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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
Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.
# LIGHT MAY HAVE BEEN N.Z. HERALD # AIR FORCE BELIEVES VENUS WAS SOURCE OF "FLYING LIGHT" # VENUS, BUT "Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are, runs an old nursery rhyme which is almost applicable to the investigations made by the Royal New Zealand Air Force to find the origin of a strange light seen by the crew of a N.A.C. airliner between Ohura and Raglan a week ago. Now the Air Force is satisfied that the light could have been from the planet Venus, but it cannot explain how the planet apparently moved away from its normal orbit. Although it cannot establish definitely that the light was from Venus thinks that this was so. Staff Reporter Wellington No "firm and simple" solution has yet been offered to the mystery of the strange light seen in the sky by the crew of a National Airways Corporation airliner between Ohura and Raglan a week ago. But the Air Force now thinks the strange light may have been the planet Venus, although earlier reports maintain that calculations had failed out this possibility. These latest conclusions were released by the acting Minister of Justice, Mr. Halshead, last night after weekend inquiry by the Air Force, he said that various published reports had not come from official sources. The report released by Mr. Halshead also makes brief mention of vapour falls seen in the sky on the same evening. These, he says, were caused by Vampire aircraft from Ohakea turrying out high-level cross-country exercises. The Air Force is not sure. It proves that the light could, have been Venus, but it cannot establish this fact, definitely. The strange light was seen tow in the western sky between 8.06 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Monday. October 31. The Ir Force has reported to the Minisit that after a careful examination concludes that Venus could have been observed in the approximate position of this light when it was first sighted from an aircraft dying $000 feet between Wanganui anduckland. These latest conclusions were released by the acting-Minister of Deference, Mr Halstead,'last night following the inquiry over the weekend by the Air Force. He insists that various published reports did not come from official sources. Effect Of Cloud over the West Coast later last week, and at that time they were described as "mystorious flying pencils." The report that Mr Halstead released yesterday also mentions vapour trails seen in the sky on the same evening. These, he says, were caused by Vampire jet aircraft from Ohakea carrying out high-level, cross-country exercises. (Similar vapour trails were also seen ## MOVING "LIGHTS" IN SKY the light was reported by the commander of the N.A.C. airliner, Captain W. T. Rainbow, between 8.06 p.m. and 8.11 p.m. In its arguments for the planet Venus, the Air Force says that after a careful examination it concludes that Venus could have been observed in the approximate position of this light when it was first sighted from an aircraft flying at 8000 feet between approximately Wauganui and Auckland. "Since the captain of the aircraft Captain W. T. Rainbow) states that a direction of flight of the aircraft was not altered during the time the light was in sight, the R.N.Z.A.P. not explain the apparent movement the light or establish definitely that was Venus," says the Air Force report the counting on a distant "Since the captain of the aircraft states that the direction of the flight of the aircraft was not altered during the time the light was in sight," says the Air Force report, "the apparent movement of the light cannot be explained, nor can it be established definitely that it was Venus." when Ministers of the Crown are informed that a strange "flying light" object has been observed for five minutes from a passenger aircraft, and by a witness of the calibre of the Inspector-General of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, Air Commodore R. J. Cohen, and other experienced airmen, it is necessary that official notice should be taken. Accordingly, the Minister of Civil Aviation, Mr Shand, and the acting-Minister of Defence, Mr Halstead, have called for detailed reports on the whole matter from the heads of their departments. It would be interesting if New Zealand should produce the first explanation of phenomena which have been reported from many countries. 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 rough position of the aircraft when the light was last seen), the setting time for Venus on October 31 was 8.19 p.m. countries. It is' futile simply to inform such reliable witnesses that they are dealing with nothing more than a figment of the imagination. There can be no doubt that they see something, even if it is only an optical illusion, and it is in the interests of unanticipated information that an
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