The railroad tracks are not necessarily where they were then (the present one is used for intercity commuter transportation) and I have read on one (skeptical) site, (which I can’t find right now) that Myford Road was moved to its present location from where Jamboree road is now. There may have been other tracks in the immediate area. This is why I want to find old records and possibly aerial photos of the place. I also want to ask the original investigators for any recordings of Heflin they may have, in order to verify exactly what he said.

At that point, I may change my opinion.

Yes, but what is more interesting is what hasn’t changed:

the location of the railroad tracks,
Myford Rd,
Walnut Ave, and
the Freeway.

Heflin gave a very specific location of where he was was when the UFO was spotted:

7/8ths of a mile from the Freeway and
1/2 of a mile from the El Toro Marine Base.

The coordinates I gave you last time meet these criteria but it would also place Heflin 1/4th of a mile away from the railroad tracks and 1/10th of a mile from Walnut Ave. Walnut Ave is not visible in Heflin’s photos which means he was closer to the Freeway and further from the railroad tracks then he claims. The description of the UFO incident and the picture taken do not correlate with the story told. Clearly Heflin was not preparing to take a photograph of a railroad crossing sign that was overgrown by a tree because he was way too far away from any railroad crossing sign (railroad crossing signs are placed 15 feet from the railroad tracks).

Well, unlike you I do believe that at least some (and maybe more) researchers are in the UFO field to find answers, not fame and money. There are scores of people behind the scenes whom most of us never hear about who are nevertheless doing sincere work, whatever their belief system may happen to be. They seek nothing but information, and share theirs freely.

Thanks for the compliment, BTW.

One more thing: I actually went down to Tustin today on the way south to another destination and checked out the Heflin site. What I found is that any efforts would be better spent in county archives and libraries, since nearly all traces of the original topography and other features have been virtually wiped out by encroaching civilization in the ensuing 43 years.

Not everyone who sets out to find their fortunes will find one. The point is the UFOlogy is a hot spot for people seeking their five minutes of fame and fortune. There is nothing wrong with seeking fame and fortune but there is something wrong with seeking only fame and fortune. Making money because you provide me a service or you are furthering the pursuit of truth is honorable, but making money in any way possible just for the sake of making money is immoral.

Scientists and others stay away from UFOlogy because there is no truth to pursue within it.

“BTW, try not to let your own fame go to your head”

That would be impossible, seeing as I am posting *ANONYMOUSLY* :^)

“That’s why I said that a lot of UFO researchers ‘aren’t aiming high enough’ if they are in fact looking for recognition”

It depends on how desperate they are looking for recognition. For many who lack self-esteem, any recognition is better than none. So whether they aim high or the aim low, the point still remains that nonetheless, that they are looking for recognition.

I don’t know if anyone actually believes they have been abducted, that is a matter of personal interpretation. From a scientifically rational point of view, the proper thing is not to make judgments of the people, but to dismiss their claims since they are given in the vacuum of evidence. That does not mean that abductees and their stories cannot be analyzed but that is a job for the scientific discipline of psychology to determine if it is worth investigating (some more, seeing as the abduction phenomenon has been scientifically studied in the past). From a personal point of view, I have listened to and read accounts of abductees, and the vast majority of them are silly, childish, naive, and obviously make believe.

“and I’m still learning. I’ve had some fun too”

That is very admirable and I respect that. It seems to be the only proper thing one can do. I too follow in your footsteps in this regard. The one thing that I do that most people do not, is I try to speak out against the UFO charlatans who unethically try to exploit naive and ignorant people of their money. Many UFO books, DVDs, and icons are terribly over-priced. I call it gouging the customer and I do consider it very unethical. Many conference admission fees are unjustifiable — even all those phony and irreputable Televangelists don’t charge as much. That is where I am always reminded of that the goal of these people are to make to make money and get their five minutes of fame.

BTW, try not to let your own fame go to your head.

My definition for fame and fortune is exactly the same as the dictionary’s. You are the only one here trying to redefine terms to suit your viewpoint. A small fortune and a large fortune are still a fortune. Widely famous and locally famous are still famous. Just because Nick is not famous in the Humane Society does not mean he is not very famous in the UFO community.

“BTW, I know nobody in Ufology with even a small fortune”

That is the fault of your ignorance, not because it is a fact.

That’s why I said that a lot of UFO researchers “aren’t aiming high enough” if they are in fact looking for recognition.

I also said that “the search is likely much of the goal” to emphasize that even if there isn’t any “ultimate truth,” the study of just what people are seeing (or think they are) and what makes people believe that they have been abducted by aliens etc etc can be just as fascinating as any ultimate “truth” about UFOs.

I won’t have a breakdown if I go to the grave without any supposed “answer,” because I’ve learned more about beliefs, scientific methods (or lack thereof), critical thinking, and witnessed more craziness than if I hadn’t become interested in UFOs, and I’m still learning. I’ve had some fun too. Any ultimate explainable reality behind the phenomenon would be icing on the cake.

In other words, I tend to try and look at the positive aspects of my interest.

BTW, I know nobody in Ufology with even a small fortune. The best I can say is that I know a few people who manage to make a living and not have to have a 9 to 5 job, but in order to do that they are continually writing books and doing lectures. It isn’t like they are sitting around doing nothing and checks are being dropped off by all their many fans. That being said, maybe there are a couple people in Ufology that I don’t know with small fortunes, but so what if there was?