Clas Svahn
Saturday January 18th!
January 18th Clas Svahn’s presentation:
“Swedish UFO’s, The Knowns and Unknowns”
Meeting Re-Cap
Jer led the January 25 meeting of Northland MUFON, discussing various announcements, presentations, and QA sessions. The meeting featured a presentation by Clas Svahn, with a spotlight on cases from North Dakota and Minnesota. Upcoming speakers include Eric Lukes and Robert Salas. Northland also highlighted the chapter’s financial needs and encouraged donations. A special thank you was given to Paul D. for his donation to the Symposium Fund and to Michele R and Bob S for their generous donations along with thanks to the board members, field investigators, and graphic designer. The conversation ended with Clas Svahn’s presentation, who is the chairman of the National Research organization, UFO Sweden, and head of the largest archive in the world for the unexplained, AFU.se
UFO Sweden’s Activities and Publications
Clas presented on the activities and publications of UFO Sweden, a UFO research organization. He highlighted their collaboration with UFO Norway, their website, and their involvement with a Swedish TV company. Clas also discussed their extensive field investigation training courses and their strong relationships with the Swedish military. He mentioned that UFO Sweden encompasses not only UFOs but also paranormal experiences and unusual natural phenomena. Clas also discussed the organization’s archive, which includes a wide range of materials from skeptics to believers. He concluded by expressing his goal to consolidate all of AFU’s activities under one roof.
Unique Archive Items and UFO Case
Clas, a librarian and head of day-to-day activities at an archive, discussed the organization’s mission to save and make archives available to researchers. He highlighted the unique items in their collection, including UFO reports from Britain, Russia, Denmark, Norway, and Finland, and blue book microfilms from the US Air Force. Clas also shared some of the organization’s work, such as the arial school site incident in 1994 and the Father Gill report from Papua, New Guinea in 1959. He then presented a case study of a UFO sighting in Sweden, where a witness reported seeing a strange vehicle. Through investigation, they found that a German company was cycling through the area at the time of the sighting in a very strange but very human vehicle designed to reduce aerodynamic drag for competitive bicycling. The witness, however, still did not believe their findings.
UFO Sightings and Investigation Challenges
Clas discussed two UFO sightings. The first was by Stefan Johansson on October 28, 2012, who described a black triangle with pulsating blue lights. Clas investigated the sighting, finding discrepancies between Stefan’s memory and the actual events. The second sighting was by Junilla Lindholm and her friend in 1980, who saw a flattened egg-shaped object with short wings and a small cockpit. Clas also mentioned a Swedish fighter pilot’s experience in 1977, which was later shared in a video. Clas emphasized the importance of thorough investigations to determine the truth behind such sightings.
Unidentified Objects in Swedish Skies
Clas discussed two UFO sightings in Sweden. The first occurred in 1977 when a fighter pilot named Daniel Mushon saw an unidentified object hovering and then flying upwards, outpacing his aircraft. The second sighting took place in 1946 during the “Ghost Rocket” wave, when a Swedish fighter pilot named Sven Hjalmarsson observed a thin, wingless object flying towards a storm cloud. Both sightings remain unexplained. Clas also mentioned a current investigation involving a silver ball-like object seen near a military training area in 2023.
UFO Sightings in Swedish History
In the meeting, Northland and Clas discussed the history of UFO sightings in Sweden, particularly focusing on the “Ghost Rocket” wave in 1946 and the more recent sightings. Clas explained that prior to the 1947 Kenneth Arnold era, UFO sightings were cataloged as folklore and meetings with entities, not as alien visitations. The military sent research parties and divers to investigate the alleged crashes, but no physical evidence was found. Clas also mentioned a 1980 observation of a “Ghost Rocket” and a planned expedition to investigate a radar return in Lake Vamfjarden. Northland expressed interest in the findings of this expedition. The conversation also touched on the cultural aspect of UFO sightings in Sweden, with Clas noting that people are now more open to sharing their experiences, thanks in part to documentaries and public talks.
Drone Sightings and UFO Research
Northland and Clas discussed the recent increase of drone sightings in the US and Sweden. Clas shared that while there was an uptick in drone sightings in Sweden, most of these were not actually drones but other objects such as planets. Northland expressed interest in the topic and mentioned the recent Congressional hearings on UFOs and UAPs. Clas also mentioned his involvement in a meeting with UFO researchers and the head of the French official UFO research unit.
Upcoming Chapter Activities and Training
Northland discussed the upcoming chapter activities, including the need for a presenter coordinator, field investigators, assistant presenters, AV help, and an event coordinator for community outreach. Northland also mentioned the upcoming Photo analysis training course in February in Colorado, Upcoming Field Investigator Boot Camp in Arizona in November, and the annual MUFON symposium in Cincinnati. The extraterrestrial joke of the month was brought to the group by the Itasca County Bigfoot Research Center. Northland encouraged anyone interested in these roles or the training course to contact them for more information.
Northland’s Spotlight Cases and Sightings
Northland discussed the spotlight cases from North Dakota and Minnesota. The North Dakota case, investigated by Dale, involved a sighting of unusual creatures near Tappan in 2006, which was reported to MUFON in 2012. The Minnesota case, investigated by Jer, involved a sighting of a metallic sphere near McGregor in 2021. The North Dakota case was closed as insufficient evidence, and the Minnesota case was closed as Unknown UAV. Jer also shared his personal experience of witnessing a similar object in the late 1980s. The conversation ended with a discussion on recent sightings in the Northland region, with Steve and Jer investigating two cases in Minnesota. The next meeting was scheduled for February 15th, 2025, with Katie Page presenting on the “Rocky Mountain Ranch High Strangeness”.
Watch the full meeting from the meeting archives.
Clas’s Bio:
Clas Svahn is a renowned Swedish UFO researcher, journalist, and author with a deep passion for the unexplained. He is best known for his extensive work on the mysterious “Ghost Rockets of Scandinavia”—a series of unidentified flying objects that were observed across Sweden and neighboring countries in the late 1940s, particularly during the summer of 1946. Svahn has dedicated much of his career to investigating these sightings, which were reported by both military personnel and civilians, and has worked tirelessly to preserve and analyze historical documentation related to these events.
As the co-founder of the Swedish UFO Network (UFO-Sverige), Svahn has been a leading figure in the Swedish UFO community for decades. He has written several books on UFO phenomena and has appeared in numerous media outlets to share his expertise. His commitment to the “Ghost Rocket” mystery has brought renewed attention to these intriguing sightings, fostering a deeper understanding of the phenomenon and its significance in the broader context of UFO research.
Svahn’s work is characterized by a meticulous, evidence-driven approach, and his passion for uncovering the truth behind these enigmatic events continues to inspire both seasoned researchers and newcomers to the UFO field.
Archives for the Unexplained (AFU) https://www.afu.se/
Clas Svahn’s book: Files of the unexplained. The hidden history and forgotten photographs from the world of the unknown Click Here