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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.
“Rome”7 pages
The Air Secretary For suggested reply for my signature, please. JXhu 3rd. sept. Oct. 1952. 8. 10.52 The Minister of Defence, WELLINGTON. CI ## Dear Sir, After reading the account in Auckland Star," by an imaginative gentleman in Otahuhu, and seeing photos in the "N.Z, Free Lance," of Sept. 17 purporting to be of the much publicised "Flying Saucer," it has occurred to me that there may be a section of your organisation interested in these things. Should this be so the following may be appreciated, On wed. Ist. Oct. of current year at approx. 10-45 P.M. I was peering by lantern light at a young peach tree in orchard, when an unusual noise from the south attracted my attention. This noise quickly became more audible and distinct. At the time I was quite sure that I was listening to the whirring of a propeller with a dead motor behind it, and immediately looked up expecting to see a Tiger Moth or similar type plane coming down to a forced landing. As it happened I saw nothing. My eyes were too slow to adjust themselves to the change of light and had the additional handicap of the glare from the moon which happened to be close to the direction of flight.
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