The A.P.R.O. Bulletin — March/May 1960

This document is a compilation of bulletins from the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization (APRO) dated March and May 1960, focusing primarily on the Trindade Island UFO incident of January 16, 1958. The incident involved the sighting and photographing of a Saturn-shaped object by Almiro Barauna, a civilian photographer aboard the Brazilian Navy training ship Almirante Saldanha. The report details the investigation conducted by Corvette-Captain Carlos Alberto Ferreira Bacellar and Dr. Olavo T. Fontes, APRO's Brazilian representative. The documentation includes correspondence from the Brazilian Navy High Command, which officially acknowledged the sighting and the authenticity of the photographs after technical examination by the Cruzeiro do Sul Aerophotogrammetric Service. The Navy concluded that the photographs were not the result of photomontage, though they remained officially cautious about the nature of the objects. The bulletin also provides extensive counter-arguments against skeptics, specifically Dr. Donald Menzel, who characterized the incident as a hoax. The document includes transcripts of interviews with Barauna, who maintained that the object was a solid, controlled craft. Additionally, the bulletin covers other contemporary UFO reports, including sightings in Alaska and the Ubatuba magnesium fragment case, which APRO presented as physical evidence of extraterrestrial origin. The overall narrative reflects APRO's efforts to validate the Trindade case as a landmark event in UFO research, despite ongoing skepticism and allegations of fraud from various critics.