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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.
“Sea”47 pages
November public meeting. I regret to report that the official investigation of this incident has apparently climaxed just the way we expected, and even predicted on stage at our public meeting. The N.A.C. crew were called to Wellington (N.Z. Capital and seat of Government) and interviewed by the Director of Air Force Intelligence. At the close of a day-long study of the incident, and a thorough checking of the Planet Venus's position in the Western sky, and its setting time, the playing back of the tape recorded radioed conversations between Air Control and the crew during the observation, and eliminating the possibility of other aircraft being in the area, Intelligence Officers could not identify the source or find a natural phenomena explanation of the "Flying Light". The press obtained and published a statement to this effect on the 5th November, inclusive of the statement that Air Dept. investigators completely ruled out Venus as the source or cause of the report. They had, reported the press, made allowance for the Planet's later setting time as for an aircraft flying at 8,000 ft. Following this stage in the probe, Mr. Halstead stated that he was now calling in the Meteorological Dept. in order to find a simple solution for the N.A.C. crew's report. Close on this announcement, the press reported on Nov. 8th "that on new reckonings and fixings of the Planet Venus's position and setting time, provided to the investigators by Mr. I.L. Thomsen, Director of Carter Observatory, Wellington, Mr. Halstead stated that the Air Force Investigators now agreed that the Planet Venus could have been the cause of the "Flying Light" observation, however, the speed and movement of the light reported by Capt. Rainbow remained unexplained. Mr. Halstead, Deputy Minister of Defence, concluded by stating "that all other press releases made during the investigation were not from official sources." As Editor of this Journal and Dominion President of the Organisation, this Journal represents, I consider, as I'm sure the majority of our 380 financial associates will, that the last part of Mr. Halstead's statement constitutes a rather nasty rebuke to the Air Force Intelligence people, who were responsible for the investigation and released to the press their day-to-day progress, and objective search for the truthful answer to the mystery. Up until the time Mr. Haistead made this last statement, the investigation had been showing real promise. There has been no further press mention of the affair. To C.S.I. this was the stage when the official probe "Blow cold" as expected. What happened at this juncture to cause the Minister to step in and whitewash the incident away and insist that earlier official statements made by equally responsible people were now to be considered unofficial. Did a U.S. Air Force Pentagonian Officer of the distinguished "Silence Group" flash out to N.Z. via a Super Jet (could explain the sudden appearance of high contrails or vapour trails sighted in many places) and whisper in the Minister's ear, or did our official investigators (top directive) get cold feet and fear to make a finding contrary to the mighty U.S. Air Force. Remember the 26th October U.S. Air Force statement by Mr. Quarlès, it was bound to have a far greater intimidating effect on other official investigators of the "UFO" problem than on the now well seasoned and hardened members of the civilian research. When the official investigation was first ordered by Mr. Shand, Minister of Civil Aviation, I, on behalf of C.S.I., telegraphed our glad tidings and offered our assistance. True, our assistance was not called for, nor did we expect to be summoned to give voice at the inquiry. By virtue of my long and serious study of numerous, thoroughly authenticated "UFO" observations plus the assimilation of a wealth of extremely helpful investigatory data published by other serious fact finding civilian researchers, I feel I can speak with real
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