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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.
“Open Minds”13 pages
Squadron Leader Golding, Director of Intelligence, Air Department, WELLINGTON. Dear Sir, On the night of the 1st November 1955 I was Co-Pilot on Flight 108C proceeding from Paraparaumu to Whenuapai. We departed from Paraparaumu in clear weather and the flight progressed normally until just after Ohura R.P. where upon my attention was drawn to the appearance of an unusual light in the south west sky in the vicinity of New Plymouth. My subsequent actions and impressions are enumerated as follows: 1. At Approximately 2005 hours Captain Rainbow drew my attention to the light. It was situated a beam of the aircraft's tail unit and appeared as a red light, similar to a planet but a little larger. I commented that I thought it was a planet and suggested to Captain Rainbow that he open his window to eliminate any refraction. This he did and the light was still visible appearing to be moving in a northerly direction. At this stage I suggested that an independent observer's opinion would be advisable. At this time the aircraft was proceeding on a constant course of 330 C. 2. I proceeded to the cabin to discuss the sighting with a Mr. Tuckett, a Civil Aviation officer, who was already viewing the light and he remarked that it was a most unusual sight and did not appear to be a planet. 3. I returned to the Cockpit and informed Captain Rainbow that Mr. Tuckett had seen the light where upon he suggested I waken Air Commodore Cohen to obtain his views of the sighting. By the time I returned to the cabin Mr. Tuckett had already woken the Air Commodore who after briefly examining the light stated that he thought it was a planet. ## and 4. I returned to the cockpit observed the light to be directly a beam of the port wing tip at a distance of perhaps 8 miles. The light now appeared to be much larger than previously and during the few seconds I was able to view it, my description of it is as follows:- FILE
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