Ministry of Defence Freedom of Information Request File D/DAS/10/2/8/13

This document is a collection of correspondence and administrative records from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) Directorate of Air Staff, specifically regarding Freedom of Information (FOI) requests submitted between March and May 2007. The file, referenced as D/DAS/10/2/8/13, contains various inquiries from the public regarding UFO sightings, historical incidents, and MoD policy. A significant portion of the file documents the MoD's response to a specific sighting on 23 April 2007 near the Channel Islands, where pilots of a Trislander and a Jetstream 32 reported observing bright, stationary, cigar-shaped objects. The MoD investigated this incident, concluding that the objects were outside UK radar coverage and that there was no threat to the UK. Other inquiries in the file cover a wide range of topics, including the 'Rendlesham Forest incident' of 1980, alleged crashes at Cannock Chase in 1964, and general questions about MoD research into UFOs. Throughout the correspondence, the MoD consistently maintains that it has no expertise or role in investigating UFOs, except to determine if there is a threat to UK airspace from foreign military activity. The file also includes press clippings and photographs provided by members of the public, such as Ernie Sears of the Southampton UFO Group, who documented various sightings over Portsmouth Harbour. The administrative nature of the file is highlighted by the inclusion of 'Registered File Disposal Forms' and 'Authorisation for the Release of Information' documents, reflecting the MoD's internal processes for handling public requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.