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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
# BLUE DISC THAT HISSED South-Bound 'Saucer' Seen At Three Points PEOPLE in Christchurch, Kyeburn, and Waipahi have written to a Dunedin newspaper describing a blue disc seen in the sky on Saturday night, according to a Press Association message from Dunedin. REPORT FROM Their descriptions tally, and if the times given can be relied upon, the object flew at about 600 miles an hour. All three correspondents said it was a blue disc, it flew south at a high speed, and it hissed. The Waipahi (near Gore) observation was made by four people, who got out of their car to watch the object. Mr. Anderson and Mr. E. G. McGeorge, another astronomer, will study the letters and try to suggest some practical solution. Mr. McGeorge, a surveyor, has set up a theodolite in his hall so he will be able to take a bearing on any mysterious sky body reported to him. Mr. W. D. Anderson, a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, who some weeks ago undertook to answer the telephone at any time of night to help identify objects in the sky, said: "You can't possibly ignore three straightforward, intelligentlywritten reports like these. I can't give any explanation off hand." ## 'An open mind' THAT looks to be quite worthwhile information." commented the director of the Carter Observatory (Mr. I. L. Thomsen) when the Dunedin message was referred to him today. "You have got times and you have got something that might give speeds. "I am quite a little sceptical about this sort of thing but one has to have an open mind." he added. "The trouble with these reports from all over the world is that there is no accurate data that any scientific person can get his teeth into, and that is why, I think, scientific people are remaining very quiet about them. "It would be interesting if those who want to report on flying saucers would try to notice the correct time, give altitude, direction, and reference to landmarks. Then if anybody wanted to look into the reports they would have something to go on. If we got enough such reports we could correlate them." ## Seen from ferry FRESH interest has been given a report in Monday's "Evening Post" that a Karori resident saw two objects, one greenish and one bluish, on Sunday night, by a Press Association report from Dunedin that a Mr. George Myers had written to a Dunedin newspaper that when he and his son John were travelling north on the ferry on Saturday night they saw a "wee green light" underneath a "blue-looking round object." which moved too fast to be an aeroplane. ## REPORT FROM FORDELL WANGANUI, Today (PA).-Mr. J. E. Phillips, of Warrengate Line, Fordell, has written to a Wanganui newspaper, describing a "most unusual phenomenon" which he observed on Saturday night. "About 9.35pm," says Mr. Phillips, "I noticed a light in the sky approaching from the west. It did not pass quite directly overhead, being a little inland from where I was. As it went quite silently it appeared quite markedly spheroidal, being about half the size of a full moon and of a distinct bright green colour. "Although it was a dark night, it did not seem to light up the surrounding sky. My wife, whom I called as soon as I saw the light, was in time to see it disappearing in an easterly direction. There was no sound until it had all but disappeared, when we heard a subdued missing, which persisted for a few seconds after it had gone out of sight. It was quite unlike in size, sound, and speed any night-flying aircraft lights I have seen."
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