Société Belge d’Etudes des Phénomènes Spatiaux

SOBEPS (Belgian Society for the Study of Space Phenomena) is a non-profit organization, published in the Annex to the “Moniteur Belge”, dated May 20^th 1971. The organization’s purpose is to rationally study unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and issues related thereto. Based solely on volunteering, our endeavour includes investigations of witness testimonies, and an unprejudiced dissipation of the gathered information. Among its membership, SOBEPS counts specialists from universitarian, scientific, educational, financial and media sources.

SOBEPS wishes to contribute to the objective study of the UFO phenomenon, excluding any confessional, philosophical or political choices or a priori hypotheses. Our research approach is scientific and based on collecting and analyzing the best possible facts that are trustworthy, and on the constant monitoring of gathered results. In order to achieve this, we have put in place and coordinate the following activities:

• amass information on the UFO phenomenon through witnesses and other instances implicated in the event;
• performance of in-the-field investigations;
• verification of information, criticizing it according to the scientific method and the definition of observational analytical criteria;
• organization of detection and measurement activities of the physical criteria of the phenomenon;
• analysis of thus gathered information in collaboration with specialized labs;
• diffusion of gathered information and research results out to the public as well as to officially responsible circles (political, military and scientific authorities);
• organization of national and international meetings on the UFO problem in order to promote the objective and efficient research on the subject.

Since its foundation in 1971, SOBEPS has always advocated a scientific approach of the UFO problem. During these past years, it has progressively reinforced the rigor of its enterprise, particularly since the famous UFO-wave over Belgium (Autumn 1989-Spring 1991).

Indeed, confronted with such an overwhelming amount of information, SOBEPS has felt the need for a prudent study that is in-the-field and devoid of preconceived ideas, and for the use of scientific instruments in order to gather objective and analytical data that go deeper than human testimonies.

Simultaneously, this wave of 1989-91 – closely observed aerial phenomena that had all the characteristics of objects moving at low altitude over populated areas – has inclined SOBEPS to regard information by neutral citizens as an essential foundation of democracy. In short, SOBEPS considers it its duty to unite and divulge the most objective knowledge on the UFO phenomenon.

Thanks to its acquired notoriety, SOBEPS has made itself heard within multiple official bodies, and has rendered more credible the scientific study of the UFO phenomenon. Within the framework of an agreeing protocol between Federal Police and SOBEPS, all testimonies of unidentified aerial phenomena are immediately transmitted by fax to the SOBEPS headquarter. A standard questionnaire is provided for this. Other particular disposals are provided for those significant cases that may need special requirements.

The wave has also allowed collaboration with the Belgian Air Force. The Air Force has weighed on a number of issues:

• “Operation Identification” with the help of the national Ministers of Defence, Communication and Domestic Affairs: the organization of four nights of observation at a national level, with the assistance of the Federal Police and logistics from the Air Force, with two military air planes for reconnaissance and the use of civilian airport centers at Bierset;
• the publication of a preliminary report redacted by the military after unidentified radar echoes were recorded while UFOs were being noticed, in the night of March 30 and 31, 1990 (Walloon Brabant);
• the collaboration of SOBEPS in the analysis of the (radar-)video studied at the Center of Electronic Warfare of the Belgian Air Force.

Also, SOBEPS has enjoyed the help of several experts. This was the case for the analysis of a photographic document, in the lab of the Chair of Electricity at the Royal Military Academy (Brussels), as well as in the photographic department of the ‘Institut Royal du Patrimoine Artistique’ (IRPA). This collaboration with scientific organizations is continuing, as SOBEPS is surrounded by a certain number of scientific advisors who are collaborating practically in the development and control of its activities. Among the most active are:

• Auguste MEESSEN, professor emeritus at the Catholic University of Louvain, theoretical and quantum physicist.
• Léon BRENIG, operating chief at the Free University of Brussels, theoretical physicist (former assistant to Professor Ilya Prigogine).
• Claude GILLET, professor at the Universitarian Faculties of Namur, vegetal biologist.
• Jean-Pierre AUQUIERE, Catholic University of Louvain, medicinal and pharmaceutical botanist.
• Michel BOUGARD, University of Mons-Hainaut, chemistry and history of science.

Since January 1972, SOBEPS publishes the magazine Inforespace (next issue # 111 to appear in December 2005). It has several other publications listed, with two main reports (500 pages each) on the Belgian wave of 1989-91: Vague d’OVNI sur la Belgique. Vol. 1. Un dossier exceptionnel et Vague d’OVNI sur la Belgique. Vol. 2. Une énigme non résolue (in French only).

Our address: SOBEPS

Avenue Paul Janson, 74

B-1070 Brussels (Belgium).

Philippe Ailleris is  a Project Controller at the Space Research and Technology Centre of the European Space Agency (where he’s been since 20 years), in the Netherlands.

His fascination with astronomy and space exploration led to his employment in the space sector, and interests in exobiology and UFOs.

In 2009 and under the framework of the International Year of Astronomy, he launch ed the UAP Observations Reporting Scheme Project (www.uapreporting.org), aimed at astronomers and providing a venue for reporting unexplained sightings. He participated to Astronomical conferences for further advertising the project

All relevant document concerning UFO & astronomers is of interest to him.

In addition to that project, he’s particularly interested in :
– UAP instrumented field studies (including the Hessdalen Phenomena)
– Political, sociological and philosophical aspects of the UAP topic and the search for extraterrestrial life.
– Theological implications of the discovery of intelligent extra-terrestrial life forms.

e-mail: contact@uapreporting.org

Paul Fuller (born in 1960) joined BUFORA in 1980, becoming a member of the National Investigations Committee. He investigated cases in Hampshire in the south of England, most notably the Ventnor, Isle of Wight 1985 case (suspected RPV) and Staple Gardens case (mini Ball Lightning).
He played a key role in BUFORA’s crop circle research, beginning with “Mystery of the Circles” (1986) and “Controversy of the Circles” (1989). Both reports contained evidence of media hoaxing, possible hoaxing methods, eye witness testimony of meteorological effects producing circles and historical cases. Suspected that whilst some circles were man-made many might be meteorological events which could possibly explain some UFO cases. Author with Jenny Randles of “Crop Circles, A Mystery Solved” (1990, 1993), Paul has been editing the quarterly Crop Watcher between .
He researched Ray Santilli’s alien autopsy films with various colleagues, concluding that they were hoaxes. Subsequently joined the UFO Investigations Network (mark 2!). Currently working on the life story of John Rand Capron, a “grand amateur” scientist who researched crop circles in 1880.
Paul Fuller works in local government as a statistician.

Sauvegarde et Conservation des Etudes et Archives Ufologiques

The French Association for the preservation of the UFO Archives

SCEAU is the French acronym for “Preservation and conservation of ufological studies and archives”. Our association, of which all collaborators are voluntary, has the legal status of a non-profit organization. It aims at the long-term preservation of the ufological heritage, that is all books, magazines, letters, investigation reports, newspaper clippings and any other documents (written, audiovisual or electronic) related to UFO research. SCEAU was founded in 1990, in consideration of the sorry fact that, too often, when someone who was engaged in studying these phenomena deceases or ceases being interested, or when a UFO group is disbanded, the perhaps very important documents he/she/it possessed are dispersed, disappear or even are destroyed by heirs…

SCEAU therefore undertook to contact all the persons and groups known to us as interested in UFOs or related phenomena in France and proposed them an “archives transfer contract”. Under this contract, the donor transfers all or part of his/her archives to SCEAU at the time he/she chooses, either immediately or later or after his/her death, and defines the consultation conditions. Some people answer us that they have few interesting documents, but our experience of archives recovery shows us that even people who say this always have some important documents, including books we did not yet have.

After classification and detailed inventory of recovered documents, SCEAU puts them in the French Public Records network (National Archives in Paris and departmental – i.e. local – archives), where everyone has access to the documents, at conditions set by French Law on Archives (notably for protecting privacy) or at more restrictive conditions if so desired by the donor. As for books and magazines, that the Public Records are not legally bound to accept, they are deposited in public libraries. A great library in the east of France was given by SCEAU an important collection of several hundred books and magazines on UFOs and related topics, and 120 UFO books have recently been deposited in a university library. A third deposit of UFO books is planned, probably in Belgium, and all these “SCEAU libraries” will be gradually augmented with other books newly acquired by SCEAU. For all deposits, a contact is signed with the archives centre or the library, ensuring the durability of the deposit and defining the consultation conditions.

SCEAU intends to be a mere intermediary between the donor and the archives centre or the library. Its code of ethics, inscribed in its statutes, prescribes it to strictly respect the donor’s will and to keep for itself no original document. Another rule adopted by SCEAU, which has no official position about what UFOs are (its members’ opinions are diverse), is to discard not any document, however futile it may seem. Indeed, for so ill-understood phenomena as UFOs, it appears impossible to foresee what future searchers, who we preserve these documents for, may consider important. Anyway, even if some ufological claims should appear ill-founded in the future, related documents will be useful to sociologists for studying beliefs of our time. Preserved documents may therefore be useful in any case, be it to physical scientists or to social scientists.

We also play an awareness-raising role in the ufological community concerning preservation of its heritage. Experience it has acquired allows SCEAU to act as an adviser to any searcher wondering about long-term preservation of his/her ufological works and documents. Our association publishes a yearly bulletin giving the complete inventory of archives preserved during the year. SCEAU has established links with the SHG (Sign Historical Group: www.project1947.com/shg) and the AFU (Archives for UFO Research Foundation: www.afu.info), that pursue similar aims in USA and Sweden, and maintains contacts with foreign searchers, notably in Belgium, Italy and Switzerland.

Paper mail address: SCEAU/Archives OVNI

B.P. 19

F 91801 BRUNOY CEDEX

France

E-mail address:          sceauarchivovni@yahoo.fr

Born 1945 in Helsinki, Finland. Married with one daughter.
Education: Dipl. ekon 1969 (Master of Science in Business Administration and Economics) from the Svenska Handelshögskolan in Helsinki.
Lives in an apartement in Helsinki wintertimes, and in an old summerhouse in the Aland Islands (situated between Finland and Sweden) summertimes.

Some jobs and hobbies:
-One year as photoeditor at Lehtikuva Oy (Sanoma Oy), Scandinavia’s biggest newspaper company.
-For 12 years chief of auditors at the Board of Customs (Excises and Company revenues).
-For 30 years owner and CEO of Borgship, a shipbroking company dealing with small vessels in Finland. Only Finnish vessels, not to conflict with interests of the Board of Customs.
-For 4 years shipowner of an oceangoing cargoship.
-Published 5 books about Finnish cargo and navy ships (The ‘ Laivastokalenteri’ books).
-For 20 years (1960’s and 1970’s) maritime correspondent for Jane’s Fighting Ships in London with the Soviet Navy as speciality.
-Inventor and always interested in big machines and therefore also interested in UFOs.

Ufological committments:
-Finnish coordinator for Olmos’ FOTOCAT since 2007.
-Member of FUFORA – the Finnish national UFO organization – and voted its Chairman since 2009. He’s currently acting as Chief of Investigations as well.
-The Finnish TV-Channel FST5 has been filming him now for 3 years for a documentary about him and his organization FUFORA. The documentary will air in 2012.
-Numerous interviews for different newspapers and radiostations, the latest of which has been published on 28/12/2011 by the newspapers Helsingin Uutiset, Länsiväylä, Vantaan Sanomat and Kiuruveden Lehti, while the following day he was interviewed by the radio station Radio Nostalgia in Helsinki.

For a list of his ten UFO books, see Björn Borg’s Bibliography

E-mail: b.borg@kolumbus.fi
Address:
Somerovagen 8 L 118
00550 Helsinki
Finland

Born 19th September 1943 in Russia. Yulii Platov studied in Moscow Physical-Technical Institute from 1960 to 1966. He continued his postgraduate training at the same institute, studying Plasma Physics until 1968. He was doctorate of Physical-Mathematical Sciences in 1972. Now, he is Leading Research Scientist at the Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radio Wave Propagation, Russia.

The fields of his scientific interest are: solar physics, physics of the upper atmosphere, optical atmosphere phenomena, spectroscopy.

Yu.Platov has published more than 80 scientific papers with about 20 concerning the physics of paranormal phenomena, with one monograph entitled The UFO and Contemporary Science.

F. Boitte was born January 10, 1940 in Brussels (Belgium).

During the 1954 belgian Ufo-wave, he discovers Aimé Michel in articles in Moustique Magazine (now TV Moustique) which lead him to found an “Investigations Ufo Study Committee” of which he is the sole member. Acting as the president, secretary and archivist, he collects clippings and exchanges letters with some of the time authored early ufologists such as Marc Thirouin.

In 1963, he meets P. Morlet, son of Ms. May Morlet, founder of BUFOI and on May 23, 1963 acquaints with George Adamski at a private meeting. He becomes quickly disappointed by the cultist atmosphere pervading the group and the lack of actual on-the-field investigations.

That same year he obtains a degree in Business Engineering at the Solvay High Business School of the University of Brussels and after the death of his father (1966), rules the family’s independent chartered accountant company.

In 1972, Boitte joins SOBEPS. Shortly after, and despite the offer made to him to collaborate to the construction of a computer cases data-base, he prefers to join the inquiry team, ruled by J.L. Vertongen, which leads him to interview and meet more than 250 witnesses during the next 20 years.
During this period, he does and files up SOBEPS archives with 84 Belgian Ufo investigation reports and a few additional ones abroad (France).

In 1975 he becomes a Computing Project Manager for a German multinational company to carry out programming computer management projects. In 1976, he gets an after-hour Bachelor of Science Management Diploma at the Saint Louis High Business Institute in Brussels.

In 1987 French ufologist Jean-Pierre Troadec let him consult his file of “Contactees/RR4 Reports”, which allows him to know and meet the woman that one year later will become his companion and on June 15, 2002, his 2nd wife.

In 1989 the Belgian wave begins, during which Boitte interviewssd dozens of witnesses and files up about 30 investigations reports. In 1992, he migrates to France where he is now living.

During the 5th Ufologic Gatherings held in Lyon (18 to 20th May 1991), and notwithstanding the opposition of the copyrighter of the picture, he exposes the state of current research and first analysis conclusions of the Petit-Rechain photograph, placing himself in favour of its authenticity.

In 2002 he becomes a member of the (skeptic) PARA Committee (Belgium) and SCEAU.

See Franck Boitte’s bibliography.

e-mail: franckboitte@orange.fr

David Sankey is currently an artist/illustrator living in the United Kingdom, having been fascinated with strange phenomena from an early age he has spent many years studying and working with a variety of organisations – he was an accredited Investigator and RIC (Regional Investigations Coordinator) for the South Yorkshire region and Secretary to the NIC (National Investigations Committee) with BUFORA the British UFO Research Association – and in 1996 he was awarded BUFORA’s Investigator of the year award at the Sheffield University conference. Over the years he has also played an active role as an Investigator/Researcher with organisations such as ASSAP (The Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena), UFOIN (UFO Investigators Network), and Quest International. David has a number of academic qualifications ranging from Astronomy & Earth Science, Psychology, 3D Max, Animation, Photoshop and Cinema 4D.

Preferring a low key role – David is still involved as an active Investigator/researcher and quite often offers assistance to other researchers around the world, primarily with Illustrative work to accompany their projects and research.
His main field of interest and study are primarily with CE3 and CE4 cases, focusing on the general physiology and descriptions of the occupants. At the moment David is currently assisting with work upon a five volume book project in the UK, with authors John Hanson and Dawn Holloway – with a working title of Haunted Skies the book project takes an in-depth chronological look at witness sightings and strange phenomenon reported extensively throughout the UK region from the early 1940’s through to the present.

Apart from David’s dedication to the study of Ufology he also has an active interest in the ‘Nose Art’ often painted on aircraft in WWII and through this he is currently working closely with the Tower Museum at Bassingbourn, England, wartime home of the famed 91st Bomb Group, with a series of Illustrations dedicated to the memory of USAAF bomber crews who flew from the base in WWII. Most of this work is available in the Tower Museum shop, the main proceeds helping towards the running costs of the museum. Bassingbourn base is still an active base and currently home to the Army Training Regiment.
In addition David is also a trained Archery coach and keen off road Mountain Biker.

UFO-NORGE STARTED IN 1972

During the summer of 1946, the press started reporting sightings of “ghost rockets”. Hundreds of people all over Scandinavia saw these phenomena, which have not yet been studied in detail by researchers. Press coverage of UFO-sightings was high in 1947, and the first books about “Flying Saucers” appeared 1954.

The first UFO-groups started to form at about the same time. Small groups existed in several of Norway’s largest cities during the 1950s and 1960s. None of these were particularly interested in scientific aspects, most were convinced that the aliens were already here.

In 1972, these small groups formed a national organization called Norsk UFO Center – NUFOC. In 1980 NUFOC changed it’s name to UFO-NORGE. During the 1970s and 1980s NUFOC/UFO-NORGE gradually became more sensible and less secteric. Today, UFO-NORGE represents a serious and common-sense approach to UFO phenomena.

THE OBJECTIVE OF UFO-NORGE

1) The objectives of UFO-NORGE are to research and identify reports of UFO phenomena through gathering and investigating sighting accounts, as well as inform the public through our quarterly journal.

2) UFO-NORGE aims to collect, process and study all available information on UFOs in Norway.

3) UFO-NORGE strives for the use of scientific principles and methods in its investigation.

4) UFO-NORGE is open to any and all hypothesis and theories which may represent possible solutions to the UFO enigma, and will not attribute unidentified reports to any particular theory.

THE MEANING OF THE WORD UFO

Today, the word “UFO” is accepted as a proper noun.

UFO-NORGE has defined the term UFO as: a reported phenomenon in the sky, in the airspace, or on the ground, with the key characteristics of being and remaining unidentified even after being investigated by competent researchers.

MANAGEMENT OF UFO-NORGE

UFO-NORGE is an organization managed by a board of directors (“Styret”), 3 persons (“styreformann” + 2 x “styremedlem”), which irregularly get together.

Each year the board of directors and an additional 6 people, which hold various functions within the organization, meet and discuss/decide the larger issues of organization direction and guidelines.

All activities are carried out on an unpaid, spare time basis.

INVESTIGATION OF SIGHTINGS

As part of the investigation of reports, a paper report form is used. In addition we have a webbased report form. Since 1972, UFO-NORGE has investigated and collected more than 4,000 reports, of which a significant part has turned out to be known (mis-)identified phenomena.

Today the percentage of explained sightings is between 80% and 95%. The remaining 5-20% cannot be explained and are archived as UFO reports.

Earlier the IFO reports were not saved for posterity, but today they are (since 1995).

UFO-NORGE is in the process of scanning all our report material.

UFO-NORGE – Karl Staaffsvei 70 – N-0665 Oslo – NORWAY

www.ufo.no / post@ufo.no

UFO-Sweden was founded in 1970 as a center point for many smaller groups all around the country. Since 1980 UFO-Sweden chose to work along a scientific oriented way careful not to lean towards any particular hypothesis. Every year between 350 and 550 cases are reported to the organization.

UFO-Sweden has a mutual exchange of information with the Swedish Defence Institute on a regular basis and plans to use the same database for filing all investigations are discussed. The organization does also have very good contact with scientists from a broad variety of disciplines.

Today the organization consists of 25 local UFOgroups scattered all over Sweden, with 800 members. All UFO investigations are co-ordinated by a director of investigations and 100+ field researchers. Their works are later evaluated by three groups of experienced investigators. Every year, since the middle of the 70’s, a field trainee course is held for new trainees and a step two course for old timers.

All reports does finally end up in Archives for UFO Research which probably the worlds largest archives with UFO-oriented material, i.e. books, periodicals, correspondence, videos, pictures, newspaper clippings and some 17.000 case studies from Sweden, Norway and Denmark [www.afu.se] The archives are situated at Archives for UFO Research in  Norrkoping.

UFO-Sweden publishes two magazines, glossy UFO Aktuellt for a broader public (1.200 copies four times a year) and Rapport-Nytt (300 copies five times a year) for our own investigators. A Swedish [www.ufo.se] home page is maintained since 1996 with several thousand visitors every week. A smaller English section can be find at the same address.

Address: UFO-SVERIGE – Box 175 – S-73323 Sala, Sweden