Oepo(rmetH of Ocronct (AIR FORCE OFFICE) MINUTE PAPER R.ECLASSIFI~"'ATIOi'T OF FILES Reference: DEFAIR 580/1/1 In accordance ,.,i th Reference A, all folios, in all parts of Department of Air File series 580/1/1 are reclassified UNCLASSIFIED '-lith effect 7 May 82. TO r':E Fil POR 1 A!l1!i FAPE!\S SEE PI z C> OP l:i.Eio'b:'d 'l'O Slll3JBCT INDEX MINUTE PAPER (Write on this >ide only) v~ ou please close tnis part of the file and open a new vle. 2 . '.i =t of the i'ile should be returned to D ~r for retention, TELEPHONE: 690550 TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS. "AlRC011MAND, MELBOURNE" ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS SUPPORT COfotMANO VICTORIA BARRACKS SC1 VIC 3004 fN APLY QUOT ~of Air (DAFI) UFO SIGHTINGS Reference: A. Telecon Sqn Ldr Roddy/Plt Off Gretton 24th January 1973 Correspondence relating to two UFO sigbtings in the Melbourne area is attached. Pro- formae have been despatched to !4r and Mrs Spinks and to Lliss Jordan and !4r Batchelor. Wing Comman For Air Officer Commanding closures: 1. HQSC 5/6/1/Air(15) to Miss L. Holt 2. Reply from Miss Holt 3. "Age" Newspaper letter of 19JAN73 Sqd. Leader a . R.Roddy, Royal Aust~alian Air Force, Headquarters Support Coooand, Victoria Barracks, HELBOU.~NE. Your >ief: 5/6/1/Air( 12) Dear Sir : In reference to your letter ot' the 28th November, 1972, addressed to Hr. R.Jamieson of Hallan, I ~rish to apolog'ise for the delay in replying to your request, as u..."lfortu...'lately your letter \>Tas oisla,J,.d. \le ,.rere contacted by e. !~r. & l~s. Brian Spinks of Flynn C.!'esce'1t, Broadmeadows rega.::-din.g the sighting on the 19th Septe~ber last. .;e tmderstand th::tt 1-:iss Bheila Jordan and ;.r. _;Ibert .~tchelo.r also sau the o::..j ect. These t\:o people ;.rere \ri th l.r. and ::. s . Spinks :;.t ":.he title, and I a:n sure they l!culd be able to give you t!'lei:r acid.!'essos. siri'cerely, h.L 3LAC~(BOURN Pictorial Editor IJi as Li nda Holt, Valley Road via Cranbou.rne Dear Liiss Holt, 1 . Depuriit!ent of Air, Canber:ro, has ackcd me for addi tiono.l in'f OI'tl<1tion concerning :four report on nn ua- ident i f ied flyinG ooj ect seeu on 26t~ Se~tcnber 1972. 2. I n an effort to solve the oystery of thi~ cichtinc , could you please su:>pl y aus~ers to the folloo;-:ine quecl;ions: - ho~ far nas the car from the qu~rry Dentioned in your report ? b . r,.. the !lll.r'.rry o:perati~e; o.nd. if so, lillo.t tn>e of c uip~ent or illu ion ~o.~ in ucc~ c. I ere the c:1r d .ndo\7s up cr do.:p? d . In :rour re:::ort, you nentioned 'ur:o \;i t1.c. Ge::::. J\re -t::0~e \~tt:essc~ i~ c.G.dit:.cn~ to i. .. C,"'"" ~li" and - e oth~!' i.Jerslj~ ~:.til :-ou . If no, CJ~d you Give their o.Ccrcccco if ~ocniblc? e. Lid ~-ou see r-tr;r tr~c~ o-:' na::-ro-:-bco.n :-c rci1.- cor.::.:.1only usc.:i ~s o.d:.rcrti::.inG .tU ~licit~ di-; l~;s b~: cert::in cil co:.:_:>ard.es'! ) . It 1..o'lld be o.u")~eciat!!d ii' anoerc t:o the c\c~.:..~o'l ... i.l ~ove COUld be !:'Ol;Urneu as soon at. _ _,ossi 1;le in tile CmClli:...Cd envelope. \ \q Your~ f~ithfully, Squat''"i:'.:m Leader For Air Cfficer Co~ndins MINUTE PAPER (Write on thls side only) SUBJECT: I' L he enclosed letter relating to a 0 report o~ 580/1!1 'ilioit 17 has been preuared for your signature nl'ld Hr R. llabner, Tooligie Rilla, Eyre Peninsula, SOUTH AUSTRALIA The slides of unusual ground markings sent by you to RIJIF Base Edinburgh in June last year are now returned. The delay in returning the slides is regretted. Yolll'a fa.i thfully, (G, J . ODGERS) Director of Public Relations For ""' Wlthln the MAE only OUA AU Wnte or pr'"t cl~rly \) SUIJECT o...ui\Net: PRINTED NAME RANK AND API'OINTMEI:!IT , PHONE EXTN DEPARTMENT OF AIR MINUTE PAPER (Write on this side onl)) Subject: 0 R..:J'ORr:.. ~e enclosed replies to folios 19 and 20B have been prepared ~or your sienature 3nd r elease. itr I. .;!comb, 2c ~yUham Avenue, ROCl(I)AL I :iSW 2216 Inve~tigation of your report of an unusual aerial sightinb on 12th October 1972, has revealed that the ai ting was probably the planet Venus. At the time of the sighting, Venuo was on a bearing of ~20 ~etic at an elevat~on of 31 fai th.fully, (C-.J. ODG&1S) Director of Public f.elatione Mrs P, Litchfield C/-Post Office D.ER I IA.i l'IT 5788 Dear ~lad.am, Investigation of your report of an unusual aerial sightin~ on 22nd October 1972, has not resulted in a conclusive determination of the cause. From the description in the report submitted by you, however, it is most probable that the sighting was an unusually brilliant view of the phenomenon known as ' Aurora Australis'. Yours faithfullv, (C. J . OIX;E.i,S) Director of Public Relations MINUTE PAPER (Write on this side only) The enclosed reply to folio 22 has been prepared for your signature and release. (M.GIU.TrON) Mr R. E. Schneider Munnell Falls Em1UNGERIE NS~ 2742 Investigation of your report of an unusual aerial sighting on the 31st October 1972, has not resulted in a con- clusive determination of the cause. More information, or the finding of the object, would have been of assistance in the investigation. At approximately the time of sighting, three aircraft were know to be in the area. These were: a. RAAF Hercules en route to Darwin; b. Fokker Friendship en route to Dubbo; and c. Piper Cherokee en route to Dubbo. Investigation into the possibility that an item had fallen from of these aicraft proved incorrect. Occasionally, items of space debris return to Earth without disintegrating on re-entry to the atmosphere. In all probability, the object that you saw was one of these (G.J. ODGERS) Director of Public Relatione No 2 Stores Depot Detachment DUBBO NSW 28 30 7th November 1972 ghting investigated request from HQOC. unanding Detacbment <1. ho'll accurate are these estima~es?~/.~T.;H'lf' ~ \'/hat first attracted observer's attention?/.1P.A~.,.! . If there wae more than one light/object : /.-0 {, cP ./ a. how many were there? in what formation were th ? --- /12. What was ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE TELEPHONE DUBBO 82 4822 No 2 Stores Depot Detachment "D" DUBBO NSW 28 30 7th November 1972 Department of Air ( DAFI) For Information Headquarters Support Command (Command Intel 0) Headquarter Operational Command (SO Intel) REPORT ON UNUSUAL AERIAL SIGHTING Herewith re~ort on untisual aerial sighting investigated by Flt Lt R. L. Dean l04184) ACCT following a request from HQOC. (C. F. SAUNDERS) Squadron Leader Officer Commanding Detachment d . how accurate are these estima~es?~/.~1.;J-f"if' \'That first attrac"'te.d observer's attentionU"lA~ .'Y!.. . If there was more than one light/object : /~C. CP ?jLt: / b. in what formation were they? ~ ... Rrl'ORT ON Ul'TUSUAJJ AERIAL SIGHTING rArt 1 -noport by Observer (As a preliuti.nary to completing this form, the observer is invited to describe the sighting in his or her own manner, using either separate sheets or tho back of this form) fltldc>< ~: Naoe of Observ~r; ,A~geY'-1~ .Address. of Obscrver~.Pf(-{(;:, r Occupation of Observcr V. W ,, .' ... ,.,,,.,., Date t: Time of Start of Observ:'ltion~(. R,., 3.~--;).Jl.-1.1 How accurate is the time of start? ~. ?.,,.,., . . Duration of Observation .. h.:-J .~ ........... . ,.,. How accurate is your estimate? ......... ,,, . Observer' a location at time of sighting. ;k{(.~(r.j..,, How familiar is observer \'lith this locality?/6 \leather condi tiona at time of observationk.-?:"~ Describe any aids/equipment used in the observation.4'k-'.~ .. '::here was object first observed? : a. Relative to your surroundings.k.<f.4~:l!. d . how accurate are these estima~ea?~/.~t.:;~<f" ~ \'!hat first attracte.d observer's attention?~ Aj-1-.~.lftl.. . If there waa more than one light/object : /~ t. ~ ~ / b. in what formation were they? ~ . r:h~t wns the colour of the lieht or object?.-.~ p;; ~ -,.,'lwi; W:.\S ~he bril!Jl:t.u~ vii th full moon or comr.1on l;i.((h_t ~n stntcd diett\ncc, eg ordinary street J:itht f\L;t.OO ynrfo~}. , / ~ Y.'h~1t wns the apparent size at nearest approach? : ~ b . rcl;.tt.Lvc di:uen:n.ons in inches at arr.~s lenath (about 15. t:hat were the benrine nncl elevation nnr;lcs ot nearest approach and how were these values .:\SSesser1? r:as any method of propulsion obvious? ,)(t; ................ . Describe any som~t1 he.'lrc1, incluuinB chanGeS in p itch and \':hat was the maximut1 and trinimur.1 angle of elevation (or height, if an estimate cnn be justified)? \ihot was the :nnximum and minimum ungtlar velocity (or speed, if an eatimate C:::\ll he justified)? If necessary, compare with the movet.l'n ~ o.r fnmi.lit.r objects at sta~ed Give duration of any st~tionary j)hases.!J.1../( .... I , . Describe on:; ..lc:vi:.\tions OJ' manoeuvres . (l!t:i'., .. . . ......... 1 Describe mJ' trail of c:xh::mst, vapour or ll.ght seen/?tf' .. Where was object lnst obzerved? :.:.c.i.eL-,-~ 2t~o. V.nat was the ronner of its clisappearance?:-l.";tf-f~ Pt~T.~ 2~. Do you lcnow or any ossocinte<1 physical eviclence (such ;:J.S fraements, photocrn.IJhS, scorchina, ground indentations, residual magnetism or ro.dioacliivity, etc) /26. :-ante nny ~tc.te. any ~r~inine wh~cJ:l enables observer to be reasonnbly certal.n of tuo/her abl.l:t ty ho estimate angles and nnt;ulnr v elocity. ' tow r.1an,y Wl. tnesses to the s:tghtJ.ng. ~ ............ . Do you ltno''' o:C wi tncsses to sioilar sightin~;s in the area? \:hat no.tur;:.l phcnou"lenon (or phenomena) woulf, be ne::~rcst to exploinin~ your observation? \"ihnt are :rour main re::tsons for excludinG thi's ex-flla11ation? nease sketch the light/object with all details. l.i: appropriate, slcetch position. and/or movement of o'bjec~"" in r<?lation to your surround1ngs. Use bacl;: of form 1.1. -Unit Evaluation 32. 'fhe followinG military aircraft were in the vicinity of the reported UFO position a t the time: ATD/ATA* The f ollowing civil aircraft were in the vicinity of the reported UFO ~osition at the time: ~'lC.ot~O &&.4tf * Give 1oc~tion of nearest ATD or ATA. 34. Observer' s JJocation: Latitude. .-s:~ ... Lonf,i t ude . !~.i .. ~? 35, Give bearing "nd elev2-tion of any planets and major st<!rS that were in that position of the slcy at that time. day, give location of Venus only 36. A meteorological balloon was released frorn . ~l~ .. : Radio-sonde* '/ radar**: Candle**/ battery** (** delete as Was it lmovm to have burs1;? 37. The first significant temperature inversion was of.;, C ~38. Any remarks on satellites, rockets, research bnlloons, comets, meteorites etc relevant to the sighting /39. Y.'hen an v:hen ir1cntified r~s possible aircraft include ro.da:r trace if uvaila'ble, and a.ecerto.in whl.ch of the aircrn.ft liGhts wore operating 40. The cause (or lilcely cause) of the sighting ca:ff' /cannot- be determined. The object reported as may have been (delete as required) ( N au1e of ( Ranlc) I nvestigating Officer) RI'PORT ON UNUSUAL AERIAL SIGHTING r~rt 1 -Report ~y Observer (As a preli~inary to completing this form, the observer is invited to describe the sighting in his or her own manner, using either separate sheets or ~he back of th1s form) Russell ~est Schneider 45 Ob Farmer and Grazier How accurate is the time of start? . .~<?<? ',., ,. Duration of Observation . 2- 3 seconds 6 . Observer's location at time of sighting.9f . .9! . Ho'"' familiar is observer with this locality?. Y~Fl. f~HHf 7. \'leather condi tiona at time of observation. 9?- F. m, ...... few clouds morning in low on western horizen 8 . Describe any aida/equipment used in the observation ~ 9. ,::here was object first observed? : in the south western sky elat~ve to your surround~nga ... ow accurate are these est1ma~es? , . the speed \/hat first attracted observer a attent~on?, ... 11. If there was more than one light/object :