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NZDF declassified RNZAF UFO files

NZDF / RNZAF via Internet Archive · 2010-12 · 445 pages · text by 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. 152 …into a world crisis. (2) concurrent and open discussion of East-West differences, which if effected…
  • p. 173 …He then opened a kind of hatch on the top of the "rim" which encircled the…
  • p. 185 …So keep an open and ever broadening mind, it is not a bit of good trying…
  • p. 212 …Thomsen is open-minded on the subject but is quite happy to explain from now till…
  • p. 213 …WHAT SOURCE. "Open Mind" (Palmerston North) says it is evident that Mr. Thomsen has not read…
  • p. 273 …Evidently they are not sure "I have an open mind, with no great feeling one way…
  • p. 327 …are keeping an open mind on the source of the objects. I believe, he said, from…
  • p. 331 …we should as Kickshaws suggests maintain an open mind on the subject. (The President of C…
  • p. 345 …Many people all over the world have an open mind on this question and are ready…
  • p. 376 …If any person has an open mind on the subject and is prepared to weigh out…
  • p. 397 …thing but one has to have an open mind. The trouble with these reports from all…
  • p. 405 …Briefly, while they are prepared to have an open mind on the subject, I think it…
  • p. 421 …I can't give any explanation off hand." ## 'An open mind' THAT looks to be quite…
## FLYING SAUCERS

Attached is a report of a meteor like object sighted on 16th October 1952 by Mr. John R. Jennings, employed as an occupational psychologist at DSIR.

In view of this and other similar reports which have appeared in the Press recently, I spoke with Mr. Adams, an astronomer at the Carter Observatory. He stated that the numerous "Flying saucer" reports received at the observatory have all been capable of rational explanation. He has received no information from any international astronomical societies which suggests that the phenomena is anything but natural.

The two foremost authorities on meteors in New Zealand are Mr. Ronald MacIntosh of Auckland and Dr. Elliot of Canterbury University. The latter has a radar installation which plots meteors and Dr. Elliot would no doubt co-operate if requested to give information.

17. 10.52.

R. R. Crossing 1917 term

Also attached is a reporting form prepared by the Carter Observatory. The purpose of this form is to obtain information regarding sightings of meteors, etc.

FILE, 2 3 OCT 1952

/ / CORT initiate

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Document, cited by the archive. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. The text was read from the page images by an OCR model; expect the odd misread word. 445 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.