Ground Saucer Watch Bulletin

History

Ground Saucer Watch operated from 13238 N. 7th Drive, Phoenix, Arizona 85029, under the formal designation "Civilian Aerial Phenomena Research Organization." William H. Spaulding directed the Western Division and served as the bulletin's primary editor and writer. James A. Spaulding directed the Eastern Division. The organisation incorporated as GSW, Inc. and maintained a board of directors, consultants, and editorial staff throughout its publication run.

The first GSW News Bulletin appeared in June 1976 as a free summer newsletter for members and fellow researchers. Spaulding acknowledged in that inaugural issue that GSW could not sustain a monthly bulletin due to economics and editorial workload. Instead, the organisation supplied its better reports and analytical evaluations to MUFON's Skylook magazine (edited by Dwight Connelly in Quincy, Illinois). By April 1977 the bulletin had formalised into a tri-annual schedule (April, August, December) with a table of contents, regular columns, and a consistent editorial staff: Roberta Bull, John Schaefer, Lori Field, and Rich Gottlieb. The final archived issue is December 1982.

Each issue followed a fixed structure: "Directly Speaking" (Spaulding's editorial column), contributor articles on specific cases or analytical work, a "Map of Sightings" plotting recent reports geographically, organisational news, and suggested reading. Contributors across the run included W. Todd Zechel (Research Director), Dr. Bruce Maccabee (Consultant), Val Parks (Consultant), Kenneth E. Firestone, Bill Baum, and Alfred S. Pirozzoli. Print and electronic media could quote up to 300 words with credit; anything beyond required written permission from the editor.

GSW's other distinguishing programme was computer-enhanced image analysis of UFO photographs. Spaulding applied edge enhancement, colour contouring, and density profiling to alleged UFO photographs, methods borrowed from military and scientific image processing. The approach attracted media attention (including a contentious episode with Omni magazine in 1979 that Spaulding denounced in the August issue for publishing fraudulent UFO photographs alongside misattributed reporting on the CIA lawsuit). GSW also maintained a working relationship with Dr. J. Allen Hynek's Center for UFO Studies, though the June 1976 editorial complained bluntly about CUFOS communication failures: members were sending data to the Center and receiving nothing back, not even acknowledgment.

The December 1982 issue, the last in the archive, reflects a quieter period. Spaulding noted 1982 "ended as silently as it started, without the projected influx of numerous saucer reports," and speculated that the historical five-year cyclic pattern might produce a new wave in 1983. Articles in that final issue addressed the politics of saucer research, speculation versus science, and the recurring question of whether flying saucers might be manufactured by the U.S. government.