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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.
“Headquarters”37 pages
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to 4000 ft in preparation for landing at Auckland, and so lost contact upon entering cloud again. During the descent the co-pilot returned to the cockpit and informed me that the Air Commodore stated that it was a planet and took no further interest and went back to sleep. Then I went back to the cabin and spoke to Mr. Tuckett and asked if he thought it was a planet, and to this he said no, and that he had not seen anything like that before. He also noticed the object overtaking us and changing its position in relation to us. A Mr. Hume in the seat ahead of him also confirmed all that Mr. Tuckett, Trounce, and myself had seen. I then approached the Air Commodore and asked his opinion, to which he remarked that it was a planet low down on the horizon, but he made no further comment when I said that it had definitely passed us at 8000 ft. Upon arrival at Whenuapai, I notified the officer on duty at Whenuapai and as far as I was concerned there the matter rested. POINTS OF INTEREST CONCERNING THE OBJECT: It was a small bright light then increasing to brilliant in a cycle of 3 seconds, but its change of intensity did not appear to be constant during the whole observation. It changed colour from white-yellow-orange (gold) to red. It did not appear to have any tail or trail behind it. It did not appear as a soft reflected light/ It travelled from west of Waitard to a position approx. west of Waikate river mouth during the same time as we travelled from approx. 3 miles south of Albatross Point to just north of Raglan reporting point. It maintained a steady altitude and overtaking speed. The light appeared to be revolving such as a beacon on the top of Whenuapai Control Tower, at a distance of 10 miles. If it was there during the previous 30-45 minutes we would have seen it ahead of us approaching Ohura due to excellent visibility in that area, in other words, it just appeared in out view from the south. A planet does not overtake at a steady altitude from S.S.W. and disappear to the N.N. West. At 2006 hrs. we called Wellington converging this light, and the planet Venus was below the horizon at 2010 hrs., therefore, for the previous hour and its 15 degree travel the planet was below and behind the Cold Front lying out to the West, and it would account for us not seeing the planet during the night. This would also apply to Flight 135, southbound. We still had this object in sight after the time that the planet Venus was below the horizon. A similar object was seen in the area 2 hrs. later by two men. This object was in view for approximately 5-10 minutes, and was seen clearly by 3 pilots and one civilian, and then seen briefly by Air Commodore Cohen. A planet's light could change its intensity due to the proximity of cloud, but this object was well clear of any cloud at first and still it did not appear as a steady light. " Signed Captain W.T. Rainbow Immediately following the press report of the N.A.C.'s crew's observation, I contacted Capt. Rainbow, and alittle later Mr. Tuckett, and F/O Trounce, by phone. The three pilots confirmed the press reports of their experience, cleared up some slight inaccuracies, and gave me added details of the incident. I have subsequently interviewed Capt. Rainbow a number of times privately, and once on stage at our
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