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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.
## FLYING SAUCERS PAGE 18 November 17th Christchurch 11p.m. two further observers of fast m ing brilliant red lights. appeared to be at great height watched for five minutes. November 22nd Dunedin 9.25p.m. a light approached at great speed and moved across the sky brightening as it neared the observer, within seven seconds was out of sight again in the oppsite direction, no sound was heard; no aircraft from Taieri or elsewhere were in the area at the time. November 22nd Inverdargill 10.45p.m. queer object flashed across the sky,appeared to be elongated with two red lights in the front. There has been many sightings in Australia too over this period but space is short and the Review is running late. There has been many sightings in England, South Africa & France too of late, some brief mention has been made to the, Radar confirmed sightings in overseas cable news. ## WHAT DID CHICHESTER SEE. An account of Francis Chichester 's experience in the air when near ing the completion of his 1931 solo crossing of the Tasman Sea from Auckland to Sydney via Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands. (Chichester was a famous early aviator). At the time of his experience he was suffer ing deep depression because his aircraft's motor showed every sign of failing and a subsequent crash into the sea seemed inevitable. Having shortly before passed through a storm, his plane suddenly came out into comparatively clear sky and he saw. What was that. Nothing could glitter and flash in a cloud but an aeroplane? I watched the spot intently for a time: more flashed occured and I could see no plane. Turning to the land, I found that it had disappeared, in its place a long purple hued cloud lay on the sea at a great distance. Another illusion. It thrust me down into the deepest depths of depression. When I looked back at the flashing lights, that too had disappeared. There was not a sign of it, yes, suddenly it caught my eye at thirty degrees to the left front, then vivid flashes in several places like the dazzle of a Heliograph. That it could not be, it must be a flight of planes, they could hardly be connected with me. Then I saw advancing great heavens. the dull grey-white shape of an airship. Impossible ??, However, there was no doubt about it, and indeed how should I be mistaken in an airship? It nosed towards me like an oblong pearl. Nothing but a cloud or two was visible in the sky for miles. I looked left, sometimes catching a flash or a glint there. Turning again to the airship, I found it had completely vanished. I screwed up my eyes unable to believe them, and twisted the plane this way and that, thinking that the airship must be hidden by a blind spot.
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.