UFO Times: The Journal of the British UFO Research Association, Issue 41, May/June 1996

This issue of UFO Times, the journal of the British UFO Research Association (BUFORA), dated May/June 1996, serves as a platform for discourse on contemporary UFO research, with a heavy focus on the controversy surrounding the 'Roswell' autopsy film. Editor Mike Wootten opens with an editorial criticizing the sensationalism surrounding the film and the lack of rigorous investigation techniques among some researchers. He highlights BUFORA's commitment to a strict Code of Practice and a long-standing ban on hypnotic regression. The journal features an article by Terry Jones, who argues that the autopsy film footage actually depicts a 1947 crash near Socorro, New Mexico, rather than Roswell. Conversely, Andy Roberts provides a critical rebuttal, labeling the film and the associated story as a hoax and citing the work of the International Roswell Initiative. The issue also includes a research update by Steve Gamble on the history of crashed saucers, noting that while many reports exist, they often lack concrete evidence. International reports are also featured, including Hector Escobar's skeptical analysis of UFO sightings during the 1991 Mexican solar eclipse, which he attributes to lens flare and the planet Venus. Additionally, Andy Roberts reports on a 1995 video from Argentina, which he suggests may have mundane explanations. A case file by Gloria Dixon details a 1995 encounter in County Durham, where a witness reported seeing a 'goblin-type' creature. The journal also provides updates on BUFORA's online database, news of members retiring, and reviews of conferences, including a critical review of a Quest International conference in Newcastle by Dave Newton, who dismisses claims of animal mutilations and alien abductions as 'twaddle.' Throughout the publication, the recurring theme is the tension between the 'believer' community and those advocating for scientific, objective, and skeptical investigation of UAP phenomena.