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Welcome to the joint December 2008/January 2009 round up of news and views on UFOs, alien abductions, crop circles, ghosts, the paranormal, the unexplained, the weird and the wonderful.
Another UFO/Police Helicopter Near-Miss
In previous columns I've highlighted a near-miss between a police helicopter and a UFO - an incident that occurred at RAF St. Athan in Wales on 8th June. Now, details have emerged of another terrifying incident in which a police helicopter was nearly blown out of the sky by a UFO over Birmingham. The incident occurred on 2nd May at a height of around 1500 feet and the UFO came close enough for the pilot to take evasive action. The official investigation undertaken by the UK Airprox Board (a body sponsored jointly by the Civil Aviation Authority and the MoD) can be accessed via the following link www.airproxboard.org.uk or by searching on the term "airprox 055/08". Report 055/08, which deals with this incident, is near the bottom of the page. Given the fact that this is not an isolated incident I have again called for a wider CAA/MoD inquiry into these near-misses and my comments have been widely reported in various newspapers and on the BBC.
The Day The Earth Stood Still
On 12th December the remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic The Day The Earth Stood Still will be released. A classic story of alien visitation, this is one of the most eagerly anticipated movies of the year. Check out www.thedaytheearthstoodstillmovie.com for information and a peak at the trailer. The movie stars Keanu Reeves and is widely rumoured to be absolutely brilliant. Go see!
UFO Hunters
The History Channel (US) are now showing the second series of UFO Hunters. I've been doing a lot of filming with them this summer, both at the National Archives in Kew and in various other locations. I'll feature in three of the episodes. The first is one dealing with the famous UFO sighting over Chicago O'Hare airport on 7th November 2006. The second is an episode featuring pilot Ray Bowyer's 23rd April 2007 sighting in the vicinity of the Channel Islands. My major role, however, will be in an episode entitled British Invasion '08. This will deal with the release of the MoD's UFO files and some of the sightings from the UK's 'summer of the saucers', including the UFO sightings over Tern Hill barracks and the near miss between a UFO and a police helicopter at RAF St. Athan. Check out www.history.com/minisites/ufohunters for details of this excellent show.
Crop Circles In Brazil
The UK crop circle season may be well and truly over but a number of crop circles have just been discovered in Brazil. The formations were discovered in the state of Santa Catarina and are being investigated by A. J. Gevaerd, a dedicated Brazilian researcher who is also the editor of a Brazilian magazine "UFO". Check out www.cropcircleconnector.com and www.ufo.com.br for details.
London Lectures
I'll be making two public appearances in London in the near future. The first is on 8th December at the Penderel's Oak pub in Holborn. I'm taking part in a debate on UFOs and alien abductions with Chris French, Professor of Psychology at Goldsmith's College, University of London. Chris is one of the few academics who's looked seriously at the paranormal and while he's broadly sceptical, he's open minded in his approach. As part of the 'Skeptics in the Pub' brand, we'll be debating UFOs and alien abductions. But to make things more interesting, we'll be swapping positions, so I'll be arguing that these phenomena are all about tricks of the mind and the will to believe, while Chris will argue that these are real phenomena. Then on 3rd February I'll be giving a more conventional talk at Goldsmith's College, detailing some of my government work on UFO investigations. Check out www.skeptic.org.uk and www.goldsmiths.ac.uk for details of these two events.
The X-Files: I Want To Believe
Smash hit movie The X-Files: I Want To Believe is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray. There are a number of different versions, all of which are packed with extras such as the director's cut and a documentary on the making of the film. So if you missed out on this in the cinema (or even if you didn't) this is a perfect stocking-filler for Christmas. Check out www.xfiles.com for details.
Who Goes There
Cult author Nick Griffiths (author of Dalek I Loved You) has written a follow-up, entitled Who Goes There. It's funny, quirky and hugely entertaining. The book tells the story of Nick's quest to visit many of the locations used in cult sci-fi show Doctor Who and tells of the adventures had along the way. The Mail on Sunday said this was "The book Nick Hornby would have written if he'd spent his life obsessing over Dr Who rather than footie". Check out www.whogoesthere.org.uk and www.nickgriffiths.co.uk for further details and buy via Amazon and similar sites.
Seasons Greetings
Finally, I would like to wish all my readers a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. In particular, my thoughts are with the brave men and women currently serving with British, American and other Allied Forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and other overseas locations. You may be far from home, but you are still in our thoughts. Stay safe.Ed's Note:
Nick Pope has written four books. Open Skies, Closed Minds is an overview of the UFO phenomenon with the emphasis on his official Ministry of Defence research and investigation. The Uninvited is an overview of the alien abduction mystery. Operation Thunder Child and Operation Lightning Strike are science fiction novels about alien invasion, incorporating UFO and abduction data. All four titles are available from most good bookshops and all the usual Internet book sites.
Nick Pope has a website, which can be accessed at www.nickpope.net |
