Down to earth with U.F.O.s

Press, 4 July 1981, Page 16

Down to earth with U.F.O.s

By

BRIAN MACKRELL

June 24, 1947: a lone pilot in a light aircraft near America’s Mount Rainier. A sudden dazzling burst of light across the clear afternoon sky and Kenneth Arnold claims he saw a weird aerial formation that heralded the age of the “flying saucer.” Thirty-four years later are we any closer to answers to the enigma?

“U.F.O. — a target on a bearing of 315 M was tracked by radar from 50 miles out. At 1932 (7.32 p.m.). when in the vicinity of Ohau Point. CVY at 3000' feet was asked if he could see anything. He replied that he had the target in sight. ■‘When crossing the coast target turned on to an easterly heading, maintained this for approximately four miles, then turned south, crossing over the radar head. It then continued on a bearing of approximately 155 M and painted out to 49 miles. Its speed approximatelv 60k."

“I had just turned left at 3000 feet when radar gave me a plot at 10 o'clock — four miles. Looking down I saw a blue light flashing regularly, relatively large, and of a fluorescent colour, i.e. with a good deal of white in it ... Captain Cullum could also see it clearly when I banked the aircraft. Shortly after radar turned me S.W. to intercept the 245 M track to Blenheim and the target passed under the wing. Radar told us they had been tracking it for some 20 minutes ..."

No, that is not a U.F.O. report of late 1978 or an extract from the StartupIllingworth book. "The Kaikoura U.F.0.5." These quotes are from Civil Aviation records of Wellington's radar log book and pilot's report of a U.F.O. seen on September 4. 1969. This incident did not receive the world-wide publicity of the spectacular, filmed. 1978 U.F.O.s but. in many ways, it

duplicates them. U.F.O.s — whatever they are —■ repeat themselves.

After landing at Woodbourne that September evening in 1969, First Officer Neil Faircloth said: "Came back with Captain Moxham. In mid-straits I asked radar if the target was still being tracked and they replied they had it about Cape Campbell East ... We could see a cluster of lights in this area and Captain Moxham passed a series of bearings which radar confirmed as being on the line. These lights were not fluorescent — I got the impression there was a cluster and that they were white and about at sea level ... "

Radar-visual fixes, a large flashing blue-white light, a cluster of low-level white lights off Cape Campbell — all striking similarities with the 1978 incidents. Whatever crossed Cooks Strait that evening in 1969 was back in the area in late 1978. But what was it?

Startup and Illingworth's book suggested that unknown machines were involved in the 1978 events. Chapter One dealt with an alleged “massive machine in trouble” over the Marlborough Sounds, watched through binoculars by a Mr Frank MacDonald and his wife. Much was made of this report and sketches of the “massive machine" made by Mr MacDonald but the authors neglected to mention that the witnesses, like U.F.O.s themselves, are "repeaters.” The couple have been privileged to see sev-

eral “balls of light," “machines.” etc., since the 19605. Similar “machines" can be found in sketches on pages 196-197 of “The U.F.O. handbook" by Allan Hendry, the most authoritative work on mis-identified natural phenomena “U.F.0.5." Scintillating stars and planets, atmospheric distortion magnified by binoculars, further distorted by excited human imagination. have produced some quite remarkable "craft." What Frank MacDonald sketched was almost certainly the planet Jupiter. Of all the books on U.F.O.s. Hendry's work is one of the few not written on the premise that crap grows the best crop. It might well be dubbed “The U.F.O. Deathbook." Of the 1307 reports investigated by Hendry, 1158 became Identified Flying Objects such as stars, planes, and balloons: 36 reports lacked sufficient data; and 113 remained U.F.O.s.'

But, as Hendry notes: “When stars and satellites can rush off along witnesses’ line of sight, when the crescent moon can drain the lights of a parking lot. when night advertising planes are almost always 'domed discs' thanks to an emotional climate where people desire to see 'flying saucers,' how can I be sure if my remaining 'U.F.O.s' are not simply 1.F.0.s mis-perceived (sincerely) to the point of fantasy?"

A possible explanation for the 1969 and 1978 Cook Strait-Kaikoura U.F.O.s, if they were not squid boats, helicopters, or known natural phenomena, may be found in the work of the Canadians, Persinger and Lafreniere. Their computer processing of 6060 reports of strange phenomena (1242 of U.F.O.S) confirmed a long-held belief that many unusual events recur in the same localities over decades, sometimes centuries.

They also claim to have discovered a striking relationship between U.F.O. report locales and regions of seismic activity. This led them to postulate the EarthElectricity U.F.O. theory. They suggested that electrical discharges produced by stress along geological fault lines might ionize the air into a glowing mass. If the stress moves along the fault-line the glowing “U.F.0.” it has produced will fly. fading and brightening with fluctuations in the electrical discharge. Such a “U.F.0." would be visible to people and cameras and would be detected by radar. A comparison of Kaikoura U.F.O. “flight-paths" and major fault lines in the area appear to show striking correlations in support of this theory.

However. Allan Hendry declares: “The worship of correlation is one of the major mistakes in evaluating

statistics.” He cites the example of a study of “annual fluctuations in American industrial manufacturing Vs annual sunspot variations, from 1870 to 1970.

"The nineteen peaks and dips in the eleven-year cycle of both curves match up remarkably well. Startling as this correlation appears, it does not point the way to sunspot number as a primary reason for changes in American manufacturing output." However, since Hendry wrote this. Dr Brian Brady, of the United States Bureau of Mines, experimenting with laboratory simulated underground rock-bursts, claims to have seen fracturing quartzbearing rock produce miniU.F.O.s. Bright spinning masses of light appeared, hovering and moving, following the energy source in the fracturing rock in the manner Persinger and Lafreniere postulated. Brady believes that rock, exploding under stress along fault lines, becomes ionized like the atmosphere during a thunderstorm, enabling an electromagnetic discharge to travel through what is normally a barrier. This discharge creates a glowing “U.F.0." which can move, change shape, etc., as long as there is a source of fracturing rock along a fault or stress line. Brady also believes the celebrated David Crocket Kaikoura film has captured the phenomena in action.

Brady's previous work, in earthquake prediction, has drawn criticism from fellow scientists and condemnation

by a United States investigatory panel. George Eiby. one of New Zealand's most distinguished scientists in the fields of seismology’ and astronomy. cautions against hasty acceptance of the American's claims.

“How far Brady’s laboratory experiments can be extrapolated to field conditions remains to be seen ... Certainly there are some seismo-luminous phenomena requiring investigation. When the mass of observational data outweighs the mass of speculation it will be time to attempt an appraisal.” Other scientists engaged in seismological studies suggest that methane gas. released and ignited by subterranean earth movements, may account for some U.F.O. reports. George Eiby comments: “Curious ball lightning phenomena have now been reported for centuries, but it has only recently been linked with earthquakes in some Chinese reports." These reports include crackling nocturnal fireballs rising from the earth and daylight "smokeballs.” Western observers would probably report such phenomena as “a U.F.O. take-off" and “daylight discs."

After 34 years there is no evidence to support the claims that we are being visited by extra-terrestrials, inter-dimehsionals. or any other exotic beings. There is only hoax, theory, rumour, myth, mis-identified natural phenomena — and some reports of what is. as yet. little-understood natural phenomena.