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Australian Encounter - Westall 1966
- Thread starter alzo
- Start date
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Ian
Paranormal Maven
Sean Elifritz
Administrator
I was quite interested in this because it was a case I hadn't heard of. But as I was watching it I was getting more and more skeptical. It has a "made up" feeling to it and I began suspecting that the entire documentary might be a farce like The Secret KGB UFO Files from several years ago. But I looked it up on the net and was finding references to it indicating it was a genuine report.
The details presented in this documentary are quite sensational; hundreds of witnesses, directly overhead, landing, people actually touching it as it was on the ground, government and military operatives running around, etc. At one point something was even said about a girl who got close to it never being seen again. Apparently the military people showed up within 20 minutes.
I don't know, the whole thing seems pretty Tom Clancy to me. I don't actually know one way or the other but my gut feeling is that this case has been dramatically exaggerated over the years and that some of these witnesses are of the me-too crowd.
The details presented in this documentary are quite sensational; hundreds of witnesses, directly overhead, landing, people actually touching it as it was on the ground, government and military operatives running around, etc. At one point something was even said about a girl who got close to it never being seen again. Apparently the military people showed up within 20 minutes.
I don't know, the whole thing seems pretty Tom Clancy to me. I don't actually know one way or the other but my gut feeling is that this case has been dramatically exaggerated over the years and that some of these witnesses are of the me-too crowd.
Siani
Despiser of religious nuts
Australian researcher, Bill Chalker, seems pretty impressed by this case:
theozfiles: WESTALL '66 - a suburban UFO mystery - a documentary you must see
theozfiles: WESTALL '66 - a suburban UFO mystery - a documentary you must see
Trajanus
Paranormal Adept
Two things add to its credibility. First, there have been at least three other reports, from widely separated geographical areas, of UFOs appearing before schoolkids. Second, it coincided, more or less, with at least one other Australian report, involving a "saucer nest" or burned ground from a landing.
Trajanus
Paranormal Adept
Sean Elifritz
Administrator
I don't agree with that. The Zimbabwe case doesn't have all the cloak and dagger aspects that this does. It's just a good mass sighting. This yarn has a bunch of paranoid conspiracy elements like missing film, swarms of government agents showing up within 20 minutes, a girl disappearing and never being seen again, sabotaged landing traces, etc. When you add up all the details it's as sensational as a Hollywood script.
That's as far as this documentary goes anyway. I don't know what written reports are like. But it seems to me that over time this case has been corrupted by a heaping helping of bs just like Roswell.
Zimbabwe is the better case simply because it is much more believable.
Trajanus
Paranormal Adept
By " more spectacular" I meant that Zimbabwe had humanoids, who conveyed a message; there was more than just a landing.
Sean Elifritz
Administrator
Speaking of the Zimbabwe case (This is a case that I've referenced in conversations quite a few times as one that I find very convincing alongside Allagash, the Hills, Kelly Cahill, Pascagoula, etc.) the witnesses of that event would be adults now. Has anyone heard of any kind of recent follow-up that might have been done? I'm curious as to whether or not their stories have grown more sensational over time.
Trajanus
Paranormal Adept
This was just discussed on some other board. Not long ago a researcher went there to do followup and heard that the participants had left the area. But while asking around he heard stories of other UFO sightings at the same time as the school incident.
Kieran
Paranormal Adept
I had to laugh at the Skeptic talking in the video( the really do craic me up sometimes) They all witnessing a Balloon. A Balloon explains everything. Ya i think they saw something more than just a balloon here mate.
Who here would mistaken a Balloon for a disc craft like object. Hands up ... i think they saw what they saw however with all cases. You can never be sure who saw this event and who are the messers making up stories for their own particular reasons.
---------- Post added at 12:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:22 AM ----------
If i was picking ten of the best UFO cases of all time. The Ruwa Zimbabwe case would be one of my top ten cases. Very compelling case and worthy of greater mention in the UFO field of study.
Who here would mistaken a Balloon for a disc craft like object. Hands up ... i think they saw what they saw however with all cases. You can never be sure who saw this event and who are the messers making up stories for their own particular reasons.
---------- Post added at 12:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:22 AM ----------
If i was picking ten of the best UFO cases of all time. The Ruwa Zimbabwe case would be one of my top ten cases. Very compelling case and worthy of greater mention in the UFO field of study.
ALPHA ROMEO UNIFORM
Whittingham
Yes the Westall 1966 case is very intresting a weather ballon was a joke maybe a flying pig
Sean Elifritz
Administrator
Considering how some of you appear to be so thoroughly against the weather balloon idea I guess I might catch some heat for this but I actually consider that to be a viable possibility. According to what I read at skeptoid.com (Yeah, I know. But the article seemed honest enough.):
And the great majority of the witnesses were children so it seems possible to me that they might make such a mistake. I'm not saying I'm sold on this idea but I don't dismiss it out of hand either. After seeing dozens of videos of people ooing and awing over what are obviously jets dropping flares there's no telling the extent to which group hysteria can transform something perfectly ordinary into the extraordinary.
http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4208
And the great majority of the witnesses were children so it seems possible to me that they might make such a mistake. I'm not saying I'm sold on this idea but I don't dismiss it out of hand either. After seeing dozens of videos of people ooing and awing over what are obviously jets dropping flares there's no telling the extent to which group hysteria can transform something perfectly ordinary into the extraordinary.
Trajanus
Paranormal Adept
It's a great case but I don't know if I'd rate it that high. So many others have physical evidence and/or adult/expert witnesses.
trainedobserver
Paranormally Disenchanted
This seems to be a interesting case that I've not seen discussed much.
January 8, 2006 - Zdany, Poland
January 8, 2006 - Zdany, Poland
Trajanus
Paranormal Adept
Very interesting. Of course skeptics will say it's a model suspended from the wires even though in most pics it's seen above them.
trainedobserver
Paranormally Disenchanted
A couple of the photos clearly show the object above the wires and away from the trees. The photo I posted shows the object above the wire and appears to be well away from tree (notice the focus on the tree is sharp and the object is not) and above the field. I like the photo because it has the car in the foreground, the fellow looking directly at the object, and the plane in the sky. I have to wonder if the photo isn't legit and we are seeing some sort of UAV of unknown origin and purpose frightening a couple of old guys on the way home from a party.
Trajanus
Paranormal Adept
Skeptics will think of something.:
UAV? I dunno; some of the shrimpier humanoid types could probably fit inside.
trainedobserver
Paranormally Disenchanted
If beings from elsewhere are exploring other planets I think there is a good possibility that they, like us, would send robotic, unmanned probes. It would certainly make as much sense for them as it does for us. Its cheaper, its safer, and avoids the nasty prospect of unintended contact. Granted, you might scare the b-jesus out of a couple of old guys with a camera, but you design the thing to look like a hubcap or two metal bowls glued together as "camouflage."