First Case in 2012

The first possible sighting case to be reported in 2012 was the case of an intriguing photograph, taken in the Carita area, West Java Province. A BETA UFO member reported that a friend of his took the photograph from inside a vehicle, while travelling in the area. The main focus of the photograph is obviously the sea/coastline. 

BETA UFO initial analysis suggested the possibility of the object being a simple smudge left by a sticker on the vehicle’s window, or an insect. However, witnesses supposedly stated that there were no stickers or insects observed on the window when the photograph was taken.

Back from ‘Hibernation’

Yes, I’m back (I don’t suppose anybody miss my ranting here anyway?). After another horrible ‘hiatus’, something that is supposed to be familiar with most blogger, this is the latest post for 2012. And I think there is no better way to make a comeback than with a good compiled bulk of information.

So let us start this over with a rather interesting announcement: the BETA UFO Compiled Sightings Review report for 2011 is finally finished and available for reading here. 

Belated Obituary - R.J. Salatun

This is a shamefully belated obituary to the pioneer of Indonesian Ufology, J. Salatun. I can’t believe I didn’t try harder to spare time making this post earlier. Anyway, here I am now and hopefully this late posting will still be able to provide useful information for those who might not know of the event yet.

News of R.J. Salatun’s death in KOMPAS national newspaper

The first information received by BETA UFO through its mailing list group was from a member who actually forwarded the news of J. Salatun’s death from another mailing list named after the national Air Force’s old abbreviation (AURI).

Raden Jacob Salatun

Vice Air-Marshall (Ret.) Raden Jacob Salatun (R.J. Salatun), reportedly passed away on Friday 3 February 2012 in Jakarta, at the age of 84 years old, after suffering from a complication of stroke and diabetes. The former founder and first chairman of the National Space and Aviation Agency (LAPAN) had been hospitalized since 17 December 2011 prior to the formal announcement of his passing away by his eldest son, Adi Sadewo Salatun.

“Ke Udara”, a pioneering book on aviation written by R.J. Salatun in 1950

Serving 38 years in the national air force, R.J. Salatun was given a formal military burial held on 4 February 2012 at the Kalibata National Heroes Cemetery, Jakarta, leaving behind his wife and a family of 5 children, 12 grand children and 2 great-grandchildren.

As revealed in Salatun’s tribute page here, the man is not only noted for his pioneering work in the national air force (TNI AU), particularly in the development of military aerospace (airplane design and rocketry) programs, but also for his active promotion of a localized and scientific approach to the UFO phenomena since the 1950s.

The cover of "Ke Udara", a pioneering book on aviation written by R.J. Salatun in 1950

Following the pioneer’s passing away, BETA UFO (through Bayu Amus, the current chairman) has published an open letter of condolences to the family, which I think best reflect the lost felt by many researchers of the UFO phenomenon in Indonesia:

Dear Sir/Madam,

Family members of the late Raden Jacob Salatun

As supporters of the study of UFO phenomena in Indonesia affiliated with the BETA-UFO Indonesia group, we would like to hereby extend our condolences for the passing away of Raden Jacob Salatun, which we have always hold in high esteem as the figurehead of Indonesian Ufology studies.

His contribution is immense in terms of developing the world of aviation in Indonesia and in pioneering the study of Ufology, which has in turn assisted those intrigued by the phenomena to research it more deeply. It was also in respect of his pioneering effort that we choose the name “BETA” for our own group, which Raden Jacob Salatun coined as the Indonesian language term for UFO.

We hope that God will grant Raden Jacob Salatun a place of comfort by His side for all the contributions that the man has made during the course of his life, and to grant the family left behind strength and perseverance in facing the ordeal.

We as supporters of UFO studies in Indonesia will always remember the late Raden Jacob Salatun for his contributions, and continue the study of UFO phenomena in Indonesia that he has pionereed.

His name will always be remembered dearly in our heart as the father of Indonesian Ufology.

Denpasar, 8 February 2012

Sincerely yours,

Bayu Amus

Director

BETA-UFO Indonesia

A 2011 flap in Indonesia?

I suppose anyone who has ever read enough materials on Ufology would know what the term ‘flap’ means. My own understanding of it is that it refers to a highly intensified number of UFO sightings within a certain period of time and geographical boundary. Bearing that in mind, I almost did believe that there was a flap in Indonesia last year.

Almost? Yes, almost. Simply for the sheer increase in submitted reports coming in through the BETA UFO website that registered over 100 sighting reports across the country.

An example of photographs sent to BETA UFO in 2011

To give you an idea of how many reports BETA UFO actually get in 2011, the aforementioned number has already been separated from dozens of other reports of past sightings going as far back as the 1980s.

Another example of photographs sent to BETA UFO in 2011

All in all, the increase in reported cases doesn’t denote a real flap, as many of the report are also hard to cross-check, but it does highlight an ever increasing sensitivity to the issue of UFOs in the country. An issue that has hitherto been treated as a matter of occult/magic rather than anything pertaining to any form of unknown technology.

As the annual report is still being processed, one thing that can be assured regarding any significant pattern emerging from it all, is the fact that more and more people across the country are paying attention to any uncanny phenomena in the skies.