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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.
published at___ ## SUBJECT: ## Speedy Object In Sky Sir,—It was very interesting to read the opinion that the object observed by the pilot of a N.A.C. aircraft recently was the planet Venus. I had no idea that Venus travelled at such speed, but now that I do know, it explains something that I and four others saw at Palliser Bay. One Sunday afternoon at about 4.30 our attention was drawn to a round very bright object approaching at a great height and at very great speed. It had no wings and could not be heard. It was travelling in a north-easterly direction and after it had passed right overhead it came round in a half-circle and disappeared toward the west. We thought that it must have been a meteorological balloon gone mad. Now, of course, the answer is obvious; it was Venus. NOT A FLYING SAUCER. Upper Hutt. Evening Post 8/11/55 # Venus Back In Running As Mystery Light After careful investigation the Royal New Zealand Air Force concludes that the strange light seen from a National Airways Corporation aircraft could have been Venus, but cannot explain the apparent movement of the light, according to a report released last night by the Acting Minister of Defence (Mr. Halstead). The report said that the strange light was seen low in the western sky between 8.08pm and 8.11pm on Monday, Oct. 31. Venus could have been observed in the approximate position of the light when it was first sighted from the aircraft flying at 8000 feet between Wanganui and Auckland. "Since the captain of the aircraft (Captain W. T. Rainbow) states that the direction of flight of the aircraft was not altered during the time the light was in sight, the R.N.Z.A.F. cannot explain the apparent movement of the light or establish definitely that it was Venus," says the report. "The occulting or apparent flashing of the light could be caused by the presence of cloud between the light and the moving aircraft. "It is common for planets low in the sky to scintillate. At 8000 feet, in position 38 degrees south 175 degrees east (the approximate position of the aircraft when the light was seen) the setting time for Venus on October 81 was 8.19pm." The report also makes brief mention of vapour trails seen in the sky on the same evening. They were caused by Vampire aircraft from Ohakea carrying out high-level night cross-country exercises. R. RELEASE NO. M15755. FILE
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