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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…

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system or universe. Keyhoe charges that the Air Force is convinced that the saucers are space ships from another world, but that it is covering up because of the fear that such a disclosure would result in widespread panic. The Air Force insist that this is not so -- that it is holding back no important facts from the public. Lt White said the names of persons involved in the sightings are withheld, and reports which devulge the capabilities of our aircraft, radar and electronic equipment are classified. All other information with respect to the sightings is a matter of public record he said. Keyhoe maintains though, that the Air Force has refused to release many analyses of sighting reports. He pointed out that the names and locations connected with the incidents could be deleted if necessary.

## WANTS -- FILM -- RELEASED

Keyhoe also claims that the Air Force should release the final intelligence analysis on the Utah film. In connection with this, Keyhoe recently sent a telegram to high Air Force officials charging that since the Air Force had implied that he had misrepresented the analysis of the Utah film, either he or the Air Force was lying. The Times-Herald asked a top Air Force spokesman if Keyhoe had in fact misrepresented the Utah film analysis. He declined to comment. In his telegram --- as in his book --- Keyhoe stated: "The final analysis proved that the saucer formation could not be explain-ed as any known aircraft or other conventional objects. The spokesman was asked if this statement was true or false. He said that to date, the Air Force has neither affirmed or denied it. Keyhoe also contends the analysis concluded the objects were not birds and were not caused by weather conditions. Specifically, Keyhoe claims the intelligence experts reached the following conclusions. (1) The average speed of the objects was somewhere between 653 and 980 miles per hour. (2) All the objects appeared round, of the same size and gave off a blueish-white glow of very high intensity. (3) The objects seemed to be manoeuvring in a circular or elliptical pattern within the group, at very high speeds. (4) because of these high speeds the objects obviously could not be balloons or birds. (5) They were not any type of known aircraft. (6) The sightings could not be explained by any conventional answer. Asked if the Times-Herald could see the final analysis report, an Air Force spokesman said that there were certain reports the Air Force could not make public for security reasons, risk of libel, and other reasons. However the spokesman said the film could be viewed at Wright field Ohio. The Air Force officially neither accepts nor rejects the interplanetary theory.

Brig. Gen. Sory Smith, Air Force public relations chief, put it this way: We do not know enough about it to deny that flying saucers exist. Conversely, we have no proof that they do exist. In our investigation we are not discounting the possibility that the saucers--if they exist-- could be interplanetary. We are interested in anyone that may be using the air over the United States. "However, we have no authentic physical evidence that they are interplanetary". Continuing Gen Smith stated: "For the Air Force to admit that flying saucers exist, it would want indisputable evidence of a physical nature. For such an admission itwould want stronger evidence than it has now." Summing up the problem, he said: So far the question of whether flying saucers exist, and if so, what they are, has not been conclusively answered either way." But one thing is certain he added. The Air Force will continue to seek the answer. Meanwhile Keyhoe plains to continue his campaign to compel the Air Force to disclose the facts it is concealing.

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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.