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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.

from low cloud, but not those seen on clear nights or by day. Some people, specially round about six p.m., see spots in front of their eyes, but it is unusual for ground crew, air crew and radar operators, plus a good sprinkling of civilian witnesses, all reporting independently, to see the same bright disc doing the same antics in the same place at the same time unless there is really something there. Yet this has happened. In the absense of absolute proof of the reality or otherwise of flying saucers, we should as Kickshaws suggests maintain an open mind on the subject. (The President of C.S.I. recently had the pleasure of visiting Mr. & Mrs Bonallack and spent two very pleasant evenings discussing the progress of flying saucer research among other things).

Strange Object In Sky (Letter to Editor, Dominion, Wellington 25 Jan. Sir, Though one is lead by some authorities to disbeleive in the flying saucer theory I, for one, and probably many more, believe it to be correct. To help me believe further, while at Waitarere Beach on Dec 30 last, at 10.45 a.m.; my neighbour and his friend, sitting in a car looking out to sea, noticed an object like a plane coming in from the sea. When my attention was called to it, the object appeared to be changing course, not as a plane in a circular fashion, but approx in a vee course. As I watched it, it appeared to tilt and flash in the Sun as it changed course, and went out to sea in the same direction from which it had come or arrived. Ohakea, Nelson, N.A.A.C. and the overseas base was checked with, but no planes were reported in that area at that period. It could not have been a plane, as the wind was blowing in off the sea, and no sound of plane engines could be heard at any stage. A "met" balloon could not have acted in this way this object did, as when it reversed its direction it would have to have gone against the wing. Four people saw this object at the same time in the same area, and were not seeing spots before there eyes. If this was not a saucer what was it. (Many thanks Brian Maökrell for also sending in this report)

Jan 28 1954 A Brilliant Meteor . Certainly a very bright meteor or meteors fell towards the south-east over the South Island leaving a very colourful display and must of been seen by hundreds that night. C.S.I. thanks all those who sent clippings in, it was extremely interesting to see how many reported the occurrence as due to Flying saucers. Some Astronomers say that every time a meteor falls up to 500 reports of saucers pour in. This we know as nonsense. From the large writeup this recent received in the main South Island Dailies there was only one mention of Flying Saucers.

February 9 . The Auckland Star gave C.S.I.'s Statistical Release a front page write up . The contents of this release accompany (as a loose leaf) the Quarterly Review.

February 12 Whangarei. STRANGE LIGHTS FLEW IN ARC OVER WHANGAREI. Two strange lights which could of been flying saucers were seen to fly in an arc over Whangarei last night. They were watched by two business men, Messrs T.H.Busck and R.E.A.Laery and two Auckland visitors who saw them Rust Lane at 10.50 P.M. Mr Busck who saw the objects first, had time to draw the at-tention of his friends to them and the quartet saw two fairly faint yellow lights describe an arc across the town and disappear to the south-east. Mr Busck said this morning that the two lights appeared from the general direction of Parahaki moving side by side in more or less parallel flight. There was no noise. They appeared to be at great altitude and a long way off. From their pace and distance covered they could of been outside the

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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.