ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCJ: lit OQUA~Trr < AACHI. A L ACTION FJL; TITLE: JFC-~PnAI5 REFERRED TO \ REFERRED TO ACTION 1INITIAlSI (I NITIAlS) APR r.1..1:i FILE PUT AWAY / CLOSED FOR FURTHER PAPERS SEE FILE NUMBER PART No OTHER FILES BEARING ON THIS SUBJECT FILE NUMBER Australian Government OF AUSTRALIA DO NOT OPEN This acid free mask contains ........... l ........ folios contents of the mask are: 0 Exempt from public access under paragraph(s) .. of the Archives Act 1983. You have a statutory right to seek a review of the exemption. ~ Not in the open period as defined by the 0 Withheld pending agency advice Australian Government DOCUMENT REMOVAL ADVICE FOLIO$ HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THIS ITEM BECAUSE THEY ARE: OF THE ARCHIVES ACT 1983 IXJ ARE NOT WITHIN THE OPEN PERIOD AS DEFINED WITHIN THE ARCHIVES ACT 1983 DO NOT BEMOVE THIS SHEET FROM FILE NO MORE PAPERS ARJ:dO BE ATtACHED Upon checking this File, the following discrepancies were noted: AIR Pt 8 Folio 3 -Unlocated. AIR Pt 8 Folio 53 - Unlocated. This File progresses logically to Folio 63 then consists of numerous "Initial Unusual Aerial Reports"; all of which are un-numbered. . fV1c~DIE RUSSELL OFFICES lvA1.t'N-rtCH llvelt:>~. R ~ Sv ~A-1 /hel.l6:ll ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE <"LOitlt tit: eomplintcltt6 oj STAFii' OTi'FICP.U TNT~L!JT(jENCE liEADQOAH'rrms SUPPORT COMMAND \'1C'l'OlUz\ BARRACKS .r.mr.,nounNE vrc. soo' Il!ITL1L UlfUSU:.L /..ERLU. SIGHTll:G r.EPOffi' ~ddrcao of Cbncrvcr : 5. Observer ~ location at ti~; of oichting Erie df'cc:~i.rtio. of o' jrct(s} f f f f t f f f f f f f t f f f f f f f t f f f f f t f f f t f I t f f I I f f f ............. Di=ectio."l of L"lglo of elcvn.tion THIS ITEM HAS BEEN DIGITISED IN SECTIONS Monday, October 23, 1978 250 Spencer St., Melbourne 30 Pages 125th Year Pilot tells of UFO then vanishes Vo~h in ;.;., training corps unifotm. By LINDSAY MURDOCH A pilot reported an unidentified flying object hovering over him seconds before his plane disap- peared over Bass Strait at the In a dramatic .conversation with a Melbourne air base the pilot told of a long object with green lights which "seems to be playing some sort of later the plane' s engine began spluttering, there was a met- allic sound, and communication was Department of Transport officials were last night investigating the mysterious disappearance of pilot Paul Vaientich, 20, and the sing!e-engl.ned Cessna. Valentich's last words to Mel- bourne Flight Service concerned the "unkn1:1wn aircraft hovering on lop Officials described the six-minute conversation a:bout the UFO as "quite extraordinary". Vaienti.ch, an instructor with the Air Training Corp, was on a flight from Moorabbin to King Island to up crayfish. At precisely 7.13 pm on Satur day, between Cape otway and King he and the plane were lost. An RAAF Orion sighted an ol1 slick late yesterday and dropped a A fistting boat was heading to t late last night. Samples wll1 be taken to establish If the oil is from the plane. Weather conditions were perfe<t on Saturday evening. IL was a clear night and there was little wind. Department of Transpon officiats working at Flight Service said there was a "sort of metallic sound" over the radio before communication A spokesman said last night rt was possible VaJentich was flying plane upside down and ashed. "He may have become disoriented and ~nfused by reflection from the Cape otway and King Island light- the spokesman said. "The lighthouses may have re- flected off particules of cloud." Officials believe it is l'he first inci dent df its kind reported 1n Victoria. Valentich got his pilots licence two years ago. He had a night flying licence and intended sitting for his commercial pilot's licence. Mr. Guido Valentich said last night that his son believed .in '\frederick read about them and I know he believed they existed,'' Mr. Valentich said from the family's neat briclc hnme in Avern Avenue, A vonda1e Heights. "He'd never seen one before. But he became interested in tJhem when he started flying." Mr. Valentloh said Frederick was a voluntary instructor with the Air Training Corp Jn West Melbourne. "He had no trade a.nd wanted to become a commercial pilot," Mr. Vruentich said. "'He has flown to King Island tbree or fo1.1r times before. He was to .increase the time he has flown at night. "A couple of wtteks ago be flew to Echuca to get ln four hours of nJght flying. "He would do anytlting to get the money to be able to fly ... he work- ed as a shap assistant ln Moonee and even got a job ln the foundry at GMH. "All he wanted to do since he was 12 was to fly. n was his whole Mr. Valentkh sa:id bls family had not given up hope that Frederlck was alive. pilot said This Is the conve rsation Freder- ick Paul Va.lentich had with Mel- bourne Flight Service \before .be 7 pm -Valentich r eports fly- ing over Cape Otway, proceeding to King Island. 7.06 pm -Valentlch asks Mel- bourne liligbt service if there are any aireraft flying below 5000 feet in the area. Service: ('No known Valentich: "Seems to be a large aircraft below 5000 feet." Flight Service: "What type?" Valentich: "I cannot confirm. It has four bright lights. They pear to be landing lights. The air- craft just passed over me about 1000 feet aibove." Flight Service: "Is large air- craft confirmed?" Valentlcb: "Afilnnative. speed it is travelling. Are there any RAAF alrcraft in the vicin- Flight Service: "Negative." 7.08 pm -Valentich: "It rs approaching from due east to- wards me . . . It seems to be play- ing some sort of game. lt's ftyln& Flight Service: ''What rs your altitude?" ,. Valenti'ch: ''4500 feet. ght service: "Confirm you can't identify aircra:'ft." Valenticb; "Affirmative;,'" pm -Valentlcb: It's not an aircraft ," (break in trans- Service: can you des- crl be aircraft?" Valentlch: " It is flying past. It Is a long shape. I can't identify than that. Oomlng for me Flight Service: ''How large ls Valentich: "It seems to be sta- ~iona . I'm orbiting and the thing THIS ITEM HAS BEEN DIGITISED IN SECTIONS pear to be landing lghts. The air craft just passed over me about 1000 feet abo\-e." craft confirmed?" Valentlch: "Atfirmatlve. speed It IS travelling. Are there any RAAF alreraft In the vicin fo'light Service: "Negative." pm -Valentich: "It hi approaching from due east to wards me . It seems to be play ing some sort of game. ft's flyinc at a ~ 1 cannot. eatiTMt~." Flight Service: "What ts your altitude?" Valentlch: "4500 feet." f'llght Service: ''Confirm you can't identify atrcraft." Valentich: "Affirmatlve. 7.09 pm -Valentich: ' 'It's not an aircraft , ... (break In trans Service: "'Can you des cnbe aircraft?" Valenticb: "It Is nying past. It Ia a long shape. I can't identify that. Coming for me flight Service: "How large Ia Valentlch: "It seems to be sta tionary. I'm orbiting and the thing ts orbiting on top of me also. It has a green light and sort of me- tallic light on the outside." then reported that the ot'eot. had vanished. Flt t Servlce: "Conftrm lt hu wnit e<l'~ Valentldl: .. AftlrmatJve, aftlrm. atlve. Do you know w'hat kind of atrcraft I've got? Is it military?" Flight Service: "No. No mill tarv traffic In the 1lrea." pm -Valentich: "Enflne It rough-Idling and ()(')Ughing . Flight Service: ''What are your Intentions?'' Valentich: "Proceed to King Unknown aircraft hover- Ing on top of me." Flight Service acknowled~ea and reports a sort of metallic over the radio before com- .munication lost. By GEOFF WILKINSON and MIC HAEL DAWES A YOUNG pilot and his plane vanished over Bass Strait on Saturday night, minutes after he reported a mystery craft near him. His p3rcnts said la st night they believed h e could h~ve been taken by a UFO. A big n!r and lletl r.rntch betwhn J(.lll(l Is- land and the V!ctolllln coru>t yc'1'Lerday Utllcd to hnd any tmc~ or Fred- crick \'altnUch or the A RAAF Orlan spoltt'd llll oll !lllclt IIOOUI :.!5 km north of King Island. but &Omc scarch~rs MOld they bo1Je1 ed It wn tou big to hne come from the plane. n1e radio or Valen- Uch"s stnclecn81ne Crss- ru m cut out a\ 7 12 p.m. on saturday, IICCOOds after ValenLich told air trntnc romrollera that a 1n111:c obJect hovrrtng llbOve him Wll'> not an al.rcrafl." Four minutes r.arlkr. Valent !cb, 20, raclloed llllll the myatery tTalt wns OJina tow11rdll htm lind uaeema to be playing ~orne 60r1. or came . . U)'lng at a llpced l ran- not mt.matc.' Mr Valent1ch lllll<l: "It'll nol an Alrcrnrt, us ," llr.Iore hls radio tranamiS- ~lon broke brletly. Aske-d br alr trumn con- trollers to describe thl! ob- ject, he satd It .... ll a long &I'm P<!. ult ltl\5 0 l!fCf'l\ light and 11 1wrt of 1111'11l llc llght on I he Outtilde." He snld he 'll'ns orbiting, Fre derick Va lentich "t.nd t oJn ~" orl - lnl! on "'P or me: Tvo minutes later he eakl hl~ engine ~ u1'011!!la Jdllna nnd cough- lie 1dd~: unlmo'll'l\ aln:r !t Is hol'erlng 011 top of me. 1l Is not an 111rcrol'l." 'l'llc M'<:lbiJIIInr tll~hl ser\'lcc llc:ud a lon11 mrtalllc noi e, lhen &II A TlanstiOrt DepArt lllCIIt CXJlCfL Sllld 1\\St nl.r.ht ho bdlc\'Cd Frcdrr to'k m!ly hrl\e nfcldenlally l unwct t ht pin ne Ut1slde Picnic surfers save 4 in rip e Report, P.1go 3 clown or into a llll'rp bnnk a:wr bt.ocomhllf dls- <'dt-ntaled ln llll' dArk, Bul Mr Ouldo Vnlen!lch, of Arvern Av .. Avondalt Heights. said he dld not bel1eve t11C 1 heory. H .. IICClL'Jrci Ull" 'l 'nm~pnn Department ot "t!JIng to cover \IP so people won't at alarmed," A departmt'nt ~>pokt'll man 111.1d la~l nl~thl that If the plane hod .. Invert- ed." the plio\. could llll\'C ser-n light from Ultl Qlpe O'.way nnd Ktns: 16lnnd llahtbou.sea reltectcd on cloud patch~ above hlln The Sf)o)kt-smnn B!lld c:ondttlons tn tho n-a Whn \he pl&IIP Vllnltihf'd at about. 4500 ft. -er~ ~r lect. and the p1lot should h.we had almost unllml~ Mr Yalr ntlch a a I d Frederick had done most or his tm!nlnst for hls \Ill restricted prlvnte pUol'G licf'nce in the aa111e :;out hem Atr 6<-rvlces CrSEnn he wM fl} lng on Stt t urdn.v nhcht. "He has dona nerobatlc tra.ning. too, 1111d we do not 1 htnk lt Ia llO!IIIIblc that lt .. \\'QUid nn~ tmov. dowr.," Mr ValenLich "T don't lmow whnt to lhlnk ... \1':; II IIIVHieq. llul f b~lill\'c n. U FO 110 II r~nl possibilitY. "We live in ho~ until they find I;Otni:!lhint:." FrederiCk, the eldc~t or rour children. h,o d plan ned to fi}' to Kin& lalnnd nnd brln.: b:lcl: IOinC cruyflsh Inter on satur- day ntglu. Continue d P.:tgc 2 N e w s -P 1 c r o R a A L r;~ I Mtlbourne, Moncby, October 23, 1971 WEATHER. Bureau c ity forecast: Fine and veTy warm. cte d top, 30. Yeste rcfav, 27. Details, Page 23. Y.era&~ daily sale THE pilot' s fathe r, Mr Guido Valentic h , and h is son Richard, 12, with a r Fr ede rick's Air Training C orps unit . ? ictu re: MARC FALLANDEJI SO what happened to the little Cessna which dsap- peared over Bass Strait on Saturday nght' Was 11w object rtported on his rod1u by missing pilot Frcdt rkk Vttl(ntich rcully n UfO? By IAN MACKAY Ju~t hO\\ ci'Cdlblc Is ccptor 11lar1c dl OJITI ar- hl descrtplinn or the cd fn cJrcumstaucc m)stc> <:rnrt 'II ho r.c J1 61mllar to tllo co a green It hi nnd n sort Saturdav my11l o! mrt.nllc II ht on tht * fpcl lhat thero ; UCe nn m~ tht lliJll' or lUI lnl~r- enllh rnn 01 ly lr: <1 to '"''' lo\lth tlw lllnt I a tht hellt:>l thlll II PlCIStK l'.S. Arm) hrlkn11trr :lv ollw. ,ol~l &)1\ll'lllll ~n '"" .:rrn tlaht, lhrr \.\I'll cl:ar ln.ttmrnl nHr Ohiu I It 11rrw<1 lh t fluon In t!l Bllt'k Hut;c111 HillS 11go 1111' pllul. Mtt)or I 1r1 ,. Cotn, t!IJOrtrd whnt tle Hl>e phmc h lhougltl wns 11 ffd ltr.ht In oro ua. dl thll e t>uua rm lite ltor n bright 1111d brt;lll r llytn; thnn uur n 111 hy most 1700 n l>tlo ld we bt' ur q l r nd t dllf ll to he Suddenly It :room~ up too pUral nbou th~ at h hdlcopter on a B ss St I tcporlll, lh colt 0 ~oursc bt1t just Par\1 1 art) ,.h n Paul na he nnd h <re"91 or Ncmnan tel mr th en-f<:~ r rr brn ll'll! lh m- countt'r of tl k d re-h-cs for the Impact. the por1cd to Me bourn~ con-UFO &IOIJJl"'(( d r tl.J In tro on 81lturd:l~ n 1 t b front or them p lot \' lml c:b I a As It d d 11 bright bl 1 11 n rnl p tte n or h t 5POLIIltht one d tt'Cth hr c 11 UJO act 1 It) on th" I clk'op r 10d Nonnan oi St t~e 20 me r loll", Il- K Ida Is 11. u 1 r all n n melr<' v.lde tJJ'O 11llW< d rcpr('.srolnlll c of llf 0 11n-en rt nrch, the htrce t 111-Nil b(-gt\11 to m01e nv. ., 'estlgutor tnd nportl'r l'f lrom us und 1 luot:P.d at UFO ~<lKhtiiiJ;I' In tho IllY altlmctl v.huh v.a& l<O'IIilt'rn h om lt her e. 11ht>v.lnr: 3500 It IUIId Hr.'s tmv~lltd Au tmliA MaJor Coin talkm~; to tJCOille "l:o "We hnd gone fn>m hnve tlOtlrd "'>at 111e1 b~hr.\ed w hi! lii'O:I and """ ri~:ht now he'as Uol on the mntlrr or IIC('Oild!l 9.'lth tmll of evrnlll Oll't na1111 out l;nov.tns: It" S rult on Sntu dny nt~tht Artrr ~verl'l turbulmcc HSO rnr ,.r dou't know ~nd a hrnvy Jolt he cot much mor;o than hu al control ol the nlrcnall rL'fidv rcJJOIII'tl 10 agatn and 1111a able to vour lll'lo\11Pn~Wrs." Paul dL'!><"cml LIY!> 'Dul II Is \I! I tllllll)' The liii(:Kt'5tlon, IWYS rollu\lllllt !Itt-lilllnc pnt-P:ml Nonnnn, Is thnt the tern or tnclrtrnls ~orld-hrht'Opter '11'1l5 undrr th .-Ide v.lll're turcnott lutvc mrtunce or a IIO"'rrul diSupJ>C'III'I'd '' llntiiLutlurutl flllll Itt abo Tht crnlt, c:oulpltolr. su~r.~ts that the cn"lne with JINn lt~htll, Is rom-"mugll 1dhnr. und roullh- illar to tT!O 111\c!Sll(lalonl l:lll" rncho.d b\' Mr Vui- S 1 cntlch before his dlsnp I!I'Crn Jlt'OTS U{JO ill pcnrance 1U.~ 1 Cl!lSIMt'llt the US an Inter-With "hat hurll>ena when UJ'O$ are cruising Tl' sets go Jurmv rad O.l crackle dagl bark -electrical SJJI t 111, m cars splutter aud cauglz. 1\, !1 lllf'Jnher or !hr. Au trol!n.-USSR St>:ll:t\' shr. h.o. spent murh nl 1 liP pn~t U Y'!lts vlHtllns SoVI l r<h.p In Port Mel lxurni'. Sl.c help nr- rnnge football mntch and other outings ror Ru ian seamen who lmov. h r u.s "Aunty Mol- R en1lv she "'-u on board n Sov'et carco !<hlp nnd tAU: v.1lS or u~ WhUe orr th~ coa t or Sp:nn on the -ur to A - tralla. the crew spotted 11 rge metal! c objrd 11bout one-third the 'tl: or a 1 :II moon One day about 8 p m n e a r I v 00 senml'll ,.,tcbcd It boltt wtth tl e nuked c_vc and w1th buto ul rs 1or abcut 50 min ulcs And thcv M0111t~ Mr.. Ingc phows t hi'\ toot and druv.lnp llli'Y hl.ode o! t. AmM'Itan. apj)llrl'nth f!'.ar the prospcda "' othcr forms of life in 6~lll~ sa)'S Mrs I nsw,, and tr} to :oupprt"ll nr11 or UFO slghllnlt!L Ru~<.~loru. howcHr, be- lieve that If th~ objects are !rom places more ad vncl'd than ours thty arc h~n to help ralher than hnrm us 'The higher vou get lcclge," she :;ayll, "tile higher your /umum- ltanall 1111dersto11dl11g," Mclbour,e, Tuoad;ay, October lof, 1971 WEATHflt, lwruu cty forecut: Few lhundety showero Cooler llfh!rn-" lc.t breues, h-Ied top 25. Yettlr- <by' s 21, e Dcth -Pge SO. Average daily sale HOPES of finding missing Melbourne pilot frederick Valentich alive dwindled yesterday after a big search found no trace of him or his His parents were still hopeful last n ight that h e would be found ufe, tho ugh he has not been heard from since he vanished on Saturday night .1fter reporting strange lights flying ne.1r him. " \V e sttll h:u e o. hope," hiS father, Mr Ouldo Vnlcnt ICh, said nl his A\Oildnle HeiCbU hom~. "lie lUll)' haH: ern hed ord he hurt, or tome- t'1ltllt else IIIII\ hiiH hu ll Prffiericll: Valenllch, !!0, \nntshro ou Bua Strnlt '\l hll" !lying his lilncle- ezu:lne Cesna Ill:! lo KIn~: Iiland H e told a friend bcforr