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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
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reports there are various media through which information and assistance are obtained: the Royal Observatory and the Meteor Section of the British Astronomical Association give information on meteors, fire balls and all astral phenomena; the Meteorological Office, Royal Air Force Station, Cardington, London Airport and Bristol University cover radio sonde, cosmic research and other balloons; Fleet Air Arm and Royal Air Force units and formations give details of aircraft movements; and the civil police assist in the investigation of all types of reports. From these sources has come most of the information leading to the true identity of reported flying saucers, and their co-operation in the tedious processes of investigation is invaluable. An instance is given of a report by a man who, returning home late one night, stated emphatically that he had seen a flying saucer hovering in a field quite a short distance from his point of observation. The "thing" according to his story, hovered and moved slowly up and down. Evidence was obtained from the local police to the effect that on that night, at that time, and in that place, an unfortunate farmer had lost a hayrick by fire! Generally it can be accepted that, of all reports received, the vast majority are of things identifiable as one of the conventional objects enumerated above; the remainder are unexplained because the evidence is either too sparse, too vague; or too contradictory. As a matter of interest, where the reports received are explained it is mainly in terms of meteors, planets, balloons, and aircraft. Noteworthy among the other explanations are included aircraft with rocket-assisted take off, car headlights reflected on low cloud, and the recently adopted navigation lighting system of American civil aircraft. ## Conclusion The civilised world has become conscious or, perhaps it would be more apt to say, it has been made conscious of flying saucers or unidentified flying objects: whenever an airborne body is not clearly recognised as something conventional it becomes a mystery whose magnitude varies according to the observer's susceptibility. Most people are very susceptible to the influence of the Press or the radio. A news item on a flying saucer promptly induces a spate of reported new sightings. Sensible and rational reporting of unidentified flying objects is the duty of all who are concerned with flying. Apart from astral or meteorological phenomena, which are of interest to specialists in these matters, there is always the chance of observing foreign aircraft of revolutionary design. As for controlled manifestations from outer space, there is not tangible evidence of their existence. 17th and final page
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