Saucers in Spain

Press, 27 December 1980, Page 10

Saucers in Spain

From the “Economist,” London.

Is it the wine,, the sun or the C.1.A.? Or are there really little green men up there? Whatever the explanation, the . sky over Spain appears: td be infested

with unidentified flying objects. Every other shepherd has seen one, a few Spaniards even claim to have been taken for a ride

Across 6— Money for the chief city. (7) 7— Raise a zodiacal sign. (5) 9—See 19 Across. ''' k 10 — Liberal actors on the radio. (9) 12—Not ail the group go different ways. (4, 7) 15—Sent to India — that’s the goal. (11) 17— I am under treatment but. certainly not long-suf-fering! (9) ’ 19 and 9 Across —Keeper of haunt of criminals during hostilities. (6) ■ • 21— Corner to fish in? (5) 22— Giddy when in the air? (7) Down 1— The colour of her eyes?* (5) 2— Blend 1009. (3) 3— Quiet tune for tw0.(4).... ■,■■■- 4— Erect prop for teacher. (9) 5— They have to be learnt by the French boys (7) 8— Make-up of song .which is published. (3-3) 11— Not completely in * biased way. (9) . 13—A number dp wrong going up to game. (6) 14—Relevant European letter. (7) 16 i have everything removed from 11 for social gathering. (5) ... .• 18— Thbre’s nothing to the East of the nyer. (4) 20—A long time for some engagements. (3) on Monday) Yert.rrf.y’s solution 7, Second helping:’B, Fairways; 9, Room; ? 10, Breech; 12, Rotate; 14, Draper; 16. Donors; 18, . ■ ihoe;: 20, .Test-case; 22, All in good .. ured’^Spirit’ I IHeritage! 13 Tiresome - J/;.' ’ ’

(literally) by extra-terrestial tourists. ■ The list of recent • sightings, is impressive.- The Lerida police sent out four -Z-cars to watch a U.F.O. that hovered silently over the city centre for an hour and flashed lights when the police signalled to it. A triangular U.F.O. startled drivers on the Basque motorway, and five U.F.O. sightings were reported the same evening over eastern Spain. Last month the Spanish'general staff declared the affair secret, pending an official inquiry, “since national security could be The U.F.O.s in this latest incident are thought by airport officials to have been miliary aircraft on manoeuvres. Other U.F.O.s may be weather balloons, or simply heaven-sent explanation for erratic driving. But a few politicians and military men descry something more . substantial behind the story ■of “a U;F.O. twice as big as a jumbo jet”, told by the pilot of a Spanish Caravelle last winter. The Caravelle was on a night flight from Mallorca to Tenerife with 109 passengers on board when the pilot. Captain Javier Lerdo, and his crew saw the U.F.O. flying deside them. They informed Barcelona air traffic control and were told that no other plane was in their vicinity. After the UFO had approached to within 500 metres of the Caravelle, Captain Lerdo landed at Valencia. For two hours after the Caravelle landed, three unexplained lights reportedly hovered over. Valencia airport. \ < Mr Enrique Mugica, a Socialist Congressman and -/defence spokesman, has revealed that, according tb confidential defence sources, a military radar station reported an unidentifiable blip half a mile from the Caravelle before it landed, and that. sOpn- . afterwards, a Spanish’ air force Mirage took off - from a base near Albacete and spent more than Fan, hour hunting. Mr ► Mugica’ has asked the government to tell Parliament '-•.Sir. it knows about any . pieces of celestial crockery in oabit over Spain. - V