.000 meters it was going at approximately 300 meters per second. If it were at 8.000 meters its speed was larger obvioulsy and could reach 800 meters per second. I heard absolutely no noise.

"The craft - as often told - had the shape of an oval saucer. Below and in the center it seemed that there is a light bulge, but I am not certain. Around the circular part, a brilliant circle appeared. I suppose that above the apparatus, a rotor, or some other gyroscopic system, rotated very quickly, which would explain the reflection that one very clearly sees on the photographs that I took."



ASTROPORT: http://www.interneland.com/interneland/astroport/a-astroport.htm

August 1, 1952 -The United States Coast Guard released a photograph of an unidentified aerial phenomena (i.e. a UFO). The photograph was taken by a 21-year-old Coast Guard photographer on 16 July, at the Salem Coast Guard Air Station. Coast Guard Officer Shell R. Alpert snapped the photograph of what appears to be four UFOs. The UFOs were also witnessed by Coastguardsman Thomas Flaherty.










The Washington D.C. UFO flap of 1952
from "UFOs At Close Sight"

1952 started out as the previous one had begun, with fewer than one ufo sighting per day in the first three months. In April and May, the flow increased to 3 per day, and this rate doubled in June. For the first half of the year, there had been 300 unexplained observations reports, 4 times the previous annual rate, and still the peak was not reached.

THE NUMBERS: The first 3 weeks of July show an average of 8 reports per day, many of them coming from Air Force jet interceptor pilots scrambled in response to radar or visual sightings from the ground. Starting on the 22nd and lasting through the 29th, reports jumped to an average of 27 per day. At the end of that very busy month, almost 400 reports had been recorded, which was more than in any previous full year.

THE INVESTIGATION: The Project Blue Book office at Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, was conducted by Captain Edward J. Ruppelt, whose tiny staff of two persons was totally overwhelmed by the volume of work. Reports poured in by mail, teletype, telephone and messenger faster than they could be processed, let alone investigated. They were stacked up with vague plans to investigate when things finally calmed down, but mostly they never were. The Blue Book list of unexplained observations for 1952 reflects this dramatic increase.

THE WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS: There were 3 nights of intense activity over Washington, D.C. On July 19/20, July 26/27 and August 2/3, the skies above the nation's capital were crowded with UFOs darting here and there, over the White House, over the Capitol Building, over the Pentagon. They were seen from the ground, seen and also detected on radar from control towers at Washington National Airport, Bolling Air Force Base across the Potomac River, and from nearby Andrews Air Force Base. The radar operators conferred by telephone to ensure they were tracking the same targets. In many cases, airline pilots flying in the area were able to provide visual confirmation of radar tracking.


The appearance of unidentified objects flying with impunity over the heart of the American government and its military establishment was embarrassing to the Department of Defense, whose responsibility it was to protect the country from airborne intrusion. A flood of questions from reporters led the U.S. Air Force to call its biggest but also most embarrassed and confused press conference since World War II. The conference was held in Room 3E-369 of the Pentagon, and was presided by Air Force Intelligence Chief, Major General John Samford. The main explanation given for the rash of sightings over Washington was something called a "temperature inversion," which is the immediate cause of a mirage, but usually on the ground.

General Samford suggested that lights on the ground may have looked like they were in the air because an inversion can act like an "air lens" and bend light rays. He added that something similar could have "tricked" radar into thinking it was tracking aerial targets, which were actually ground objects. This was the first time that this ad hoc explanation was used, it became very useful as an explanation for numerous later cases, though no one in the larger scientific community had a clue about this phenomenon. It wasn't until 1969 that an Air Force scientific report made it clear that inversions strong enough to create the effects with which General Samford credited them, could not exist in the earth's atmosphere!

Moreover, probably no radar/visual UFO report had ever been caused by a temperature inversion or mirage. For the larger audience, there were two surprises. First, the pres was surprised to learn that UFOs were picked up on radar. Until then, this was never mentioned by the Air Force. Second, they were told it is all a natural phenomena, temperature inversion. From then on, the press, the larger scientifi community, the public, all accepted that radar UFOs are "temperature inversions." 50 years later, it is mostly still so. (Of course, it happens that hot air layer are under cold air layers, but the thermal gradient necessary to creates anomaous propagation echoes that can be interpreted as solid flying object with anomalous performances is quite high. If one also expects that temperature inversion produce simultaneoulsy a visual mirage, the required gradient becomes impossible to reach except at ground level, as in mirages on a heated road.

If the visual mirage is supposed to be luminous, then it requires a ship with lights at sea under a very important temperaure inversion layer. If all that flies in the air, tracked at the same location by several different radar systems located at different places, then ... it is not possible to get the required conditions. Even if it arrives very exceptionally that such inversions returns echoes vaguely definite of vehicles on the ground, one visually does not see them in the sky with naked eyes, obviously. In the cases of Washington 1952, the weather conditions did not at all allow such an explanation.) The same day that General Samford held his press conference, the wheels began to turn at the Central Intelligence Agency.

A memo from Ralph Clark, Acting Assistant Director for Scientific Intelligence to the Deputy Director for Intelligence, stated: "In the past several weeks, a number of radar and visual sightings of unidentified aerial objects have been reported. Although this office has maintained a continuing review of such reputed sightings during the past three years, a special study group has been formed to review this subject to date."

In 1952, few people other than radarmen knew what a temperature inversion layer could produce and what it could not produce. Among these few people was Major Donald E. Keyhoe, USMC ret., who explained it properly. But of course, only those willing to hear this, heard it. See the official CIA report to get details on the CIA deep concerns about UFOs at that time: "...so long as a series of reports remains 'unexplainable' (interplanetary aspects and alien origin not being thoroughly excluded from consideration), caution requires that intelligence continue coverage of the subject."

Wilkes-Barre Record, Pennsylvania, USA, July 28, 1952Air Force Jet Fighters
Fail to Catch Objects
Flying over Washington

'Things' Sighted Twice in 7 Days

Pilot Reports Seeing
Lights That His Ship
Is Unable to Follow

Washington, July 27, UP. -- Jet fighter planes scanned the night sky over Washington last night and early today after unknown aerial objects were spotted intermittently on radar screens over a six hours period.

No contact was made with any of the subjects, which pilots said looked like "lights."

It was the second time within a week that unidentified flying objects in the sky had been tracked by radar in the Washington area.

The Air force said tonight that the latest unknown objects were spotted on radar screens at the Washington National Airport for at least six hours.

They were first detected at 9:08 p.m. Saturday by the Air Route Traffic Control Center at the airport.

The Air Force was notified.

Between four and 12 unidentified objects over the Washington vicinity were detected by radar, the Air Force reported.

Two jet fighter-interceptor planes were ordered aloft and searched the area, and later another pair took over the search.

But neither group made any direct contact with the unknown objects, which appeared to one pilot as being four lights that disappeared before he could overtake them.

After the planes had returned to their base, the unknown objects continued to be observed for some time on the radar screens at the airport, the Air Force said.

The jet pilots gave no description of what the aerial objects might have been beyond saying they looked like lights.

The jet planes came from Newcastle, Del. approximately 90 miles from Washington.

These pilots appeared on the CAA radarscopes at approximately 1:25 p.m. and were guided on several of the unknown objects.

The Air Force said in its statement:

"One of the jet pilots reported sighting four lights in front approximately 10 miles and slightly above him but he reported that he had no apparent closing speed. They disappeared before he could overtake them." Later the same pilot reported a steady light that disappeared in about a minute."

Sightings of unidentified things in the sky by radar indicate that something of substance was involved, not only light. It could, however, be small or large, as radar is capable of picking up a bird in flight. Radar also can detect such things as cloud formations.

The Air Route traffic control center made several further attempts through its radar observation of the unidentified objects to guide the jets to a contact. It was unsuccessful, the Air Force said, until about 11:49 p.m. When the same pilot who reported the first visual contact again reported sighting what he described as "a steady white light." The light disappeared within a matter of one minute, the Air Force said.

The CAA radar operator at the traffic control center, located at the Washington National Airport, calculated the unknown object's position at approximately 10 miles east of Mount Vernon, Va., which is near the airport.

The pilot said this light was about five miles ahead of his aircraft.

The Air Force said no further contact, either visual or by radar, was made by the planes, although the "unknowns" were still apparent at 2:20 a.m. on the CAA radarscope.




On July 2, 1952, at 11:00 am, on a bright, clear morning, Warrant Officer Delbert C. Newhouse, accompanied by his wife and two children aged 12 and 14, was driving along the open highway a half dozen miles from Tremonton, in Northern Utah. Shortly thereafter he testified to his Navy superiors:
"...my wife noticed a group of objects in the sky that she could not identify. She asked me to stop the car and look. There was a group of about ten or twelve objects - that bore no relation to anything I had seen before - milling about in a rough formation and proceeding in a westerly direction. I opened the luggage compartment of the car and got my camera out of the suitcase. Loading it hurriedly, I exposed approximately thirty feet of film. There was no reference point in the sky and it was impossible for me to make any estimate of speed, size, altitude or distance. Toward the end one of the objects reversed course and proceeded away from the main group. I held the camera still and allowed the single one to cross the field of view, picking it up again and repeating for three or four passes. By this time all of the objects had disappeared."




FAMOUS PHOTO CASE: THE BARRA DA TIJUCA, BRAZIL, FLYING DISK
MAY 7, 1952

(UFO Casebook) Of all photographs of alleged UFOs, the Barra da Tijuca series is considered by the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization (APRO) to be "one of the best (and possibly the best) on record." (at that time) However, the authenticity of the photos has been challenged; and some photo analysts suspect a hoax. The five pictures were taken by press photographer Ed Keffel, while in the company of reporter Joao Martins (according to their statements), and first published by O Cruzeiro magazine in its May 24, 1952, issue. It is claimed that the photos were actually taken on the seventh of that month, when a UFO -- a flying disk - was allegedly spotted in the vicinity of Barra da Tijuca, Brazil. The Brazilian Air Force conducted an investigation and released a positive statement that the photos were genuine. However, their report was not released to the public until 1959. It was first publicized by Fernando Cleto, an official of the Bank of Brazil, through a television program called "The Enigma of Space." Mr. Cleto had carried on a quiet investigation of UFOs for years and received the cooperation of the Brazilian "Investigation Commission on Flying Saucers", organized by the Brazilian Air Force under the command of Colonel Joao Adil de Oliviera.

According to Mr. Cleto: On May 7, 1952, Joao Martins and Ed Keffel went to the place called Barra da Tijuca to do a routine job for their magazine. At 4:30 P.M., Martins suddenly spotted an object approaching in the air at high speed. He thought at first it was an airplane he was facing . It looked like an airplane. There was still something strange, Martins realized. That "plane" was flying sideways. He shouted: "What the devil is that?" Keffel had his Rollei-flex at hand and Martins yelled: "Shoot, Keffel!" Ed Keffel grabbed his loaded camera and got five pictures in about sixty seconds, thus obtaining the most sensational photographic sequence of a flying disk.



The following is a personal statement written by Mr. Martins, which was also endorsed and cosigned by Mr. Keffel:

I herewith confirm that in May 1952, I saw an "unidentified aerial object" at Barra da Tijuca, as was published, with every detail, in the review [magazine] 0 Cruzeiro at the time. Together with me was the photographer-reporter Ed Keffel, an exemplary professional, well-succeeded and well-respected for his honesty and seriousness, who obtained a series of photos of the above-referred object. These photos were also published by the above-mentioned review, for which both of us worked at the time. Besides being a journalist, I am also an engineer; and I also have a large experience and knowledge of meteorological, astronomical, and optical phenomena. I have experience of all known types of aircraft and can state that the referred object cannot be framed in any natural phenomena or aircraft of my knowledge. Neither I nor Ed Keffel tried to derive any financial profit from the fact. We were at the time exclusively contracted by that review [0 Cruzeiro], and there we handed in our report and the photos, without receiving any extra bonus for either. Neither did we receive-nor did we wish to-any payment from anybody, either for the account or for the photos or for the appearances we were practically obliged to make on different occasions on television... I narrated the fact in free talks to military authorities and university auditoriums. I do not know what that object was, and because of this, I classified it in the category of "unidentified flying object", commonly called a "flying saucer." The incident, besides the annoyances it entailed, contrived to call my attention on the subject as an only advantage, and consequently I have done research on the subject with the greatest detachment, both in sightings here in Brazil and abroad.


Criticism, denial of the facts, or discussions by whoever does not know the subject or knows it from a distance or through reading third-hand publications, that are usually incorrect, can only be due to intolerance or dishonesty of purpose. As to me, I ignore them, for I am a professional who does not base his career on that report, nor have I the time to lose in sterile debates. I reported merely what I saw and whatever I had to say has been said.


(From FORGETOMORI) On May, 1952 the Brazilian magazine “O Cruzeiro” had a bombastic cover feature:

EXTRA: FLYING SAUCER ON BARRA DA TIJUCA


O CRUZEIRO presents, on a spectacular scoop, the most sensational documentation ever made about the flying saucer mystery — The strange craft came from the sea, with huge speed and was seen for a minute – Bluish gray color. Absolutely silent, without leaving any trace of smoke or flames – Complete report of the fascinating sight at Barra da Tijuca.
Reported by ED KEFFEL and JOÃO MARTINS”

Comment: A sensational series of five photographs. Too sensational: “Ed Keffel had only five negatives on his camera. He mus have known beforehand what would happen. And he knew. Everything was planned. In only five photos they managed to capture the alleged flying saucer in profile, from above, below and slightly tilted“, noted ufologist Claudeir Covo.

The hoax, made by “O Cruzeiro” magazine, took an unexpected turn with the involvement of the Brazilian military. Far from “cover-up”, they endorsed the case. Air Force officers, headed by col. João Adil de Oliveira, analyzed the images and, because they failed to reproduce them using a model thrown in the air, declared them authentic. The hoax was actually made by photomontage.

A month after the images were publicized, Ciência Popular [Popular Science] magazine, through its director, Ary Maurell Lobo, did their due work and proved that us, Brazilians, were not all that gullible.

tijuca2Regarding the ‘flying saucer’ that gave an interview on Barra da Tijuca to the photographers … we emphasize the hoaxes being made on USA and Europe, by throwing small disks on the space and photographing them. Everything published on such periodicals can be easily obtained through this process, or by a special montage, with successive photos. We don’t want to claim that the sensational report was of such criminal nature, but we don’t accept it“, Wrote Lobo on June 1952. He was right about the “special montage”.

By 1963, american astronomer Donald Menzel, fierce enemy of the interplanetary spaceships — or of its promoters — was already nailing the case right on the spot. The flying saucer’s shadows are not coherent with the scenario. The “Condon report”, the Colorado University study about UFOs published on 1968, supported Menzel’s objection through independent analysis. The analyzed image, show at the beggining of this page, indicates that the flying saucer was illuminated from the left, while the scenario, notably the palm tree, was illuminated from the right.

On the 1980s, William Spaulding and Brazilians Carlos Reis and already mentioned Claudeir Covo presented even more evidence that the photos were hoaxed. On the fifth and last image, Covo wrote that “to create such shadow on the object, the Sun must have been inside the Atlantic Ocean”.

We end with the Condon report conclusion on this case:

This case is presented as an example of photographs which have been described as incontrovertible evidence of flying saucers, yet which contain a simple and obvious internal inconsistency.

http://forgetomori.com/page/73/Link



Revelado o segrêdo da Barra da Tijuca

http://nitovni.wordpress.com/2009/02/01/o-caso-da-barra-da-tijuca-rj/

Reportagem de JOÃO MARTINS

O CASO do disco voador da Barra da Tijuca é, hoje, história do passado. Para mim, pessoalmente, êle teve o mérito de despertar a minha atenção para o enigma que continua a desafiar a Humanidade. De maio de 1952 para cá, tenho sistemàticamente levado a efeito uma investigação fria, racional e organizada no sentido de descobrir o que são êles, de onde vêm, como são propulsionados e que intuitos têm os seus possíveis tripulantes. De tempo a tempos, tenho publicado reportagens ou séries de reportagem, nas quais levo ao conhecimento do público o resultado dos meus esforços. Os que acompanham êstes meus escritos, são testemunhas do critério e do equilíbrio em que tenho me mantido num assunto tão fácil de descambar para o sensacionalismo inconseqüente ou para a fantasia desbragada. Por isso mesmo. tenho hoje o privilégio de ser conhecido e acatado pelos investigadores mais bem informados e mais sérios que, no Brasil e em muitos outros países estão empenhados na pesquisa objetiva e honesta dêste mistério. Para êsses, o caso da Barra da Tijuca é um dos chamados casos clássicos da crônica mundial dos discos voadores. As fotos tiradas naquela ocasião pelo veterano Ed Keffel, cuja longa vida profissional representa um exemplo de honestidade, eficiência e amor ao seu trabalho, são, para os homens que se encontram nos bastidores desta imensa investigação internacional, um dos documentos mais preciosos e fidedignos.

Isto tudo não impede, porém, de que haja quem ainda ponha em dúvida a autenticidade das citadas fotografias, por simples desconhecimento do assunto ou simples desonestidade. De tempos em tempos, quando algum caso de disco voador se torna mais sensacional não falta o aparecimento de alguém que, em busca de um cartaz fácil, se atire ao ataque das fotos de Ed Keffel, como se essas fotos fôssem as únicas que provassem a existência dos discos, como se o incidente da Barra da Tijuca não fôsse apenas um, dentre milhares de outros. Ora é um fotógrafo qualquer que, ridiculamente, joga pratos para cima e declara, da forma mais primária, que êle também pode tirar fotos de discos voadores… Ora é um cientista, de almanaque que, buscando desesperadamente estabelecer polêmica a fim de arranjar publicidade barata para si próprio, investe da forma mais grosseira e menos científica possível contra êste repórter, contra Keffel, contra todos os que testemunharam ou levam a sério os discos voadores, sejam êles civis ou militares, leigos ou técnicos.

Da minha parte, nunca me dei ao trabalho de responder a êsses adversários gratuitos. Tenho seguido, impertubàvelmente, no meu caminho, pois de outra forma ficaria encalhado em discussões inúteis que nem ao menos se poderiam manter em plano elevado. Atenho-me a fatos. Apresento fatos aos meus leitores. Se alguém não crê ou se recusa a crer nestes fatos, o problema não é meu. Mesmo que nunca tive a intenção de converter ninguém: os discos voadores não são, para mim, uma questão de crença, nem uma obsessão. Como repórter, encaro-os como um fascinante assunto jornalístico. Pessoalmente, estou certo da tremenda importância que êles podem ter no decurso da nossa evolução, principalmente nesta época em que damos os primeiros passos rumo ao nosso satélite e aos planêtas mais próximos.

Os documentos e o relato que trago hoje aos leitores não têm, portanto, o sentido de defesa ou justificação. A presente publicação representa apenas uma consideração para com todos aquêles (e são a maioria) que formam ao nosso lado. Conhecendo, desde 1954, o estudo feito pela FAB a respeito do caso da Barra da Tijuca, eu poderia tê-lo publicado muito antes, se quisesse colocar-me voluntàriamente na posição de réu que se defende, ou de acusado que se justifica. Nunca senti a necessidade de me pôr nessa posição. Tinha a consciência tranqüila e a satisfação íntima de contar com a confiança e a amizade dos que acompanham o assunto, procurando antes, informa-se bastante a respeito, e dos investigadores civis e militares que poderiam, em sã consciência, ter uma opinião a respeito. Para mim e para Keffel, a opinião de um homem como o Cel. Adil de Oliveira sempre valeu mais do que a de cem amigos gratuitos ou a de cem descrentes sem base.

O que os leitores vêem nestas páginas e o que vão ler a seguir é o que foi mostrado e dito, na TV Continental, Canal 9, do Rio de Janeiro, na noite de 11 de outubro, por Fernando Cleto, na segunda apresentação do seu programa semanal, já vitorioso, denominado O Enigma do Espaço. Fernando Cleto é um alto funcionário do Banco do Brasil. Há mais de dez anos que vem investigando os chamados discos voadores. É um dos pesquisadores civis mais credenciados no Brasil. Conta com a colaboração de investigadores civis e militares, altamente informados a respeito. O que êle revelou, no seu programa, em absoluta primeira mão, e que vai aqui reproduzido, ganha ainda maior valor para nós, quando sabemos que nem êle nem a TV Continental fazem parte dos Diários Associados. O que vão ler, portanto, é o depoimento de um homem cuja única ligação conosco é apenas uma: a honestidade de propósitos, o interêsse de descobrir e revelar a verdade. Aqui está, sem tirar nem pôr, o que Fernando Cleto revelou ao seu grande público:

OFICIAIS DA FAB foram ao local, imediatamente após o caso, e lá fizeram todas as pesquisas. Posição do sol, distâncias, trajetória do objeto, jôgo de luzes e sombras, altitude, tudo foi objeto de estudos que depois, transportados para o papel e comparados com as fotos, determinaram a autenticidade das mesmas. Uma análise minuciosa do relato, das várias possibilidades de fraude, de outros testemunhos surgidas e até mesmo da vida profissional e da personalidade dos repórteres, foi realizada. A conclusão foi positiva.

NA BARRA DA TIJUCA, os ofíciais da FAB jogaram uma reprodução em madeira do disco, para o ar, inúmeras vêzes, tentando reproduzir a seqüência de cinco fotografias tais como aparecia no filme de Ed Keffel, cujos negativos não foram cortados. Uma fotografia convincente, por êsse processo, é possível obter-se, dentre muitas que se botam. Entretanto, uma seqüência de cinco, em várias posições, é pràticamente impossível de ser batida em seguida. Além de tudo, foram determinadas tècnicamente as distâncias do objeto.


No dia 7 de maio de 1952, João Martins e Ed Keffel encontravam-se na Barra da Tijuca, com o intuito de fazer uma reportagem de rotina. Às quatro e meia da tarde, inesperadamente, João Martins viu um objeto que vinha no ar em grande velocidade. A princípio pensou que fôsse um avião visto de frente. No entanto, Martins estranhou porque aquilo, se fôsse avião mesmo, estava voando de lado. Exclamou: Que diabo é aquilo? Keffel estava com sua máquina Rolleflex a tiracolo e Martins gritou: Bata, Keffel! Ed Keffel, com grande habilidade, disparou a sua máquina cinco vêzes, no espaço de um disco voador.

Dezenas de pessoas viram o disco naquele dia e comentaram o fato antes de fotografia serem publicadas. Naquela mesma ocasião, o Adido Militar à Embaixada dos Estados Unidos, junto com oficiais brasileiros, examinou os negativos da seqüência e declarou:

– Não tenho a menor dúvida sôbre a autenticidade das fotos divulgadas pelos repórteres de O Cruzeiro.

Na época, acompanhávamos com grande interêsse o desenrolar dos acontecimentos, quando mais tarde surgiram testemunhas afirmando ter visto homens jogando para o ar e fotografando um disco, exatamente no mesmo local das fotos de Keffel. Essas declarações vieram estabelecer uma dúvida no nosso espírito. Dúvida que perdurou até o ano de 1954.

Em 1954, o Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes, então Ministro da Aeronáutica, nomeou o Coronel João Adil de Oliveira para chefiar a primeira Comissão de Investigadores sôbre os Discos Voadores criada em nosso País. Um dia, recebi um telefonema do Coronel Adil, pessoa que não conhecia. Convidou-me a comparecer ao Estado-Maior da Aeronáutica a fim de prestar alguns esclarecimentos em tôrno de um fato relacionado com discos voadores ocorrido em 1948. Chegando lá, encontrei outros convidados: oficiais da esquadrilha de aviões a jacto da Base Aérea de Gravataí, que falavam sôbre dois discos que haviam sobrevoado aquela base durante horas seguidas. Um pilôto civil, por seu lado, contava que, tendo o seu avião sido seguido por um disco, modificava seu plano de vôo, pousando em São Paulo. Em determinado momento, João Martins e Ed Keffel chegaram ao Estado-Maior, também convidados pelo Cel. Adil.

Naquele dia, ouvi, vi e aprendi muita coisa… Mas o que realmente interessa é que, a certa hora, o Coronel Adil mandou buscar um dossier. Ao recebê-lo, declarou que ali estava todo o estudo que a FAB havia feito em tôrno do caso da Barra da Tijuca. Ao abrir o volume, que era enorme, caiu inesperadamente sôbre a mesa um disco de madeira. Houve um súbito silêncio naquela sala… Que seria? A FAB teria apurado alguma fraude? O próprio Coronel Adil rompeu o silêncio dizendo mais ou menos o seguinte:

– Você se lembra, Martins, que algumas pessoas declararam ter visto homens jogando um disco para o ar e fotografando? Realmente êles viram êste disco que aqui está, mas nós sabemos que não foi jogado por vocês, porque êle foi jogado por nós da FAB, que nos dias seguintes ao fato fomos para o local fazer minuciosos estudos em tôrno das suas fotografias. Inclusive andamos jogando êste disco para o ar, numa tentativa de reproduzir uma seqüência como a de vocês.

Sempre tive vontade de contar êste fato pùblicamente e, agora, tendo surgido esta oportunidade procurei o Coronel Adil e por êle fui autorizado a fazê-lo, inclusive me cedendo o modêlo de madeira.

Em 1952, falava-se do desinterêsse da FAB pelo assunto ligado aos Discos Voadores, o que não era exato. Consegui do Coronel Adil uma pequena parte dos documentos que integram o dossier a que já me referi, organizado pela FAB, em 1952. Vou mostrar alguns, dêsses documentos para que os telespectadores se certifiquem do fato. Lembramos porém que êles representam o resultado de um estudo sério destinado ao arquivo da FAB.

Temos aqui um estudo em tôrno da fotografia n.º 3. O mesmo estudo foi feito para cada fotografia da seqüência. Êste documento mostra estudos relativos a azimute, distância zenital, declinação e ângulo horário. Nas figuras 3 e 4 aparece a trajetória do Sol, posição de onde foram tiradas as fotos e a posição das árvores que aparecem na foto n.º 3. Êste outro documento foi feito para analisar a foto n.º 1. Nêle vemos estudos de perspectiva onde se verifica a inclinação da linha de visada com o horizonte, bem como a inclinação do plano do disco e ainda a altitude que, no momento da fotografia, era de 490 metros e a distância ao observador, que era de 1.500 metros.

Para melhor entendimento, vamos fazer no quadro-negro uma representação esquemática do que acabamos de dizer, assinalando as posições do observador e do objeto. As posições do objeto são obtidas em face do azimute que a FAB calculou para cada fotografia. E sucessivamente temos: na foto 2° objeto está a 2.000 m de distância e 930 de altitude. Nas fotos 3, 4 e 5, respectivamente a 1.200, 1.100 e 3.000 m de distância e 940, 720 e 580 de altitude. Todos êsses movimentos confirmam exatamente a descrição que dêles fêz João Marins, em 1952. E mostram também a impossibilidade de fraude, uma vez que não é exeqüível jogar um disco de madeira nas distâncias registradas.

Outro esclarecimento deve ser dado para explicar a foto n.º 1. Ela sempre representou um entrave na interpretação da seqüência. Nela temos a impressão de ver uma hélice na parte inferior do disco, enquanto nas demais não existe tal hélice. Pela reconstituição em outro documento do estudo feito pela FAB, verifica-se perfeitamente que o disco da foto 1 é o mesmo do resto da seqüência. O que nos dá a falsa impressão de dois planos é apenas um efeito de luz e sombra.

Telespectadores: as críticas feitas em 1952 à Fôrça Aérea Brasileira foram injustas. A FAB examinou o assunto em profundidade.

Quanto à autenticidade das fotografias de Ed Keffel e João Martins, como viram, temos suficientes razões para fazer uma afirmativa: elas são verdadeiras.

Revista O Cruzeiro – 31 de outubro de 1959

Aug. 25, 1952, Pittsburg, Kansas. 5:35 a.m

From UFO Phenomenon at Close Sight

www.ufologie.net
Case summary by Don Berliner

Witness: radio station musician William Squyres. One dull aluminum object, shaped like two meat platters, face to face, estimated at 75' long, 45' wide, and 15' thick. Through a window in the front section shone a blue light, the head and shoulders of a man could be seen. The mid section had numerous windows through which could be seen some kind of regular movement. A series of small propellers were spaced close together along the outer edge of the object, revolving at high speed. The object was hovering about 10' above the ground, 100 yards off the road, with a slight rocking motion. It then ascended vertically with a sound like a large covey of quail starting to fly at the same time. Vegetation showed signs of having been disturbed under the object.



The FLATWOODS MONSTER!

The Flatwoods Monster, also known as the Braxton County Monster or the Phantom of Flatwoods, is an alleged unidentified extraterrestrial or cryptid reported to be sighted in the town of Flatwoods in Braxton County, West Virginia, USA on September 12, 1952. Stories of the creature are an example of a purported close encounter of the third kind. (Wikipedia)

FOR MUCH MORE ON THE MONSTER, CLICK HERE


CIVILIAN SAUCER INVESTIGATION, CSI NEWS BULLETIN, USA

Issue 1, Fall 1952

THANKS TO UFO PHENOMENON AT FIRST SIGHT FOR MAKING AVAILABLE THIS IMPORTANT HISTORICAL DOCUMENT.




CIVILIAN SAUCER INVESTIGATION

CSI News

Box 1971 Main Post Office Los Angeles, Calif.



SAUCERS CAPTURE NATION'S INTEREST


Summary of findings in CSI's First 220 Sightings Reports

Richard W. Williams

Sightings pouring in to CSI from every state in the union, from Canada, Great Britain, Africa, South America and many other locales make one point very clear.

There are flying saucers and related aerial phenomena.

They are not mirages or weather balloons. Contradicting a popular fallacy, CSI's voluminous logs reveal that saucer sightings are not concentrated particularly around atomic installations.

The sightings also conclusively prove from most reliable of observers that the green fireballs which have received so much publicity of late, are no new phenomena.

CSI's records show numerous sightings of green fireballs dating back into the early 1930's.

Although no reports is yet possible from CSI's evaluation board of scientific and aeronautical experts headed by Dr. Walter Riedel, international rocket authority and father of Germany's World War II V-2 program, a breakdown of the first 220 sightings received, gives some interesting information.

Top Brass in Washington, D.C., zigged and zagged through a maze of extremes in comment and explanation in trying to stem the recent upsurge of public interest in the flying saucer phenomena. A single day brought forth both the assurance from high places that the objects were purely the products of overactive imaginations, and an order to "shoot them down if you can't talk them down."

From Korea to Sweden, from California to Florida, including a couple of dramatic flourishes over this nation's Capitol, the unexplained objects were reported to be sweeping across the view of hundreds and thousands of interested spectators. The local press, wire services, radio and television stations across the country went about gathering the greatest harvest of saucer sightings since the objects were first reported by Arnold in 1947.

The present rash of sightings began on July 5, when four Florida pilots, three of them World War II veterans, told of seeing an unidentified object hovering over the Hanford atomic plant at Richlands, Washington. The object was described as a perfectly round disc, white in color and almost transparent, with small vapor trails off it like the tentacles of an octopus.

The Hanford Incident was followed immediately by literally hundreds of other reported sightings all over the nation.

(Continued on Page 6)

URGE YOUR FRIENDS TO SEND SAUCER SIGHTINGS, PHOTOS, AND NEWS CLIPPINGS TO: -

BOX 1971
MAIN POST OFFICE
LOS ANGELES, 53 CALIFORNIA


Page 2 - CSI Quarterly Bulletin September 1952

CIVILIAN SAUCER INVESTIGATION

Box 1971, Main Post-Office, Los Angeles 53. California

Membership: John C. Barnes, William J. Besler, Homer Davies, John Davies, Werner Eichler, Gerald Heard, Norton H. Nelson, J. S. Newton, Ed J. Sullivan, Richard W. Williams.

Honorary: Dr. Walter Riedel

Officers: President, Ed J. Sullivan; Vice-President, Richard W. Williams; Secretary, Treasurer, Homer Davies

Copyright 1952

Civilian Saucer Investigation

The Civilian Saucer Investigation was organized in December of 1951 by a group of professional engineers and writers who had closely followed the saucer phenomena over the years. As individuals, each recognized the lack of coordinated civilian effort to gather the facts upon which to establish the origin, identity and ultimate purpose of the objects. Each man in CSI was also deeply aware that facts, and only facts, would relieve the suspicion with which the man on the street viewed the phenomena, since, for some reason, the Flying Saucer fell easy prey to hoax and fiction.

The group obtained Box 1971 at the main Los Angeles Post Office early in January, 1952, invited sighters of the objects to report to this address, and was "discovered" by TIME magazine, who made generous mention of the organization in their science section. Box 1971 gained further world-wide publicity by LIFE magazine, TRUE magazine, syndicated newspaper articles, and by radio and telephone, which brought a deluge of first-hand reports of sightings, each of which the small CSI group has labored to acknowledge. CSI believes it to be significant that its fine treatment in the press and by other media has been entirely voluntary; that on no occasion has the group sought out or solicited publicity of any kind.

Each report is read by every member of the group as soon as it is received, and then turned over to a group of qualified engineers to be evaluated, logged into the master records, and correlated with other reports of similar nature. Those reports considered to especially significant are then copied and transmitted to the Air Intelligence Center at Dayton, Ohio, to assist the Analytical Section in their analysis of the phenomena.

It should be emphasized that the Civilian Saucer Investigation is an independent, non-profit, fact-finding organization; that it is not committed to prove or disprove any preconceived theory or concept related to any phase of the saucer phenomena.


FLYING DISCS AROUND THE WORLD IN 1952

Werner Eichler

It is a significant fact of the still unsolved flying saucer mystery that the United States is not the only country visited by the much discussed phenomenon. Nor have sightings been confined to a particular hemisphere. They occur everywhere in the world, as evidenced by the ever-increasing volume of reports to CSI from all corners of the globe.

Although it appears that an overwhelming number of sightings have been recorded in the United States, mysterious phenomena of this type have been observed in all European countries, the African continent, South America, Australia and, lately, even in Korea.

To substantiate this statement let us take a look at some of the reports received during this year from the various countries, and from sources which are considered as very reliable in these countries. The instances were selected because of the reliability of the witnesses, clear weather conditions, and number of other witnesses.

England and Canada are two countries which supply most of the information. Among the reports from Great Britain is that of a well-known Suffolk botanist and ornithologist, Irene Stubbins, who described a sighting or two discs at relative low altitude and at very good visibility. Air Force personnel with years of training in observation reported in one instance, the sighting of a pear-shaped brilliant object flying with the large end downward in the vicinity of Hampshire, and in another instance, the appearance of two oblong airships of perfectly smooth surface over London, witnessed by numerous other persons of that city. A funnel-shaped stream of flame was seen in Devonshire. An R.A.F. officer reports a very good sighting of a saucer-shaped object over Kent. Very recently, a British official visited White Sands Proving Ground, N.M, and discussed the strange phenomena seen in British skies with scientists of White Sands. This is significant because it shows that British officials do not take these sightings lightly.

Canada is well represented with sightings of unexplained flying objects. An aviator of 13 years experience, the superintendent of Telecommunications and an instrument technician saw a bright amber disc which appeared over North Bay, Canada, and seemed to be the size of the moon. Reserve air force officers pursued a flying disc at 400 mph over Ontario, Canada, but were quickly outdistanced by the disc.


Page 3 - CSI Quarterly Bulletin September 1952

NEW RING PHENOMENA SIGHTED

Gerald Heard

One of the many problems in Saucer investigation is the great variety of shapes that the craft have shown. Saucers themselves are of various designs. Some are the standard discus-shape, with or without a whirling rim. Some are flat as a phonograph record with only a central boss on one side and a circular welt on the other. (See the Rio photographs). Some are like truncated cones clapt together at their blunter ends. Then there is the other completely different model, the tubes, some of which may be hundreds of feet in length. But perhaps the oddest are the Rings. One of the best of such sightings came during the three months intensive visiting which the British Isles underwent in the Fall of 1950. On Sept. 24 an Edinburgh lawyer and his family were seated in their car looking at the famous North Bridge. Suddenly out of the sky came a huge ring. It was hollow in the center. It settled above the bridge and seemed to be watching a train that was at the moment crossing. Then as quickly as it had descended it drew up again into the sky and disappeared. This report prepared us for the careful account of Charles T. Earley of Greensfield, Mass. On the afternoon of March 30 of this year, he saw two rings, one above the other, descend out of the clear sky while he was working in his back yard. He estimated that as they swooped down toward him they were thirty feet in width and the couple were some four feet apart. The objects dived down toward him and then as rapidly, as in the Scotch case, retreated into the sky. In this case Mr. Earley did hear a very high note. These two cases are capped as the most spectacular of the ring sightings up to date. The object was seen aver the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls by a great number of people over a wide district. It seemed to all observers to be huge – "somewhat smaller than a city block," said Mr. Ray Golding. While it was observed it changed color. At first seen as a sepia ring on the colored sky it began to glow. When seen as a dark object it was moving slowly. Then as its speed increased it became bluish-white before it disappeared going toward the Falls.

These three cases serve to illustrate very well this particular phenomena. A number more have been sighted. What are they? They can't hold occupants. Here's one possible hypothesis. They could be scanning devices, "radiation-eyes" put down by "somebody high up" say from some mother-ship, from an artificial satellite, as we put down sounding devices when we map, photograph and take specimens from the deep ocean floor. Whatever the are, they are well worth watching. If you see one, tell us. Box 1971, Main P. O., Los Angeles, California.


SEATTLE FIRE-BALL

Richard W. Williams

The mystery of what happened over the sleeping city of Seattle, Wash., at 1:26 a.m., May 11, remains to be explained satisfactorily.

According to press reports, a blinding white flash transformed the skies over Seattle at that moment into daytime brightness.

The flash was accompanied by a series of explosions that shook buildings and routed mystified residents over a wide area.

The general assumption was that a meteor had swished across the heavens and burst apart at a height estimated variously at 2,000 to 8,000 feet. But meteorologists said that if this were true, its behavior did not follow usual patterns.

Whatever it was, the event was quickly hushed up, there were no subsequent reports, and no details of any fragments being found were ever released.

CSI, with no associate members yet named for the Seattle-Vancouver area, was unable to make a personal investigation. If you are a resident of either of these cities, and qualified to make reports, please contact CSI at P.O. Box 1971, Temple and Spring Streets, Los Angeles, California.


Page 4 - CSI Quarterly Bulletin September 1952

STRANGE SKY OBJECTS TRACED BACK FOR CENTURIES

Gerald J. Heard

Most people don't know that cruising sky-objects are no new scandal in astronomy. For when the discovery of telescopes "lifted the lid off the sky" and showed that there was only space above, not a hard ceiling, as had been thought, then meteorites were denied in the name of Science. German learned societies forbade members reading papers on such sightings.

Lavoisier, the great chemist, mocked the "ignorant superstition that still could fancy that fragments could fall from the 'heavens', a mythical sky-roof." Finally meteorites were accepted. Next it was the turn of ball-lightning to be vetoed. The thunder-bolt was no more than a hang-over from mythology. The end of the XIXth Century saw most scientists converted to a belief in ball-lightning, though still far from happy about it. For how the devil did the ball hold together? But even then with these concessions the sky wouldn't keep quiet. For at the end of the last century observers reported in Great Britain that cruising objects had been viewed for a number of days over the country from England to Scotland. Careful reports also came from the British Fleet in the Mediterranean and also from the Bermudas. The aged and honored Helmholtz had not helped his reputation by reporting to the Prussian Academy of Sciences that he had lately observed Sirius to leave its sky-station and take a turn or two in the heavens. But the British sightings were in the day-time and none of the observers doubted that the odd objects were moving in our atmosphere.

Then in 1897 came the turn of America. The New York Sun for four days in April reported that over Kansas a powerful search-light had been scanning the countryside at sixty miles an hour. Chicago then reported that crowds had seen lights aloft showing red and green. Next Texas reported and therefrom came the first descriptions of the ship itself – the cigar shaped model we now know. But the craft had big flukes on it. Then the New York Herald on April 20 gave the account from Sisterville that at 9 p.m., the object stood above the town flashing white, green, and red lights. There seems no doubt that for a month a large "tube" was seen over a great part of the middle west and that it had red and green side lights and a search-light. People claimed to have observed it through telescopes. Their accounts are consistent with each other. Thereafter there was no such consistent visitation by one outstanding craft. There were a few sightings just about and after the first world war and then practically a silence till the outburst of 1947 and continuing until the period in which we are living. Perhaps with Wilson's effort at world peace they thought we had learned our lessons and they could go home. Now that we certainly show that we haven't, perhaps they are going to stay till we do.


CSI SEEKS ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

The Civilian Saucer Investigation is pleased to announce the organization of a network of Associate Members throughout the North American continent, Europe, Africa and the Far East for the purpose of gathering and confirming, at the local level, facts and information relating to the many phases of the saucer phenomena.

The original group of Associate Members was selected from among CSI correspondents who had volunteered their services. For the present the selection will be based upon the geographical area in which the correspondent resides, although preference will be given to those with technical backgrounds or occupations.

Those people who have time to assist CSI in their own community or area are invited to write to Box 1971, attention of John C. Barnes, membership chairman, giving their education and their occupation. Identification cards will be issued to all who assist as Associate Members of CSI, will be furnished them, and there will be no fees, dues or assessments of any kind.

Local groups organized for the study of the Saucer phenomena are also invited to correspond with Mr. Barnes, since plans are under way to provide for the exchange of information with sub-groups under the Civilian Saucer Investigation.


O' CRUZEIRO PHOTOGRAPHS

The most exciting flying saucer news in recent months occurred on May 7 when two staff photographers for the Brazilian weekly news magazine of pictures, O CRUZEIRO, made what appear to be the best close-up saucer photos ever shot, near Rio de Janeiro. The photos appeared in an eight-page supplement of the May 17 issue of the magazine. The editors vouched for the authenticity of the pictures.

The big question is – are these extraordinary pictures, which show a sizeable saucer with a conning tower on one side and circular concentric ridges on the other, those of an extraterrestrial flying machine or a good photographic hoax?

(Continued on Page 6)


Page 5 - CSI Quarterly Bulletin September 1952

TO THE MAN WITH THE PICKLE JAR

Ed Sullivan

CSI has received hundreds of letters from people seeking the facts behind reports of crashed flying saucers, unknown metals which defy laboratory analysis, mysterious top-level rendevous in the Australian Bush, and the little man from outer space preserved in a pickle jar.

In answer, let us say that we do not believe that any facts are in anyone's possession to support such claims, and that the stories themselves are damned for the simple reason, that after years of circulation, not one soul has come forward with a single concrete fact to support the assertions. If there were one single iota of fact, certainly someone, somewhere, would be willing to bring it out into the open.

It might be well for us to point out that after four years of operation, the Air Force investigation of unfamiliar objects remains in the statistical-analysis phase, because that agency also lacks physical evidence in hand. It is reasonable to assume that the AF would have small use for IBM tabulation were a captured saucer being held under wraps at March Field, as rumor has it.

Whatever you might like to believe, we must assure you that it is most doubtful if any object within the saucer phenomena has ever crashed, landed or otherwise revealed itself. We ask you to beware of the man who tells you that his friend knows the man with the pickle jar. There is good reason why he effects an air of mystery, why he "has been sworn to secrecy" – because he can't produce the friend – or the pickle jar.

CSI places itself at the disposal of anyone with reliable information or evidence to submit on any phase of the saucer phenomena; his identity will be respected, and we will be happy to assist in the proper documentation and analysis toward confirming the facts at hand. But, if YOU are the man with the pickle jar, we ask you to bring it forward if you can – if you can't, we ask you to stop preying upon the credulity of the sincere people interested in finding the answer to the riddle of the flying saucers.


A complete statistical analysis of all the flying saucer reports gathered by both the Air Force and CSI will appear in the December issue of the CSI Quarterly Bulletin. The issue will also feature a report on the sharply accelerated Geiger rate recorded on a number of occasions during the passing of unexplained objects.


WEATHER BALLOONS OBSERVED

It would not be easy to confuse a weather balloon with a flying saucer. That is the opinion of CSI board members after watching an evening balloon release from the Long Beach (Calif.) Air Force Base. Arrangements for the CSI group's visit were made by Capt. J. A. Van Brunt, who is in charge of the Long Beach weather station.

The vinyl-plastic balloon, inflated on the ground, is approximately 8 ft. in diameter. A long line beneath it carries a bright red parachute assembly, to which the radiosonde equipment is attached.

After the balloon is released, it climbs at a constant rate of speed of between. 1000 and 1300 feet per minute. The direction of flight depends entirely upon the movement of the various streams of upper air. Weather data is transmitted to the ground station by a battery-powered radiosonde unit, and the balloon's altitude is checked throughout each flight by means of radar.

The weather balloon observed by the CSI party exploded at 38,000 ft, although the Long Beach station recently sent a balloon aloft which attained a record altitude just below 140,000 ft before exploding.

The observers particularly noted the fact that the balloon in the air did not appear to hover. The constant upward movement was apparent at all times. The speed-over-ground was too slow to be confused with any other object than a free-floating balloon. As long as the object appeared to have the form of a balloon, up to about 20,000 ft, the red parachute could be seen swaying, pendulum-like, below the gas-filled bag. Above that point, the balloon appeared as a dull spot in the light of the setting sun, with an occasional flash from a metal part of the radiosonde package. At no time did the object take on the star-like intensity often mentioned in descriptions of the objects within the saucer phenomena.

The reader may put his observations to a simple test to identify or eliminate the weather balloon from a reported saucer sighting. Weather balloons are released simultaneously from a limited number of stations, usually located several hundred miles apart. There are four releases a day by Greenwich time, which on the Pacific Coast fall at 6 o'clock and 10 o'clock am., and at 2 and 6 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. Figuring the constant climb of the balloon, at about 1000 feet per minute, it is unlikely that a balloon will be seen more than 30 or 40 minutes after its release hour.


Page 6 CSI Quarterly Bulletin September 1952

Summary of 220 Sighting's - Cont'd. from Pg. 1

The familiar flying disc shape was most frequently seen with 63 reported, as contrasted with 18 cigar-shaped objects, 16 spheres, 11 string of lights, 33 green fireballs, 74 colored lights and 13 unusual shapes.

Of the latter category which includes everything from bubbles to three-bladed objects, the most unique is the double-ring phenomena.

This peculiar object has been reported to CSI by four widely separated observers to date and is distinct and different from any flying disc or spaceship reports heretofore received in any quarter.

CSI has tape recording evidence plus eyewitness accounts from associate members to verify the double-rings.

Sightings were about equally divided between day and night, with night sightings leading by a slight edge of 72 to 65 for the day group. Nine explosions of objects (which could conceivably be meteors) were reported and seven had some sort of sound.

Although most flying saucers never made the slightest sound, CSI has received several good reports in which a unique humming like bees or static electricity has been reported.

California led all other states in number of sightings reported. Others with a high number were Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, New York and Texas.

Although the bulk of the first 220 sightings were for 1951 and 1952, every year back to 1947 when saucers first came into the public consciousness is well represented.

In addition there was a good sprinkling of sightings extending through the 30's and several early sightings as early as 1896, 1898, 1904 and 1907 were reported to CSI by old-timers relieved after a lifetime to mystification to tell someone of their strange experiences.

The original group of CSI sightings, plus several hundred later ones are now being analyzed and studied by the organization's evaluation board in a long-term project to determine the origin, nature and purpose of the strange objects.

Sighters are reminded that their reports are of most value to CSI if they are complete and detailed with all facts carefully listed, particularly as to date, time, locale and description of object.

It has been learned through such descriptions, for example, that most flying discs seem to have a wobble in our atmosphere and most of the sky objects have a luminous glow to them.


(Saucers capture nation's interest, cont'd)

Public interest reached a climax on July 28 when a series of swiftly moving unexplained objects appeared on radar screens within the Washington, D. C., defense perimeter. Jet fighters belatedly sent aloft to intercept or identify the objects were unable to establish contact.

The appearance of a shiny, apparently metallic object over the Los Alamos, N. M., Atomic Energy installations on July 29 produced another chase by three jet planes. Observers on the ground, who had watched the disc-like object for over 30 minutes through binoculars, expressed no surprise when the interceptors were unable to find the object, since it had swung around in a complete circle and got behind the searchers.

The willingness of previously silent sighters of saucers throughout the nation to disclose their experiences to the news agencies at this time indicates that future visitations by the phenomena will be more fully recorded than in the past, when the average citizen hesitated to report having seen the objects. Most impressive fact is that while officialdom seems intent on blowing the saucer story down, the Air Force men conducting the investigations of the saucer phenomena, at the working level, have not departed from their recently published views that "the good people sending in their reports must be seeing something."


South American Pictures - Cont'd.

Officers of Operation Bluebook, the Air Force's successor to Project Saucer, told CSI that a careful examination of the photos revealed that the shadow of a cupola atop a purported saucer seemed to be the cast [sic] in one direction while shadows of trees and other objects were in another. For that reason the Air Force has reasonable doubts as to the authenticity of the photos and that is the reason they have not been published in the United States.

The photos were later republished by O CRUZEIRO along with the pictures of Rio de Janeiro people who claimed to have seen the same disc from other parts of the city – which makes the Rio saucer pictures the more interesting.

The most recent data released by the Air Force states that to date 38% of the reports submitted to that agency have been meteors, 13% balloons, 22% birds and aircraft, 2% hoaxes and 10% too nebulous to classify – leaving 15% of the cases which defy explanation.

Editor's Note: Explained by Menzel's Theory, 0. [Astronomer Howard Menzel's theory then: UFOs are "mirages".]


Page 7 - CSI Quarterly Bulletin September 1952

Many other reports of this nature received from the Royal Canadian Air Force, from the Atomic Energy Center, and from other qualified observers decided several Canadian RCAF and top government officials to accept seriously the possibility of the existence of flying saucers. Among these men is Dr. O.M. Solandt, Chairman of the Defense Research Board, Dr. Peter Millman, Dominion astro-physicist, Dr. J. Mackenzie, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Control Board and until recently president of the National Research Council. They all are of the concensus that so many reports from responsible observers cannot be ignored and that every scientist should keep an open mind on this subject.

Various newspapers and letters from research societies and individuals were received from Algiers, North Africa, where a skate-like object hovered over the harbor and was observed by many persons in various parts at the city. A similar incidence is reported from Morocco, North Africa. More than a score of reports were received from Sweden, Norway and Copenhagen, Denmark, all incidences witnessed by more than one person.

Many sightings have been reported by newspapers and personal letters from France.

One report came recently from Rangoon, Burma, and two sightings were reported from Korea this spring by the crews of two United States war planes within a few minutes from each other. A statement is being investigated that one of these planes fired at the disc and that the bullets glanced off the disc like off a sphere, as the path of tracer bullets showed.

A very significant sighting comes from Australia, where 13 persons reported the appearance of a cigar-shaped object without wings, propellers, exhaust or noise of any kind. Among these persons were two airplane pilots and one RAF officer. The objects were reported within 7 minutes from four different areas separated as much as 100 miles in the neighborhood of Sidney [sic], Australia. Sightings are quite frequent in South America and Mexico. Two recent reports from Caracas, Venezuela, describe a green fireball and four discs of the apparent size of the moon. The latter were seen from a distance of about two miles.

IF YOU SHOULD SIGHT A FLYING SAUCER...

or other unfamiliar aerial object, be sure to note carefully the spot where it entered your vision, the exact sweep of its flight and count off the seconds or minutes that it remains in view. These facts are important to CSI analysts in the correlation of the reports.

NEW BEHAVIOR PATTERN OBSERVED

The recently advanced interest in flying saucer activities brought with it a series of new and extremely scientific theories. The present trend indicates an anxious hope that one such theory will finally be found which will be all encompassing, explaining all situations under which the phenomena have been observed, and all the different types of strange sky-objects being reported. Then comes along one of those perfectly incredible coincidences, bringing with it an entirely new behavior characteristic, which would make the proponents of the mirage, the ionized particle, and the electromagnetic vortex theories hard put to remain convincing in their convictions.

For four nights, between July 23 and July 26, and at almost the same hour on each occasion, widely separated groups in the Los Angeles area have watched large, bright objects move over the city, hover, then seem to split into several pieces.

On the night of the 24th, CSI received reports from Reseda and from Belltower, where separate groups of observers watched an object split into three pieces. On the evening of the 25th, a former Major in the Air Force, now connected with CAP, observed the same phenomenon over the community of Hawthorne . Several observers who were with him reported that the object split into six pieces. The same characteristic was then reported on the night of July 26 by members of the San Pedro police force. up to this point, there had been no newspaper publicity to suggest the new behavior pattern to the several groups or people.

Then, through Box 1971, CSI received a written report of a sighting by three people, employed at a major aircraft plant, on July 23. These men watched the object through binoculars, and state that the "splitting" effect observed by the naked eye, was in reality two smaller objects emerging from what the reporter calls the "mother ship". His letter follows:

"A strange bright silver object was first sighted coming in from a southeastern direction. My position of observation was from a northwestern section of Culver City.

"The object, as seen with the naked eye was a brilliant silver color, but no shape could be determined. As observed through 7x50 binoculars, the object had a very definite oval shape... and flew in a somewhat straight line for approximately 20 minutes. It then stopped directly overhead and seemed to hover in space. After approximately two minutes it was observed that the strange object was launching objects of much smaller size than the parent ship. These smaller objects were launched

(Continued on Page 8)


Page 8 - CSI Quarterly Bulletin September 1952

(Continued from Page 7)

from the starboard forward side of the mother ship. They would fly straight patterns and return to circle the mother ship, then apparently land in or on the large object which was first sighted."

"This activity continued for approximately 25 minutes at an extremely high altitude. Then after the mother ship had received the two small objects back in itself, it appeared to ascend straight up, until it was lost to vision through the binoculars."


Show This Copy To Your Friends – They, too, may wish to subscribe. 50¢ per copy – $2.00 per year –. CSI Quarterly Bulletin, Box 1971, Los Angeles 53, California.

This Is The First Issue of the CSI Quarterly Review – Fall Number, 1952.

The Civilian Saucer Investigation presents this first issue of its Quarterly Bulletin to keep those interested informed of the progress of the CSI investigations. The bulletin further serves two important purposes:

  1. Since the information contained in this Bulletin was sent in to CSI by their correspondents, the CSI board recognizes its obligation to pass its findings back to the good people who furnished the information in the first place.
  2. Although the CSI board members have financed the organization to this point out of their own pockets, it is their hope that funds from the sale of the Quarterly Bulletin will provide for the expansion and improvement of CSI services and investigations.

TRUE Reviews Scully

CSI recommends the September issue of TRUE Magazine as a must. Those who have doubted the authenticity of certain facts presented in Frank Scully's "Behind The Flying Saucers" will welcome the feature article by J.P. Cahn who spent many months looking into the backgrounds of Scully's sources of information.

The revealing investigation by Mr. Cahn will serve a remarkably worthwhile purpose if it stimulates Mr. Scully to substantiate his facts, or to admit that he, like so many others, was led down one of the innumerable blind alleys which confront all who take off in pursuit of the elusive saucers.


Small Group Takes On A Big Job

If you are one of the CSI correspondents whom we were unable to answer at length, or if our answer to your letter was not as prompt as you would like it, please remember that CSI is a small group of men, who are conducting the Civilian Saucer Investigation strictly "on the side", as a hobby.

The world-wide response to the CSI invitation to report sightings of unexplained aerial phenomena to Box 1971 was far beyond the expectations of any of the members. The small group has labored to acknowledge each letter and report received, but if we appeared to be remiss, please forgive us. As funds become available from the sale of the Quarterly Bulletin, additional stenographic help will be obtained to keep us up to date in our important correspondence.




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