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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
Rotorua June 28th (Rotorua Post 29th) The following most unusual phenomena in the sky was witnesses during an power blackout in Rotorua this night. A lady in Rotorua on going to the front room of her house in Maida Vale Street, to see how much of the town was effected by the black out, was amazed to see a bright star, slightly above the hill behind Whakarewarewa, suddenly, "take off" on a circuit to the right and return to its place. It remained there for a minute or two and then dived to the left, returning to its original position. Wanting a corroborative eye, she called her neighbour's attention to it, and they both watched from the front gate. After several minutes the star obliged by completing a circle, still returning to the same position. Later in the evening, a star, close above the first one, also swerved off to the right and returned. The family were watching for about half-an-hour. The star was low in the sky, but was too high to be anything other than a star, said the lady. ## Auckland, Takapuna July 5th Mr Denis J.G.Saunders reports to C.S.I. that he witnessed the flight of a blue-green flatish object flying at high speed in a northerly direction at 9.53pm. and again at 10.5pm. flying south at a greater altitude. The object when first seen was estimated to be approx 10,000 ft,blue-green in colour, and appeared to give off a pale blue flame. Mr Saunders phoned the Auckland Star the following morning, but the lady reporter taking the information appeared to treat the informer as the perpetrator of a hoax. Mr Saunders was rather annoyed by her mocking attitude. His report was not publisded. ## Hamilton July 8th At 3.30pm on the 8th July the "Waikato Times" received a minor deluge of phone calls from people wishing an explanation of the sudden appearance of high vapour trails in the sky. Rukuhia met office stated that there were no jets in the area, they wrote the phenomena off as cloud effects. However, Mr H.E. Silvester of Horsham Downs stated in a letter to the "Waikato Times" "I and two others saw a blurred object moving at tremendous speed ahead of the forming vapour trail. We also heard the distinct whine of engines". He says that he and his companions never thought of flying saucers, being sure that it was a jet aircraft. They are still sure it was a jet aircraft not in touch with Rukuhia Flying Control. "We have seen vapour trails above Wanganui and surrounding districts from jet aircraft and the spectacle seen here was an exact replica, no amount of explaining away as a cloud effect will convince us otherwise. "I may add that over Horsham Downs there was a large expanse of blue sky which made our observation all the more clear and certain". There has been quite a number of these reports lately, particularly from Australia where the reports of flying saucers is phenomenal. It was reported that the vapour trails in Hamilton skies went straight up and down in places just so has been the reports of high forming vapour trails over Brisbane Melbourne and Sydney of recent date. In most cases the Air Force have claimed that no jets were in the area. Just what is making these trails? ## Hamilton 10th July. SIGHTING OF OBJECT AT CLOSE QUARTERS A full report has just come to hand of a remarkable close up sighting by Mr John E. Stuart of Hamilton, a person I know reasonable well, met for the second time approx 3 weeks ago and whos integrity I have no reason to doubt. Hear is Mr Stuart account. "I had been working with my co-organiser Miss Doreen Wilkinson, until approx 2 am, on a theory regarding the solution of Flying Saucers. I retired to bed, after seeing Miss Wilkinson to her taxi
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