UFO Times Number 15

UFO Times Number 15, published in September 1991 by the British UFO Research Association (BUFORA), serves as a compendium of historical analysis, contemporary reports, and organizational updates. The issue features a significant retrospective by Jennie Zeidman, who served as an assistant to Dr. J. Allen Hynek during the Project Blue Book era. Zeidman provides personal insights into the internal workings of the Air Force's UFO investigations, detailing the relationship between Hynek, the Air Technical Intelligence Centre (ATIC), and the Battelle Memorial Institute, specifically regarding the controversial Project Blue Book Special Report 14. She reflects on the security environment of the 1950s and the eventual realization that the government's interest in UFOs was often tied to broader technological and intelligence concerns, such as Project Stork.

Beyond historical retrospectives, the issue covers contemporary UFO activity. J.C. Brogan provides a detailed account of a 'UFO wave' in Gwent, South Wales, spanning 1980 to 1982, noting various witness reports of pulsating lights and aerial objects. The publication also addresses the 'crop circle' phenomenon, featuring reports by Mike Wootten and correspondence from researchers like Paul Fuller and Manfred Cassirer. The discourse highlights the tension between those advocating for plasma vortex theories and those who maintain that the phenomenon requires alternative explanations. The issue also includes a report on Iranian ufology by Darush Bagheri, who discusses the history of UFO sightings in Iran, the impact of the Islamic Revolution on the subject's public perception, and the challenges of conducting research in that political climate. Additionally, Ken Phillips provides a translation of testimonies from the Belgian 'European Lowlands Flap,' documenting sightings by Dutch gendarmes and other witnesses. The publication concludes with organizational news, including the collapse of the EURUFON Congress in Namur, Belgium, and updates on BUFORA's internal structure and membership services.