An article published on April 24, 1988 in the Flushing, Observer
(Flushing,MI) dealing with "black helicopter" harrassments of MUFON
investigators. (Reprinted with permission)
From The Flushing Observer (Flushing, Michigan), Sunday, April 24,
1988. [Reprinted with permission]
UFO: INVESTIGATORS SUSPECT NATIONAL SECURITY PINCH
By Judith Karns, Observer Managing Editor
They say it isn't so: there ain't no such animal as a "flying
saucer."Even though our government spent a decade deeply enmeshed in
investigation, (Project Bluebook, Majestic 12), suddenly, one day, a
security lid was clamped so tight on the subjec t of extraterestrial
visitors (some even speculate them to be subterranean) that even the
squeak of a mouse couldn't get out. And with that lid came the
"official" denial of the phenomenon's existence.
Why, then, asks Flushing residents Shirley and George Coyne, state
directors of MUFON (Mutual UFO Network based in Seguin, Texas), should
they be singled out as subjects of what they call "intimidation", by
what they suspect might be the National Se curity Administration (NSA),
one of our country's more covert intelligence operations?
The Coynes had long been aware that their delving into the touchy
subject of UFO investigations could bring on some governmental
attention; they'd long heard stories from others who had been involved
with the subject for far more lengthy periods of time than they. But
it wasn't until Sunday, Jan. 10 of this year, at approximately 11:30
a.m., that they were certain they were targets of some considerable
curiosity.
The Coynes were in the bedroom of their two-bedroom mobile home.
Shirley was seated on the floor, George in a nearby chair. Reclined on
the bed was a woman deeply entranced by hypnotic suggestions brought on
by hypnotherapist Virginia Tilly who sat in another chair near the
bed.
The scene wasn't an unusual one. The Coynes, through the course
oftheir investigations, often come in contact with subjects who have
strong suspicions that their UFO sightings amount to more than just an
eyeball perspective. And when this happens, "Ginny", a school teacher
and hypnotherapist from St. Joseph, is called in to assist in getting
to the bottom of the murky puddle of speculation.
According to Shirley, this particular regression session had been
arranged by two telephone calls, one to the subject and one to Ginny
Tilly.
As Ginny questioned the regressed subject, in the far distance could
be heard the approach of a helicopter. From her vantage point on the
floor, Shirley had been entranced in her own way by the sequential
flickers of small, voice-activated red light s on Ginny's tape
recorder.
At about the same time they became aware that the helicopter was
notsimply passing by, Shirley became aware that the red lights on the
recorder had stopped. And not wishing to disturb the progression of the
hypnosis, she ran to an adjacent room to get her own recorder, which
she activated. It is on this recorder that the helicopter's approach to
a hovering position above their mobile home is recorded.
According to Ginny, the contents of her tape, before it was "shut
off", contained the subject's comments about the "hiders" who were at
that very minute approaching in "that helicopter", and she also
provided a description of the helicopter even tho ugh her eyes were
closed and the drapes were drawn. It was learned later that the subject
had previous experiences with such vehicles near her home in another
part of the state. And, "she named a time, a date, and a beach in
Virginia where, supposedly, aliens gave the U.S. government the
technology to be able to listen in (on private conversations)", said
Ginny.
Meanwhile, George had gone to his car to retrieve his camera from the
trunk just as the helicopter hovered. Shirley joined him in time to see
the helicopter "tipped" down as it maneuvered away from them. Because
of its speedy exit, George was unable to get a picture.
It is the Coynes' estimate that, though it did not directly hover
again, the vehicle circled the mobile home community during the
duration of the hypnotic regression, for approximately one to one and
on half hours.
They described it as dull black, and large--at least four to six
passenger. (Other descriptions withheld at request of George and
Shirley.) The windows were tinted dark. George noted a "wire" which was
visibly draped from the rear of the helicopter to the front, and it was
his impression that it was some type of antenna.
Indeed, the hypnotized subject telephoned the Coynes some time later
to tell them she had forgotten one detail of the helicopter--what
appeared to be a wire connected from back to front.
"I was going to tell you something, but I don't think I'd better,"
said Wright. And he went on to tell them that just prior to his call
ringing through, a man's voice came over the line, "as if someone had
picked up an extension in my own home. It w as a male voice--40ish--
that said, "Just a minute; I have to handle this,", as if he were
somewhere tapping into their line and was talking to someone else."
Wright says his initial impression was that the Coyne's line was
tapped, however he says, "It could have been my line rather than
theirs. Their phone had not rung yet." Ginny Tilly, though she's
certain her actions are monitored through such means as telephone
tapping, feels the situation is more one of curiosity and information
seeking rather than one of intimidation.
The Coynes have their own ideas on phone tapping, and take into
strong consideration their frequent (several each week) one-ring calls
which illicit nothing more than a dial tone on answering, and they have
given consideration to a bit of informatio n they've received regarding
the possibility that those rings are designed to activate a 'bug" (a
hidden listening device) in their home.
On March 29, the Coynes were ready to leave on a short trip of
several days duration. Before their departure, they made a telephone
call to the friend they were about to visit, to indicate that they were
on their way. They then proceeded to dirive s outhwest toward the state
border. As they neared Bancroft, on their way toward Lansing,
Shirley suddenly noticed a familiar sight--a black helicopter. It was
hovering beyond an overpass under which they had just driven.
At first, speculation was that coincidence had befallen them.
However, their concern mounted as they continued to drive and the
helicopter continued to stay in their sight, but too far away to be
photographed.
George decided he wanted a closer look, and stopped the vehicle under
an overpass to remove his binoculars from the trunk.
The helicopter, which had continued on its way, suddently turned and
came back to pace them for a total of approximately 90 miles. It was
the helicopter's return that convinced them they were the subjects of
no coincidence.
On Tuedsday, April 5, the Coynes witnessed an unmarked black
planecircle their mobile home community, the incident possibly having
some connection to a disturbance with their microwave oven clock, which
stopped, and blinked constant at the time of the Coynes' sighting of
the plane.
The Coynes' recording of the helicopter's initial visit to
theFlushing area has received some scrutiny from both an FAA (Federal
Aviation Administration) representative, and a member of the military.
Chuck Pine, an FAA aviation safety inspector out of Kent County
Airport, had occasion to hear the recording. He said, "It has a
definite 'whoomp'....to me it sounded like a Huey." Pine was hesitant
to be adamant in his statement, but did concede th at the "Huey" type
of air vehicle does have a distinctive sound to it, and the recording
did seem to contain that sound. Pine is also a commercial pilot and
former air traffic controller.
"I took the tape and drawing (Shirley's artistic rendition) to a
fella who's highly placed in the military," said Dan Wright. "He said,
'There's no question in my mind; I'd stake my life on it being a
Huey.'" Wright said the information he obtained on the "Huey" (made by
the Bell Corporation) suggests that it is formilitary or intelligence
use only, and is not provided to the private orcorporate sector.
Wright's had some problems of his own lately. He has had reason to
believe the FBI was keeping a file on himself, and had requested,
through the Freedom of Information Act, a copy of that file. However,
before he received their response that they found nothing on him, he
experienced a nine-day period in which he received no mail. Wright
purposely waited an extended period of time before contacting the post
office, feeling that more credence could be lent to the situation if
the period of time exceeded one week.
Upon contacting the post office, he was told that he apparently had
gone on vacation, and that the letter carrier probably noticed that
lhis mailbox was full and simply held the mail back.
Wright's response to this was a confession that he had gone on
vacation. However, the mail delivery had stopped after his return. He
did not have a mailbox, but he did have a slot in his door, and the
letter carrier could not have determined how much mail had been stuffed
into it. The mail was promptly delivered.
This--what is happening to the Coynes--is very intimidating," said
Wright.
"They want the Coynes to know they are being monitored. To me, it
begins and ends with all of the documents we have requested, and they
don't want an open discussion of the UFO issue.
"Whoever is doing this,....if they want to rattle cages, we are not
totally defenseless."
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