by Charles Lear, author of “The Flying Saucer Investigators.”
On November 15, 1976, 42-year-old Joyce Bowles, and her 58-year-old friend, Ted Pratt, appeared on the BBC television program South Today. They were interviewed about their reported encounters with UFOs and humanoids the night before. Their case got the interest of researchers from various organizations and there are FOUR articles examining it in the February 1977, Vol. 22, No. 5 Flying Saucer Review: an article by Bournemouth Unexplained Phenomena Research Group Investigator Leslie Harris headlined “UFO & Silver-Suited Entity Seen Near Winchester,” an article by British UFO Research Association Investigator Richard Nash that consists mostly of a transcription of a tape recorded interview with Bowles and Pratt conducted by Nash, “Questions and Comments on the Nash Interview” by BUFORA Research Coordinator Jenny Randles, and an article by BUFORA Investigator Frank J. Wood based on two reports prepared by him headlined “Alleged CE-III at Winchester: Vehicle Examination,” with the subheading “Together with a few other matters of interest.” There is also an article by Lionel Beer in the March/April BUFORA Journal headlined “The Winchester Encounters. There are several sensational claims in this case, and while it is based on the testimony of two witnesses, Mrs. Bowles had a history of reporting other paranormal encounters, which caused some doubt among researchers. However, Jacques Vallée’s 1969 book, Passport to Magonia, had an impact on the thinking of researchers at that time, as did the work of John Keel, an FSR contributor, and an increasing number were considering the idea that UFOs might be more paranormal in nature than physical craft being piloted by extraterrestrials.
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It greaves me to announce, a wonderful friend, and one of the true icons of the UFO world, Lee Speigel passed away from a short-term illness on August 15.
by Charles Lear, author of 
In October 1970, the publishers of the British magazine Flying Saucer Review put out the first 
In 1966, there was a series of UFO sightings in Michigan that got the attention of the press and the Air Force. There was a great deal of excitement and Project Blue Book (the code name for the Air Force’s UFO study) scientific consultant, Dr. J. Allen Hynek, was sent in to help calm things down. At a press conference, he offered some possible explanations. Due to sightings over a marsh, he speculated that people there had seen ignited balls of swamp gas, some going out and others igniting, and that this created the illusion of movement. The swamp gas explanation made the headlines and outraged many Michigan residents, including Michigan Representative and House Minority Leader Gerald Ford. He sent a letter dated March 28, 1966, to the chairmen of the Science and Astronautics Committee and the Armed Services Committee, suggesting that one of them schedule “hearings on the subject of UFO’s”. He mentioned Hynek’s explanations in the letter and, in a press release that same day, it is noted that he described Hynek’s swamp gas explanation as “flippant.” Documents relating to Ford’s efforts and the resultant open hearing are housed at the 
In 1966, John Keel, longtime fortean and author of several books on UFOs, including his most famous book published in 1975, The Mothman Prophecies, was just beginning to focus on the UFO phenomenon. At this time in his life, he was writing articles for the British publication, Flying Saucer Review and sharing his research with Jim and Coral Lorenzen of the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization. He wrote an 
by Charles Lear, author of 
by Charles Lear, author of 
In last week’s