The UFO phenomenon in the daily Press:

Mystery

by Olivier PECQUEUX

UFOs: cases not closed?

The UFO sightings in the Seventies in Calais prompted the creation of an association which has now disbanded. But the unexplained phenomena remain...

< p>Thirty years have almost exactly passed since this observation was made on the beach of Calais. It was in the evening of March 5, 1972, at approximately 08:00pm. Witnesses observed "a luminous celestial body, approximately from four to five times the size of a star, visible during approximately one hour and a half."

The files of the "unexplained phenomena" could be reopened, and the strange display observed in that area in the Seventies had prompted the creation of ACEPA (Association Calaisienne pour l’Etude des Phénomènes Aériens) in Calais. Its president, Michel Steers, doctor of physics, stated at that time that he did not believe "in the flying saucers, and also not in the landing of more or less mysterious beings from other planets." "I say," did he say at the time, "that there are odd, unexplained, phenomena, not understood in the current state of affairs."

Founded in 1975, l’ACEPA, which organized conferences at the House for All and the museum, and an exhibit in the town hall of Calais, does not exist any longer today. Michel Steers since left Calais for Paris, where he teaches physics. If he follows the unexplained phenomena from a distance, he acknowledges that he "stays awake. It is something which does not progress, maybe because the leading researchers who should take interest do not, by fear of being mocked." The observations, however, still occur. Nowadays, like in the 70s, it is not rare that people witness, without understanding them, stunning phenomenon. (See underneath). But the fear of ridiculization, still today, forces the witnesses to remain silent about their sightings...

At the same period, Claude Plessis, now deceased, chaired the Cercle d'Etude des Phénomène Spatiaux (CEPS), based at Boulogne-sur-Mer. In a similar manner than ACEPA, CEPS collected documents, such as this photography made by chance (our photograph); which are carefully preserved by the brother of Claude Plessis, Yves, owner of a textile shop in Calais. The negatives of this photograph, expertised, were certified authentic (that does not imply that it is a flying saucer). At the time, the thesis of a sudden apparition of a cloud that dissipated at once did not convince.

Flying saucer over Calais?

On his side, Michel Steers, who refuses to be taken for a crackpot, always privileged the reflexion. "I have always looked at this phenomenon with curiosity, but I have never sought to give solutions. There is one side that laughs about it, and another side which seek to investigate and which adopts a scientific attitude. The association tried to collect testimonies. What struck me at the time, was the extreme diversity of the observations. As for know knowing if behind all that there were something... "

Because that is where the mystery resides. Behind sometimes concordant testimonies, rarely verifiable, does E.T and his cousin Alf hide, or is it only a natural phenomena, still unexplained?

Waiting for science to provide answers and that technique brings hard evidence, the human being can only note, and report. Such as this Calaisian, in September 1974, at Blériot-Plage, who had stated that he say "luminous balls appearing and disappearing like swamp gases" in the sky. In the same village, in January 1977, a driver stated that he was pace by "a blinding object that moved at the same speed as his car" in the sky.

In June 1972, in Calais, a couple claimed that they have seen "a flying saucer," like many residents of Robert-Deschamps street did.

The sighting, made from a house of Fort-Nieulay, at approximately 09:00pm, has been described in this way: "The craft, of circular shape, was rather important in volume and hovered motionless at 200 or 300 meters above the ground. It was of orange color and something like a liquid from the same color leaked from it. After remaining motionless during two minutes approximately, it took the direction of the sea and buzzed away in less than a minute."

In 1979, the gendarmes (Police part of the Army) of the Audruicq brigade conducted an investigation in Gravelines following the sighting of "an oval shaped object of white color" above the nuclear thermal power station. Two years later, in June 1981, the residents of Nielle-les-Ardres saw a luminous phenomenon which lasted ten minutes. More recently, between 1998 and 1999, the inhabitants of the Flandres wee repeatedly concerned to see "luminous, round and still shapes." In 1998, the discotheques lasers shows could explain the lights in the sky. And before that?