Unusual Sightings and Incidents — RAAF File 5/4/AIR PART 6/7

This document is a compilation of records from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) regarding the reporting and investigation of 'Unusual Aerial Sightings' (UAS). The file, designated 5/4/AIR PART 6/7, covers a period from 1979 to 1990. The records include administrative correspondence, internal memoranda, and specific sighting reports from the Northern Territory region. A significant portion of the file documents the RAAF's efforts to standardize reporting procedures, particularly at RAAF Base Darwin, to ensure that sightings are investigated by appropriate personnel, such as the Formation Intelligence Officer (FIO). The file also contains correspondence between RAAF personnel and civilian observers, including requests for further information and photographic evidence. Notably, the file includes a summary of sightings from 1973, which categorizes various reports and provides potential explanations, such as space debris, meteorological phenomena, and aircraft activity. The document also highlights the RAAF's policy of investigating reports to provide a service to the public, while acknowledging that a small percentage of cases remain unexplained due to insufficient data. The file was later closed for public access by the National Archives of Australia, with specific folios (12 and 12(2)) being withheld under Section 33(1)(d) of the Archives Act 1983, citing a breach of confidence.