Visitors 5

8/14/2019 Visitors 5

1/28

1

FIGHTERS

N THIS ISSUE Fantasy Versus the Fantastic. . . p. 3 Radar Fundamentals. . . p. 6 Ford Library UFO Materials. . . p. 10 Foo Fighters Revisited. . . p. 14 Red Dwarves. . . p. 22 Galena Conference Update. . . p. 24

REVISITED!

Radar FUNdamentals...

its not as hard as you think!


2/28

There has been great change in the MUFON arena lately. At the international level

Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS) has ventured up withMUFONs STAR Team Impact Project. This is a great opportunity for qualified field

investigators to engage in CE2 and CE3 case investigations with both reasonable financial

and significant scientific resources available to them. Illinois MUFON has agreed to

cooperate and partake in this program. Interested individuals please contact me in a email

at [email protected]

This last year saw an increase of dedicated people becoming certified field investigators

and we applaud them. Our objective is to put an additional 25 FIs in the field this year.

We are going to be hosting regular monthly meetings held around the state. Therefore,

we are in dire need of participants to help in various capacities to execute these new

programs. Some of the positions to be filled are local moderators and chapter coordinators.

These in addition to a need of quality venues and other resources.

Our Out of this World UFO Conference and Golf Tournament in Galena is quite anundertaking, so its going to be imperative to get more hands on deck. Anybody helping

in making this a success will be awfully glad they did. This is a major UFO conference

right here in our own back yard. The combination of speakers, break-out sessions, venue,

meals, exciting activities, and so much more, all at reasonable pricing, is incomparable

to anything else. In the event your calendar is clear, pencil it in for one or more days. To

pass up this magnificent event would clearly be a insult to ones good sense.

In the first weekend of May, I will be speaking at the Skokie Theater (www.

skokietheater.com). Al Curtis, a lifetime member of Illinois MUFONNFP and director

of this beautiful and historical treasure, has been assembling an array of rather unique

programs. From creative information assemblages on UFOs to vaudeville and anything

that delightfully glistens in between. This tactfully assembled eclectic lineup is all underone roof and a pleasure to experience on any given day. Though I ask you to join me May

1st3rd, make sure to attend more of these fine program. The likes of which you will only

experience at the charming and historical Skokie Theater Music Foundation.

Past State Director and State Archivist, Dave Marler, recently acquired the UFO

News Clipping Service which was for years the pride of our dedicated good friend Lou

Farish. Dave will be posting a column detailing cases from the past and present that have

come into the service from around the globe.

Another column soon to arrive is the CUFOS Corner by none other than Dr. Mark

Rodeghier who has accepted an Illinois MUFONNFP board position as Director of the

Advisory Council.

Id like to thank Assistant State Director Paul Russell for giving a talk at a college in Springfield in

my absence. Hope to see and hear more from this good friend and valuable asset of ours.With membership growing and good weather insight, lets make the most of what we have been

given. That being, the blessing of each other, the prospects of time, and beautiful places at which we can

enjoy both.

See you soon,

Sam

Directors View

is the quarterly journal of Illinois MUFONNFP,Incorporated and is solely responsible for itscontent. Illinois MUFONNFP, Inc. is a statechapter of MUFON, the Mutual UFO Network(an international organization), dedicated tothe scientific investigation of alien visitation.All of the views expressed in this publicationbelong to Illinois MUFONNFP, Inc. and are notnecessarily the views of MUFON. All rightsreserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced or transmitted in any formor by any means, electronic or mechanical,including photocopying, recording, taping,or any other storage and retrieval system,

without obtaining permission from the editorby email at [email protected]

Illinois MUFONNFP,Inc.

Samuel Maranto, DirectorDavid Stockman, Deputy DirectorDaniel Finnigan, TreasurerFrank Coffman, Editor/Public RelationsBill Murphy, Staff WriterJohn B. Ringer, Staff WriterScott Waldyn, Staff WriterGuy Richards, Contributing Writer

A one year subscription and membership toIllinois MUFONNFP is available by sending

$20 to:Illinois MUFONNFP

P.O. Box 2105Orland Park, IL 60462

or by calling: 708 460-7606

Design and format by JackRabbit Pix

visitors

2

by Sam Maranto, State Director
http://www.skokietheater.com/http://www.skokietheater.com/


3/28

Patterns & Connections

The short answer, for millioof Star Trek fans anyway

yes. And since I am one of thfans, images of the Klingons etched, firmly, in my psyche. I ceasily picture their ridged foheads, their wild hair, and the fielook they all had. I know abotheir home planet, Kronos, asomething of their militaristic cture and code of honor. I know t

because Ive seen them on matelevision programs and in movIll even admit to a grudging adration for their accomplishmenThe fact that we can know much about a race of beings tdoesnt even exist, a fantasy, itestimony to human creativity atechnology.1

Humans have always livwith fantasy figures. Wheth

they were various gods of natufairy folk, goblins, witches, wewolves, sea serpents, or ghoststhe attic, we have always had a rimagination. In fact, the unseworld was sometimes more reaour ancestors than the sunshinethe day.

by John B. Ringer, Historical Anomalist

Fantasy

Versusthe

Fantastic

Would You Know a Klingonif You Saw One?

Fantasy

Versusthe

Fantastic

3


4/28

4

Those who spend time and energy explaining why neitherUFOs or extraterrestrials exist like to call attention to this verytrait. We are, they say, simply spicing up our mundane livesjustas our ancestors did. You have to admit, the argument makessome sense. What reasons do we have for believing that our

current out of the ordinary experiences are any more real thanthose of our ancestors? Can we be counted upon to separatefantasy from the fantastic? Lets start by taking a look at therange of things humans have believed injust beyond the sun-shine world.

A Brief History of the Non-OrdinaryThe list of our fantasy figures is long. For starters, there were/are gods of all types, from deities who walked the Earth and de-manded food and shelter (ancient Sumer), to a rather abstractcreator of the universe who can not be directly perceived by hu-mans (a common belief today). In the middle of these extremesare gods who were usually remote but who would intervene inhuman affairs occasionallyespecially if we managed to hackthem offwhich wasnt all that hard to do.

On a somewhat more mundane level, we have always be-lieved in a variety of little people who were usually associated

with nature. Fairies, elves, trollsand the like were mostly un-seen, but they were alwayspresent, and one had to be

careful not to insult them orotherwise incur their wrath.Fairies, in particular, seemed tolive in both this world and onethat was exclusively their own.There are tales of humansspending time with the fair-ies, only to find they had beengone not just a few hours butdays or years.2

For the adventuresome among our ancestors, dragons, sea

serpents, and other frightening creatures were always a threat.The open sea was especially mysterious, with odd or dangerouscreatures just beyond our sight. Greek epics, for example, arepopulated with monsters that would be a credit to the modernscience fiction writer. And, many sources tell us that giants livedamong ordinary humans in those days.3 So much for the goodold days.

No list of fantasy creatures would be complete withomentioning witches, warlocks, alchemists, and other conjureWhile these beings were human, they were believed to betouch with powers beyond the norm. Ordinary people fearthem and either sought their help or banded together to destr

them. When particularly bad events happened, the local witcwere usually in for a rough time. Apparently, someone had to pfor the communitys misfortune.

People have also believed that special others lived in tsky or clouds; that they lived undergroundin caves or in holloplaces in the Earth; that they had cities deep under the sea; ththey traveled to Earth from the stars or the planets; or that thexisted just out of sight in some other, near-by world. We haalso thought that spirits inhabited ordinary things such as trelakes, and animals.4

There was much that early humans did not understand, a

yet it was their nature to try to explain what was happening. Thbeliefs about these largely unseen forces were, more or less, apropriate for their times and level of knowledge. Today, we vithis with some amusement, but are we really doing any betteThere are indications that we are.

Why Worf Wont Be Knocking on My DoIm certain that Worf, the Klingon from Star TrekThe NGeneration, wont be visiting me. I know this because Worf fictional characterone made up to help

tell an interesting story. I dont think abevy of Greys will be visiting eitherbutIm not certain about that. The differ-ence? Worf was clearly a fantasy, but theGreys, given the preponderance of evi-dence, seem quite real. (The only reasonI dont expect to see the Greys is that Ihave nothing they are interested in, andthey havent dropped by yet.)

My distinctions may seem a bit arbitrary, but they satisfy mMost of us feel capable of distinguishing between fantasy a

fantastic. Klingons are fantasy. Aliens in our bedrooms at nigare fantastic, but for many, a too real fact. I am able to beliein Klingons, as a fictional race, and the Grays, as a likely reaall without undue confusion. Since I am not exceptional in asignificant way, this tells me that most humans can do the samthing. I also believe the liars and truly delusional among us cusually be identified.

Patterns & Connections continued

A snowdrop fairy

Worf from Star Trek


5/28

5

Simply Put, Are UFOs OurCurrent Fantasy?Have you ever wondered why people dont report being abduct-ed by Klingons? Well, they dont, and I take some comfort from

that. If ordinary people reported ending up in a Klingon war ship,we would disbelieve their stories.

Those who write about abduction experiences usually payclose attention to the overall mental health of the people in-volved. Typically, the researcher describes the person as quiteordinary and apparently not seeking attention or prone to de-lusions. In other words, the abductees seem normal. Sometimesthe memories are recalled spontaneously, and other times hyp-nosis is needed. In either case, abductees struggle to describetheir experiences, which are clearly far beyond daylight reality.These people would no doubt struggle just as hard to describe

human technology in 2109, if they could witness that. Its thestrangeness that makes it difficult.

Just as there is no definitive way to prove or disprove the re-ality of our ancestors beliefs, there may be no way to prove ordisprove the reality of todays reported alien visitations. The sto-ries are compelling, the patterns are clear, and the human costsare poignant. And, if there is some subtle benefit for humans toimagine these alien interventions, it eludes me.

Civilian organizations like MUFON work tirelessly to de-velop hard evidence. Bless them and all those who so labor.

Ufologists tend to chide scientists and their organizations be-cause they refuse to get solidly behind these efforts, and wemutter dark suspicions about what our government isnt tellingus. And, we speculate.

After reading, perhaps, thousands of reports of UFO sight-ings, hundreds of reports of abduction or close encounters, (andconsiderable peripheral material) it is hard or perhaps impossiblefor me to not believe that something quite extraordinary is goingon. Of course, our distant ancestors may have just as convincedthat their gods, goblins, and forest spirits were affecting their lives.Its hard to be on the short end of the knowledge stick.

Then, there is always the possibility that, ancient humans andmodern folk alike, we were all telling it straight. Perhaps we havebeen visited by non-human beings since the dawn of our race.If that were so, then all the variety within our fantasies may justreflect our inability to see the big picture clearly. Perhaps we werejust doing the best we could at describing the fantastic.

Describing the ExtraordinaryNotEasily DonePhilosophers, and occasionally quantum physicists, tell us thatwe have is our perception of reality. We can never know wha

realonly what our limited senses tell us is out there. And, if ybelieve various alien messages, we humans tend to miss a lotinformation because we are limited in our perception. And, tis apparently true.

Our brains are marvelous tools, but they have limitatioThis unique organ is made up of neurons vibrating at 50 cyclesecond, while the world, as it exists in reality, is made up of eltro-magnetic radiation oscillating at 500 trillion cycles a seconSince our brains cant begin to keep up with the realness of reity, they compensate by creating preconceived ideas about tvarious objects around them and then testing to see whether

not these objects are present. This means, in effect, that humaare unable to understand new information without the inhent bias of previous knowledge. In other words, the human mcan only contemplate that to which it has already been exposWhen objects are viewed without understanding, the mwill try to reach for something that it already knows, in orderprocess what it is seeing. The images or concepts from our pwhich most closely relate to the unfamiliar will make up what see when we looks at things we dont comprehend.5

Our literature is rich with examples of this processfrom B

lical sightings of chariots of fire in the sky to saucers skippacross the water. We do the best we can, drawing upon past periences. Interestingly, when these quotations are looked at wthe right technical understanding, they communicate much.

I do know a Klingon when I see one, and I also know quite aabout the Grays. Nothing in the research suggests that we shodoubt our personal sense of what is fantasy and what is fantasOur growing body of knowledge regarding the fantastic shopatterns which are often quite clear, but as for the connectionwell, for the present, they remain all too ambiguous.


6/28

6

Learning the basics about radar is not as difficult as one migimagine if you just bear in mind that microwaves are sim

to lightyou turn on a flash light and the light reflects backyouno different than radar. The term radar is an acronym radio detection and ranging and is simply the electronic equment used to send out and receive electromagnetic signalsmicrowave wavelengths. There are two basic types of radused in aviation, one isprimary radarand the other issecondradar.Each of these radar types is used for different purpoand as with any electronic technology, the system is load

with techiesounding terms. But if we break it down, the termake sense and are easy to understand and remember.

Primary RadarThe most important and well-known radar type,primary radis when a very small amount of electromagnetic signal (a micwave radio pulse) is sent out and then reflected back by a mor target to the radar site for conversion onto a radar dispThe system uses four key components: a transmitter that cates the signal; an antenna that sends and recieves the sign

the receiver that analyzes the signal; and a display, for the oerator to monitor. The signal is sent from the transmitter to tantenna which broadcasts the signal outward in a number osmall pulses. An object reflects part of the signal, the echo, bato the antenna, which then sends it to the receiver. The receivprocesses the signal and sends it to the display for viewing.

Investigators Insights

by David Stockman, IL MUFON Deputy Director

RADARFUNDAMENTALS


7/28

To understand why an object would reflect part of the radarwave back, simply look at the microwave pulse as similar to a rayof sunshine, and actually, they both are part of the same electro-magnetic spectrum. A ray of sunshine will reflect off of a houseand back to your eyes telling you what color and size the house is

much the same as a microwave reflects off of a mass or airplanedefining its size and distance to the radar display. Those rays thatare not reflected, are absorbed and produce heat. Just as whensun rays produce heat on a dark object, so to, do microwaves pro-duce heat, but absorbed microwaves produce negligible amountsof heat on an airplane in comparison to the heat produced by theconcentrated microwaves in your microwave oven.

During the operation of the system, the antenna, used forsending and also for receiving the pulsed signals, cannot do bothsimultaneously. So, the antennas connection is switched be-tween the transmitter and the receiver devices by a duplexer. Thiscritical back and forth switching by the dulexer must be preciseto enable the system to pick up echoes, and is crucial for objectsclose by. The closer the object is, the faster the signal must be tocapture it. This close range, which defines the nearest distanceusable by the radar, is called the minimum range. The opposite,the maximum range of a signal, is the farthest region that a signalcan detect an object, and is dependent upon other factors likefrequency, power, receiver sensitivity, and the pulse rate. Also, therate at which an antenna rotates affects the maximum detection

range. The slower the antenna rotation isthe greater the range.Another important point of concern is the number of signal

pulses per degree of revolution of the antenna. Targets in rangecan be missed completely if the pulses are too few for each de-gree the antenna rotates. The greater the number of pulses perdegree, the more hits per scan the radar will display. So, the rota-tion speed of the radar antenna and the number of signal pulsesmust be matched perfectly to optimize the system.

In the case of air traffic control (ATC), the primary radar snal that is shown on the radar display is modified by the MTImoving target indicator which detects and measures range avelocity and allows it to discriminate between clutter and movtargets. It is sort of like averaging out unwanted parts of a signa

does this by comparing the average Doppler frequency shiftsthe original signals to a phase-reverse signal and digitally cancout the clutter from the radar display. (Doppler is the effectwaves being compressed by something moving closer and bestretched out by something moving away.) This radar, howevworks best when the Doppler frequency of the clutter is narrand the antennas are designed for a defined wavelength, whusually limits their use to only specific types of targets.

To detect targets, various wavelengths and frequencies used in order to penetrate specific densities and distances. Teperature, air pressure, and moisture affect the signal and tend

slightly refract the signal downward and actually increase the snal speed. However, by using the proper signal band and strengthe radar signal can compensate for most of these meteorolocal factors. The greater the wavelength is, the farther into tatmosphere the signal can penetrate. In radar astronomy, example, the wavelengths are extremely long, from centimetto meters in length. In describing the types of radar being usoften a radar band determinator is included in the descriptionUHF radar band signal, for example, would be used for a diffent type of target than a K radar band signal.

Following are some of the common wavelengths and fquency bands for radar systems:

RADARBAND WAVELENGTH FREQUENCY(cm) (MHz)

P 136.00 - 77.00 220-390

UHF 100.00 - 30.00 300-1000

L 30.00 - 15.00 1000-2000

S 15.00 - 7.50 2000-4000

C 7.50 - 3.75 4000-8000

X 3.75 - 2.40 8000-12500

Ku 2.40 - 1.67 12500-18000

K 1.67 - 1.18 18000-26500

Ka 1.18 - 0.75 26500-40000

7

Examples of an ATC radar screen (L) for aircraft and a naval radar screen (R)


8/28

8

Traveling at the speed of light, the signal is measured in micro-seconds, and in one microsecond, a radar signal will travel 984 feet.Using simple formulas, distance measurements are calculated fromthe time the signal travels to and from the target. With todayscomputers, these calculations take a fraction of a second. And, just

like light rays, radar signals travel in a straight line and do not travelin an arc with the earths curvature. However, using atmosphericconditions and the proper radar band, a radar signal is capable ofcontacting an airplane beyond the line-of-sight and over the hori-zon by bending the signal around the curve of the earth.

Radar system components vary depending upon the task.Some radar systems are for determining only the range andbearing of a target and these are known as two-dimensional (2D)radar while others are used to determine range, bearing, and alti-tude and are labeled three-dimensional (3D) radar. 3D radar sys-tems need very narrow beams to pinpoint targets. Other radar

systems can be active or passive, a signal might be broadcast invarious shapes, and the design of the antennas often vary.

Returned signals can determine more than just distance andvelocity, however. The intensity ofbackscatter(the returned sig-nal) can indicate the electrical characteristics of a target that canreveal its composition. For instance, the metal and moisture con-tent of materials will affect reflectivity with a stronger echo. As isthe case when metals, trees, or clouds reflect more than dry soil.

Another important consideration is the angle of the reflectivesurface to the signal. The radar display will show various target siz-es and shapes for the same object depending upon the angle theobject is to the signal. Signals can also be distorted by the surfacesmoothness or adjacent surfaces. Stealth aircraft and naval ves-sels are designed to minimize the reflective characteristics of the

angular surfaces and surface coatings to practically eliminate treflected signal. When viewing a radar display, operators take inconsideration a number of other factors that effect the resolutof the target.

Secondary RadarNow we can look at the more simple,secondary radarin air trfic control. In addition to the primary radar signal sent from tground-based radar system, a second signal is emitted originatfrom the airplane itself. This secondary radar signal is producby a transponder that sends a four digit pin number signal to tground radar system to identify itself and also can include adtional information about the plane such as altitude, direction,IFF (Identification Friend or Foe), used to identify the nationaof an aircraft. The secondary radar signal is usually sent on t

L-band of radar in the 3015 cm wavelength range (see the chon the previous page.) This system is used widely in commerand military aviation but is not required or found on all aircraf

Directional MeasurementsNavigational terms are used in aviation in referring to the targeIn describing the location of a target relative to the flat planethe earths surface, the angles of measurement are usually clowise from true north, or in the case of a moving radar systefrom the direction it is heading. This angle in the horizontal pla(earths surface) to the target is called the true bearingor azimuangle. In the vertical plane, measurement angles are from the hrizon up to the target and this is called the elevation angle. Tdistance to the target object is the range, and the actual directfrom the radar system to the target is known as the LOSor liof-sight.

UFO ResearchIn UFO research, because of the complexities of radar, verificatof a sighting can be confused. Aircraft that do not have seconary radar may not be tracked by some air traffic control radar a

will not show up on the display. Additionally, echoes causedflocks of birds, temperature inversions, mountains, precipitatiand insects can be mistaken for targets. Even the radar equipmeitself can produce anomalous propagation showing phantom tgets that do not actually exist, although skilled radar technicican usually identify most erroneous targets. However, an invegator must also realize that the lack of radar confirmation dnot necessarily mean that the object was not at a specific lo

Military radar signal analysts can determine not only the location of an

unknown aircraft, but also much more informaton about it, including the

electronic emission signature of a particular jet engine or plane type.

Investigators Insights continued


9/28

tion. Again worth repeating, the particular wavelength emittedby the radar system may not capture a target that is actuallyin its scanned air space. When investigating a sighting, it is im-portant to know or find out what wavelengths or radar bandswere in use at the time.

Over the years many UFO cases have involved confirma-tion by radar visuals. A few of the more prominent cases arethe Rendlesham Forest incident in 1980, the Vandenburg AFBmissile launch of 1973, the Washington, DC UFOs of 1952, theWright Patterson AFB/TWA UFO of 1950, the Lakenheath,Britain UFO of 1956, and the recent Stephenville, Texas sight-ings and the Belgian (1990) and Mexican air force encounters.

In requesting information from a local ATC (air trafficcontrol) facility, an investigator must submit the request im-

mediately since the tapesthat record the displays are

taped over after two weeksdue to costs. A formal FOIA(Freedom of Information Act) form may have to besubmitted to ensure thatthe ATC will respond to yourrequest. By law, all FOIA re-quests must be answeredwithin twenty days. How-ever, enforcing the law has

not been successful in manycases. An example of thiscan be read by clicking on the following URL to read about aUFO case where an FOIA request was suspiciously delayed:www.ufosnw.com/sighting_reports/2002/washdc2002/washdc2002.htm

In the Chicago area to request radar information, contactthe FAA via the FSDO (Flight Standards District Office) at 847294-7900 or they may be emailed at [email protected]

In the Springfield area, they can be contacted at 217 744-1910 or emailed at [email protected]

Near St. Louis, contact them at 314 890-4800 or the FAAcan be emailed at [email protected]

To proceed with a FOIA request, you should declare yourcategory as a representative of a scientific organization. Youmay have to pay for duplication costs if the information is over100 pages. Your request can be sent to: Ms. Lettie Perez, FOIACoordinator, Federal Aviation Administration, Central ServiceArea, Air Traffic Organization FOIA Coordinator, AJO2C5, 2601Meacham Boulevard, Ft. Worth, TX 76193
http://www.ufosnw.com/sighting_reports/2002/washdc2002/washdc2002.htmhttp://www.ufosnw.com/sighting_reports/2002/washdc2002/washdc2002.htmhttp://www.ufosnw.com/sighting_reports/2002/washdc2002/washdc2002.htmhttp://www.ufosnw.com/sighting_reports/2002/washdc2002/washdc2002.htm


10/28

10

TThe Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library graces the Ann Arbor North Campusof the University of Michigan. Opened to the publicin 1981, the Library houses 23 million pages of documents, 325,000 still photographs,

3,500 hours of video and 3,00 hours of audio, and 787,000 feet of motion picture film.The collection contains archival materials from President Fords Congressional years,as well as from his presidency, and these Congressional files possess a wealth of interestto ufology. House Minority Leader Fords 1966 call for a congressional investigation ofUFOs and the Air Force response to them was pivotal in ufological history.

Northern Lights

by Bill Murphy, Staff Writer

IN THE GERALD R. FORD

PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY

IN THE GERALD R. FORD

PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY


11/28

11

Fords activity helped make studying UFOs as respectable as itwould ever be, raised the interest of the common American citi-zen for the subject, and provided perhaps the best hope ever fora full governmental accounting of what it knew about the phe-nomenon. Ironically, this same activity also helped set in motion

a chain of events that led to the Colorado Project and the singlegreatest setback to ufology, a reversal from which it has yet torecover, now almost forty years after the publication of the Proj-ects findings.

The UFO-pertinent material in the Ford Congressional Filesconstitutes part of a vast collection of press releases, interviews,news clippings, and correspondence between the Michigan Con-gressman and other governmental officials and constituents. Atthe instance of Ohio MUFON State Director Bill Jones, I havebeen studying the Ford collection since late 2007, copying a selec-tion of more than 1050 pages, comprising over 500 documents,

of the more than 2000 pages I have so far studied. The Fordcorrespondents may be classified into several major groups: theAverage Citizen, UFO Investigators, Government, Official Mili-tary, Military/Blue Book, News Media and Entrepreneurs, andColorful. All of these documents provide perspective on theworkings of government and context for the matter importantto ufologists. UFOs were only one of many concerns demand-ing peoples attention at the time, chief among them being theVietnam War. But the sightings in Dexter and Hillsdale, Michiganof late March, 1966, and Congressman Fords subsequent call formore governmental openness on UFOs and the Blue Book ef-fort, caused a flurry of activity within the UFO community andpublic-at-large. The Ford papers constitute a microcosm of thepersonalities and positions in ufology, displaying the full spec-trum of opinions, passions, and passionate people who becameenmeshed in the subject. In this article I will discuss my work to-date on these materials, focusing upon what I call the AverageCitizen correspondence.

The correspondence between House Minority Leader Fordand Average Citizens has a great deal of charm, and is also inter-esting for the gamut of thoughts these people had on the cause

of the Michigan sightings, the advisability of a Congressional in-vestigation into the methods and findings of the Air Force andProject Blue Book, and on UFO phenomena in general. Most ofthe letters retained of Ford correspondents supported his posi-tions. The remarks of an Air Force Captain typify this attitude:

I am not satisfied with the explanation that somehow all ofthe pilots, all of the control tower and radar operators, all

of the law enforcement officers, all of the professional engi-neers, and all of the hundreds of other reliable persons whohave seen UFOs, could all be wrong. The American publicis mature enough to be entitled to the truth in this highlysignificant matter.1

People composed and sent petitions of support to Co gressman Ford, included cartoons, some of their own creatand wrote letters recommending Ford contact certain individuor read certain books on the subject. Several letters from comon citizens provided information on personal UFO sightinsome from many years previous. A 1925 sighting of a 100-folong, fast-travelling, cigar-shaped object, with two to three roof windows and all lit up inside with blue light along bottom ared sparks flying from around front of it, is reminiscent of tChiles-Whitted sighting of a quarter-century later. The witn

said the object looked like a large passenger boat passing in tnight; it generated a heat wave and also a funny smell. Seveletters provide an international element to the sighting reportsyoung Quebec woman wrote an earnest letter to CongressmFord, railing against mister Allen Hyneck, and telling her storya sighting of ten days previous, concluding with P.S. An answwill please me much, because maybee [sic] I will not be past [sfor a fool from certain people to whom I tell my story. And tFord collection contains the account of William J. Kiehl, of a clsic CEIII experience he claimed to have had in 1914 while workhis way across Canada.

The attitude of Fords staff was not always serious as thperused these letters. Handwritten quips were added to tmargins of the first part of a July 13, 1966 letter. Next to the wers opening statement During the last four weeks I have be

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library in Ann Arbor, Michigan


12/28

12

reading books concerning unidentified flying objects, someonewrote good, fine. To the following My interest in this phe-nomenon was stimulated by these objects in your home state,Michigan. Quite frankly, I have never been interested in this mat-ter before, the reader wrote Well, we all develop new interests

from time to time. The beginning to the next typed sentenceseems to have changed the Ford staff members attitude: Byprofession I am a political scientist. The rest of the letter elicitedno more light comments, but rather underscorings of the letterstwo major points, and an unusually long, detailed, and responsivereturn from Ford.

Many people wrote to Ford for information on UFOs. A trioof Oneonta, New York boys started a UFO club, largely stimu-lated by material the congressman sent to one of them. The

charming letter one of the oth-er boys subsequently sent Ford

asked for free informationes-pecially picturesthe youthfulenthusiast mentioning thesedesiderata more than once. Healso apparently tried to butterup the House Minority Leaderwith the statement that I havetold lots of friends about hownice you are to send people in-formation about UFOs.

Many average citizens offered Ford assistance of varioussorts. Several offered to testify before Congress. Some corre-spondents proffered explanations for the mystery, or help insolving it. A Missouri woman, based upon her interpretationof a remarkable experience she had had a few years previously,suggested that atmospheric mirages were responsible for UFOsightings. Her elaborate explanation was accompanied by a de-tailed sketch, showing how the reflected images of ships, air-planes, the domes of buildings, quonset huts, or grain bins mightbe recast by smoke, smog, and fog, towards the ground; it eventook into account the possible contributions of swamp gas. She

asked that Ford read her article and wanted him to have scien-tists or other interested persons look at her theory and let herknow what they felt about it. An Arkansas man was sure he couldtell where the machine that people were seeing was made andhow it operated, but thought he should get a good job or a bigreward for the information. A Texas oilman scoffed at the notionthat swamp gas could explode without a spark, and offered hisservices to help resolve the mystery. If provided with living ex-

penses, he was willing to camp out near some of these marshand was sure he could get to the bottom of the matter, whichthought was likely due to foreign intervention. One housewwrote that, from personal experience, she thought UFOs weconnected to dope rings that operated around colleges. She t

of harassment she and her family had received for reporting todd goings-on near her farm, and was afraid to sign her name I was scared to pieces before. A Providence, Rhode Island, meber of the Saucer News, who wrote Ford, asking how he codo better research for the United States of America, apprisFord of his belief that these flying saucers are intelligently cotrolled by a far superior race and they have been observing us a long period of time. These saucers are interplanetary and tHoly Bible calls attention to U.F.Os. A Chicago man proposedexplanation for the recent reports of unidentified flying objeas glimpses of the activities of another universe (or univers

temporarily unveiled by reason of the spectral distortions resuing from the many recent nuclear explosions. This explanathad the merit of eschewing typical New Age conclusions abovibrational planes, but the mechanism explaining how atomfallout somehow disturbs these belts was lacking.

Other writers expressed concerns. A Washington womwrote her support of Fords call for a Congressional investigtion of UFOs, but also to express her unease about people firguns at UFOs. I believe that Congress should pass a law againdividuals killing or attempting to kill any nonbelligerent [s

creature in or from a UFO. I reason that if UFOs are from spathey are operated by creatures at least as intelligent as we, acertainly more scientifically advanced in at least one field. Asfrom the moral issue, for us to attack such creatures might,the worst, bring disastrous retaliation against us, and if not thmight destroy an opportunity for us to learn from them thinthat might be of great value. That such concerns were not wiout merit is shown by a report of a Maine man who fired foshots from a pistol at a UFO on March 23rd, 1966, in the woof NICAP Assistant Director Richard Hall a very foolish gesturmight add, and one citizens ought to be warned against.

Many letters dwelt pro and con upon the suggestion tan unprepared populace could experience panic if suddeconfronted with a UFO landing. Some writers were concernabout the purported UFO occupants themselves. A specificaChristian religious dimension permeates some letters on tsubject. A Muskegon, Michigan woman who said she belongto a group tutored by God Himself in THESE LAST DAYS TIME claimed that these things are not from another plan

Northern Lights continued

Many letters dweltpro and con upon the

suggestion that an

unprepared populace

could experience

panic...


13/28

13

at all; but are demon spirits that are able to take just any kind of abody they desire NOW, and their purpose is to keep the peoplefrom seeking THE TRUE GOD in these times when time is sooooshort. These beings have built the UFOs out of thin air, and arethe agents of Satan. The writer also predicted an all-out attack by

the Russian and Chinese Communists on Christmas Day, 1966,remarking that Some of us looked for them last Christmas, butwe were not told which Christmas. Now it looks as tho it will bethis next one.

Some average citizens were decidedly of the opinion thatthe purported occupants of the UFOs were friendly, in this beliefechoing the thoughts of more prominent believers like WayneAho, Laura Mundo, Buck Nelson, and Madeleine Rodeffer. Onewriter opined that UFOs have the answer to many of our un-solved health problems and incurable diseases. We should try inevery way to make Contact with the Beings operating them.

Another writer, who had apparently joined five UFO study or-ganizations in his four years of personal interest in the subject,said: Once the world accepts the extraterrestrial origin of theseobjects then we can work for a meeting between earth and thisother planet, in the hopes of obtaining scientific information thatwill better the life on earth.

Many letters to Ford emphasized the respectability of manyUFO witnesses, and the unfair treatment these people were be-ing subjected to as a result of their coming forward. Some citizensfound more sinister undertones to the Air Forces tight-lippedpolicy on UFOs, a Lansing, Michigan couple observing that TheAir Force stifling of information on UFOs sounds like Russia. Aparticularly literate letter came from Lockport, New York, in lateApril of 1966. Reacting to news reports that the Air Force hadcontracted with a group of scientists to investigate UFO sightings,the author opined that a proposed scientific investigation wouldbe just a whitewash were it under Air Force direction: Chargingthe Air Force with the responsibility of investigating UFO secrecyis like asking the Cosa Nostra to investigate the crime problem inthe United States.

Expressing frustration at the lack of a better explanation for

UFOs eleven months after the letter from Lockport, New York,a New York City writer suggested that if a U.F.O. was to comedown in Times Square, at high noon, and the Air Force was to sayit is for fun lets [sic] say swamp gas, then Congress would agreewith that explanation.

Not all of the letters sent to Ford were supportive. One letterfrom a Michigan citizen suggested that Ford would better spendhis time checking the cost of automobile damage repairs, while

another concluded with the words Yours in disgust.Several writers, both pro and con, expressed other press

concerns of the time in their letters. One Pennsylvania wricomplained While dire and important situations should be ploited, you come up with an idiotic U.F.O. investigation prop

al. He listed four more pressing issues from a voters standpofor the upcoming campaign, and suggested four topics (besidUFOs) that Ford should shy away from. One individual askFord to please let the subject drop, since the flying saucwere not going to hurt anyone, and in fact the United States hinvaded the privacy of an intelligent people and a most ideal ntion, beautiful in fact. He chided Ford for letting the governmedictate auto safety engineering standards, and also saw wasteMedicare and farm subsidies, which money could be better usin the war fund. And an apparent Miami Florida, correspondesaid This U.F.O. program is without doubt the most stupidio

[sic] operation that our govenrment [sic] can do to show th[sic] ignorance in the subject of evading issues.

The March 1966 Michigan sightings naturally formed tsubject or backdrop for many of the letters to Ford. Along whis April 6 letter to the Congressman, NICAP Assistant DirectRichard Hall included a copy of two NICAP UFO sighting repofrom Washtenaw County, Michigan, Deputy Sheriffs. The sobquality of these reports, as well as striking similarities between tobject reported by these peace officers and the subject of tlater April Portage County UFO police chase, still today provoa sense of wonder in the reader, yet Colorado Project personchose not to study any of these Michigan sightings.

The foregoing is only a sketch of the many different intereattitudes, and interesting people whose thoughts and fears acontained in the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library material. YI think it provides a useful and interesting perspective to undstand a pivotal period in UFO history.

ENDNOTES:1 from a letter, D. Mullen to Ford, March 25, 1966, B 48-43 (Box B48), FordCongressional Papers Legislative File, Gerald R. Ford Library.

For a list of references for the quotations, contact the writer at murphys@mimufon

For informtion concerning research

procedures at the Gerald R. Ford

Presidential Library, go to : www.

fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/

guideintro.asp

or click here
http://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/guideintro.asphttp://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/guideintro.asp


14/28

14

Foo Fighters

REVISITED

ONCE

AGAIN

Foo Fighters

By John B. Ringer, Historical Anomalis


15/28

15

some topics are just classics. Like Roswell and the abduction of Bettyand Barney Hill, the mystery of Foo Fighters continues to help us un-

derstand the UFO phenomena. The truths behind all these stories are both elu-sive and enormous. Our task of understanding has been complicated, perhapsin roughly equal measure, by the complexity of the data and our inability orunwillingness to share that data in meaningful ways.

When I first wrote about Foo Fighters two years ago, I believed I had apretty good handle on the balls of light which so bothered our pilots towardthe end of World War II. It seemed these rather small, indistinct, fiery sphereswould show up off the wingtip of some bomber and quietly follow along, no

matter what evasive action the pilot took. They were seen primarily in Europe,and always at night. Despite the obvious alarm they caused, they didnt seemto harm our planes. At the end of the war, they just stopped showing up. Thecase wasnt actually solvedit just faded away. Perhaps it was just war jittersafter all.

Well, not so fast. As that icon of radio, Paul Harvey, famously said so manytimes, Wait until youve heard the rest of the story.

When Did the Foo First Fly?According to Keith Chester, in his extensively researched and well written book,Strange Company, aerial phenomena much like the Foo Fighters of WW II wereseen during the early 1930s. (Keep in mind the Great Airship Mystery of 1893and 1894 as well.) Although oddities aloft were reported in both America andEurope, the later seemed to experience the majority of incidents. For example,in December 1933, the Swedish Air Force searched, in vain, for the aerial intrud-ers that seemed to operate in the nighttime northern skies. What most baffledauthorities was that these airplanes operated even in foul weathersomethingconventional planes could not do. The mysterious airplanes often circled quitelow (again, at night), using powerful searchlights to examine the ground below.Strangely, this low level maneuvering was reportedly done in complete silence.1

Sightings continued into 1935, especially in Sweden, Norway, and Finland.

All were thoroughly perplexed as to their origin. Eventually, some countriesgave up the search, declaring that there was nothing to it, while others, includingNorway, continued to investigate. Its helpful to remember that this time periodwas fraught with political tensions. Russia was building up its military along itsborder with Finland, and Hitlers Germany was starting to flex its military mus-cle. The region was understandably nervous to start with, and the mysteriousover-flights by the elusive grey spheres only added to the tension.1

s


16/28

16

In the United States, people in Texas reported strange,vertical shafts of light that hung motionless in the night sky.Others, like Howard S. Behr in 1937, had more specific en-counters. Behr was flying 3,000 feet, on his way to North Car-olina, when he saw a craft 1,000 feet below him and moving

across his flight path. He estimated its size at 30 to 40 feet,and he saw no sign of windows or propellers. He described itas looking, ...like a gondola, gun metal in color, with both ofits ends turned up. It was traveling around 150 mph.1

One quite telling sighting that same year occurred 500miles off the U.S. coast. The British ship Ranee reportedspotting an aircraft, or rather its lights. For an airplane to bethat far from land was considered quite risky. Investigationsturned up nothing, and prominent aviators of the time saidknew of no one who could have accomplished the feat.1

The Phenomena EvolvesGiven the scope of what we now know of World War IIsightings, we can only hit some highlights in this article, witha focus on what isnt widely known.

First, these strange aerial encounters date to the earlyyears of the war and not just the last two. The first I knowof occurred in September, 1941. Two sailors on board the S.S.Pulaskispotted a strange globe glowing with greenish light,about half the size of the full moon. The object, now seenby others on the ship, followed them over the next hour. 2

The second thing to know about Foo Fighters is thatthey were not all balls of fire. One lengthy, early account is

mind-boggling in its por-tent. Stephen J. Brickner,a sergeant with the FirstMarine Division, heard theair-raid alarm and prompt-ly slid into his foxhole onTulagi, one of the SolomonIslands. The date was Au- gust 12, 1942, and all, in-

cluding Sgt. Brickner, were understandably nervous. Whilelying on his back, he saw a formation of silvery objects highoverhead. He was puzzled because they didnt sound likethe high-pitched sewing-machine drone of the Japaneseformations. Instead, he heard, ...a mighty roar that seemedto echo in the heavens. They were flying very high above theclouds, too high for a bombing run. Their formation was huge,perhaps over 150 objects, and they flew in straight lines, 10 or

12 in a row, not the typical V formation. Their speed was alittle faster than Japanese planes. Brickner couldnt make outany tails or wings, and the objects seemed to wobble slightly,showing the suns glint on their highly polished silver skinswhen they did. The formation moved out of sight, without

doing any damage. He described it later as the most awe-in-spiring yet frightening spectacle he had seen in his life.2A third fact is that Foo Fighters were reported in both

the European and Pacific theatres. Late in the war, CaptainWilliam A. Mandel, an antiaircraft specialist, was scanningthe skies from a hill on Okinawa. The weather was clear,and the sun was low in the sky. He spotted a single plane ap-proaching, just a few hundred feet above the island. He as-sumed it was a Navy Corsair returning for a routine landing.Soon enough, he realized the craft had no markings or vis-ible openings, except in the rear. It seemed about 35 feet in

length, and he saw that it appeared metallic. As it passed overhim, he knew it was neither a Corsair nor a Japanese Zero,and its speed barely broke 100 mph. After the cigar-shapedobject passed, it continued down the coastline, disappearingin the direction opposite to its appearance. He decided notto report the incident.1

Finally, the official reporting of strange sightings aloft

was hampered by a variety of factors. For starters, therewas no established terminology for such events, so theseanomalies were described by a variety of names. Even theterm Foo Fighters came along late in the war. No doubt thislack of appropriate terminology contributed to the delay inrecognizing the various sightings for what they really were.Also, there is no way to know how many such sightings wentunreported. Pilots and their crews often faced ridicule and

Foo Fighters continued

After the cigar-

shaped object

passed, it continued

down the coastline... Not just orbsmany kinds of Foo Fighters have been reported.


17/28

17

disbelief when they reported something strange. Lastly, Al-lied forces had a tremendous respect for German technolo-gy; so many odd sightings were attributed to some aspect ofexotic Nazi weaponry. (I cant imagine how the intelligencecommunity explained away the fact that not a single Allied

plane was downed by Foo Fighters. That would not reflectwell upon the vaulted German technology would it?)

Post War Jitters After a long and terrible world war, everyone wanted tostart rebuilding their lives, their cities, and their countries.They very much wanted to put the past tensions of the priordecade behind them. For the folks in Sweden, however, this

proved difficult. Reportsof ghost rockets over-

flying the countrysidecame in large numbersthroughout 1946. The government and militarybecame so concernedthat it formed a ghostrocket committee, com-prised of scientists andmilitary personnel.2

A typical sightingoccurred on May 31. A

giant, wingless, metal-lic cigar was seen on theeastern horizon at 11:43A.M. It traveled swiftly at1,000 feet altitude, leav-

ing a rumbling sound as it executed a turn toward the west.In July, a meteorologist studying clouds through a telescopenoticed a luminous object on the horizon. Within 10 sec-onds it had come into view. It was, he said, at least 90 feetlong. The body was torpedo-shaped and shinning like metal.It had a tapered tail that spewed glowing blue and greensmoke and a series of fire balls.2

A Concept CrystallizesPerhaps the greatest contribution from the Foo Fighter era isthe way it ties together the quite different periods that camebefore and after. The airships of the 1890s were, by todaysstandards, large, clumsy, and just barely advanced from our

own technology. The flying saucers which made their appar-ent appearance in the late 1940s were sleek, silent, and veryfast. Again, we are capable of speculation as to their technol-ogy. Foo fighters were something in the middle. And again,the technology displayed was not so far advanced that we

couldnt get our minds around it. There is undeniable evi-dence that the strange objects we see in the sky are evolv-ing on a path roughly parallel to our own technology andsophistication. We have no way of knowing if this pattern isthe result of changes made by whatever owns the alien ob-jects or if it simply reflects our own growing ability to under-stand and thereby see more fully. In either case, the patternis clear.

Time and again while I was researching this topic, investi-gators ventured the opinion that if the words flying saucerhad existed during the 1930s or during and right after WW

II, people would have used the term when describing theirsightings. However, the world didnt have the concept or theterm, and so we read about balls of fire, blimp-like craft,silver gondolas, flares, rockets, balloons, meteor-ites, and so on. Witnesses were doing the best they could,given the mental images available to them at the time.

The Smooth Transition that WasntAnother striking lesson from the Foo Fighter era is how dis-ingenuous the government really was. We know that dur-

ing the war, dozens if not hundreds in the military and inWashington were following Foo Fighter activity closely. Atleast some of these bright people had to realize, after all theintelligence was considered and we had interrogated bothGerman and Japanese pilots, that these strange craft prob-ably did not have a human origin. Then, American militaryundoubtedly followed the development of Europes ghostrockets closely, and they had to be impressed by the totallack of results. Yet, just a short time later, when Kenneth Ar-nold brought the publics attention to his nine, bright sau-cer-like objects, the government played dumb and downplayed the whole thing. Based upon the militarys accumu-lated experience, that doesnt make sense

Another pattern that began to emerge about this timewas the clumsy way our government managed its public re-lations, although, one can think of explanations other thanconspiracy easily enough. For example, in January 1948, Cap-tain Thomas Mantell crashed his F-51 while chasing a bogey.

Purported ghost rocket

photographed by photographer Eric

Reutersward in 1946.


18/28

18

In his last radio contact, Mantell said the target .. .appears tobe a metallic object... tremendous in size. ..directly ahead andslightly above...Im trying to close in for a better look. The Air Forces preliminary verdict was that Mantell died chas-ing the planet Venus. Both the media and the public were

outraged.3

LegacyThe patterns between Foo Fighters and flying saucers areclear, and the connections, for those who study them, areequally clear. I wonder if we will ever know just when our government realized what they were dealing with, but Imnot hopeful. Once a cover-ups starts, its very difficult to dis-card. Lying and obscuring become ingrained and accepted asthe only way to do business. Its doubtful those honorable

men of World War II and the immediate post-war years everunderstood what they had started.One man who did seem aware of unintended conse-

quences was departing president Dwight D. Eisenhower. Inhis farewell speech of 1961, this, in part, is what he had to say:

Until the latest of our world conflicts, the United Stateshad no armaments industry...But now, we have beencompelled to create a permanent armaments industryof vast proportionsThe total influenceeconomic,

political, even spiritualis felt

in every city, every Statehouse,every office of the Federalgovernmentwe must guardagainst the acquisition of un-warranted influence, whethersought or unsought, by themilitary-industrial complex...We must never let the weightof this combination endangerour liberties or democraticprocesses.4

Imagine the horror President Eisenhower would feel ifhe could be aware of such black projects as the facilities atGroom Lake and Area 51. Some doubt that even our sittingPresident can gain access to these facilities, let alone controlor manage them.

For some time now, Ive speculated that the UFO phe-nomenon, in all its guises, has been with us all along. De-pending upon our level knowledge and sophistication, we

have perceived these flying anomalies in different ways. Thesheer complexity of the situation is reflected in the fact thatwe are still struggling to understand both the scope of andthe reasons for their presence. In the meantime, I believe itwill be helpful to look for patterns and connections in the

data and continue to learn what we can.

ENDNOTES: 1 Chester, Keith, Strange Company. Anomalist Books, San Antonio, TX.

Published 2007.

2 Thompson, Keith, Angles and Aliens: UFOs and the Mythic Imagination.Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc., New York, NY. Published 1991.

3 Clarke, Jerome, The UFO Encyclopedia. Omnigraphics, Inc., Detroit, MI.Published 1998.

4 Eisenhower, Dwight D., Public Papers of the Presidents 1960, p. 1035-1040.Accessed at http://coursesa.matrix.mus.edu/hst306/documents/indust.html

Foo Fighters continued

President Eisenhower

Click to hear part of his

farewell address.

Please...

Dontforgettorenew!

Realizetheb

enefitofbeinga

partofthisdynamicMidwest

UFOorganization

SupportqualityUFOres

earch

andpublicawarenessrig

ht

hereathome

Renewyoursubscription

and

membershipwhennotifi

edat:

www.illinoismufo

n.com

orsenditinto:

IllinoisMUFONNFPMem

bership

P.O.Box2105,OrlandPark

,IL

60462
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y06NSBBRtYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y06NSBBRtYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y06NSBBRtYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y06NSBBRtY


19/28

19

Recent Events

UFO Reality...Beyond the Myth

William Rainey Harper Colleges

Wojcik Conference Center in Pala-

tine was the site of a well-received

presentation and luncheon sponsored by the Il-

linois Mutual UFO Network (Illinois MUFON).

On Februay 21st, an enthusiastic audience

heard talks from Dr. Mark Rodeghier, Sam Ma-

ranto, and (via telephone conferencing) Ted Phil-

lips, all on the general topic of UFO Reality...

Beyond the Myth.

The beautiful Wojcik Conference Center hosted the

event using advanced communications services.

Participants attended the presentation in acomfortable state-of-the-art lecture hall.


20/28

20

Rodeghier, Executive Director

of the Center for UFO Studies

(CUFOS) spoke on the topic UFO

Sightings and More. Maranto,President of Illinois MUFON and

lead investigator on the Tinley Park

Lights case (featured in this seasons

premiere of UFO HUNTERS on the

History Channel) spoke generally

on the subject of UFO cases in

Illinois, including Tinley Park and

the OHare airport sighting. Phillips,

an associate of Dr. J. Allen Hynekand the leading authority on UFO

trace evidence investigation talked

to the audience in a technologically

impressive two-way Q and A about

the ongoing investigation of the

frequently observed Marley Lights

in Missouri.

In addition to the talks, the event

featured a fine luncheon with choice

of entrees. Several attendees becamemembers of either or both Illinois

MUFON and CUFOS.

All who attended were much

impressed with the Wojcik

Conference Center facility, both in

its technological sophistication and

general ambience and it is certain that

future Illinois MUFON activities will

be held at the site.

Presenters, Sam Maranto (left) and Dr. Mark Rodeghier (right)

Attendees during lunch enjoyed the expansive view and good food

Recent Events continued


21/28

21

ASpecialThankYou

Whosaysmiraclesdonthappen?

AcaseinpointwastheconferenceattheHarper

CollegeWojcikCenter.

Withalessthanoverwhelmingregistrationin

place,wealsohadtobattletheelements.Oneoftheworstsnowstormsof

theyear,accompanied

bystrongwinds,hittheareaandthreatenedto

shutdownourconference.Travelwastreacherous,

forcingmanytoremainhome.Inadditiontothis

,

oneofourthreespeakersfellillandwasforcedto

cancel.

Wehadtorevamptheentirepresentationonless

thana48hournotice.Ofthenearly

150who

plannedtoattend,approximately100arrivedOurbreak-evenpointwa

s150paid.

Amiraclearrivedinformofnewlifetime

membershipsandthisultimatelysavedtheday.

Wecouldneverhavebeensograteful.

Gratitudeistheheartsmemoryminewillnever

forgetthesefinefolks.

ThankYou,JulieA.Maranto

Secretary


22/28

22

Convergence

No I dont mean the little gnome gwith the red conical hat that advertises fTravelocity. I mean the star classification redwarf, a star with less than half the mass our sun. Since these stars are now generly accepted to be the most common type star in the galaxy (some estimates as higas 90%) I thought it might be interesting

think about what life that evolved on a redwarf star planet might look like.

First, red dwarfs are red because thare smaller than our sun and therefore donhave the gravitational compression to mathe nuclear fires burn as hotly, hence rlight instead of yellow like our sun. In fathe whole energy spectrum for a red dwais shifted toward the infra-red and the intesity is also way down. This means that t

Goldilocks Zone (neither too hot nor tocold but just right) for a habitable planet much closer in toward the star than earthorbit is. Just as with a roaring bonfire ycan stand ten feet away to be warm yoneed to stand right next to a campfire stay warm. The technical term for stayiwarm is the habital zone.

RedDwarvesby Guy Richards


23/28

23

The view from the habital zone planet circlinga red dwarf planet would be a dim red landscape,a black sky and a dark red sun the size of a beachball held at arms length. It would dominate thesky. The local vegetation would be black to our

eyes but would likely have a range of colors inthe red and infrared spectrum for our aliens. Be-cause of the close in orbit of our red dwarf planet,it is likely that it is tide locked with the same facealways toward the sun. This reduces the size ofthe planetary habitable zone to an area betweenthe hot side facing the sun and the cold side fac-ing space. This could lead to some very interest-ing weather as the hot side and cold side try toreach equilibrium.

The size of our red dwarf planet would have

to be large enough to have and hold an atmo-sphere, say the size of our Saturnian moon Titan,to perhaps twice as large as earth. Much biggerand gravity becomes a problem with mobilityand physical structure. Water creatures are pos-sible like our dolphins on a larger planet but thentechnology becomes problematic under water.Liquid water, by most students of life require-ments, is necessary for life so it would have tobe a planet with oceans. Also since the planet isvery close in to the dwarf sun it would likely begeologically active from being pulled on by thesun. This means plate tectonics like earth, volca-nos, mountains, rivers, etc. much like earth pro-cesses but more so, faster, more violent.

Our alien adapted to an Earth size planet wouldhave to have very large eyes to see in the red/in-frared. Its eyes would have to take in more lightand be sensitive to the longer wave lengths of in-frared, so large dark eyes. Probably two eyes be-cause binocular vision would be useful and three

eyes are redundant and evolutionarily wasteful.Carbon based life is also likely as it has the Earthproven wide range of environmental survivabil-ity and is the element that bonds readily with somany other elements in the chain like structuresthat make DNA and RNA helixs and the innumer-able variety of proteins that can be produced forcreatures suited to many environments.

With life concentrated in the temperate banbetween the cold and hot side the competitiofor survival niches would be fierce. The strogest, fastest and smartest would be quickly slected for. With strong, fast and smart predato

after them a burrowing omnivore would have advantage with a place to run to and a safe havefrom the weather while they scavenge protein anmunch on plants or drink nectar from plants. burrower with big eyes and smart means a larhead with small features that dont get cloggor interfere with movement in burrows.

As selection pressures continued our aliemight find social groups advantageous much liants or termites with a series of classes of woers, tunnelers, breeders, warriors and overseeThe overseers would continue to evolve largbrains at the expense of body mass (small staure and thin limbs) and be fed on a specializenectar tailored to a minimal digestive systeand optimum efficiency. Eventually technolo

would develop and the other classes would arophy and disappear leaving only the overseewith their large heads, large dark eyes, short sture, no ears, small mouth and minimal nose.

Hmmm, theres something familiar aboutcreature like that but I cant think what it might b

OUR SUN

RED DWARF

JUPITER

Comparative sizes between our sun, the planet Jupiter, and a red dwarf st


24/28

24

Upcoming Events

Out of This World UFO Conference

and Golf Tournament


and Golf Tournament

Guest Speakers:

STANTONFRIEDMAN, RICHARDDOLAN, KATHLEENMARDEN, TEDPHILLIPS,

JESSEMARCEL, JR., KEVINRANDLE, DONALDSCHMITT, ANDSAMMARANTO

Our first annual Out Of This World Golf Tournament will kick off the event on

Thursday. This is your chance to play the General a renown premiere coursethat is as much a challenge as it is beautiful.

Attendance fees vary depending upon the number of activities, days, and presentationsattended. The Lectures Only Packagefor all three days is $137. (Please go to www.illinoismufon formore info.)

Hotel/villa/home packages with our group rate vary depending upon occupancy, location, andrange from $161.19 per night and up. (Please go to www.illinoismufon for more info.)

Eagle Ridge Resort & SpaGalena, IllinoisMay 28th31st


25/28

25

If youre not attending our amateur tournament, ventureinto town. The shuttle leaves the resort at 11:00 A.M. andgoes into historic Galena with its charming array of fineboutiques, galleries, eateries. You can visit the home of

President Ulysses S. Grant or attend the Mystery & HistoNight Tour with a local ghost hunter and historian. And anAstronomy & Sky Watch Night is planned for Friday.

Dobie Maxwell, professional comedian and radiopersonality, will add levity during many of our events.

Lake Galena offers some great fishing and you canrent paddle boats and canoes or go on a nature walk.For gambling fun, Diamond Joe Casino is just over theMississippi in Dubuque.

For more information go to :www.illinoismufon.comor call: 708 460-7606
http://www.illinoismufon.com/http://www.illinoismufon.com/http://www.illinoismufon.com/


26/28

26

Upcoming Events continued


and Golf Tournament Speakers and Schedule

Richard Dolan

A gifted historian, Richard is considered a foremost UFO researcher and is the author ofUFOs and theNational Security State. He studied at Oxford University before recieving his graduates degree inhistory and lectures around the country and in the media on the general topic of UFOs.

Ted Phillips

A co-worker and close friend of Dr. J. Allen Hynek, Ted is a physical evidence researcher who investigatedover 600 suspected UFO landings. He has met with representatives at the UN and appeared on numerousTV and radio programs and documentaries. Ted is the director of the Center for Physical Trace Research.

Don Schmitt

Author of the best-seller, UFO Crash at Roswell , Don has continued his investigations into the incident,uncovering new evidence and coverups. He is also a frequent speaker in documentaries and TV programsand on the radio. He is a regular lecturer at Illinois MUFON conferences.

Stanton T. Friedman

An advanced nuclear and space systems physicist, Mr. Friedman has spoken at more than 600 colleges and over 100 professionalgroups in all 50 states and 16 other countries, and has appeared on hundreds of TV and radio programs. He is a world-renownUFO researcher and author of numerous books on ufology.

Kathleen MardenKathleen, a certified hypnotherapist and educator, was a close relative of Betty and Barney Hill and authored Captured!TheBetty and Barney Hill UFO Experience, coauthored with nuclear physicist/scientific ufologist Stanton Friedman. She lecturesand is frequently seen on TV as an expert on UFO abductions.

Jesse Marcel, Jr.

Jesse retired as a Colonel from the USAF after serving for 38 years as a flight surgeon. He is one of the few witnesses to thewreckage of the Roswell Incident and is often a guest on TV and radio programs on the subjects of UFOs and his father,Captain Jesse Marcel, stationed at Roswell AFB at the time of the UFO crash.

Sam Maranto

Sam is the State Director of Illinois MUFON and the leading researcher into the Tinley Park Lights in Illinois.He has appeared numerous times on UFO Hunters and other TV documentaries and is heard discussing thesubject of UFOs on many radio stations both statewide and nationally.


and Golf Tournament Speakers and Schedule

Kevin Randle

Kevin was a former Army pilot and USAF intelligence officer. He has a PhD in psychology and is an author of over 100books including many books on the UFO phenomenon. He appears as a guest on TV programs and documentariesand hosts his own UFO program on the radio.


27/28

27

THURSDAY, MAY 28

Explore Galena and OTW Golf Tournament9:00 A.M. Registration at the Lodge

(Golf and General Registration)

11:00 A.M. Shuttle to Historical Galena Departs

from Lodge

11:30 A.M. Luncheon at Spikes for Golf Tournament

Contestants

1:00 P.M. Golf Tournament Begins

3:00 P.M. Shuttle Returns from Historical Galena

6:00 P.M. Golf Tournament Ends8:00 P.M. Mystery & History Ghost Tour

FRIDAY, MAY 29

Lectures, Reception, Dinner, and Sky Watch

9:00 A.M. Registration at the Lodge

10:30 A.M. Don Schmitt(until noon)

11:00 A.M. Shuttle to Historical Galena

12:00 P.M. Lunch (on your own)

1:15 P.M. Kevin Randle3:00 P.M. Don Schmitt and Kevin Randle (Q & A)

Shuttle Returns from Historical Galena

3:30 P.M. Announcements

4:00 P.M. Reception Begins at Lodge

5:30 P.M. Dinner

8:00 P.M. Sky Watch and Star Gazing

SATURDAY, MAY 30

Breakfast, Lectures, and Speakers Dinner

8:00 A.M. Breakfast Buffet at Lodge

9:30 A.M. Registration Opens and Introductions

9:45 A.M. Richard Dolan

11:15 A.M. Break

11:30 A.M. Richard Dolan (Q & A)

11:45 A.M. Announcements

12:00 P.M. Lunch

1:30 P.M. Ted Phillips

2:45 P.M. Break

3:00 P.M. Ted Phillips (Q & A)

3:15 P.M. Jesse Marcel, Jr.

4:15 P.M. Break

4:30 P.M. Jesse Marcel, Jr. (Q & A)

4:45 P.M. Announcements

6:00 P.M. Dinner with Speakers

and Entertainment

8:00 P.M. Evening Group Activity

(to be announced)

9:15 P.M. Mystery & History Ghost Tour

in Historical Galena

SUNDAY, MAY 31

Breakfast, Lectures, and Speaker Panel

8:00 A.M. Breakfast Buffet

9:30 A.M. Registration Opens and

Introduction

9:45 A.M. Stanton Friedman

11:00 A.M. Break

11:30 A.M. Stanton Friedman (Q & A)

11:45 A.M. Announcements

12:00 P.M. Noon Luncheon Buffet

1:30 P.M. Kathleen Marden

3:00 P.M. Break

3:15 P.M. Speaker Panel

4:00 P.M. Closing Statements

and Announcements

5:30 P.M. Dinner in Historical Galena

8:00 P.M. Mystery & History Ghost Tour

Scheduled programs are subject to change

Conference Schedule


28/28

Upcoming Events continued

Spring is officially here

and so is our line up of activitiesstarting with our General StateMeeting at Starved Rock Lodge.

On Saturday April 18th

General State Meeting open to the public

Starved Rock Lodge , Utica, IllinoisUtica Room

10:00A.M. - Opening Statement

10:15 A.M. - Illinois MUFON NFP Overview

10:45A.M. - Discussion

11:00 A.M. - Break

11:10 A.M. - Case Overview and Presentation

12:15 P.M. - Lunch

1:30 P.M. - Reconvene

3:00 P.M. - Adjournment

Price $15.00 per person

Illinois MUFON NFP Member $10.00 per person

On Sunday April 19th

Board of Directors Meeting

Starved Rock Lodge , Utica, IllinoisPeru Room (the Board Room)

10:30A.M. - Directors Meeting12:00 P.M. - Lunch

1:15 P.M. - Reconvene

3:30 P.M. - Adjournment

Why do we have our meetings at Starved Rock Lodge in

Utica, Illinois?

It is the centrally located between all of the members

in the state by volume and is the birthplace of Illinois

MUFON NFP as well as the state itself.

Historical, beautiful, and mutually inconvenient, yet it is

always a wonderful experience. Never have I heard so

much as a whimper of regret from anyone attending.

This location is one of the states natural wonders with

many waterfalls and canyons. This area is rich in history

and embraced in natural splendor. Whether you venture

off into the landscape or seat yourself to overlook

one of the many scenic vantage points, you wont be

disappointed. So reserve some time to explore.

Remember lodging is sparse, so we will be reserving a fewrooms. Illinois MUFON members get a group rate. So, if

you would like to stay at the lodge that weekend , email

your request to: [email protected]

To pay in advance for the General State Meeting, go to:

ll f
http://www.illinoismufon.com/http://www.illinoismufon.com/

Visitors 5

Documents

Transcript of Visitors 5