This article was published in the daily newspaper Le Provençal, France, page 10, on October 27, 1977.
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By approaching the "flying saucers" file (see "Le Provençal" for October 26), if we hardly issue reserves as for the reality of the UFO phenomenon, on the other hand it is with the greatest prudence that we started on the path of the extraterrestrials. Are we alone in the universe? It is in fact the logical question that everyone has the right to ask himself insofar that one accepts that other planets suitable for sheltering an intelligent form of life exist beyond Earth. Second postulate. If, the space beings exist - who are they? Apart from direct testimonys that the entire world echoed, it is again from the United States that we think we are getting the best information. NASA specialists indeed presented photographic documents confirming the presence of entities that xame from elsewhere [Ufologists invention]. Disconcerting documents - showing silhouettes of humanoïdes - that one owes to Doctor Allen Hynek, director of the Center for UFO Studies and who was during twenty years a consultant at the U.S. Air-force about UFOs. These photographs were studied in laboratory; positive conclusion "no faking" according to specialists. One more item to add to the file of "those who believe." The more skeptics will await the direct contact, like our current interlocutors touched by the "celestial manna."
Via the Studies Commission Ouranos that we want to thank publicly, it is an exclusive document that we propose to you today.
We chose, indeed, to present the most "vibrating" moments of the "UFO conquest" in the South-east of France.
Observations, testimonys, collected by "professional" investigators since 1949. The list was long, a filtering was essential.
We chose the most representative cases, we subject them to your judgement:
Mr. Laurent Bernard, his friend Mr. Durocher, both of Marseilles, see a ball of fire followed of a trail ten times longer than its diameter [obvious description of a meteor]. Appreciably at the same hour, observation of a meteorite or flying saucer above Avignon [See here].
Two pilots, Misters Prio and Galibert of the Orange military base, accomplish a training flight above the city: they fly in the cloudless sky when they see an "object" with metallic reflections. The craft of circular form is motionless. The pilots change course to approach it: the disc rocks on itself and moves away at high speed... The pilots will chase it in vain. During the "chase", the communication of the two pilots was recorded by the base. [This sighting still does not have a convincing ordinary explanation.]
At the Marignane airport, customs officer Mr. Gachignard of night duty sees a kind of "cigar" (6 meters length, 1 meter in height) come to land on one of the strips. The machine takes off in two minutes, leaving a trail of sparks behind it. [This observation still does not have a convincing ordinary explanation.]
In Marignane, Mr. Chesneau, fireman of his state, guard in a hangar of the airport, see a a craft going down at moderate speed in direction of the strip. It landed then took off. When the day came, 15 cm length bent rods were discovered)... The affair was covered up! [This observation still does not have a convincing ordinary explanation. However, there was no "cover-up", and the rods were explained and had nothing to do with the UFO.]
In Villeneuve (the Alps of High-Provence), a hunter beats the countryside with his dog when he sees a metallized gray circular machine of 5 meters diameter and 1 meter height. The unit is overcome by a dome: two small helmeted men leave it. Terrorized, the hunter flees, his dog rushes ahead, then retreats, like partially paralysed. [This observation still does not have a convincing ordinary explanation.]
A mysterious luminosity occurs in the sky of the Haute-Provence causing a revival of the day in the falling twilight. This luminosity gave a green "environment" to external and interior lightings.
In Valensole, a farmer, Mr. Masse sees a weird machine posed in his lavender field. The machine resting on "crutches" had the shape of an oval balloon and the size of a car. Two beings are at the feet of the apparatus: size 1 meter approximately, heads more important than the normal, dressed of a dark combination. Mr. Masse advances towards them: one of the two "humanoids" paralyses him using a sort of "tube." This person will remain very shocked a particularly long time. [This observation still does not have a convincing ordinary explanation. ]
Landing of a saucer between Fos-sur-Mer and Port-Saint-Louis. A witness approaches the apparatus within less than 6 meters. From the saucer a being of human appearance emerges. 1.50 meters approximately, fair or white hair, thin. The humanoid sees the witness and reinstates the cockpit at once. [This observation still does not have a convincing ordinary explanation, however it is only sparsely documented (source for the report Jimmy Guieu).]
Mr. Foucher and his fiancee drive by night on the Cassis road. A "weird" machine comes to meet them: diameter 15 meters, provided with dazzling white headlights and four smaller lights, of red color. The witnesses, while they are surprised, are not frightened by it at all. They even send signals with their headlights... The machine answers at once, lighting then extinguishing its own "headlights." It disappears a few minutes later at the level of the military camp of Carpiagne.
In Erbluga in Corsica: two young people pulled up at the edge of the road. In their car, the radio is on. Suddenly, they feel observed. Above them, three small beings... Frightened, they leave in haste, even damaging the side of their car. They stop a little further to see behind them a luminous object leaving the ground. During this observation, let's specify that the radio broke down... [Cas file here.]
In Puget-sur-Durance, four witnesses see on a small island an object in the shape of a dome. The machine posed on the ground appears solid, metallic. On the spot, tire tracks were found. Indeed, only an amphibious machine could go to this small island. Information taken, military operations had indeed taken place at this place, but on May 14, two days before the observation. [See this article.]
These various cases do not have, of course, only a testimonial value and engage only the honesty of their authors.
Gérard LE MAOUT.
