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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.
“Headquarters”37 pages
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received by the CAA have a general conformityvof description. "They all describe them as round-shaped objects which accelerate rapidly" he explain -ed. "but I don't know what they are. I honestly Don't. All I do is be the reports. None of us here know any more than that." In another attempt to obtain information which may provide an answer, the military Air Transp-ort Service during the past five months has distributed forms to American pilots - both military and commercial---in all parts of the world. The forms are designed to obtain maximum information on every sighting of an unidentified flying object. Pilots are also under instructions to radio the nearest air base when they make an exceptionally good sighting. Commenting on this extensive program, Larry Gates of the Air Lines Pilots association pointed out: "Sinso our pilots are all over the --- this side of the Iron Curtain --- the military wants to make use of every possibility of getting the answer to this problem." ## CANADA TAKES STEPS Canada is taking an even more drastic step to solve the six-year old riddle. It announced recently that it would construct a new saucer-sighting station near Ottawa. The station which will be under joint authority of the Canadian defence research board and the Canadian transport department, will have special equipment, and a 24-hour watch will be maintained. Wilbur B. Smith, supervisor of the new station stated. "There is a high degree of probability that flying saucers are real objects and 60% probability that they are alien vehicles. The optical illusion explanation is lovely, but in every sighting there is always some factor which precludes this explanation. We have decided to try to learn just what they are." Smith said the Canadian federal transport department, in which he has charge of the communications, broadcast and measurement section, constantly receives reports of sightings of flying saucers. The total number is classified as restricted material. ## MORE DETAIL WANTED In this country the Air Force is hopeful of solving the saucer mystery by obtaining more complete details of the sightings. The requirements of what it considers to be a good report are: (a) source must be reliable: (b) report should be current so that immediate investigation may be made: (c) report should indicate exact time of sighting: (d) exact location: (e) estimated speed: (f) altitude of object: (g) manoeuvre pattern: (h) weather conditions at time: (i) estimated size of object: (j) direction of flight: (k) length of time object was in view: (l) whether any sound accompanied the sighting: (m) overall description of object. The Air Force has on occasion received pictures purporting to be of unknown flying objects. But on this point it declares: "The Air Force does not possess photographs which prove the existence of flying saucers. Because "still" photos are so easily faked, either by using a mock-up or model against a legitimate background, or by retouching the negative, they are practically worthless as evidence." "More attention is given to movie pictures of unidentified flying objects, since they are more difficult to fake. However only a few movie type films have been received by the Air Force and they reveal only pin-points of light moving across the sky. The Air Force has been unable to identify the source of these lights." ## SHOW ON UTAH FILM This brings up the subject of the so-called"Utah film" which shows several bright objects moving through the sky (daylight). The Air Force has classified the objects as unknown; and has added these comments (a) source con-
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