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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.
“The Advance”22 pages
PRESS CUTTING: From: "Evening Post" Wellington, N.Z. Date: 1 OCT 1952 # MORE REPORTS OF FLYING SAUCER AUCKLAND, Today. — Several people in Auckland have reported that they saw the "Flying Saucer" which an Otahuhu man and his wife claimed yesterday to have seen flying high over the harbour about 11 o'clock on Saturday night. Two people at Waterview, two at Grey Lynn, and one at Epsom say they saw a luminous bluish-green object, torpedo-shaped, travelling at a high speed. The object was well out at sea, opposite Whenuapai, and soon disappeared silently. A man and his wife at Castor Bay claim to have seen a similar object about 5.30pm on Friday. It was heading down the harbour in the direction of Clevedon and took about 30 seconds to pass out of sight. Auckland, Australia Auckland astronomers and meter- ologists said today that they knew nothing about the phenomenon. They had had no reports of meteors in the area lately. What is believed to be the first report of a "Flying Saucer" in the Bay of Plenty has come from a Te Puke resident who claims to have seen this phenomenon while fishing with a friend on Papamoa beach on Saturday night. He says "it appeared slightly above and behind Mount Maunganui, travelled in a southerly direction, and disappeared behind a bank of cloud." He describes its shape as "elliptical" and its colour as "blue-green." The time of visit The time of visibility was about 8 to 10 seconds. The time of the appearance of the phenomenon was about 11pm. He says this corresponds with the time given by a Pukekohe resident who also saw a phenomenon in the sky about 11pm on Saturday. PA (Rec. 1.30pm). The above press cutting is forwarded for your information
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