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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.
“Christchurch”32 pages
# Large Blue Light BAY OF PLENTY TIMES Seen Over Mount Maunganui 14 JUN 1955 Reports of flying saucers and mysterious lights are few and far between in Tauranga but another report has been received—this time very close to home. A resident of Lever's Road, Otumoetai, Mrs R. R. Booth, has reported seeing something "like a big blue star" hovering above Mount Maunganui at 11:30 on Sunday night. Mrs Booth, who with her husband and children watched the light for the best part of two hours, said that the light moved back and forth over the Mount and at one stage moved straight up. At no time did it move very fast and did not climb high. The light seemed to move out toward Mayor Island and back again, circling the Mount each time. When the light turned at end of its "run" it would momentarily disappear. At about 1 o'clock yesterday morning the light, which all this time had been a brilliant blue, moved off up the coast toward Caromandel turning a dark pink as it went, said Mrs Booth. An officer of the Civil Aviation Administration Department, at the Tauranga aerodrome, said there were certainly no Tauranga aeroplanes up at that time on Sunday, although there may have been an R.N.Z.A.F. plane on marmoeuvres. This too, was unlikely, he said, as the department had not been asked to leave the beacon on Mount Maunganui burning. The observer had apparently heard no aeroplane motors. ## FLYING SAUCERS? MANAWATLEY STANDARD TWO SEEN YESTERDAY. 6 OCT 1956 LOCAL RESIDENT'S CLAIM. The sight of a solitary flying saucer by one person stretches the credibility of the average person, but the experiences of three Palmerston North residents yesterday afternoon precludes any chance of a confidence trick. While lying on the lawn in Park Road at 2 o'clock the attention of a well-known businessman, his wife, and a companion was drawn to a white and silver sphere-shaped object in the sky. Although not clearly outlined, it cast a dark shadow. Five minutes later they saw a black, boomerang-shaped object travelling in the same direction. The husband immediately telephoned Ohakea Aerodrome and was informed that a meteorological balloon had been released in the morning. However, he discounted the possibility of the objects being mistaken for either aeroplanes or balloons because of their speed and their movement against the wind. Both objects were seen for six or seven seconds during which they crossed about three-fifths of the horizon. The resident considered, estimating the height of the object at 30,000 feet, that they would be travelling about seven or eight times faster than the average acroplane. ## Flying Saucers in EENING STAR [Dn.] The Air Again Are flying saucers on the move again? It is some time since they were reported in or near Dunedin, but last night they made a re-appearance, claims one citizen. It was at 11.15 p.m., he reported to the 'Star,' while he was on his way home, that he happened to glance towards Mount Cargill. There, suspended in the sky, he saw two brilliant objects which he at first took to be stars. But one, on the left, was bigger and brighter than an ordinary star; the other looked about the same size as a star. He had been watching, them for for only a few seconds when the left object dipped slightly, then soared higher in the sky. Both then disappeared slowly behind the outline of the hill. 北川羌族自治县
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