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Mufon Ufo Journal - July 1990
Mufon Ufo Journal - July 1990
Mufon Ufo Journal - July 1990
Number 267
July 1990
$2.50
''•
THE
GREAT
BELGIUM UFO FLAP
By Bob Pratt
MUFON UFO JOURNAL
FROM THE EDITOR
(USPS 002-970) I hope you'll agree that I've made it a point not to use this column as a per·
(ISSN 0270-6822) sonal platform. I also hope you'll permit me this rare exception. One of the
103 Oldtowne Rd. reasons why this issue of the Journal is so late in arriving at your doorsteps,
Seguin, Texas 78155-4099 U.S.A. for example, is the fact that I was in the middle of moving my home office.
Telephone: (512) 379-9216 The good news is that I have much more room to work with, which, hopeful·
ly, will result in greater efficiency, The bad news is thc:1t while I was moving,
San Antonio and South Texas were struck by torrential rains. As a consequence,
DENNIS W. STACY about half of my UFO and fortean phenomena library have been ruined beyond
Editor repair. The toll Includes both rare and common hardbacks, paperbacks and
WALTER H. ANDRUS, JR. journals, the latter including International UFO Reporter, Flying Saucer Review,
International Director and Fortean Times, Pursuit and so on. Many of these I will be able to replace,
Associate Editor others I probably will not. If you have any duplicate items in your possession
THOMAS P. DEULEY for sale I wish you'd drop me a line with a brief description of the item's title,
Art Director condltlon and cost, which I'll be happy to pay. It goes without saying that any
ROBERT J_ GRIBBLE assistance is greatly appreciated.
DAN WRIGHT
Columnist
ROBERT H_ BLETCHMAN
IN THIS ISSUE
Public Relations THE BELGIUM UFO FLAP ...................................... Bob Pratt 3
PAUL CERNY DESERT SECRElS ................................... Erich A. Aggen, Jr. 8
Promotion/ Publicity
NEWS'N'VIEWS ..• ,,.............................................................. 11
MARGE CHRISTENSEN
IN OTHERS' WORDS ........................................ Lucius Farish 14
Public Education
LOOKING BACK ................................................ Bob Gribble 15
REV. BARRY DOWNING
Religion and UFOs LETTERS............................................................................ 18
LUCIUS FARISH THE AUGUST NIGHT SKY ............................. Walter N. Webb 20
Books & Periodicals DIREC10R'S MESSAGE •.••..•..•....•.••.....•..•.•......... Walt Andrus 24
LOREN GROSS COVER ILLUSTRATION •.••..•..•....•..•...•.•..•.•......• Gerard Grede
Historian
T_ SCOTT CRAIN
GREG LONG
MICHAEL D. SWORDS Copyright 1990 by the Mutual UFO Network, Inc. (MUFON), 103 Old·
Staff Writers towne Road, Seguin, Texas 78155·4099 U.S.A.
TED PHIWPS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Landing Trace Cases No part of this document may be reproduced in any form by photostat,
JOHN F. SCHUESSLER microfilm, xerograph, or any other means, without the written permission
Medical Cases of the Copyright Owners.
LEONARD STRINGFIELD
UFO Crash/ Retrieval
WALTER N. WEBB
Astronomy The Mutual UFO Network, Inc. is exempt from Federal Income Tax under
NORMA E_ SHORT Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. MUFON is a publicly sup•
DWIGHT CONNELLY ported organization of the type described in Section 509 (a) (2). Donors may
DENNIS HAUCK deduct contributions from their Federc:1! lncome Tax. In addition, bequests,
RICHARD H. HALL legacies, devises, transfers, or gilts are deductible for Federal estate and gift
ROBERT V. PRATT tax purposes if they meet the applicable provisions of Sections 2055, 2106,
Editor/ Publishers Emeritus and 2522 of the code.
(Formerly SKYLOOK)
BELGIUM
BRUSSELS
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December 11. 1989 event
Illustrated by Gerard Grede
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Desert Secrets
By Erich A_ Aggen, Jr.
Aggen. of Kansas City, Missouri, to as the "Mellon Strip" or "Sandia USAF/NASA hypersonic research
is a MUFON State Section Strip." The 37th Tactical Fighter Wing program using an X-24C high-speed
Director. of the 4450th Tactical Group is bas• aircraft was under consideration. This
Some of the most secret areas in ed at Tonopah. They fly the formerly program was to be a follow~n project
the world ate located in the deserts top.secret F·117A Nighthawk stealth to the X-15 research aircraft of the
of Nevada. It is here that top secret fighter. Two Nighthawk squadrons, 1960s and the X-248 research pro-
aircraft 'such as the F-117 A, F-19 and composed of 59 F• 117As, operate out gram of the 1970s. The X-24C was
Aurora have been and are being of Tonopah Base. The Nighthawk envisaged as a rocket•boosted delta
tested. It is also here that camouflag- squadrons have been operational planforrn lifting body to be air launched
ed hangers for alien spacecraft have since 1983 and are known as "Team by a 8-52. Propulsion systems to be
purportedly been built and where One• Furtim Vigilans." The f•ll7As tested in the program included ram-
alien spacecraft (either recovered from are pr0tected by individual nuclear jets, scramjets and rockets. General
crashes or "donated") are routinely hardened hangers while based at William J. Evans, then Commander of
being test flown by human pilots, ac- Tonopah. Eventually they will be Air Force Systems Command, com•
cording to some sources. dispersed to other bases throughout mented that, "If we were to decide on
One of the most sensitive military the United States and some foreign a new aircraft (to replace the SR-71)
installations in the United States is countries. it would probably be a product of the
Nellis Air Force Base. It is located eight The 4477th Test and Evaluation X·24C hypersonic investigation."
miles Northeast of Las Vegas, Squadron (TES) which goes by the Since the early 1980s, according to
Nevada. Nellis is a Tactical Air Com- name "Red Eagles" is also based at various sources in the aviation com-
mand (TAC) Base. It is home to the Tonopah. The Red Eagle squadron is munity, the USAF and Lockheed
USAF's Tactical Fighter Weapons composed of Soviet-buHt fighters · have been testing experimental Mach
Center, F-15, F-15E, F-16, F-111, Mig-17, Mig-19, Mig-21, Mig-23, 6 to Mach 7 hypersonic air-breathing
A-10, AT-38; 57th Fighter Weapons Mig-25, Mig-27 and Sukhoi Su-20s manned aircraft from Area 51. The
Wing, F-16 Aggressor Operations; supplied by Egypt, Israel and super•secret "Aurora" project is
USAF Air Demonstration Squadron Afghanistan. The Red Eagles par- thought to be the culmination of this
(Thunderbirds); USAF Fighter ticipate in "Red Flag" combat train- research program. Aurora apparent-
Weapons School; 4440th Tactical ing exercises against U.S. fighters. 11 ly was conceived as the stealth
Fighter Training Group {Red Flag)·; replacement for the SR-71. Aurora is
4443rd Tactical Training Group (Air Dreamland believed to use liquid methane fuel.
Warrior); 554th Operations Support Some reports indicate that 20 to 25
Wing; 554th Range Group; 820th Mysterious "Area 51" is located well Aurora reconnaissance aircraft are
Civil Engineering Squadron (Red within the Nellis Ranges and adjoins already operating out of Tonopah
Horse), the 206th Communications Yucca Flat. It is about 85 miles North- Base. Aviation Week Magazine
Group and the enigmatic ALIEN west of Las Vegas. Area 51 is also (12/18/89) reports that "Ground
Technology Center (ATC). 8 · 19 called "Dreamland" due to the base's observers have seen and heard a
Nellis Air Force Base proper covers radio call sign for the Nellis AFB air distinctive aircraft which may be the
an area of 11,274 acres. However, traffic controllers. Near the center of Aurora flying over the Mojave Desert
bombing and gunnery ranges extend Area 51 is Groom Dry Lake. The dry ... at high altitude and high speed."
this area to over 8,000,000 acres. lake bed is surrounded by mountains The sound of the Aurora's engines
Nellis employs over 11,000 military and contains numerous aircraft during takeoff has been described as
and 1200 civilian personnel. Nellis hangers, support facilities, airstrips "a sound like the sky ripping."
AFB has effectively gobbled up nearly and a 12,000 foot runway for Aurora's engines have an unusual
twenty-five percent of Southern emergencies. The U-2 spy planes and pulsing sound and leave a "linked•
Nevada!' the Mach 3+ SR-71 Blackbird were sausage-shaped" smoke trail.
Near the Northwest corner of the first tested at Area 51. In the late The F-19 and/or RF-19 is another
Nellis Ranges in Mud Dry Lake, is 1950s and early 1960s, the base at secret aircraft reportedly being flown
''Area 30" also known as the Tonopah Groom Lake was known as the from Area 51. The F-19 has been
Test Range Airfield or Tonopah Base. "Ranch Airstrip:' Today it is called the designed from the outset as a super-
It is about 150 miles Northwest of Las "Watertown Strip." sonic stealth fighter under the "Have
Vegas. Tonopah is informally referred In the mid-1970s a joint Blue" stealth prototype program. It is
Looking Back
Bob Gribble
July 1955 ■ Captain Curtis H. 1965 at an American military base· in unknown), John Hembling, geologist
Hutchings, 43, commanding officer of Bedfordshire, England. The reporting and exploration manager for a min-
VX-1 at the Boca Chica Naval Air Sta- witness was a teenager at the lime: "I ing · company, and a companion
tion, Key West. Florida. said the baf- was a military dependent living on a geologist, stepped from a helicopter
fling bright silver object seen streak- sa·zllite communications base. My atop a mountain ridge in north-central
ing across South Florida and North- friend and I were playing badminton British Columbia, Canada, about 70
ern Caribbean Sea skies on the 14th one afternoon on the base, and- we miles north of Hazelton. "It was about
was not a meteor, hinting broadly it were shouting and laughing when we ten dclock;' Hembling said, "when we
was a man-made machine from outer suddenly realized we couldn't hear saw a silver object, shining in the sun,
space. Hutchings said the glowing, each other. There wasn't any sound appear over a small ridge below us.
tear-shaped object was "not made on at all. We tried to talk to each other It had a flattened-out look ... and was
this earth," and said he computed its and still couldn't hear anything. We about 50 feet in diameter. On top of
speed at an estimated 63,000 miles looked around, and right above us at its dome there was a little knob and
per hour. By scientific computation. the top of the b"ees was a large, round, around the base of the dome there
Hutchings said the object was 800 black object. We were just 14 and were circular markings. Below these,
feel in diameter and about 40 miles 15-year-old girls. My friend went in· on the face of the disc itself, there
above earth. At the time of the side the house to get her dad and in· were larger rectangular marks."
sighting, Hutchings was commander side the house he could hear her. As the two men, watched in aston-
of the Navy's super-secret air develop- When he came outside to look at 'it' ishment, the craft moved slowly
ment squadron at Key West. and an we couldn't hear him talking to us, across the ridge until it was above a
authority in astronomical sciences. and he couldn't hear us. He went small glacial lake, barely more than a
back inside and alerted the command pond. Hovering there an instant, it
■ 1960 Five employees of the San post. then descended to less than 50 feet
Francisco Chemical Company watched "As soon as he went back inside the above the water. Again it stopped,
a UFO descend from the sky over house, the object started to move and, to the men's further amazement,
Leefe, Wyoming. at 10:30 a.m. on the away over the treetops and we could lowered a pipe-like instrument from
first. Claude Rouse described the ob• hear again. The base alert sirens were its underside into the water. "At first
ject as follows: "It was bright, silver- sounding ... so I ran home and my we thought it was something like a
colored, highly polished metal having father - who was senior NCO on the rope ladder," Hembling said. "But it
the shape of two dinner plates face- base - was just leaving. All of the didn't just drop down. It came out
to-face." He estimated it had a people went 'down in the hole,' smoothly and steadily as if under
diameter of 185 feet. and 14 feet (underground). The base was closed mechanical control." During this pro-
through the center. Five transparent to all traffic. My father didn't come cedure the observers were conscious
bubbles projected from the bottom. back home until morning and I asked of a humming sound from the craft
The craft came from the south and him what ii was. He said, 'I can't tell "like a quiet electric motor."
maneuvered as if to land on the you. All I can say is ii wasn't ours.' I With its appendage in the lake, the
stockpile area immediately south of said, 'you mean ours-ours, or the disc then rotated slowly like a water-
the Leefe plant. Mr. Rouse estimated earth's ours?' He wouldn't say any- borne top until its "windows" faced
he was about 400 feet from the vehi- thing else. Some years later when we the two men. "We had a distinct feel-
cle as it vertically descended to about were talking about it, I asked him ing it knew we were there," Hembling
50 feet above the waste dumps. It again and he said, 'It wasn't ours. said. After remaining in that position
then ascended and took off to the There are seven American bases for about eight minutes, the craft
south al tremendous speed. No around the world like the one we were withdrew its "pipe" as carefully as it
sound was heard other than the idl- on, and there were sightings at all had lowered it. "It climbed slowly,
ing diesel engine of the tractor that seven that same day.' The object was then all of a sudden it was off,"
Rouse was operating. about 60 to 80 feet in diameter and Hembling said. "It shot over the ridge,
was tracked on the base radar." made a sharp turn without skidding
■ 1965 The following UFO en- and was out of sight in about 20
counter occurred in the summer of ■ On a sunny morning (date seconds. We figured it had g0ne 20
LETTERS ...
Dear Editor: Dear Editor: ceptive essay on the "Men in Black"
A while back, Walt Andrus grac- I found the article on the Mantell phenomenon originally appeared.
iously extended his permission to list case by William E. Jones (MUFON Having. now read Hilary Evans' re-
MUFON as the sponSor of a com- UFO Journal, April 1990) to be an sponse to the essay's appearance In
puter bulletin board devoted to especially interesting one. The inci- the March 1990 issue of MUFON
UFOiogy. We are pleased to an- dent that was the subject of his inter- UFO Journal, I must admit I'm not
nounce that the board has been view with Jack Pickering was com- sure Evans and I encountered the
operational for a few months and is ·pelling in its own right and lends sup- same essay. Then again, unless Ro-
generating a lot of interest. port to the view that what Captain jcewicz's article is disguising itself in
MUFON Ohio State Section Direc- Mantell witnessed was not a Skyhook multiple versions (a literary dop-
tors, Dale Wedge and Rick Dell' balloon. pleganger), it's probably safe to
Aquila, have been serving as co- It should be noted that when the assume we did read the same piece,
sysops of the UFOiogy "Special In- Air Force judged Mantell incapable of only quite differently.
terest Group" [SIG] on the Case distinguishing between a daytime Particularly baffling is Evan's
Western Reserve University spon- point source of light, Venus, and an criticism of Rojcewicz for blurring the
sored "Freenet" computer bulletin obje:ct which he described as "gigan- distinction between two kinds of
board which is based in Cleveland, tic" (or "tremendous" in sorrie ac- belief, that of the person who ex-
Ohio. This is a very large system, par- counts), it followed, or perhaps periences from the inside and that of
tially supported by grant monies to the established, a pattern of using a person who comments from the
university, that is expanding nation- astronomical point sources as ex- outside. Rojcewicz does no such
wide. Several other SIGs of interest planations of last resort. Even though thing, either directly or indirectly, by
to MUFON members are available on Project Blue Book's chief, Captain commission or omission. The percep-
the system, including a Skeptics sec- Edward Ruppelt, and its astronomical tive reader will recall that Rojcewicz,
tion which is operated by CSICOP consultant, Allen Hynek, later re- a folklorist by training, simply 1) sum-
members and a NASA section jected the Venus explanation for this marizes mainstream folklore's prevail-
operated by NASA Lewis Research sighting, the Air Force would in the Ing commitment to evaluating anom-
Center employees. future embrace point-source solutions alous beliefs solely in terms of cuhural
There is no fee (hence, the name out of desperation. Thus in the sum- expectations and 2) makes a per-
"Freenet") and anyone with a com- mer of 1965 Blue Book attributed to suasive if modest call for his field to
puter and modem can log on as a twinkling stars observations through- move beyond taking claims for
visitor, which allows exploration of the out the central United States of anomalous experience "only as repre-
system with certain limitations. To rotating colors on circular lights, at sentational or symbqlic."
reach the UFO SIG, enter "go UFO" least one of which was described by The eccentric tenor of Evans' asser-
when prompted. The system is the witness, the Oklahoma Civil tion Is compounded when he inex-
relatively simple to use and offers Defense Agency public information plicably segues into broad observa-
free Internet and Fidonet access to officer, as being almost the apparent tions about the vagaries of "cultural
members. size of the full moon. conditioning;' then offers an account
Everyone, regardless of their views A well-known photograph taken of his having unveiled, many years
on UFOs, is invited to participate the following night in Tulsa of a vir- ago, a rather pedestrian MIB case.
and there have been some lively tually identical light offers additional These non-sequiturs in turn find
debates. Freenet can be reached evidence of the size disparity and even friendly company In Evans' inference
at (216) 368-3888 and supports shows the light to be part of a struc- that Rojcewicz is somehow naive
300/1200/2400 baud. We would ture. More information about the about the "constructed" dimensions
like to hear from more MUFON mem- photograph can be found in an arti- of social and cultural realities, In-
bers in the near future and hope that cle by Walt Andrus in the Journal of cluding anomalous realities.
many of you will want to register and December 1985. To the contrary: Rojcewicz's so-
log on as regular members. Should phistication on the complexities of
- Bob Lieser
anyone without a modem wish to perception, expectation and belief
Tulsa, OK
contact the sysops, our mailing ad- shines in a thoughtful essay, "Signals
dress is P. 0. Box 29163, Cleveland, of Transcendence" (Journal of UFO
Ohio 44129. Dear Editor: Studies, New Series, Volume 1,
I had the pleasure to serve as guest 1989). Given that Evans not only
- Rick Dell'Aquila editor of the Spring 1989 ReVision wrote for the same issue but specific-
Seven Hills, Ohio
issue in which Peter Ro}cewicz's per- ally commented on Ro}cewicz's ideas
Springs, FL) Physiology; A.H. Cowl- October 13 & 14 - The UFO Experience• Ramada Inn, North Haven,
ing, M.Ed. (Richmond, BC, Canada) Connecticut.
Education, and L. LeBron Alex-
November 3 - The UFO Phenomenon In the 1990s - Labero Theater,
ander, Jr. D.C. (Naples, FL)
· Santa Barbara, California.
Chiropractic.
MUFONET