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Questions for Stan Gordon: re: PA 2012 year-in-review:

Free episodes:

Christopher O'Brien

Back in the Saddle Aginn
Staff member
PA has experienced an active 2012 w/ many UFO reports "as well as other mysterious events as reported from residents from across the Keystone state." FYI: PA ranks at the top of the list for East Coast States reporting weirdness, year-after-year. We will be taping Thursday morning, February 7, from 11 AM until 1 PM Mountain Time, so get your questions posted!

"Pennsylvania has a long history of strange occurrences. The year was filled with observations of triangular, disc, and boomerang shaped objects as well as formations of luminous globes."

Here's your chance to ask PA's preeminent field investigator—Stan Gordon—about his field investigations this past year and gain insight distilled from 40 years of in-the-trenches experience. Few investigators have managed to put in 40 years of hard-work out in-the-field. Stan is THE man in PA which ranks #1 in variety and intensity of unusual reports. Here's your chance to find out all about it! Please post your questions HERE:

From Stan Gordon:

"Information concerning strange incidents during 2012 came to my attention from 50 counties from across the state of Pennsylvania. I also received reports from the neighboring states of Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland as well. Many witnesses of UFO sightings, strange animal encounters, or other unusual incidents contact me directly, or report to other independent researchers or research organizations. Some of these sources include Peter Davenport’s, “National UFO Reporting Center”, www.nuforc.org, the Pennsylvania Chapter of (MUFON) The Mutual UFO Network, www.mufonpa.com, and the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society,www.pabigfootsociety.com, many of whom I am in contact with.

"As in past years, sightings of UFOs were responsible for the majority of strange events reported. During the 2012 year, however, there were numerous encounters reported with various types of strange creatures among which also included Bigfoot, giant flying creatures and black panther observations. Many other types of strange events also came to my attention including mystery booms, strange footprints and sounds, odd photographic images, and enigmatic clouds and patterns in the sky.

"It has been since 1959 that I have been logging these mysterious events. I started taking calls from the public concerning UFO sightings in 1969, and I continue to receive reports via phone and e-mails concerning current mysterious encounters. Ever since 1965 when I began to conduct on scene investigations of these types of incidents, I realized that the high percentage of UFO observations and other strange events are determined to have a natural or man-made explanation as the source for what occurred.

"Many UFO observations are determined to be misidentifications such as bright planets and stars, bright meteors, re-entry of space debris, or advertising search light displays. Some UFO incidents during the last year were launches of sky lanterns or Chinese lanterns. Over the years Bigfoot or other strange animals were also determined to be misidentifications of other animals such as bear and large shaggy dogs, or large native birds. On occasion, hoaxes have been uncovered.

"Many incidents reported each year by credible observers are not so easily dismissed. One point of interest concerning UFO cases reported during 2012 was that there were numerous cases where mysterious aerial objects were observed at close range and at low level. One of the most interesting incidents occurred on I-80 outside of Bloomsburg on the afternoon of July 30th. A motorist reported that a softball sized solid sphere entered his vehicle through the open passenger side window then floated around the interior of his truck before departing. For a full report see: Small Sphere Enters Moving Vehicle » Stan Gordon's UFO Anomalies Zone

"During the early morning hours of April 4th, a 30-40 foot diameter metallic saucer-shaped object with square windows hovered 30 feet above a house in a suburb of Pittsburgh. In another instance, on the evening of May 7th, a man was sitting in the living room of his Washington County home when the room became illuminated from a light shining in the window. The light was emitted from a vertical football shaped object hovering about 100 feet away that also had two unusual light arrays on it. A huge elongated object covered with numerous lights was observed hovering over trees along a major highway near Waynesburg on November 24th. The witness who had been in the military had never seen anything like that before and was quite alarmed.

"2012 was also very active with mystery animal encounters. Eric Altman, Director of the (PBS) Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society as well as myself, received a number of reports concerning encounters with Bigfoot from various statewide locations. Reports first came to our attention in January from several counties. The PBS received a report in May from Somerset County where a 7 foot tall hair covered creature was reportedly seen 50 feet away on a dirt road.

"On September 13th in Cambria County, the PBS was looking into another encounter where a tall creature covered in black hair and with long arms crossed a road and entered a wooded area. Other possible Bigfoot activity was reported from other locations in the state including Westmoreland and Fayette counties which have a long history of such incidents.

"The Keystone state has a long history of sightings of mystery wildcats. The mountain lion has been officially declared extinct in the state for many years, yet alleged sightings of these animals continue yearly. More mysterious are the reported encounters with what some observers describe as “Black Panthers” an animal that most people would associate with leopards or jaguars and which have never frequented this part of the world. During July and August, I interviewed a number of credible observers from various locations in Westmoreland County who claim to have seen such an animal from a distance as close as 30 feet away. These type of reports have been received for many years from many other locations in the state.

"Observers from the state continue to report sightings of “Thunderbirds,” a general term used for describing observations of huge birds with massive wingspans which have been reported for years. Some of the sightings describe a creature more like a giant bat or something that looks prehistoric. Some of these encounters have also been at close range and very detailed.

"In March, a man walking his dog in rural Fayette County heard a whoosing sound and watched a large flying creature moving about 50 feet overhead. The creature was estimated to have a wingspan of about 18 feet, and the creature looked more like a dragon than a bird. During the early Spring, a driver came across a giant bird blocking a roadway while eating road kill in Armstrong County. The witness watched as the bird opened its wings, flapped them, then flew off. The wingspan was estimated at 12 feet. Other similar accounts were reported across the state.

"Other even stranger creature encounters were also reported. Two people in Washington County reported an odd incident during the early morning of April 23rd. A man heard a strange screeching sound coming from outside and after a while awakened his wife to listen to it as well. Upon going to a window, they observed some type of upright dark brown creature standing in a nearby creek. As the creature turned and looked in their direction, they saw two large round eyes that appeared to be glowing an amber color. As they watched, the creature took one step then ascended into the sky at a 45 degree angle. They never saw any indication of wings.

"To report a UFO sighting, Bigfoot encounters or other strange creatures, or anything unusual, contact Stan Gordon at 724-838-7768 (24 hours) or via e-mail at paufo@comcast.net. For more details on the cases mentioned, and for updates on recent sightings, as well as other related events visit Stan Gordon’s “UFO Anomalies Zone” website: www.stangordon.info."
 
I grew up in the Philadelphia area, back in the winter of 1989 I saw something that I will never forget, and that I will also never be able to explain. In a wooded area outside of Valley Forge my friend and I saw a grayish colored creature that resembled a wingless gargoyle. It did have red glowing eyes, it did walk upright, but it was hunched over. It looked like it was about 5 1/2 to 6 feet tall and it did not appear to be particularly hairy. The two of us attempted to communicate with the creature, but it did not seem to understand us. I then tried to approach it, but it ran deeper into the woods. When we looked over at the direction that the creature had run toward we were shocked to see the outline of what appeared to be more than a dozen of these things. It was then that we got in the car and rather quickly left out of fright.

My friend and I returned to this area on numerous occasions, but we never had another sighting. Several other people that I knew at the time also frequented this area, but none of them told me about anything similar.

Over the years I have looked around the internet, read numerous books on cryptozoology, and shared my experience with numerous people, but I have never heard about anything that quite matched the creature that I saw that night. Has Mr. Gordon heard of any other sightings of this creature?
 
Again, whatever you have time for. Thanks!

1. Do any of the creatures or things you have investigated have a reference in local indigenous tribal folklore? I'm aware that some western tribes talked about thunderbirds, but do you know if the Shawnee or any of the (once) local to Pennsylvania tribes mentioned them? Were there any references to a sasquatch equivalent or hairy man within the PA tribal folklore?

2. Do you have any thoughts about the albatwitches, sometimes associated with Chickies Rock Park in Lancaster County?

3. Are you aware of any references to cryptids or UFOs within the folklore of the Pennsylvania Germans (or other settlers) of the 17th through 19th centuries?

4. I once saw two large, shaggy dark-colored cats by Bake Oven Knob, in Lehigh County. They certainly weren't puma-sized, but perhaps bobcat-sized. Bobcats aren't really in Lehigh County, that I know of, and they looked different anyway. Are you familiar with accounts of long-tailed bobcat/wildcat sightings in Pennsylvania?
 
Again, whatever you have time for. Thanks!

1. Do any of the creatures or things you have investigated have a reference in local indigenous tribal folklore? I'm aware that some western tribes talked about thunderbirds, but do you know if the Shawnee or any of the (once) local to Pennsylvania tribes mentioned them? Were there any references to a sasquatch equivalent or hairy man within the PA tribal folklore?

2. Do you have any thoughts about the albatwitches, sometimes associated with Chickies Rock Park in Lancaster County?

3. Are you aware of any references to cryptids or UFOs within the folklore of the Pennsylvania Germans (or other settlers) of the 17th through 19th centuries?

4. I once saw two large, shaggy dark-colored cats by Bake Oven Knob, in Lehigh County. They certainly weren't puma-sized, but perhaps bobcat-sized. Bobcats aren't really in Lehigh County, that I know of, and they looked different anyway. Are you familiar with accounts of long-tailed bobcat/wildcat sightings in Pennsylvania?
I just listened to this last episode and I have to say you consistently ask great questions. You help to make the show stronger - hope you keep it up.
 
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