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NZDF declassified RNZAF UFO files

NZDF / RNZAF via Internet Archive · 2010-12 · 445 pages · text by GLM-OCR

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.

  • p. 10 …They passed over Christchurch about 1.30 p.m. As the aircraft moved on, they left…
  • p. 24 25 NOV 1955 # AIR DEPARTMENT. CHRISTCHURCH, N.W.4. 23rd November, 1955. The Director of Civil…
  • p. 25 …2 R.D. , CHRISTCHURCH. The Regional Superintendent, Civil Aviation Administration, CHRISTCHURCH AIRPORT. Dear Sir, The following…
  • p. 36 …12168 0182/50652 90/12165 17/16399 CHRISTCHURCH/AUCKLAND: 67/39485 CA 90/34627 CA WELLINGTON…
  • p. 165 …It was also seen by Palmerston North and Christchurch residents in N.Z. about that time…
  • p. 186 …which he witnessed from his home in Christchurch at 10.21 p.m. on the 20th…
  • p. 211 …The "Star-Sun" reporter and his wife were travelling by car towards Christchurch at 3.46…
  • p. 219 …Coutts Island to the back of the Christchurch Airport and though the cloud bank was about…
  • p. 226 …Carter had reported the incident to the Christchurch, N.Z., Press, and later decided to write…
  • p. 255 …had the pleasure of meeting for the first time, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin Representatives, Branch leaders…
  • p. 266 …It made a whizzing noise like a spinning top, they said. # MYSTERIOUS LIGHT IN SKY CHRISTCHURCH…
  • p. 299 …REPRESENTATIVES Two further representatives have been appointed in two southern cities, Christchurch and Dunedin. Representatives are…
  • p. 307 …Secretary 55 Tedder Avenue Christchurch E.3. ## WAS IT A METEOR? ## PERHAPS ONE DAY WE WILL…
  • p. 312 …received two other reports around this time one from a lady in Christchurch and another from…
  • p. 313 …August 25th Christchurch 6.40 p.m. fast moving strange light horizon tal course, in view…
  • p. 314 ## FLYING SAUCERS PAGE 18 November 17th Christchurch 11p.m. two further observers of fast m ing…
  • p. 332 …8.30 Palmerston North, Wellington, and Christchurch. A bright object, reported by many to be round…
  • p. 333 …March 18, Christchurch. Dr C.D. Ellyet, Senior Lecturer in physics at Canterbury University College, claims…
  • p. 359 …Sam Rix, Tauranga; Miss Ethne Hamber, Christchurch; Miss V.E.J.Allan, Dunedin; Dr.Benjamin D…
  • p. 393 …A passenger on the Express from Christchurch saw an unusual light in the sky near Camara…
  • p. 394 …Southland, North Otago, the West Coast and Christchurch. Some people who said they had seen it…
  • p. 396 …was travelling with his son from Christchurch to Wellington on the Saturday night when they saw…
  • p. 397 …The Christchurch observers given an apparent size of half a crown indicating a height of 6000…
  • p. 398 …Nelson Yellow/White 10.30? Cheviot? Blue Green Christchurch Blue S. Hissing Camara Blue 11.8…
  • p. 400 …9 17 minutes Christchurch/New Brighton 29.10.52 9 p.m. 1 Taradale, Napier 30…
  • p. 412 …Cigar South Nil GREEN LIGHT. Moving swiftly. Christchurch 13.10.52 Nil One 5 secs Starline…
  • p. 413 …minutes Saucer Nil Nil Redlights around lights Christchurch 3.11.52 1115 pm Two one minute…
  • p. 414 …Christchurch 6.12.52 1015 pm One 30 secs Disc South Hissing Blue in colour Ryeburn…
  • p. 418 …Williamson, has written to the "Evening Post" to say that the "flying saucer" seen in Christchurch…
  • p. 421 # BLUE DISC THAT HISSED South-Bound 'Saucer' Seen At Three Points PEOPLE in Christchurch, Kyeburn, and…
  • p. 428 …Otago, from the West Coast and from Christchurch, among others. Some people, who said they had…
  • p. 436 …Auckland astronomers and meter- ## Riccarton Run Confused By CHRISTCHURCH, November unsettled nature of the weather heavy…

Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.

SOURCE OF SAUCERS

N.Z. TRUTH 2

FLYING SAUCERS have been superseded by flying cigars next we may have flying tricars. But why scoff? Too many people the world over have observed these aerial visitants for them to be more imagination. Air Forces of several nations have recorded the passage of these alien craft; pursuing jets have been left wallowing in the vapour trails of mysterious machines to whom supersonic velocities are just low gear. Baffled officuldom burles its head in the sand, squeaking muffled defiance. "No such things—just meteors, or hallucinations, or something." But hallucinations don't leave tracks on radar screens. Sooner or later we shall have to admit the existence of these space-craft and face up to the real question. Do they come from outer space or from some secret eyrie on our own world?

H. RAWLE @@@7ind054

CHAUMONT, Thursday.—M. Andre Narcy, a 48-year-old roadmender of Mevrud, Eastern France, today claims he saw a man 4ft tall take off in a "flying bed-knob" as he motor cycled to work yesterday.

M. Narcy says the thing was spherical, orange coloured, and about 30ft across, with a sort of spindle sticking out underneath It was in a field by the side of

It was in a field by the side of the road-N.Z.P.A-Reuter.

## 1.29.10.17.

# FARMER CLAIMS ENCOUNTER WITH MARTIAN

Bousard, a 47-year-old farmer of Ambusson, Central France, has reported to the police an encounter on the road with a "Martian" creature, who paralysed him for 10 minutes.

"Suddenly I was blown from one side of the road to the other, and stayed there for 10 minutes without being able to shout or call for help," said Bousard. He added that during this time two powerful lamps with strong, pale-blue light were shone at him by the creature, which also had a light green lamp on either side of its head.

Bousard described the creature as about five feet tall and wearing something like a diving suit. "At last the blue light went out," he said. "The being crossed the road and vanished. I felt pains in my legs and right hand, and can still feel them."

Police who went to the spot found freshly-disturbed earth and furf torn up over an area of about two feet, but no trace of footprints.—N.Z.P.A. (Rec. 11am).

## Flying Saucers Banned By Mayoral Decree

AVIGNON (France). Oct. 28. The mayor of Chateauneuf du Pape, a wine village near Avignon, has banned by decree all "flying saucers" and "flying cigars" from his municipality of 1600 people. He ordered the rural constable to impound any that might land.

The mayor said that a municipal decree was found necessary "considering that the presence on the territory of the community of Chateauneuf du Pape of air ships called 'flying saucers' or flying cigars' could be dangerous; that, moreover, it would be of a nature to disturb public order and the tranquility of the inhabitants."

Last year another village near Avignon, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, banned by mayoral decree the exploding of atomic bombs on its territory.

AVIGNON (France). October 28 (Rec. 9 p.m.) The mayor of Chateau-Neuf-du-Pape, a wine village near Avignon, has banned by decree all "flying saucers" and "flying cigars" from his municipality of 1600 people. He ordered the rural constable to impound any that might land.

The mayor, M. Jeune, said that a municipal decree was found necessary "considering that the presence on the territory of the community of ChateauNeuf-du-Pape of air ships called 'flying saucers' or 'flying cigars' could be dangerous, that, moreover, it would be of a nature to disturb public order and the tranquility of the inhabitants." The decree reads:—

# French Mayoral Decree Bans "Flying Saucers"

"Article 1. The flights, landings and take-offs of air ships called 'flying sancers' or 'flying cigars' of any nationality are forbidden on the territory of the community of ChateauNeuf-du-Pape.

"Article 3. The rural constable is charged with carrying out the present decree."

"Article 2. Any air ship called a 'flying saucer' or 'flying cigar' which lands on the territory of the community of Chateau-Neuf-du-Pape will be immediately impounded.

Last year another village near Avignon, Foutaine-de-Vaucluse, banned by mayoral decree the exploding of atomic

# Flying Saucers Said To Be Lightning Balls

HAMBURG, October 5. An eminent German astronomer, Herr Hans Haffner, has put forward the theory that flying saucers—apart from those which can be classed as hallucinations or reflections in the air—are balls or lightning at great heights. In an article in the West German weekly newspaper Die Zeit, he said that this theory fitted in with all the reports received so far about flying saucers. "Let there be an end to the flying saucer psychosis," he wrote. "The flying saucers are definitely a natural phenomenon within the layer of air surrounding the earth."

Herr Haffner, professor of astronomy at Hamburg University and section chief of the Hamburg-Bergedort Observatory, declared that all flying saucers seen so far could be classified in four groups:

1. Hallucinations—which are more frequent than commonly believed.

2. Illusions even of the eye of a camera. Alleged photographs of flying saucers are reflections often observed when pictures are taken against the sun.

3. Weather balloons mistaken for flying saucers.

4. Truly "unknown flying objects."

All the objects in group four could be explained by what was known so far about balls of lightning. These, he said, occur rarely and photographs exist of only two or three.

## Similar Description.

Description of the size, shape, speed and manner of revolution, movement colour, gleigh, duration, electrical composition and manner of dissolution of these balls are "remarkably similar" to the reports of flying saucers, according to Professor Haffner. Most balls of lightning occur at heights of less than 600ft. and have a diameter of between 8 and 40 inches. But because more energy is released if lightning occurs at greater heights, balls occurring at high attitudes are naturally bigger. Balls with a diameter of 750ft. have been observed at a height of six miles.

Professor Haffner said that, because they rotate balls of lightning are often flattened out. Reports about flying saucers have spoken of cigar or dis-shaped objects. These reports also stated that the flying saucers were rotating. Balls of lightning often emitted brilliantly shining rays. Reports of flying saucers speak of "strenms of bullets" being sent out by the saucers. Balls of lightning are liable to change shape and direction within a split second—as do flying saucers. The changes in the direction of balls of lightning are easily explained by the influence of electrical fields and by the effect when one side of a ball cools more quickly than the other.

Finally balls of lightning always "disintegrate" suddenly, sometimes silently, sometimes with a big bang. This might account for the mysterious disappearance and crashing of an American fighter pilot, Captain T. Mantell, on January 7, 1948. after he had chased a flying saucer. Professor Haffner suggests that Captain Mantell may have collided with an exploding ball of lightning.—Reuter.

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Document, cited by the archive. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. The text was read from the page images by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word. 445 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.