4 January 1978
(Redwood City Tribune, California
Sources: U.F.O.
Newsclipping Service, Plumerville , Arkansas
The whole article (Page 1):
“Eva and Fred Svihus of Belmont
The two were aboard a Pan Am flight from Los Angeles to San
Francisco 20,000 feet .
Suddenly, Mrs. Svihus cried out, ‘Oh my God! What’s
out there? Fred, do you see them?’
Yes, he saw them, and his movie camera was busy
clicking off what the Svihuses were seeing out the left side of the ship.
What they saw were four objects, seemingly flying in
formation at approximately the same height as their airplane. These four
(whatever they may be) are illustrated in the picture at left that Fred Svihus
is holding.
The enlargement was made from his original motion
picture film, and the four specks have been enlarged so they could be
rephotographed by the Tribune.
How did that episode, which only lasted a few seconds,
change the Svihuses life?
Fred suddenly has found himself in the company of some
of the top experts (if, in fact, there are experts in this field) in
unidentified flying objects.
His film has been presented to Walter H. Andrus Jr.,
international director for Mutual Unidentified Flying Objects; Paul C. Cerny,
regional director for Mutual UFO Network, Inc. (MUFON); Thomas M. Gates,
director of the space science center at Foothill College, and James M.
McCampbell, author of books on UFOlogy and MUFON research director. He has been
flown all over the country.
Svihus, a professional photographer, had his Bolex
working even before the UFO shocker. He had been impressed with the flap action
on the 747 wings and was filming that when the squadron of UFOs appeared out
the window.
Shooting at 18 frames a second he managed to catch the
four objects on 32 consecutive frames before they disappeared from view heading
in a southerly direction.
Actually, the four objects appeared as not much more
than specks on the movie film, but Svihus had a professional film processor
enlarge them to the size of pinheads. The picture at left was copyrighted by
Svihus and remains in his sole possession.
The best description that the Svihuses could give of
the objects was that they appeared to be oval in shape, flying in echelon
formation and moving from upper right to lower left out the portside window.
The Svihuses had both taken window seats, one behind the other, in the only
partially filled aircraft.
How has that experience affected Fred Svihus? Let him
tell you as he told me: ‘How did it change me, my philosophy, my belief in God
or the Bible and life on earth? Until that moment I hadn’t given these things
more than a fleeting thought; I was too busy.
‘Then my whole thought process was awakened and
alerted to the world around me like never before. It’s like being born again.
My life now has new priorities and meaning.
‘I’m still not certain that I believe in UFOs, but I
know from talking with others who have seen things we’ve seen that they
experienced changes. There is a new fresh look about them.
‘My experience that morning has put me in contact with
some brilliant scientists. These men and women aren’t crazy; they’re dead
serious, and they believe there’s a remarkable story in them.’
Meanwhile, Svihus, who once earned a Redwood City
Chamber of Commerce ‘Newsmaker Award’ for his efforts in producing a
championship bike race here, is plotting new trips, new adventures.
And he promises to always keep his camera ready. He
shouldn’t have any trouble, either, because he has possibly the best private
camera collection of anyone on the Peninsula .”
The UFO sighting occurred over Lompoc
Wikipedia article: “Vandenberg Air Force Base”:
Wikipedia article: “Vandenberg
AFB Space Launch Complex 4”:
Wikipedia article: “List of Vandenberg Air Force Base
Launch Facilities”:
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