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This is a New Zealand Defence Force public release of RNZAF file AIR 39/3/3, "Flying Saucers," which covers 1952 to 1955 and was declassified in September 2010 under the Official Information Act. It collects sighting reports from the public and military personnel, press clippings, and a table of 1952 sightings. It also holds Carter Observatory opinions attributing some reports to meteors. A large part covers the inquiry into lights seen from National Airways Corporation Flight 108 on 31 October 1955, which the RNZAF could not fully explain as Venus.
“Hamilton”28 pages
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# MAY 4 NOV 1955 DAILY TIMES # MINISTER ORDERS FULL INQUIRY INTO SIGHTING OF STRANGE OBJECT # N.A.C. Pilot May Be Interrogated By Air Force Security Officers ## (Special to "The Times.") WELLINGTON, Nov. 3. "The fullest and immediate" investigation has been ordered by the Minister of Civil Aviation, Mr. T. P. Shand, into the sighting of a mysterious lighted object by a National Airways Corporation Plane crew last Monday night. The acting-Minister of Defence, Mr. E. H. Halstead, this morning asked the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice-Marshal Merton, for the fullest co-operation of the Air Force in the inquiry. It is understood that the National Airways Corporation is to sk the pilot of the plane, Captain W. T. Rainbow, to come to Wellington to make a report on the sighting of the mystery object, and it is reliably reported that he will be interrogated by Air force security officers. Among those in the plane who saw a object was the Inspector-General of a R.N.Z.A.F, Air Commodore R. K. then. The plane was on Flight 108, a last flight on Monday night between Wellington and Auckland. "I have called for an immediate full port," said Mr Shand this morning. This is the most circumstantial and parentily reliable report on such an object we have yet had and I am specially interested because of the character of the witnesses whose retention cannot be questioned. There we been other previous reports of nilar objects in New Zealand skies. they have been dismissed as fireballs or other natural phenomena. On a evidence available it appears that its object does not come into that tectory." Interviewed by telephone this afternoon, Air Commodore Cohen, who is at a recent visiting Hobsonville Air Station, said he thought the object sighted from the piano was a planet low on the horizon. "I cannot identify it, but have dered the navigation people here to vestigate. They are checking on it," he said. 1959 Farmer Sees Flying Light In Evening Sky Mr. Ibb. McKenzie. a. Walhao Dowes farmer saw an object similar to a flying saucer on Monday evening. The considers that the object, a flying light, the size of a saucer could not have been a star not a planet. It was a long way below their level. Mr. McKenzie on Monday night was ploughing about 8.12 o'clock by artificial light from his tractor. On watching the bird fly a bill he saw a brightly lit object coming toward him from the west. He stopped the visitor and switched off the lights. The object did appear to move, GREYMOUTH EV. STAR 5 NOV 1955 JETS HIGH IN SKY CAUSE SPECULATION Air Force Vampire jets, flying at 30,000ft, passed over the West Coast early yesterday afternoon and left in their wake reports of "strange objects" oven "fly ing Ronells" being seen in the sky. Not only West Coast residents to whom high-lying jets here are not common sights, were deceived by the visitors, for the passage of the six planes on a cross-country exercise from Ohakea set off a wave of "dying saucer" reports from some parts of Canterbury, including the city of Christchurch, yesterday. In Alax Vampires took part in the exercise, following separate routes down the West Coast, and crossing the Alps to Canterbury about one block. They then flew up the east coast on return to Ohakea, the Manawau airport close to Birds. They passed over Christchurch about 1.30 p.m. As the aircraft moved on, they left behind "puzzled groups." Reports of "white cylindrical objects" flashing through the sky" followed. Some reports mentioned long, thin vapour trials and others saw a "glow", from the "luminous" object. All agreed that there was a roar like a prime engine, which, indeed, was precisely what it was. The jets left long, white vapour trails formed but conformation from the wing tips. These caused most of the speculation on the West Coast, but only a few of the observed aircraft remained in the sky when for what they were. Mystery Light
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