SUNlite Shedding some light on UFOlogy and UFOs Roughly about half the witnesses were sure they saw planes in the sky...The other half saw nothing. The elevation operator of an antiaircraft director look- ing through his scope saw many planes. His azimuth operator looking through a parallel scope on the same instrument did not see any planes...Once the fir- ing started, imagination created all kinds of targets in the sky and everyone joined in. Colonel John G. Murphy writing about the ‘Battle of LA” in 1949 Volume 3 Number 1 January-February 2011 The cover image was taken from the cover of the The people have spoken Coastal Artillery Journal of July-August 1942. This issue spends some time discussing the infamous t least the people of Denver have. I am as well for allowing the error to ap- “Battle of Los Angeles”. AWhen Jeff Peckman put his “Initiative pear. 300” on the ballot last November, it was contributions from various people. Peter basically a trial balloon on how people In other news, I noticed that my last IFO Merlin’s article pretty much confirmed felt about spending tax dollars on UFOs. university article could have applied to what I already knew about the “Area 51” Peckman stated that it would not involve several prominent events in November show. He had confided with me previ- taxpayer money but the voters thought and December. There was a UFO event ously about his experience with it. It sort it might and they responded by voting that turned out to be a RC airplane with of gives you an idea how many of these “NO”! I comment on this in more detail LEDs, one involving airplane landing UFO shows are probably produced. Peter on page 16. Pay attention UFOlogy. lights (as solved by MUFON), and a UFO Brookesmith’s submission provides the photograph submitted to MUFON that reader with another aspect regarding the SUNlite has received some criticism from looked remarkably like an aircraft seen Rendlesham case; Matt Graeber provides several individuals who seem to have bi- from a distance. There was also a case us his views about UFOlogy’s dark side; ased opinions about the subjects I have of an airplane contrail causing quite the Roger Paquay provides some interesting written about. I used to have a section controversy in the media. Three of these information regarding media influence called “e-mails to the editor” but I took it are mentioned in this issue. on the Belgian UFO wave. It adds to the out when the e-mails dried up. If people piece last issue written by Jean-Michel have a specific comment/item they want The New Zealand government released Abrassart. I publicly like to thank them corrected, it is not hard to contact me via its UFO files in late December. As usual, for their efforts. I hope the readers of e-mail ([email protected]). I will cor- there was no smoking gun. However, it is SUNlite appreciate them as much as I do. rect any mistakes regarding something interesting to read the documents about factual. However, interpretation of facts the December 1978 Kaikoura UFO case. On a humorous note, I would like to point is another thing and I may disagree with out this link to an amusing video clip.It is an argument based more on belief than Last issue, I gave a brief review of the a video clip that has been used by various facts. Rendlesham case but Ian Ridpath’s work people to create parodies of just about should be considered the primary source everything (including a parody about all Speaking of errors that need correcting, of information on this. His presentation the parodies!) and comes from the movie Martin Kottmeyer received some feed- at the Unconvention 2010 was outstand- “Downfall”. I put in a few frames of the back that he was wrong on a point in ing and worth watching. Ian also sent me video here that I thought was applicable his piece about the Arnold sighting. Mr. an e-mail about a meeting attended by to many individuals I have encountered Kottmeyer acknowledges that he made Burroughs and Penniston in Woodbridge over the years when discussing UFOs. an error when he stated that the objects to “reveal the truth” . Those showing up TABLE OF CONTENTS traveled in a “V” formation. He misunder- got to view a new History Channel video stood the term “echelon” and interpreted on “Ancient Aliens” and were told that it to mean “V”. Apparently, Marty got this Penniston’s “magic notebook” contains a Who’s blogging UFOs..................................2-3 impression from secondary sources such secret code he obtained from the “object” The Roswell Corner .......................................4 as the 1995 History Channel documen- that was in binary. I wonder why this is tary, “Where have all the UFOs gone?” suddenly revealed 30 years later? Didn’t More Malmstrom madness....................5 When he was contacted concerning this we understand binary in 1980? Things Stomping around, goofing off by Peter error, he checked the primary sources that make you go hmmmm.... Brookesmith........................................6-10 and discovered his mistake. He was up- set that he had made such an error and This month’s issue has some interesting Hollywood and Area 51: A missed oppor- tunity by Peter Merlin........................11-13 The Belgian UFO wave: A statistical study by Roger Paquay...................................14-15 Initiative 300 takes a beating...................16 The Battle of LA UFO story...........17-22 IFO University: Balloons..........................23 Beware the dark side of UFOs! by Matt Graeber........................................24-28 Rocket launches and UFO reports....29-30 Missile or contrail?......................................30 UFOs on the tube..........................................31 Buy it, borrow it, bin it.................................31 1 The UFO Examiner revealed he now has a I read somewhere that these kinds of UFO alert condition system. I am not sure Who’s blogging things could produce UFO reports. why. It does absolutely nothing since UFO groups don’t proactively look for UFOs. If UFOs? Billy Cox seems gullible enough to be- these UFO groups were really interested, lieve Steve Bassett’s claim that for just we would see UFO watches and video $250,000 dollars, the “truth” about UFOs systems set up to capture these UFOs. Hot topics and varied opinions would be revealed. Cox reports that Bas- Strangely, or not so strangely, astrono- sett implied that President Clinton was mers’ all sky cameras have yet to report going to disclose the truth about UFOs recording any of these UFOs in but was halted by the im- these high alert areas. peachment hearings. I am not so easily sold by Bassett’s As always, the UFO Examiner bogus claims. This is the same has all those UFO reports that guy that has basically gone have yet to be investigated and bankrupt with his X-Confer- nobody hardly ever reports on ence adventures. Can you the MUFON investigation re- really trust somebody who sults (although he did reveal can’t even do something one Colorado investigation that as simple as balancing his was really easy to solve). For books? We have had a lot of instance, nobody seemed to these press conferences with bother to investigate the “white witnesses presenting their “I cylindrical object” over the Illi- know what I saw/heard” sto- nois skies on October 27th. The ries. Nobody seems to care witness stated between 10 and other than UFO proponents, 10:30 he saw the UFO going who like to proclaim that this north. He took some photographs and one presentation will be the one that reveals showed the object which he described is a diamond shaped red object. Just to the “truth” about UFOs. If Billy Cox really as being white with a dark middle band the lower left of this object (and roughly thinks this all will happen for a meager and end. He also added it had no wings. the same distance from and opposite $250,000, I suggest he start a fund to get More careful observation of the image re- the center of the image) is a very bright this started. If 10,000 people donate only veals what appears to be an MD-80 or 90 streetlight that is a square shaped (but $25 each, it would not be hard to come type aircraft. The dark middle band is the appears diamond shaped when viewed up with the cash. Like the Denver ET underside of from the angle in the photograph). It is Commission vote, I suspect such a call for the wing (see very likely that this UFO was an internal funds would receive a weak response. a comparison lens reflection. image I took at Billy Cox also complained that SETI’s left). One can Kentaro Mori indicated that the Varginha podcast interview with Leslie Kean omit- even see what case was potentially solved. The case ted discussing details about the 1989- appears to be involved some girls seeing an alien 1990 Belgium UFO case. I wonder if Mr. the rear engine near the tail section. The creature that eventually expanded into Cox (or for that matter Leslie Kean) have general description of the location ap- a crashed saucer retrieval. I don’t think ever examined ALL the information re- pears to be west of Joliet, which is south- many UFOlogists gave it any credence garding these cases. Cox talks about an west of Chicago O’Hare airport. but Mori’s article points toward a pos- analysis but I think he is only parrotting sible solution. A man called “Little Luis”, what General De Brouwer wrote in Kean’s There were other cases that were fairly who suffers from mental problems, lives book.