MAI
- 4 NOV 1955
DAILY TIMES
MINISTER ORDERS FULL INQUIRY INTO
SIGHTING OF STRANGE OBJECT
N.A.C. Pilot May Be Interrogated By
Air Force Security Officers
(Special to "The Times.")
WELLINGTON, Nov. 3.
"The fullest and immediate" investigation has been ordered
by the Minister of Civil Aviation, Mr. T. P. Shand, into the sight-
ing of a mysterious lighted object by a National Airways Corpora-
tion Plane crew last Monday night.
The acting-Minister of Defence, Mr. E. H. Halstead, this
morning asked the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice-Marshal Mer-
son, for the fullest co-operation of the Air Force in the inquiry.
It is understood that the National Airways Corporation is to
ask the pilot of the plane, Captain W. T. Rainbow, to come to Wel-
lington to make a report on the sighting of the mystery object,
and it is reliably reported that he will be interrogated by Air
Force security officers.
Among those in the plane who saw
the object was the Inspector-General of
a R.N.Z.A.F., Air Commodore R. K.
Allen. The plane was on Flight 108,
a last flight on Monday night be-
tween Wellington and Auckland.
"I have called for an immediate full
report," said Mr Shand this morning.
This is the most circumstantial and
parently reliable report on such an
jett we have yet had and I am
pecially interested because of the
character of the witnesses whose re-
tution cannot be questioned. There
ve been other previous reports of
nilar objects in New Zealand skies
t they have been dismissed as fire-
lls or other natural phenomena. On
e evidence available it appears that
is object does not come into that
category."
Interviewed by telephone this after-
noon, Air Commodore Cohen, who is at
present visiting Hobsonville Air Sta-
tion, said he thought the object sight-
ed from the plane was a planet low
ern on the horizon.
"I cannot identify it, but have
dered the navigation people here to
vestigate. They are checking on it
w," he said.
"The object did appear to move,"
GREYMOUTH EV. STAR
5 NOV 1955
JETS HIGH IN
SKY CAUSE
SPECULATION
Air Force Vampire jets, flying
at 30,000ft, passed over the West
Coast early yesterday afternoon
and left in their wake reports
of "strange objects" even "fly-
ing pencils" being seen in the
sky.
Not only West Coast residents, to
whom high-flying jets here are not
common sights, were deceived by
the visitors, for the passage of the
six planes on a cross-country exer-
cise from Ohakea set off a wave of
"flying saucer" reports from some
parts of Canterbury, including the
city of Christchurch, yesterday.
In Albany, Vampires took part in
the exercise, following separate
routes down the West Coast, and
crossing the Alps to Canterbury
about one o'clock. They then flew
up the east coast, returning to
Ohakea, the Matamata airport, close
to Bulls. They passed over Christ-
church about 1.30 pm.
As the aircraft moved on, they left
behind puzzled groups. Reports of
white cylindrical objects flashing
through the sky followed. Some re-
ports mentioned long, thin vapour
trails and others saw a "glow" from
the "luminous" object. All agreed
that there was a roar like a jet
engine, which, indeed, was precisely
what it was.
The jets left long, white vapour
trails formed by condensation from
the wing tips. These caused most of
the speculation on the West Coast,
but only a few people observed the
aircraft responsible. The secret for
what they were.
EVENING POST
8 NOV 1955
Venus Back In
Running As
Mystery Light