U.S. scientists say Kaikoura film is of ‘verified’ U.F.O.

Press, 28 March 1979, Page 2

U.S. scientists say Kaikoura film is of ‘verified’ U.F.O.

;NZPA-Reuter New York] Television film of a] brilliant moving object over' [New Zealand last December, [is the first verified film of] ian unidentified flying object,: [according to a group of ex-1 [perts on aerial phenomena. ' j “It is the only film in the i2O-year history of the Nat- [ ional Investigations Comimittee on Aerial Phenomena of which we can say, ‘lt is verifiable’,” the group’s [president (Mr Jack Acuff) [told a news conference after reporters saw parts of the ;Australian film. i The committee includes [ prominent scientists who be- ) lieve U.F.O.s should become [the subject of serious scien-) tific research. It was formed' ! after the United States Air; [Force ended its own re-i search, called “Project Blue] IBook,” early in 1969.

:] “We have something here: [lthat no-one has been able to] .[come up with an explanation : |for,” Dr Hynek said. The film was made on De[cember 30 by David Crockett, a cameraman hired by ■ a former New Zealand reporter, Quentin Fogarty, of Melbourne’s. Channel 9. i Together with Mrs Croc- ! kett (who acted as sound > engineer), a pilot and a coi pilot, they flew between ■ Wellington and Christchurch ' just to make background footage for a news broadcast ; about a December 21 U.F.O. • sighting by Captain Vernon ■ Powell. ; The major analyst of the I'film has been Dr Bruce Mac•[cabee, a United States Navy -[optical physicist. ■ [ Dr . Maccabee said the i U.F.0., solid and brightly lit

non the bottom and with J what appeared to be a dimmer translucent or transparent dome, gave off light and was known to fly because it registered movement on radar. Estimates of its size in i ■ photographs taken from Hive! miles away indicated that it was about 100 ft wide, he said. He gave a list of reasons ■ why it could not have been i Venus, Jupiter, a balloon, secret military manoeuvres, a I squid fleet, or a hoax, as ; sceptical scientists have sug- . gested it might be. The Royal New Zealand Air Force knew of no manoeuvres scheduled for that • time, and the object was too ■ bright, moved too quickly, j and was in the wrong direct-j > ion to have been any known! object, he said.