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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.
“Scientific American”7 pages
# N.Z. SCIENTIFIC AND INTERPLANE Secretary TARY GROUP President Mrs H. Ward Mrs E. Hamber. Formed on the 25th Sept. 1953 from a nucleus of C.S.I.CH.CH. " Honorary Observers", and holds meetings once a month. Although this new society is very interested in the ultimate solution to the Flying Saucer riddle, all members are equally interested in all aspects and prospects of interplanetary flight and other complimentary subjects. Interested parties should address their inquiries to The Hon. Secretary 55 Tedder Avenue Christchurch E.3. ## WAS IT A METEOR? ## PERHAPS ONE DAY WE WILL KNOW FOR SURE Extract from Nature Vol 42 Page 403 August 21st 1890. In a paper printed in a new number of the Trans-Prov N.Z. Inst., Mr Taylor White describes an extraordinary Meteor which he saw at Wimbledon, Hawkes-Bay on May 4th 1888 between 8 and 9 O'clock P.M. The nucleus or head was of an oval form, of a transparent light-yellow colour as of iron at white heat. The tail was of in the form of the tail of a pheasant, expanded that is, the two centre streamers were of a dull opaque orange. They were distinctly divided, each from each by dark bands, which consisted of several fine black lines, to probably, the number of five in each band. Mr White is unable to fix the number of orange streamers, but would guess ten as probably correct. The colours blue and green were also certainly present. NO SOUND was audible while the meteor was in view, but says Mr. White "after I had gone into the house, and was describing what I had seen, the sound of its striking the earth or sea was heard, -- a loud and lengthened noise, to me like the violent shaking of all the forest trees, and evidently above the ground, thereby differing from the sound accompanying an earthquake coming from the Westwards; and this was followed, after a hardly perceptible pause, by a fainter sound, like an echo, to the North-east. Various New Zealand daily papers gave full descriptions of the phenomenon at the time. According to the "NZ Times" the apparent size of the meteor was quite half that of the full moon. ## THANKS TO ALL HELPERS We wish to thank all those who have in the past and present, in various ways greatly assisted C.S.I.'s Flying Saucer Research Project. Many have and continue to forward press clippings of locally reported sightings or any article that is recorded to "Saucers" in general, others have sent in their theories and not forgetting those very important ones never to be forgotten sightings. We sincerely hope you will continue to do so.
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